Leo Joyce gave Alia a complicated look, his lips curving into a smile again. "I’ll be right back."
"Mhm." Alia Avery nodded and stepped into the VIP room first.
Once inside, Alia Avery closed the door, looking utterly dejected.
’Seeing Leo Joyce and Tiana together... she was truly happy for them, but also so envious...’
’She was happy. It was a wonderful thing that Leo could be with a girl like Tiana. Really, truly wonderful.’
’That way, her guilt toward Leo could also lessen a bit.’
’But she couldn’t help but envy Tiana—envy her for having the kind of happiness every girl dreams of.’
’When would she ever be able to have that beautiful, simple happiness for herself...’
’Perhaps she never would. From the mont she fell in love with Cassian Jennings, her fate was sealed. She would never be happy, not in this lifeti.’
After leaving Siren’s Night, Leo Joyce led her to his car. The mont they reached it, he pulled her to him, his hands locking around her waist as he bent down and kissed her without warning.
This ti, Tiana didn’t struggle or push him away like she had the past two tis. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and returned his kiss.
Tiana’s response sent a tremor through Leo Joyce’s heart, and his kiss grew even more dominant and passionate.
Finally, just as Tiana’s body was about to go limp, Leo slowly released her. He raised a hand to stroke her reddened lips, his eyes filled with a complex storm of emotions.
"Leo, what’s wrong?" Tiana sensed that sothing was off. She frowned and asked in a low voice.
Leo Joyce’s voice was hoarse and trembling slightly. "Tiana, I’m sorry."
"I’m sorry?" The words left Tiana confused, but a sense of unease began to creep into her heart...
Leo Joyce hugged her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He said in a heavy voice, "I’m sorry, Tiana. I’m so sorry. I can’t love only you with all my heart."
—Tiana’s heart clenched painfully, and tears started to stream down her face.
’So this is what he was sorry for?’
Leo Joyce released Tiana, his voice low and trembling. "When I first t Alia, she was only twelve, did you know? Back then, she secretly followed Cassian Jennings to a bar all by herself. Unfortunately, she was targeted by a few grown n. I watched it happen with my own eyes—this little one, arguing and fighting with them. Any other girl in that situation would have been scared to tears, but not her. She just charged right in and fought them without a second thought."
Tiana leaned quietly against the car, listening as Leo told his story—the story of him and Alia.
"I think that’s when her personality first captivated . Even though I knew she was already in love with Cassian Jennings, I was still willing to follow her, to wait for the day she might love back."
’So he’d known Alia and loved her for that long...’
Alia was twenty now. A full eight years. Tiana didn’t know what to say. Her throat felt tight, and she had the sinking feeling that Leo was about to leave her...
’How could soone just give up on eight years of love? A part of her desperately wanted to tell Leo that it was okay. That he could keep loving Alia, that he could keep pursuing her, that she would really be fine...’
’But in the end, she wasn’t that generous...’
’She couldn’t bear to lose Leo. Until he said the words—that he was giving up on her—she refused to let him go...’
’Even if the one he loved was Alia...’
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