Chapter 131
Sweet Subterfuge
Lana remembered Kevan telling Lucas at the banquet the previous night that he needed to fly to Bartham early that morning, âOh, okay⦠If thatâs the case. Three of us having a meal together sounds great too!â Lana sent her a cute emoji.
On the first day, Larissa and Lana agreed to meet outside the Regal Dynasty Hotel at eight in the morning. Worried that Lana would be early, Larissa arrived at 7.50 am and texted Lana upon her arrival, but she didnât receive a reply. She waited in her car until 8.10 am, but Lana was nowhere to be seen, so she called her.
âHello?â Lana said in a voice that was thick with sleep. She obviously hadnât gotten out of bed. Larissa felt a little angry, but she reminded her mildly. âItâs already 8.10 am.â
âHuh? What!â Lana shrieked and explained hastily, âSorry, sorry! I set an alarm for 7 am, but I turned it off when it rang. I told myself Iâd sleep for just ten more minutes, and I didnât realize how much time had passed âJust hurry up and get ready. Iâll buy you breakfast. What would you like to eat? Larissa unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.â Bread and a cup of coffee. Thanks, sis! Lana said and made a kissing sound. If Larissa put everything aside, she could probably be lond of a cute sister like her. Alas, a family like that had made it impossible for her and Lana to be loving sisters. Besides, she wasnât sure if Lana was really as cute and naive as she appeared to be.
The Regal Dynasty Hotel offered breakfast to its guests every day, leaturing a wide variety of food from different cuisines. Additionally, any employee holding a position higher than a manager was entitled to special privileges at the hotelâs restaurant. Alter Larissa took bread and a cup of coffee for Lana and returned to her car, nearly twenty minutes had elapsed. However, Lana was still nowhere to be seen, âHave you left your room?â asked Larissa. A long time passed, but she got no reply. Worried that Lana had fallen asleep again, she called her. âIâm still doing my makeup. Iâll be ready in about ten more minutes!â said Lana. Larissa suppressed her impatience and said calmly,â Hurry up before the bread and coffee get cold.â
âOkay!â Lana replied, but she made her appearance fashionably lateâafter a delay of thirty minutes. It was already late October, and the weather had turned bitterly cold. The temperature could drop below ten degrees in the morning. Lana was dressed in a fuzzy pink sweater on top, but she had only paired it with denim shorts and white sneakers at the bottom, leaving her thighs completely exposed.
Although Larissa was sitting in the car with the heater on, she couldnât help but shiver for Lanaâs sake.
She pulled her shirt collar higher before winding down the passenger side window and shouting. âHey, over here!â Lana had been scanning the hotel entrance, seemingly searching for her. Hearing her voice, Lana finally looked in the direction of the humbleâlooking car by the roadside.
Larissa caught a brief glimpse of shock and disdain on Lanaâs face before she climbed into the car, immediately replacing it with a winning smile. âSorry, sis, I overestimated how fast I could do my makeup.â
Larissa couldnât help but notice her flawlessly applied makeup, with lipstick eyeshadow eyeliner, blusher, and highlight, leaving no detail overlooked. As Larissa briefly glanced at her own bare face in the rearview mirror, the contrast to Lanaâs appearance was stark. If she had known Lana would be late, she would have taken the time to put on makeup too.
âItâs okay.â Larissa responded, acting forgiving. She reminded herself at that moment that Lana wasnât her stepsister but an esteemed guest of the hotel. As a dedicated hotelier, Larissa understood the importance of maintaining her composure and not losing her temper. regardless of any lines that guests might cross.