too late for a second chance novel (Lila and Dorian) novel Chapter 10

"You!" Darcy exclaimed, and her face was flushing with anger. "I didn't ask you to buy me this outfit! If you want it back, I can return it right now!"

The thick blush on her cheeks could hardly be contained.

Lila smiled faintly. "Sure, if you're returning things, make sure to return everything I ever gave you—clothes, jewelry, all of it. And you might as well get out of the apartment I rented for you.

"Now that I've broken up with Dorian, I bet you don't want to keep anything I gave you or live in a place I paid for, right?"

Darcy's face turned an even deeper shade of red. When Lila was dating Dorian, he treated Lila very well, but after the breakup, Lila turned her back on them. How hypocritical! She deserved to have Dorian snatched away by Zara!

Seeing that things were escalating, Ethan stepped in to mediate. "Ms. Blake, Ms. Hart, let's all just calm down. We're family, after all. There's no need to make such a scene."

Darcy was furious and directed her anger at him. "What is this nonsense about being family? Didn't you hear her say she broke up with Dorian?"

"And you." She scoffed, pointing a finger close to Lila's nose. "Lila, the money you spent was all from Dorian, right? How can you have the nerve to say those things were your gifts? How can you demand them back?"

A cold smile escaped from Lila's lips. Her expression was indifferent yet beautiful enough to captivate.

"I've been with Dorian for five years and have never taken a penny from him. On the contrary, I've worked for him all this time without a salary. He's the one who owes me, understand?"

Her voice was crisp, and though her words seemed soft, they carried a solemnity that struck a chord in those who heard them. Darcy looked at her exquisite face, feeling a wave of discomfort.

Just then, Dorian walked in. He heard her entire statement, and his face darkened.

Darcy couldn't believe it. "How is this possible?"

She rushed to Dorian's side and tugged at his arm. "Dorian, you have to hear what she's saying!"

He stared at her in silence. Knowing Lila had gone to Mount Shasta yesterday to pray for their relationship, he felt his anger dissipating. He had even spoken to her more kindly, hoping she would understand.

But here she was, pushing her luck and even talking about money.

He closed his eyes, suppressing his emotions. "Lila, I asked you to come today to discuss the project and talk about us. I'm trying to make it up to you after all this chaos.

"I'm not mad at you anymore; can you at least calm down?"

Lila lazily settled into the sofa and chuckled lightly. "When you spoke, I almost thought you would offer me a salary."

Her words nearly drove Dorian to the edge of fury.

"Lila, aren't you just trying to get that bracelet back? I'll retrieve it, but you must talk to me nicely."

Darcy was incredulous. "Dorian, what are you saying? You can't just take it back!"

He shot her a cold glance. Lila maintained her composed smile. "I don't want something dirty. I have no habit of digging through trash."

Dorian's patience wore thin, and his expression grew colder.

After returning home yesterday, he had thought about how the investors wanted Lila to be in charge. Keeping her would make it easier to resolve that issue, but it wasn't the only way.