Chapter 2 A mysterious man
1234 Words
The city lights had just come on, and the night in City A was especially lively. It happened to be Valentine's Day, and the streets were full of couples-some laughing, some teasing each other. But Lila stood out, alone.
Today wasn’t just the third anniversary of Lila and Adrian’s relationship; it was also a day of unbearable heartache for her. Four years ago today, her best friend had tragically passed away in a car accident.
It was as if everything was cursed. Lila suddenly realized how much she hated this day.
A gust of wind swept by, and Lila, dressed in an off-shoulder embroidered dress, felt a chill. She hadn’t felt cold when she left home, but now it crept in.
She didn’t want to go home, nor did she want to talk to anyone about how she felt. She just wanted to be alone.
She wasn’t sad, no, she wasn’t sad at all. Just a little disappointed and unwilling to accept it. Lila couldn't understand why Adrian had betrayed her, or for how long he had been doing it.
For years, Lila and Adrian had studied abroad together. Adrian treated her like a princess, as if she were something precious in the palm of his hand. After graduation, Adrian returned home, while Lila stayed in the UK for another year of study.
Perhaps the distance had caused their relationship to falter. After all, men are creatures who often think with their lower halves.
Lila blinked, her eyes dry and on the verge of tears.
As she walked, she suddenly realized she had wandered to the busiest street in City A, lined with bars.
Staring at the bright neon lights, Lila shook her head with a wry smile. There was a hint of helplessness in her expression. She entered "Queen's Bar," where the music was deafening, drowning out all worries and freeing anyone who stepped inside.
Inside, a crowd of young men and women danced closely to the pulsating beat, filling the bar with energy. Everywhere you looked, attractive men and women moved in sync with the music.
"Alright, now let’s find the luckiest lady of the night! Camera, sweep the crowd. Three, two, one, look at the big screen!" The excited DJ’s voice abruptly cut through the music, and then the host's passionate voice rang out.
Suddenly, Lila’s face appeared enlarged on the giant screen.
Startled, Lila looked up in confusion. How had she ended up on the big screen? She had no idea, but the spotlight was already fixed on her.
All eyes in the bar turned toward her. Lila’s cheeks flushed hotly with embarrassment, and she felt extremely uncomfortable. The crowd parted, creating a path for her, just like a princess heading to her castle in a fairy tale.
“Our goddess of luck has been chosen! Let's give her a round of applause and invite her on stage to sing a song for us!” The host hyped up the atmosphere to its peak.
Lila nervously wrung her hands around the hem of her dress. What was going on? This was her first time in a bar, and she’d somehow won a prize. But sing? No one had asked her!
“Go on!”
“Yeah, what are you waiting for? Get up there!”
The crowd started to stir, and Lila lowered her gaze, resigned to her fate as she made her way to the stage.
Standing next to the host, who noticed her confusion, he quickly explained the rules of the game. It turned out that the chosen person could enjoy a free tab for the night, but only if they performed a song.
Lila, feeling shy, admitted she wasn’t much of a singer. But then she noticed a black grand piano at the front left of the stage. An idea popped into her head. She took the microphone and said, “I’m not very good at singing, but how about I play a piece on the piano instead?”
The audience exchanged glances, silently communicating with one another. Seeing that the crowd’s reaction was still enthusiastic, the host agreed.
With elegance, Lila approached the piano and lifted the lid. She had started learning piano at the age of three and had passed her performance exams by third grade. Her parents had always wanted her to become a concert pianist. But four years ago, a sudden tragedy had made her stop playing. Even though it had been so long since she’d touched a piano, every note, every key was still deeply embedded in her memory.
Her slender, graceful fingers lightly pressed down, and a delicate prelude echoed from the piano, capturing the tentative feelings of a girl in love.
The audience was completely absorbed in the music. Lila had thought she would never play the piano again. Her heart was filled with sorrow, and she no longer wanted to play, except for that one piece—“Stars”.
“Stars”was a composition Lila had written when she was fifteen, a gift for her best friend.
In a hidden corner at the lower left of the stage, a man in a custom-made Italian suit stared intently at Lila. His handsome face carried a cold and detached expression, and his long, dark eyes seemed to conceal some secret.
To think there was someone else in the world who could play this piece.
Suddenly, the man signaled to the bar manager with a wave of his hand. The manager quickly hurried over, standing obediently in front of him.
“Drug her and bring her to my room,” the man said, his thin lips barely moving. His cold, sharp features betrayed no emotion.
Lila had become his prey.
“Yes, sir,” the manager nodded hurriedly.
As the final note of the piece lingered in the air, the crowd erupted into applause, praising her performance. Lila smiled and bowed before heading to a quiet corner to have a drink.
She hadn’t expected that after four years, she could still play the piece so perfectly, without missing a single note. Yet, deep down, she knew her piano skills had faded. This song had special meaning to her, and on this fateful day, she played it in memory of her dearest friend.
After a few drinks, Lila began to feel dizzy. Her mind became increasingly fuzzy, and soon her vision blurred. She blacked out.
Who knows how much time had passed before Lila suddenly regained consciousness. She was freezing cold, submerged in a bathtub filled with icy water. Panicking, she scrambled out of the water and looked around in horror.
Stepping out of the bathroom, she immediately noticed a well-built man sitting on the bed. He wore a Zorro mask and a bathrobe, his hair still damp, with droplets of water tracing down his well-defined collarbone.
Seeing that Lila had woken up, the man put down his wine glass and glanced at her. His eyes, hidden beneath the mask, seemed to hold a dark secret.
With just one look, Lila’s entire body tingled. She bit her lip, unsure of what was happening.
Cold, so cold. The man’s gaze carried an icy indifference that made Lila feel as though he were a thousand miles away.
But suddenly, Lila noticed a strange heat spreading through her body. Her delicate face flushed red, as if she had turned into a boiled lobster.
- Writer
