too late for a second chance novel (Lila and Dorian) novel Chapter 71

Lila was lost in thought when Kieran gently pushed the door open to enter the room. She was so focused that she hadn't noticed someone come in at all.

Her eyes were fixed on the view outside the window. Her calm gaze revealed no emotion. Her eyelashes fluttered, delicate like the wings of a vivid butterfly.

The room was silent, and time seemed to stand still because of her.

Kieran leaned casually against the wall, half-supporting himself with his long legs crossed. He was a sight to behold himself, yet he was captivated by the scene before him.

His gentle gaze fell on her pale face. Kieran's heart ached with a desire to hold her close and comfort her. Yet, he didn't want to disturb her moment of peace.

Perhaps his gaze had been too intense as Lila seemed to sense something and turned to look at him.

As her gaze fixed on his handsome face, she was first surprised, then she smiled.

"Uncle Kieran, weren't you on a business trip?"

At that moment, the pale girl seemed to come alive.

Kieran's gaze softened unconsciously. He pulled a chair over to her bedside. As he did, he briefly noticed a sandalwood bead by the wall. Ignoring it, he quickly shifted his gaze back to her as if he never saw it.

"What happened?" He reached out and gently pinched her fair cheek.

Lila's gaze flickered, and she pretended everything was fine, masking it all with a trained smile. "I accidentally took a fall."

Kieran nodded and didn't ask more. He knew she rarely spoke up about her hardships, and he didn't expect her to share anything now. He was worried that if she wanted to talk but couldn't find the words, it would make her feel even worse.

But whether or not she opened up, he was prepared to seek justice for her.

"Why did you return so suddenly?"

Lila couldn't help but wonder if Kieran had come back just for her, given he arrived so quickly and at such a perfect time.

Kieran casually picked up an apple and slowly began peeling it. "Things went smoothly, and an overseas partner is coming to Northridge tomorrow.

"I came back early for that reason and sent Cole to the film set to bring you something. When he found out you were injured from a fall, I rushed over to see you first."

His response was perfectly crafted, leaving no room for doubt.

Kieran nodded slightly and handed the perfectly peeled apple to Lila.

Jamie blinked, wondering how a man could be so handsome and have such beautiful hands.

But she quickly refocused her attention. "Ms. Hart, they finally exposed Zara's act of pushing Teddy on purpose earlier today. The footage made it crystal clear. Mr. Lawson probably helped with this."

Neither of them noticed Kieran lower his gaze, and he didn't say anything.

Whoever leaked the video didn't matter. As long as it gave Lila some peace and a sense of justice, that was enough.

Just as he expected, a gentle smile touched her delicate features.

However, Jamie still looked worried. "But… another issue has come up."

She hesitated, then said, "Someone revealed that you and Dorian were once dating. The post just went up, but it's already trending on the hot topics list."

Jamie pulled out her phone to show them, her brows furrowing further. "It was ranked at 32 just a moment ago, and now it's already climbed to 10th on the trending topics in only a few minutes."