Chapter 201
As Lila’s voice faded, she noticed a subtle pause in Kieran’s movements. Since his head was slightly lowered, she couldn’t make out the expression on his face.
After a brief hesitation, he resumed massaging her wrist without answering her question.
She pursed her lips, remained silent momentarily, and chuckled softly. Her mood gradually lightened.
Why would she even ask such a silly question? If Nicole heard this, she would probably laugh and lecture her for being naive.
Once the pain in her wrist subsided, Kieran carefully cleaned her hand and handed her a wrapped ice pack. “Keep it on top to reduce the swelling. It should be fine by tomorrow. Have you had dinner?”
She nodded. “I ate a little at the company cafeteria. What about you?”
He nodded, then he gently patted her head. “You can play for a bit, but don’t stay
up late. I’ve got some documents to review in the study.”
Watching him walk away to his study, Lila pondered for a moment. Being a president must be exhausting.
She spent some time in the living room watching her show and went to her room later, only to find that Kieran was still busy.
Meanwhile, Cole was frantically working on documents after receiving a call from Kieran.
After finishing the files and sending them over, he made another call.
“Mr. Morgan, the documents list all the companies and projects under Dorian. I also ran some numbers on the two companies he’s invested in. One isn’t worth acquiring—it’ll just lose money. But the other could work if we merge it with Magi Pictures. It might still have some potential.
“But there’s one issue. Dorian needs a significant amount of money to cover another deficit. Should we still proceed with the acquisition if he tries to drive up the price?”
Kieran chuckled faintly, though there was no warmth in his eyes. “He’s in no position to negotiate.”
One sentence was enough to make Cole see the situation clearly.
Dorian didn’t have any profitable projects left. If Morgan Group acquired the only valuable one, it would essentially be helping him cover another company’s losses. Without this, both ventures would sink.
And if Nexus Entertainment found
out he had long intended to break away from their control, they probably wouldn’t help him out of his current mess. Without Nexus Entertainment’s PR support, his downfall would be inevitable.
In the entertainment industry, emotions often took a back seat to interests. Dorian’s priority now was self-preservation.
Late at night, Lila lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. She wasn’t someone prone to indecision. When she loved Dorian, she gave her all without hesitation.
When she realized there was no point in clinging to the past, she let everything go and started over.
At first, Dorian’s persistence seemed
like he simply couldn’t accept that she was the one who had ended
things. Asking her to return seemed more about her commercialValue than genuine affection.
After all, as he had said, there was no shortage of women in his life. He could
easily find someone beautiful, influential, or both.
And then there was Zara. If she hadn’t brought trouble upon herself, she wouldn’t have been blacklisted.
Lila wasn’t bothered by any of it. She had her own life to live.
But today, she finally realized Dorian had become obsessed, and she worried about what desperate measures he might take.
It wouldn’t be too much of an issue if he only targeted her. But it could become
problematic if he turned his attention to the people around her.
The thought gave Lila a headache. She only managed to drift off in the early hours, her dreams mostly filled with memories of her early years with Dorian-helping him rehearse, running lines together, pitching projects for him.
He still prepared little surprises for special occasions, even when strapped for cash.
Things had only started to change when Zara returned. Gradually, their conversations grew fewer and fewer.
The following day, Lila woke up at dawn.
After breakfast, Kieran drove her to work. He was unusually quiet, from the dining table to the car ride. He was always reserved, so she didn’t think much of it.
Just as she was about to leave the car, he suddenly spoke, “Lila.”
“Hmm?” She paused, hand on the door handle. “What’s wrong, Uncle Kieran?”