30 Their Unfortunate Love Lives

Once Liliana and Nadia landed, they headed to their respective places.

They made a plan to meet at the latter's apartment in the evening. Nancy said she would go there first with the evidence she managed to collect so far.

Old Madam Shen and Madam Ma were still at the beach house. They were waiting for Liliana to come back before they had to return to the Shen ancestral house for the coming New Year.

All three of them sat in the lounge after having lunch together. Liliana gave them gifts she bought from her vacation trip.

"Did you have fun, Lili?" Old Madam Shen was all smiles as she gently touched Liliana's face.

"Hehe, try guessing, Grandma," answered Liliana cheekily. She placed a hand on the back of Old Madam Shen's left hand, "Don't you see that I get chubbier? I only ate and went shopping in Seoul."

"Young Madam should eat more," pointed out Madam Ma in a distressed tone. A small smile graced her wrinkly lips, "You're too skinny now. Eat more meat and vegetables."

"Yes, you should hear what your Aunt Ma said," Old Madam Shen agreed with Madam Ma, "Make sure that you'll eat lots of food during New Year. If the Xin family bullies you, just tell me, alright?"

Liliana laughed softly, "They won't dare, Grandma."

Even though Liliana chose to forgo the New Year banquet at the Shen ancestral home as in previous years, she couldn't escape from attending the one at the Xin family.

Despite wanting to limit the interaction between them, a civil relationship had to be kept between them. If she didn't even join the celebration at the Xin ancestral home, her father would cause another ruckus.

That was one reason why Liliana backtracked her original decision of only celebrating New Year at the sanatorium. She planned to just suck it up during the banquet.

"The penthouse has been cleaned. Your items are already there too. Will you start staying there tonight?"

Old Madam Shen's questions pulled Liliana from her short reverie.

"I'll stay at Nadia's place tonight," replied Liliana without explaining in detail, "Nancy will be there too. I might go to the penthouse tomorrow afternoon."

Old Madam Shen hummed softly, "Alright, just be careful. If there's anything, just call me. Your Aunt Ma has listed down the person in charge at the penthouse."

"Don't worry about me, Grandma. I'll take care of myself," Liliana's eyes were pricked with tears. She smiled at both of the elders, "Thank you for everything so far."

The end of her voice cracked. She quickly clamped her mouth shut, unwilling to cry. She had cried so much before.

Old Madam Shen gave a fond smile at Liliana. She gave her hand a gentle squeeze as if wanting to reassure Liliana that she would always remain by her side.

Madam Ma lowered her head. Her own eyes glistened with unshed tears.

In the late afternoon, the driver dropped Liliana off at Nadia's apartment. Old Madam Shen and Madam Ma insisted she followed them instead of taking a cab.

"Lili, when you go to the penthouse tomorrow, text me first," reminded Old Madam Shen before Liliana got out of the car.

"Okay, I'll do that. Grandma, Aunt Ma, have a safe trip."

Smiling, Liliana waved at the two elderly. She remained at the roadside until the car disappeared in the heavy traffic. The red and orange taillights illuminated moving back and forth on the roads.

"A new year, huh?"

Standing under the lamppost, Liliana threw her gaze into the horizon. The last streaks of violet and silver painted the darkened sky before they slowly faded.

According to Attorney Su, the divorce should be finalized in the first week of the New Year. The Civil Affairs Bureau was swamped with impending tasks before the holiday period began.

Even though the Shen family could use their power to influence the speed up of the process, neither Liliana nor Asher asked for it. Less than a month had been quick enough.

Settling a divorce in high society usually took more than six months to two years. This usually happened if both parties were not satisfied with the property division, alimonies as well as other legal requirements.

Liliana was thankful because Asher didn't make the process difficult.

Despite having Old Madam Shen's support, Asher could be really stubborn if he wanted to be. Fortunately, he just accepted what his grandmother had arranged with Attorney Su.

Turning around, Liliana walked toward the apartment that stood alongside the other buildings in the business district.

The entire area was brightened with colorful bright lights followed by New Year decorations. Christmas trees still stood inside the shops even though the celebration had passed several days ago.

"I wonder what she's doing now," commented Liliana once she saw the lights coming from the third floor of the apartment. It was Nadia's unit.

Ever since Nadia found success through her second webtoon series, she had been living alone in this apartment. Her parents lived in another province.

Both of them were retired teachers who were worried about the path she took. Fortunately, they saw glory achieved by their dear daughter. Nadia was famous for bringing enjoyable twists in her romance and thriller webtoons.

Instead of heading straight to the apartment entrance, Liliana opted to go to a cafe named Fresh Brew. It was located just under the apartment, owned by the landlord's grandson.

The quaint yet cozy cafe was in between a florist and a bookstore. Nadia always mentioned that she loved the freshly brewed coffee from there.

Or...

"Welcome, may I help with your order?"

Liliana smiled politely at the tall man standing at the counter. His facial features were average but, he was blessed with an alluring smile. Paired with his cat-like eyes, the man appeared easy-going yet mischievous.

"One hot Americano and one hot caramel latte, please," Liliana made the order.

"Do you want to add desserts? Our cafe just came out with new cakes and pastries for Christmas and New Year," said the man while gesturing at the glass display rack next to the counter.

Different kinds of cakes and pastries lined up there, looking so appealing in cute shapes and bright colors.

"Then, I'll take..."

While waiting for her order, Liliana subtly stared at the man. She saw his nametag that only showed his surname, Zhu.

In truth, Nadia was harboring feelings for Mr. Zhu. Both Liliana and Nancy knew about her secret love despite her attempt to hide it.

She and Nancy failed in their love lives. At least, Liliana hoped Nadia would achieve what her heart was longing for.