Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne felt a stir of emotion she couldn't quite name, a longing for something more, a desire she had never experienced before.

Meanwhile, Leda had just dropped them off and was heading to the pub when, out of nowhere, her peaceful drive was interrupted by a sudden crash. A Maserati slammed into the back of her car right as she was parking outside the pub.

Fuming, Leda stormed out of her car and confronted the driver, "Can't you drive? What, is your foot glued to the accelerator? You're speeding in a parking lot, not even watching where you're going? My car wasn't even fully parked yet, are you blind? How could you just ram into me like that?"

The driver's door of the Maserati swung open and out stepped a man with a grin, "Ah, look who it is. No big deal, no need for such a temper."

York, all smiles, approached Leda.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Big Shot himself," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

York looked at the back of the Ferrari, winced at the damage, but still managed to joke, "Just a minor hiccup, really. I was going a tad fast, wasn't paying enough attention, and voilà, our cars got a bit too friendly, huh?"

"Cozy? With you?" Leda rolled her eyes. "Let's get one thing straight."

He coughed. "Alright, our cars had a little moment. Happy now?"

Leda snorted.

"I'll take full responsibility. I'll have the insurance company take your car for repairs."RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

"As you should! It's entirely your fault! And now I'm stuck without a ride..."

"Come on, Ms. Reynolds, as if you're short on cars," York retorted.

Losing interest in the argument, Leda tossed him her car keys, "I've got better things to do. You deal with this."

As she was about to enter the pub, a woman suddenly charged at York, slapping him across the face.

The sound was crisp and echoed in the parking lot.

Leda was stunned. Was this really happening?

York seemed taken aback but quickly regained his composure, touching his cheek where he'd been slapped, and smiled. "Ms. Alexia, you should be glad I never hit women."

"Stop pretending to be some kind of Casanova! You're nothing but scum!" The woman spat out her words then burst into tears, throwing herself into York's arms, "Do we really have to break up? Can't we just stay together?"

"Even if we don't get married, we can still be boyfriend and girlfriend, right?"

The woman was stunning, dressed in a sleek white business suit that made her look both professional and elegant.

But there was something off.

Watching her oscillate between

crying and laughing, fluctuating

between tenderness and ess

in her words, and the mixed

emotions in her gaze toward York,

Leda couldn't help but tOV

This was madness.

swnovo.

The woman's tears were like rain, yet York's face remained emotionless, his stance unmoved by her embrace. "Are you unhappy with the settlement, Ms. Alexia?"

The woman stiffened, stepping back from him, her eyes wide with shock and then brimming with disappointment. "York, you have no idea what love is. You think everything can be measured with money."

She cleaned her tears, took a step back and said, "But one day, you'll meet someone who isn't moved by money. You'll experience the agony of yearning, the bitterness of unrequited love. You'll be restless, consumed with thoughts of them, anxious and insecure."

"And then, just like me, you'll be scorned, trampled on, buried in the dirt!"

ету

"I wish you a lifetime of longing without fulfillment, of gain followed by loss, of regret so deep it scars. You, of all people, don't deserve happiness."