His gaze pierced through her body and landed on her neck. Slowly, he was taken back to the past. This
dark past consisted of him and the evil girl. The wound began to ache once again.
Hearing what Leila said, Essie's heart twisted. All of a sudden, the necklace that had attracted her
became too dazzling to bear.
Essie didn't expect that Zac and Leila had such a strong history. His love and concern for her must
have been quite sincere! This sweet and passionate love brought Essie's admiration. But at the same
time, she was also a little sad. A complex and indescribable feeling crept into her heart like a poisonous
snake that was spitting out the core from her back. Her heart was entangled by it, suffocating her.
Somehow, she tried to convince herself she wasn't jealous. She told herself it was due to the weight of
the task assigned by Mandy. But they seemed to have sworn to love each other forever. Was it
inappropriate to place obstacles in their way?
When she sighed in her heart, Mandy entered the scene. "Zac," she greeted him first.
There was a glimmer of light in Essie's sad eyes. "Mandy, you're here!" Thank God! She could get rid
of the burden and now it would be Mandy's turn to bear the weight of this confession.
Mandy's appearance brought him back to reality. He frowned and cast a gloomy glance at the culprit
who had leaked his whereabouts to Mandy.
The expression in Leila's eyes was as ferocious as that of a hedgehog, pricking up its prickles.
'Who was the woman? Who gave her the right to talk to him so freely?' Leila wondered.
Mandy looked back at Leila with somewhat similar emotions. From head to toe, she glanced at the
beauty who was standing before her. Even though Mandy herself was quite a beauty, Leila's looks
made he feel inferior.
The room was similar to a battlefield and these two women shot each other with their piercing eyes.
This grave silence was interrupted by Zac's phone which started ringing. Excusing himself, he was out
to answer the phone. Essie proposed to have coffee in the lounge.
Leila and Mandy sat on opposite sides. Essie was about to sit with Mandy but Mandy coughed,
reminding her that the seat beside her should be occupied by Zac.
Instantly understanding the meaning behind her action, Essie walked towards Leila. When she was
about to sit down, Leila's soft and powerful voice said, "I'm sorry. I prefer sitting alone."
'No way!' Essie was a bit offended. But she knew she had no choice.
She picked up a stool and brought it near the table, seating herself near them.
Leila stirred the coffee in her cup and kept her white neck high, maintaining her elegance and dignity.
She seemed like a woman who was always composed and would never let her guard down. "Women
are always admiring Zac. After all, he is so handsome. I am quite used to it," said Leila, glancing at
Mandy with a look of superiority.
"As long as you are not married, he doesn't belong to you. We all stand a chance." Mandy snorted,
irked by Leila's confidence.
Deep in her heart, Essie didn't agree with Leila. She was married to Zac, but that didn't mean he
belonged to her. If his heart was with Leila, no law could bring them together. He would always belong
to the one who had his heart.
If Leila was disturbed by Mandy's words, she didn't show it. She passed her a contemptuous gaze and
said, "I grew up with Zac. He was my first love and I was his first love too. Our love is mutual and also
irreplaceable."
Her words made Essie understand why Zac's and Leila's love was so intense. People always valued
their first love. And nothing could replace it. A feeling of defeat engulfed her. Mandy, or no one else for
that matter, could attain Zac. This was over and he would soon disappear with his childhood
sweetheart.
Just as she expected, there was disdainful look on Mandy's face. "If you really love each other, you
wouldn't have broken up. Isn't that true?"
The light in Leila's eyes dimmed. It seemed Mandy's words had hit the right spot. Her earlier look of
confidence notched down and now she seemed exposed.
Her words made Essie understand why Zac's and Leila's love was so intense. People always valued
their first love. And nothing could replace it. A feeling of defeat engulfed her. Mandy, or no one else for
that matter, could attain Zac. This was over and he would soon disappear with his childhood
sweetheart.
Just as she expected, there was disdainful look on Mandy's face. "If you really love each other, you
wouldn't have broken up. Isn't that true?"
The light in Leila's eyes dimmed. It seemed Mandy's words had hit the right spot. Her earlier look of
confidence notched down and now she seemed exposed.
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