Dorian felt hatred and jealousy as he stared at the man's face, which vaguely resembled Noah's. His height was something most men could only dream of reaching, and Dorian was not an exception to most men.
Lila listened to his words, seemingly lost in thought.
After a moment, she feigned innocence and asked, "From the sound of it, Mr. Blake should have some connections to him, right?
"If I apologize to you now and agree to come back as your manager, could you introduce me to that big shot?"
Dorian's face turned ashen, and he could barely hold his emotions in check. His gaze darkened as if he wanted to drag her down into an abyss.
Lila tilted her head slightly. "Judging by your reaction, I guess that's a no. Never mind. I'll just ask Vince. Perhaps he can."
She smiled lightly. For a moment, it seemed devoid of any pretense.
Dorian felt an oppressive weight settle in his chest. His patience with Lila was stretched to its limit, and he realized he couldn't bear her any longer.
But at this moment, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even stop her if he wanted.
With his career on the line and surrounded by prominent business figures, he had to maintain his composure and image. Otherwise, all his previous efforts would be for nothing.
Dorian's gaze lingered on Lila until she turned a corner and disappeared from sight. He held his wine glass and walked over to a well-known real estate mogul in Northridge City.
Dorian had sought to network, and things were going well until Dorian mentioned his company and his intention to collaborate. At that moment, the man's expression shifted, and he looked at Dorian with a complicated expression.
The man said with a half-smile, "Mr. Blake, I'm sorry, but I've already secured a business partner for this collaboration. Perhaps we can discuss something for the future."
Dorian nodded regretfully, and they exchanged a few more pleasantries before moving on to the next group of potential partners. Yet, without exception, each of them gave him the same response: not this time, but perhaps in the future.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: too late for a second chance novel (Lila and Dorian)