Chapter 210: A Complete Stranger

{Third Person}

Torin stared at Lila as though he no longer recognized the woman standing before him.

"Lila..." His voice was quieter now. "What has happened to you?"

She looked directly into his eyes and shouted, "What has happened to me is that my eyes are finally open!"

The force of her voice echoed through the quiet street.

"I can see everything clearly now." She drew a deep breath before letting out a mocking sneer. "I honestly don’t even know what Amara ever saw in you."

Torin froze. For the first time that evening, genuine confusion appeared on his face.

Lila barely seemed aware that she was speaking aloud anymore. She shook her head slowly as though speaking to herself.

"I thought you were a gem..." Her lips curled with open disdain. "With the way she treasured you... defended you... loved you..."

She gave a bitter little laugh as her eyes slowly returned to him. "But who knew... you were nothing like that."

Torin felt as though the ground beneath him had disappeared. His mind struggled to make sense of everything she had just said.

Before he could gather enough thoughts to respond, Lila took one final step back.

"I will make this very clear." Her voice had become frighteningly calm. "Never come anywhere near my house again."

Torin looked at her silently.

"If you ever step foot around this estate again..." She pointed toward the gate behind her. "...I’ll have you charged with trespassing." She held his gaze without blinking. "And if necessary... I will make sure you spend the night in a jail cell."

Torin stood rooted to the spot as he was lost in disbelief, humiliation and anger. Every emotion crashed into him at once, yet before he could utter a single word, Lila had already turned away.

With one last look of contempt, she scoffed softly, opened the driver’s door, and slid back into her car.

Almost as if on cue, the electronic gates of the Caldwell estate slowly began to open.

The headlights swept across Torin’s stunned face as Lila drove past him without so much as another glance.

Seconds later, the gates closed once more.

Torin remained standing alone outside the estate. The silence that followed felt almost unbearable.

He continued staring at the closed gates, unable to believe that the woman he had loved had just spoken to him as though he were nothing more than a complete stranger.

---

Lila drove deeper into the Caldwell estate before bringing her car to a smooth stop in front of the grand entrance.

Before she could even reach for the door handle, one of the household attendants hurried over and respectfully opened the driver’s door for her.

"Welcome home, Miss."

Lila stepped out gracefully, handing the car keys to another waiting servant without so much as slowing her pace.

"Park it."

"Yes, Miss."

As she walked toward the mansion, a sudden thought crossed her mind. Torin did not even own a car of his own.

Whenever he came to see her, he either borrowed his father’s car or arrived in a taxi. There had even been occasions when she had personally insisted on driving him or giving her car to him to drive because she found it embarrassing watching her boyfriend arrive that way.

Looking back now, she could not believe she had overlooked something so obvious.

A faint hiss escaped her lips. "What was I thinking?"

Shaking the thought away, she straightened her shoulders and confidently walked into the house, the sharp clicks of her heels echoing across the marble floor.

She had arrived just in time.

Anthony and Matilda were halfway through dinner when she entered the dining room. The moment they noticed her, Lila’s face brightened into a cheerful smile.

"Good evening, Mom. Dad."

Matilda returned the greeting warmly. "You’re finally home."

Anthony looked up briefly before nodding. "You seem to be in an unusually good mood."

Lila laughed softly as she walked farther into the dining room. "I am." She did not bother hiding it. "I had a wonderful day."

Anthony studied her quietly for a moment before gesturing toward one of the empty chairs. "Sit."

Something about his tone immediately caught Lila’s attention. It wasn’t harsh or warm. It was simply... neutral. But she sensed at once that something was coming.

Still wearing her pleasant smile, she pretended not to notice anything unusual and pulled out the chair before taking her seat.

"I’ve already had dinner," she explained, "but I suddenly feel like having something sweet."

One of the nearby servants stepped forward immediately and asked, "What would you like, Miss?"

"A plate of dessert will do."

"Right away."

Within moments, a beautifully prepared dessert was placed before her. The servant bowed politely before retreating, leaving the family alone once more.

Anthony waited until Lila picked up her spoon before finally speaking. "Is there something going on between you and Torin?"

The spoon paused halfway to her mouth, but for only a fraction of a second. Then she calmly resumed eating. "There is."

Anthony and Matilda exchanged a brief glance. Neither of them interrupted.

After swallowing the first spoonful, Lila gently placed the spoon back onto the plate. "He isn’t the man I thought he was." Her voice remained remarkably calm. "I’ve decided to give our relationship some space."

Matilda frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Lila looked toward her mother. "I want time to understand whether this new side of him is only temporary..." She paused before finishing quietly, "...or whether this is who he has truly been all along."

Silence settled over the dining room. Anthony looked at Matilda again. The latter slowly lowered her eyes. Neither of them seemed entirely convinced, yet neither wanted to push her immediately.

Anthony finally broke the silence. "I’m giving you two weeks. Whatever misunderstanding exists between the two of you... resolve it."

His expression remained composed as he neatly folded his hands on the table. "The wedding preparations are still moving forward. I don’t want unnecessary delays."

Lila simply nodded. "I understand."

She lowered her eyes and continued eating her dessert as though the conversation had already ended.

But only she knew the truth. There would be no reconciliation. There would be no wedding.

Not after tonight.

In her heart, she had already walked away from Torin. And nothing either of her parents said would change that decision.

---

Across the city, Torin finally arrived home.

The ride back had felt unusually long. Every word Lila had spoken continued echoing inside his mind, refusing to leave him in peace.

He stepped through the front door looking far more exhausted than when he had left that afternoon.

His mother happened to be arranging flowers in the sitting room when she heard the door open. She immediately looked up and smiled.

"Torin." She noticed his tired expression but smiled nonetheless. "Did you see Lila?"

Torin’s steps faltered ever so slightly, then he forced himself to answer. "...No."

The lie came far more easily than he expected.

His mother looked mildly surprised. "Oh. I thought perhaps the two of you had finally talked things through."

Torin managed a small nod before continuing toward the staircase. Just as he reached the first step, his mother called after him.

"Dinner is ready. Won’t you eat first?"

Without turning around, he answered quietly, "I’m not hungry."

His mother watched him disappear upstairs. A worried look slowly replaced the smile on her face.

She could sense that something was seriously off with him tonight.