“Dorian, I’m not like you. My heart can’t hold more than one person at a time, and

I can’t just decide who I love or don’t from one moment to the next. I repeatedly doubted myself over the past two years you’ve constantly spent with Zara.

“To me, you were like a delicacy I once craved-something I tried to savor time and again, yet it was always just out of reach, while others could effortlessly have a taste.

“No matter how savory this delicacy is, it will never be mine alone,” Lila uttered.

Since this was the case, it was better to let go. Her words were blunt. Dorian lifted his head to stare at her. The once cold and aloof look in his eyes was now tinged with desperation.

“I’m yours, and I’ll only ever be yours. I swear, Lila. Please trust me one more time.”

He clutched her hand tightly with a humbling posture. But Lila who’d once softened to him now lowered her gaze and watched him silently as if weighing the truth in his words.

The few seconds that passed felt like an eternity to Dorian. His lips were cracked, and his complexion was so pale that he looked sicker than the injured Lila.

He had a begging look in his eyes as he clung to her hand tighter.

After a moment, Lila’s eyes remained calm as she pulled her hand out of his grip. “Forget it, Dorian.”

It was no longer necessary. Without another look at him, she sidestepped and walked toward her room.

A sense of powerlessness almost drowned him. Dorian leaned against the wall to prop himself up and asked from behind her, “Lila, have you ever regretted being with me?” His voice was filled with despair.

Lila’s hand paused over the door handle. She looked up and shook her head ever so slightly. “No.”

She never regretted it since she’d chosen the Dorian who’d once loved her wholeheartedly. That was not the same Dorian who’d grown enamored with the girl next door.

His eyes reddened deeper after hearing her response.

Lila turned her gaze away and stepped into the room to close the door behind her.

The hallway was empty once more, leaving Dorian standing alone. He plunged into a chilling silence and stood there for a long time until the pain in his legs became unbearable.

Then, he finally dragged himself away, each step feeling heavier than the last. As he neared the hotel entrance with groggy steps, a car blocked his path.

Zara stepped out in a white dress, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders. Her eyes were swollen like Dorian’s. It was as if she’d been crying as much as he had.

“Dorian, please help me. The internet is full of people slandering me. The director replaced me with another lead, and I lost a brand endorsement I’d just secured. My career is over now!”

Dorian numbly listened to her cries. “Yes, it’s over.”

Zara froze and momentarily forgot to cry. “Dorian, you can’t just ignore me. Your interview is what caused me to be branded a homewrecker. No director will want to work with me again after this scandal.”

He looked at her with a vacant gaze. “Go abroad. Don’t come back.”

“What… What did you just say?”

“If you hadn’t come back in the first place, I wouldn’t have been caught trying to help you and let my relationship with Lila fall apart. I want to win her back, and your staying here will only upset her.”

Zara’s eyes were full of shock. She could barely recognize the man in front of her.

Her tears fell as she choked out, “Y-You said you liked me, and you’d wait for my return. What’s so great about Lila that she’s worth you giving up on yourself?”