With Leo, Lillian finally tried going on tour dates with a man and taking pictures here and there with him, or simply enjoying some free time together. They also did some naughty stuff at night, which she had previously only read about.
All of her experiences here were like a dream that her business trip had gifted her.
After getting to know Leo for a month, they finally had their wedding ceremony in a church.
Lillian wore an elegant wedding dress paid for by Leo and had her makeup done also by someone arranged by him.
They had their wedding ceremony with just the two of them, the priest, and Leo's assistant, who recorded it and took photos.
With the wedding ceremony, their marriage finally felt more real.
However, Lillian married him for convenience, the money, the blooming romance, the thrill, and his looks.
As for him, Leo paid her to marry him to get his inheritance from his grandmother's side and his blooming feelings for her. He even said with a playful and smug grin, "I'll seduce you and make you fall for me."
"Then, please do," Lillian challenged with a smirk of her own.
She knew she would never fall in love in a short time, so it might take a while. She always took too long to fall in love after all.
Attraction at first sight, yes, she would agree to this since it had happened to her several times, like she did with Leo. Lillian was attracted to Leo at first sight, but it was not yet love.
After a month, hmm... Lillian hadn't tried falling in love just one month after meeting the person, either. Or did she?
Still, whatever it was, her experiences in Vegas were valuable firsts for her. And she found Leo even more to her liking the more days they spent together.
But no matter how nice the dream was, everyone wakes up eventually.
Like a dream that only passed by swiftly to give a taste of a fantasy, time passed by in a flash.
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3 years later...
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The sun was shining brightly amid the vast expanse of a clear blue sky. Birds were chirping happily. Flowers were in bloom. The children were out and about having fun. Beaches were full of people enjoying the warmth of summer and the scent of the sea breeze.
Meanwhile, Lillian who had deep ties with the travel industry, and was supposed to be out and about as well, especially at this time of the year, was at home, enjoying her rare vacation.
It had been a long time since she was at home doing nothing. Perhaps, several years ago, when she was still young.
Lillian had almost always gone to her office or was on a business trip to who knows where for work.
She could count on her fingers the days she did not go out, especially in summer when it was the peak season. Once she got more into the travel and tourism business, she was often busy with work during this time of the year, guiding VIPs and the like.
It was almost like a miracle that she was not going out today.
In the past years, in summer, if she was not in the office, she was on beaches or hikes, even if she was there for work.
With what she did not know was coming for her, perhaps it was fate's guidance that Lillian felt it was better to have no specific travel plans this summer. She had only thought of going to her office as usual and staying home when she was free.
She had not booked any flights to go somewhere, either for business or personal purposes. She also did not accept tasks to tour their VIP clients to lively beaches or beautiful lakes and rivers like she usually did the past years.
Even Lillian, herself, found it a bit weird. But somehow, this time, she wanted to lie low and focus on office work and her other gigs.
Was she exhausted? Perhaps.
Lillian was 29 now and married. But it was not the typical relationship one would expect since Lillian had never fallen in love again since the last time. Further, her husband was nowhere to be found. He had ghosted her, probably because she was a difficult person to be with.
Really?
Yes, Leo left the day after their wedding ceremony, saying he had urgent matters to tend to, and they never met each other again after that.
Everything was indeed a trap!
Lillian was scammed by Leo's flowery words and perfect acting.
Or was she simply too gullible?
Perhaps she hadn't learned her lesson from Tom and Tricia after all.
The romance Lillian thought she would have vanished just when it was budding. But at least she did get the money for real!
Lillian woke up from her short-lived Vegas dream when Leo left in a hurry the morning after the day of their wedding ceremony.
Lillian's strong attraction to him would have developed into love later on, if not for Leo ghosting her.
With no one to introduce as her husband, Lillian kept quiet about her marriage when she returned home.
Lillian went back to working hard as usual, despite the money in her bank account she had received from Leo.
No, perhaps she worked even more fiercely this time.
Where else would she pour her frustration over her supposed romance that slipped away from her grasp?
It was a life event after all. Lillian got married and parted with her husband shortly after. It gave her quite the inexplicable feeling.
Was it disappointment?
Perhaps. After all, they did not even get much time to talk.
After their wedding ceremony, they went on a romantic dinner at a good hotel. They got a room after, but they forgot something important. Lillian's alcohol tolerance after sleep-deprived nights. She seemed fine when they drank some wine, not knowing it was strong enough to lull her to sleep once again when the silence came.
Thus, they were not able to go all the way either, since Lillian fell asleep after showering while waiting for Leo to finish showering as well.
It was quite a wonder how sleep came so easily when she was with him.