C29 'will She Still be Affected by Him?'

"Who?" Reece asked, looking at Loran with a puzzled expression.

Loran cast a quick glance around before leaning in close and whispering, "Lydia!"

"No way!" How could he possibly fall for her? It just couldn't be!

Loran observed Reece's adamant denial but sensed something was off.

Reflecting on his brother's recent odd behavior, Loran let out a wry smile. "Sixth Bro, it seems like you're really caught in this woman's grasp this time!"

"Don't talk nonsense. I can't like her. She's the murderer who killed Maria! How could I possibly fall for her?" Reece insisted, dismissing the idea as mere nonsense from Loran.

Yet, his denial lacked the conviction it had before.

In that moment, his heart was a whirlpool of emotions.

Had he fallen for her?

"Sixth Brother, I truly hope you haven't fallen for her," Loran said. His opinion of Lydia hadn't improved since she married his brother, and it remained unchanged.

But witnessing Sixth Bro's recent actions, Loran closed his eyes in resignation.

Life was such a mess...

Who would rescue him from this?

After a silent tirade, Loran snapped back to reality. He noticed Reece deep in thought and clapped him on the shoulder. "Sixth Bro, stop overthinking it. It's hard to see clearly when you're in the thick of it. Whether you like her or not, time will tell."

Time?

Reece's brows knitted together as he raised his hand to his forehead, sinking back into contemplation.

Seeing his brother's dilemma, Loran tactfully made his exit.

He lifted his eyes to a room on the second floor. Had he really fallen for her?

Despite long contemplation, he still couldn't come to a conclusion.

...

Upstairs in the room.

Lydia had been diligently catching up on her missed lessons.

After studying her textbooks, she began to work on her pencil sketches for a basic jewelry design course.

She drew one diamond ring after another, her wrist aching from the effort, yet she showed no sign of stopping. Head down, she continued to practice, drawing and erasing repeatedly.

"Are you designing a diamond ring?"

A voice of surprise came from behind her, startling her into looking up sharply.

Without turning to face the speaker, she simply responded, "Yes, I'm entering this year's design competition in Goulcrest."

"Your skills..." The man glanced down and his brow furrowed at the sight of the design on the paper.

Though he left his critique unfinished, Lydia instantly grasped his implication.

She'd likely be weeded out in the initial round!

Yet, she was determined to try.

Lifting her clear, youthful face, undaunted, she declared, "My artwork may not be refined, but I can compete with creativity and style! Who knows, I might even snag first place!"

Observing her tenacity, he recognized her resilience when she put her mind to something.

He scrutinized the design she held; frankly, her artistic abilities were lacking, but her vision was indeed striking.

Lydia certainly had a knack for design.

It had been ages since he'd encountered such an impressive concept. Reluctant to see it overshadowed by poor execution, he leaned in and guided her hand, "Draw the lines like this!"

Their proximity allowed her to sense the warmth radiating from him.

His gentle heat, mingled with a subtle scent, made her tense, her heart skipping a beat.

She inwardly winced at the sensation.

Despite her resolve to move on from him, she couldn't remain unaffected in his presence.

At times, like now, he swayed her emotions.

This was problematic; she needed to find a way to distance herself from him quickly.

Perhaps too lost in thought, her hand slipped, the pen streaking beyond the paper's edge.

"What are you doing?" Reece, caught off guard, turned to face her, their closeness nearly causing his lips to brush her soft cheek.

Only then did he grasp the intimacy of the moment.

Compelling himself to release her delicate hand, he straightened up, feigning nonchalance, "You need more practice with your drawing technique."

"Right."

Lydia nodded, her response curt, a flush of embarrassment creeping in.

Ding—

The phone's ring provided a timely interruption.

"What's up?" he asked, taking the call and stepping away.

With the door's click, Lydia exhaled in relief.

She gazed at her hand, the one he had touched, her emotions tangled. Resolute, she reaffirmed her decision to pursue a divorce and leave him behind.