Vol. 3: Chapter 28
The three of them stood facing each other, trapped in an awkward silence.
Ring, ring.
The spell was broken by Zoe's phone. She answered it. "Hello? Yes, I'm at the place we agreed on. I've been waiting for a while."
"..."
"Okay, see you in a bit."
Zoe hung up and looked at Kael. "He's almost here. You..."
She had been about to ask Kael to play the part of her boyfriend to scare the guy off, but now his actual "sugar momma" was here. She was suddenly at a loss for words.
Kael simply nodded, then turned to Lila to make the introductions. "Lila, this is my former landlady, Zoe. Zoe, this is my current landlady, Lila."
"A pleasure," Lila said, extending a hand.
Zoe, momentarily stunned, shook it. "You too."
Kael gave a sheepish grin and decided to just lay it all out. "Zoe is meeting a guy her mom set her up with, but only because she doesn't want to hurt her mom's feelings. She asked me to come along for moral support."
Lila nodded. From the moment she saw Zoe, she knew the girl was just an ordinary person and posed no threat. The wall she'd put up came down a few notches.
She stood up. "Well, I'll let you two get back to it. I'm going to look around the mall."
"Miss Whitmore, wait," Zoe said, also standing. She looked at Kael. "Kael, you should go with her. You can always come back in the middle of it."
Lila shot a sidelong glance at Kael and walked out without a word.
Kael felt completely useless, like a prop in their drama.
"Lila, wait up!" he called out, scrambling to catch up. He fell into step beside her, plastering on a goofy smile. "Lila, are you hungry?"
She remained silent, stepping into an elevator. The sixth floor of the mall was all restaurants, but she pressed the button for a lower floor. Clearly, she wasn't interested in food.
Kael scooted closer, trying to lighten the mood. He told a few jokes he’d heard recently and even tried to discuss the latest Sora200 model. Lila’s expression remained glacial. She didn't respond.
This was giving Kael a headache. He might be a god in the game, but in the real world, his game with women was seriously lacking. Seeing the slump in Lila's shoulders and thinking about everything she'd been through lately, his heart softened. He let out a small sigh.
Lila seemed to sense the shift in his mood and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. She took half a step back, bringing them shoulder to shoulder. Then, unexpectedly, she reached out and linked her right arm through his left.
Kael froze, a jolt like an electric shock running through him.
Ding.
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The elevator arrived on the first floor.
Still arm-in-arm, Lila led Kael into a luxury handbag boutique. The store manager saw Lila and immediately scurried over, her voice dripping with enthusiasm. "Miss Whitmore, welcome!"
Lila acted as if she hadn't seen her, walking straight past with Kael in tow. The manager knew Lila's temperament and didn't dare say another word, simply following them quietly. She snuck a glance at Kael's back, thinking, That man is so lucky. To think he actually caught Miss Whitmore's eye.
Lila stopped by a high-end display and casually pointed out more than a dozen different bags. "This one... and this one... that one..."
The manager dutifully noted each one, though she was inwardly confused. Miss Whitmore's taste has changed. She's never shown the slightest interest in this aesthetic before.
"Aside from those," Lila continued, "I'll take everything else on these shelves."
"Ex-excuse me?" The manager, though prepared for a large sale, was still shocked. She quickly composed herself. "There are eighty-five other bags on these displays. You'd like to place an order for all of them?"
"That's right," Lila said. She still hadn't looked at the manager, instead turning to Kael. "Is that okay?"
The manager felt like she was witnessing the impossible. Miss Whitmore, buying bags, was asking the man next to her for permission? Did she need anyone's approval to make a decision? Who on earth was this man?
Kael just nodded. If buying a few dozen bags would placate her, it was far better than trying to guess what was on her mind. He had achieved financial freedom, after all. He might as well experience the joy of spending it.
The manager quickly called over staff to help tally the order. A few minutes later, she returned with a final figure. "The total comes to $1,960,000, Miss Whitmore."
Lila didn't respond, only looked at Kael.
Kael got the message. He smiled at the manager. "That's fine. I'll pay."
The manager was floored again. Nearly two million dollars... It was one thing for Miss Whitmore to spend that kind of money, but for the man beside her to pay it without batting an eye? She must dote on him incredibly. Some guys have all the luck.
Lila selected a single bag to carry, and arranged for the rest to be delivered to her home. Then, the two of them left the store. Her mood had clearly improved.
They found a dessert shop and ordered two sweets.
"So, what's the deal with you two?" Lila asked, taking a bite of cake, finally giving Kael a chance to explain.
Kael breathed a sigh of relief. "She's my old landlady..."
"Mm-hmm?" Lila's expression made it clear she didn't believe it was that simple.
Kael elaborated. "...and her younger sister is my younger sister's college classmate. We met once on their campus and just got to know each other after that."
"You two seem like a good match," Lila said, her tone flat. "Why didn't you end up together?"
"It would never work," Kael said honestly. "She was great to me, but her mother is a total snob. She would never have approved of me. There was zero chance of us ever being together."
The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere grew heavy. Lila stared down at her dessert, not saying another word. He knew instantly he'd said the wrong thing.
After a full five minutes of silence, Lila's voice, dripping with sarcasm, cut through the air. "Well, you're rich now. Her mother wouldn't look down on you anymore."
Kael's mind raced, desperately searching for the correct response. Just then, a voice saved him.
"Lila? What are you doing here?"
Kael looked up, searching for his lifeline. A man and a woman stood by the dessert counter. He didn't recognize either of them.
Lila, however, broke into a familiar smile at the sight of the woman. "Rena! What a coincidence."
That's Rena?! Kael started to stand up to greet her, but remembering that Lila was probably still angry with him, he stayed silent.
"He is...?" the two women asked simultaneously, gesturing to the men beside them.
Rena cheerfully pulled her companion over to their table. "Lila, this is my boyfriend." She then nudged the man. "Say something!"
The man flinched. "Lila, it's a pleasure to meet you. Your outfit today is very sexy, and you look even more beautiful than in the game."
Lila's smile faltered. That was a strange—and somewhat rude—way to introduce oneself, but she didn't dwell on it.
"And what should I call you?" she asked politely. "Have we met in the game?"
"I..." The man had barely opened his mouth before Rena cut him off.
"Well, we won't keep you, Lila. We have to run. Talk to you later!"
Lila watched their retreating backs with a puzzled expression. Since when did Rena have a boyfriend?