The Rise of the White Lotus

"...including Lexi... the love of his life." Lexi's steps halted and her attempt to call out Mia Chen's name was now stuck in her throat. 

Moments ago, she finally realized that Mia Chen was missing. Hence, Lexi excused herself with an excuse to go to call someone so as not to disrupt the three. 

However, the moment she exited the room, she heard Mia Chen's statement that was akin to a loud grenade that was tossed at her. 

'Deceive everyone? Not real? What are you talking about?' Questions after questions hovered inside her mind yet, she was unable to speak her mind as she just stood there rooted to the tiled floor. 

"Mia, what are you saying?" Disbelief raged in his mind at her remarks, Kevin Woo scoffed yet even that seemed to be a short chuckle. To him, she was just saying things for whatever reason she has. 

How could that be a lie? Does that mean all of the grand efforts Morris Liu had done was nothing but a circus? No, he wouldn't believe it.

"Is this because of Lexi? Did she say something to you again?"

"No, Lexi... she has always been the one who was misunderstood from the beginning. Brother Mo has always and will always be in love with her— I won't go into the details, it's better to ask brother Mo instead." Mia Chen shook her head sideways as she explained her pretentious remarks. 

She knew that Lexi was there, hearing her every word. Still, she revealed a glimpse of the truth for her to find out. Moreover, knowing Kevin Woo, he would surely stir some trouble for her after knowing that both of his friends were wrapped around Lexi's web. 

Indeed, Mia Chen was a selfish woman. Even until the end, she would do something only to fulfill the happiness of her beloved— not caring if the other party would be troubled or shaken. 

This, as she perceived, was the last gift that Morris Liu would never accept from her. Thus, she forced it in her own sly way. 

"Brother Kevin, sorry for lying to you. I will atone for my sins to everyone by leaving and I won't show my face again to anyone here." Mia Chen stood from her seat and made a deep bow to show her sincerest apology. Well, she really felt bad for him about her lying to him as he was a good person. 

However, her apologies were not because of that but because she planted something in him that would stir his emotions— leading him to his doom. 

When Mia Chen straightened her posture, she acted as if to flinch like she was surprised seeing Lexi standing several steps away from them as she looked at them with baffled eyes. 

"What... what did you just say?" Stuttering, Lexi heedlessly asked as she never looked away from Mia Chen's delicate face. 

"Lexi, I—" Showing troubled, Mia Chen seemed to panic but the next second, she caught Chris Yu's figure behind Lexi as he exited the room. 

"Um... what's going on?" Oblivious about the matter, Chris Yu broke the tension surrounding the whole floor. 

"Chris, Mia was saying some nonsense. She said she only had a contract with brother Mo to deceive everyone." Without breaking away her stare from Mia Chen, Lexi summarized the reason of her bewilderment. 

The moment Chris Yu received the summarization, his eyes dilated in shock. Fortunately, Lexi could not see him as Mia Chen and Kevin Woo saw his gradual change in reaction. 

"What nonsense! Mia, let me drive you home— you haven't rested for quite some time. Don't worry about your break up with brother Mo— you two will figure it out once he has recovered." Chris Yu snapped from his stupor as he recomposed himself.  That very instant, he came up with a lie. 

Chris Yu stopped beside Lexi and smiled. "You're right, that's utter nonsense. Haha! She's probably tired— why don't you accompany Ethan inside?" He proposed as he tried to stabilize this new problematic development. However, he could not fool anyone, not even himself. After all, the seed of curiosity has been planted by this evil witch named Mia Chen. 

Lexi only glanced at him without any emotion or whatsoever. No one knew what she had in mind as Lexi strode back towards the room without a single word said to anyone else.

When Lexi was gone, Chris Yu's eyes darkened as he took immediate strides towards Mia Chen. He grabbed Mia Chen's arm in an unpolished way, tightening his grip despite knowing it was not enough to hurt this tough lady. 

"What are you thinking, huh?! Come with me!" Without further ado, Chris Yu dragged her away but before he could, Kevin Woo grabbed his shoulder after jolting from his seat. 

"What's going on? What she said— is it true?" Through his gritted teeth, Kevin Woo saw Chris Yu's reaction. Thus, he wanted to confirm if he was indeed played in this long-running lie. 

The more he thought about being lied to, Kevin Woo's grip on Chris Yu's shoulder tightened. 

"I'm asking you— did all of you know about it but me?" 

"Man, let's talk next time— you should worry about yourself first because Ethan was not kidding earlier." Chris Yu hissed as his tone drastically changed into a deadpan tune. He harshly pulled his shoulder from his grip before resuming to drag Mia Chen to god knows where. 

****

Lexi remained standing close to the door. She remained there, her back against the door as she tried to listen to the conversation outside. However, since the facility was built close to soundproof, she heard nothing. 

"Love?" As she closed her eyes and heavily took deep breaths, Lexi heard Ethan Lu's gentle voice. Once she opened her eyes, she smiled and perched in the other chair beside Ethan Lu's. No one could tell that she heard such ridiculous remarks outside as Lexi acted normal around Ethan Lu. 

"Too bad you could not attend my official take over in the company." Ethan Lu resumed on what he was saying as he heavily sighed. 

"I am proud of you." Morris Liu weakly smiled as he nodded his head in approval before glancing at Lexi who was glancing at him from time to time with a stone-faced front.