Chapter 100 - Clash of the titans (3)

Mana turned around to see whose hand it was that tapped her shoulder. 

The voice sounded eerily familiar, as if from a bad memory. 

As the woman standing behind her came into focus, she thought her eyes would be blinded by the elegance and unearthliness of her aura. 

But at the same time, she felt a dull ache in the pit of her stomach. She knew who this woman was. 

Lila Lim. 

Her very first bully. 

She always knew Lila was beautiful and rich. 

But she had grown up even more since univeristy days. 

Today, she stood before Mana like a queen bestowing grace upon her humble subject. She seemed no longer snobbish, and arrogant. 

Instead, she seemed cold, untouchable and indifferent. She hid her hate towards Mana very well. 

She despised Mana and Lina since day one. Lina had thrown her around when she protected Mana, and not even her powerful family could get Lina thrown out of college. 

Her father had simply told her to "grow up". 

It was an insult princess of the Lim family would never forget, or forgive. 

But now was such an opportune moment, to strike when the two girls' friendship seemed conveniently on the rocks. 

"None of your business." Mana mumbled and turned away quickly, with no desire to remain in Lila's presence. 

She felt herself shrinking into her shell of self-pity and inferiority without Lina by her side. 

But as she tried to walk away, Lila quickly held her arm. 

"Wait a second, I mean no harm" 

Lila's expression turned suddenly gentle.

Mana felt a sense of deja vu. Something about her face reminded her of another person she had met just that day. 

Lila had an effect on people. Even though Mana was wary of her, and had been bullied by her in the past, something about being in this gorgeous woman's good books was tempting.

She found herself unable to resist Lila. 

"Well, what do you want, then?" Mana asked, carefully. 

"Only to make amends for the past" she said, her eyes like deep pools of water. 

The effect was hypnotizing. 

When Lila gave her attention to someone, the effect was truly devastating. Otherwise, she was easy to dislike - the cold, self-centred socialite - as Mana remembered her. 

"What does that mean?" Mana prodded. 

"That Lina...she thinks she's something....huh?" Lila said, softly, her eyes wandering to the distance. 

Lila had had to keep her distance from Lina since that day she got bullied by her. She wasn't used to being humiliated and had since refrained from causing trouble around Lina. 

And now finally, she noticed a chink in her armour. 

Didn't she just witness these two solid best friends have a disagreement? 

It had always been obvious that Lina had been the more extroverted, well-liked one of the pair. Even though she was Mana's best friend, she was always surrounded with many others. 

Without Lina, Mana would have been a lone loser. 

Once there was a wedge between the two, it would be easy ti manipulate Mana. 

Lila was good at this. 

She could finally get Lina back for the humiliation without directly facing her. 

Mana didn't respond. 

Silently, she agreed. 

Lila could read her face like an open book even though she didn't say a word. 

"You don't always need to trail after her, you know..." she said, sweetly. 

Even though Mana knew better, she couldn't help but want to please this woman before her. 

Being alone, abandoned by her best friend, she wanted to latch on to the closest thing that made her feel important. 

Lila. 

"I don't trail after her, Lila." Mana said, with some resoluteness. 

Lila raised her eyebrows. 

"You don't? I've never seen you two apart!" she exclaimed. 

"You haven't been around me much, then have you?" 

Mana was also defiant. Even though Lila was one of those girls everyone wanted to please, she hadn't forgotten how Lila had treated her on the first day. 

"I agree I don't know you well, nor did we get off to the best start. But we've grown up, since then, haven't we?"

Lila didn't give up so easily. She had a way of approaching peopl that could be extremely charming. 

She continued talking to Mana. 

"I remmeber being so very immature and self centered. There's more to life than petty disagreement." 

Mana looked at her, finally with some kindness in her eyes. 

"That's true, Lila. It is extremely exhausting to hold on to old grudges." Mana said, finally. 

Lila smiled sweetly at her. 

"Well then, I'll take for granted that I can give you a small piece of advice. You don't need Lina to shine, you can do it by yourself." Lila said that with a confident, encouraging smile, making Mana want to drink up every word. 

"I don't want to talk about Lina..." Mana said softly. 

"Very well, then! We won't! But I did hear my brother mention a charming young lady he met some minutes earlier, who he was very impressed by!" she said, teasingly. 

"Your brother?" Mana asked, confused. 

"Yes! Loren!" Lila said casually. 

"That man was your brother!?" Mana exclaimed, aghast. 

Lila sighed with feigned frustration. 

"Yes, my brother, the thorn on my side..." her words were dramatic, but playful. 

Mana felt comfortable in her presence now. That's why something about Lila seemed very familiar all of a sudden, directly after meeting Loren! 

They had similar, elegant, features. The same dark, silky hair and auras that made them seem more like celestial beings than humans. 

Yes! Lila was her road to Loren! And he told her she was charming and that he was impressed by her! 

Mana blushed and looked away shyly. 

Lila, able to read her face clearly, scoffed to herself. 

'This girl is still a gullible idiot with zero self confidence. How pathetic!' 

But on the outside, she continued smiling sweetly. 

"Hey...Mana...just don't tell anyone about Loren. He doesn't come out often in public and keeps a low profile. He doesn't like anyone knowing about him. Can I trust you?" she asked Mana with big, pleading eyes. 

How could Mana refuse? 

"I understand! Consider it client privilege!" saying this, she gestured zipping her lips and throwing the key away. 

Lila giggled outwardly, but was internally repulsed by Mana's idiotic lawyer joke and stupid gestures. 

But certain sacrifices were to be made, if she could plot the downfall of that bitch, Lina Mito.