Chapter 552 It's Better to Make Him Hate Her!
Lola was chilling in the car while Johnny stood outside, looking all intense.
The air was thick with her scent, which both intoxicated and infuriated Johnny.
He was totally into her but couldn't stand that she was with Darren.
Johnny tried to pretend Darren didn't exist, his eyes locked on Lola. "You live here?"
"Did you buy this whole villa area?"
"Nope, just thought it was a wild coincidence!"
Lola gave a small smile. "Alright, Mr. Flores, can you move your car? We're kinda in a rush to get home."
"Home!" Johnny echoed, almost laughing.
He leaned in close, whispering in Lola's ear, "We had a home once too, remember? We were even engaged."
"That's ancient history!" Lola's voice was icy. She told the driver, "Go around the other way!"
But Johnny got back in his car and moved it, still looking all gentlemanly, though his eyes were dark.
He sat in his car, watching Lola's car drive off. He stared for a long time before putting a cigarette between his lips.
He forgot to light it for ages.
He slumped against the seat, never imagining their reunion would be like this.
Outside, there was a scratching noise.
Johnny opened the door and saw his secretary with a small spotted dog.
The secretary looked a bit awkward. "It seems to have caught your scent!"
Johnny picked up the two-month-old puppy. It whimpered, snuggling into his arms and licking his hand, all cute and gentle.
Johnny thought of Angelina.
Today, his mind was all on Lola. He hadn't really looked at Angelina, just knew she had blonde hair and wore a cute little floral dress, reminding him of Lola as a kid.
Johnny wanted to hold her, but right now, he only had a puppy.
He put the dog on his lap and drove home with one hand.
When he parked, he realized Lola's house was right behind his, just a few dozen feet away, close enough to see what was going on if he paid attention.
What a coincidence!
Johnny sneered, got out with the dog, and let it play on the lawn.
In the backyard of the villa opposite, Angelina, guided by a servant, stood behind the railing, watching the puppy.
Bobby wagged his tail at her.
Angelina took a few steps forward, watched for a while, then looked up and met Johnny's eyes.
Less than 20 feet apart, Johnny looked at Angelina.
She was adorable, with big eyes.
Johnny pointed at Bobby. "Do you like it?"
Angelina nodded, then thought for a moment and shook her head.
Finally, she ran back inside, bumping into Lola's arms and softly saying, "Mommy."
The servant followed, smiling. "She saw a puppy at the villa across the way and seemed to like it a lot. The owner over there, a very handsome man, looks respectable."
Lola smiled faintly. She gently asked Angelina, "What kind of puppy? Should we get one too?"
Angelina shook her head; she just wanted the one across the way.
Lola saw through her thoughts but didn't say anything. She just kissed Angelina and handed her over to the servant to play with.
She went upstairs to pack.
It was early summer, so Lola didn't have much to pack—mostly just clothes for the season. She unpacked and organized everything from four big suitcases into the walk-in closet.
Even though Angelina was three, she still slept with Lola. Her little dresses took up a whole closet.
There was a knock on the bedroom door, and Darren walked in. He leaned against the closet door, watching for a bit, and said, "You only brought summer clothes! Planning to leave before fall?"
Lola paused, then nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan. If everything goes smoothly, we'll head out once things are settled here. You and Angelina are better off in Novaria."
Darren suddenly moved closer. Standing right behind her, he said softly, "You don't have to think about me. Your family is here. You and Angelina should stay. Besides, I don't think he can force you."
Three years had passed, and Darren had matured a lot.
He seemed like a quiet guy who kept to himself and preferred staying home.
He wasn't in the media anymore; he was just part of Lola's family now.
Standing so close, he could smell her and feel her warmth, which stirred something deep inside him. But despite his longing, he couldn't bring himself to touch her. All he could do was stay by her side.
Lola turned to him, her voice gentle. "I also want to live in Novaria. I think it's great."
Darren's eyes lit up a bit, but the spark quickly faded, and he just smiled bitterly without saying anything.
Lola opened the sliding door to the balcony and stepped outside for some fresh air.
She hadn't been back for three years. She thought she should take Angelina to visit her parents tomorrow.
Suddenly, she froze.
She saw Johnny on the opposite balcony, a cigarette between his fingers, staring at her, lost in thought.
Lola didn't even bother to smile.
She was about to go back inside when Darren came out and saw Johnny too. He lightly patted Lola.
Lola followed him back to the bedroom.
The sliding door was closed, and through the hazy glass, their silhouettes overlapped.
Lola leaned against the door, her voice a bit hoarse. "What are you doing?"
Darren leaned in slightly. "I think any man would find it unbearable, especially Johnny right now."
Johnny's gaze at Lola was still intense. Lola didn't need any tactics to achieve her goal, but she didn't want to be tangled up with him anymore.
Lola lowered her eyes and smiled self-deprecatingly. "You're right. It's better if he hates me."
That way, they could cut ties completely.
In the quiet afternoon, sunlight streamed into the bedroom, casting a beautiful glow on them.
Darren wanted to cherish this moment.
He didn't say anything, just leaned in and rested his head against Lola's, whispering, "If I could live another 20 years, I would never give up on you."
After saying that, his lips brushed against her ear.
Lola didn't say anything, nor did she pull away. She thought that if that were the case, she might really live with Darren. But life didn't work that way. Now, she just hoped he could live a few more years.
She said softly, "Don't say things like that again."
Darren's voice was filled with pain. "You know the truth."
They stayed like that for a long time, leaning on each other. Through the glass, Johnny saw something entirely different.
To him, it looked like a couple entangled, kissing, or maybe about to give in to their desires.
Johnny stood in the sunlight but felt no warmth.
He stared at that piece of glass, feeling as if a part of his heart had been ripped out.
Did they often kiss like that? Did they do it every night, just like they used to?
Johnny raised his hand to smoke.
The cigarette had long been extinguished by the wind. He took out a lighter to relight it, but his fingers trembled uncontrollably.
In the end, he snapped the cigarette in half.
Living here was clearly a torment for him, but he refused to move away, even if it meant seeing heart-wrenching scenes every time he looked up.
In less than 12 hours, he had already seen countless such scenes.
He was agitated and restless.
The barking of Bobby upstairs also annoyed him. He even considered having the servant send the puppy directly to Lola's room.
In the evening, Johnny took a shower, changed his clothes, and went out for a walk.
He had the spotted puppy on a leash.
Bobby liked to bark, and he would bark at flowers and plants he liked, which was quite cute.
After a couple of laps, he saw Angelina in front of the villa.
Angelina, holding a ball, looked eagerly at Bobby.
Johnny squatted down, pointed at Bobby, and asked her, "Do you like it?"
Angelina did like it. She pushed the ball through the railing and eagerly looked at the puppy, "I'll trade you this for it!"
Johnny longingly stared at her little face.
After a moment, he smiled. "Nope!"
Not only did he not trade, but he also took her ball, making Angelina furious.
Just then, the servant came over, quickly opened the door, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Sir! That ball is ours."
Johnny seemed to just realize. "Oh! I was helping her pick it up!"
The servant felt embarrassed. She thought she had misunderstood Johnny, so she invited him in. "You seem to really like Angelina."
"Her name is Angelina?" Johnny let Bobby loose to play on the grass, then picked up Angelina.
The three-year-old girl still had a faint milky scent.
She was soft and fragrant.
Johnny gently touched her, and Angelina's face scrunched up. She hadn't forgotten that he had teased her earlier. But for the sake of Bobby, she gave in.
Johnny put her down and patted her. "Go play!"
Angelina immediately cheered up and played with Bobby.
She quickly forgot that he was a mean person.
Johnny's eyes never left her. The servant smiled and said, "You and Angelina really have a connection! You even look a bit alike!"
Johnny's gaze returned, and he said nonchalantly, "Actually, I'm her uncle."
The servant suddenly understood.
Johnny didn't stay long, even though he really wanted to go upstairs and see what Lola and Darren were doing. But he held back; he wasn't crazy yet.
When he left, he took Bobby with him.
Angelina was quite reluctant to see Bobby go, so Johnny told her, "I live just behind. If you want to play with the puppy, have the nanny bring you over."
He looked handsome and respectable, living in such a high-end house, so the servant had no doubts.
Johnny left with the dog.
As soon as he was gone, Lola came downstairs and called for Angelina.
She ran into Lola's arms, excitedly talking about Bobby and Johnny.
Late at night, Lola looked at the sleepy Angelina in her arms.
These past two or three years, Angelina must have been lonely too! That’s probably why she liked the puppy so much.
She patted Angelina, hoping to fall asleep alongside her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't. Even with her eyes closed, she kept recalling the way Johnny looked at her—a mix of desire and bitterness.
Lola didn't dare to think about whether Johnny would hate her for what she was about to do.
It was clearly his fault, but she felt inexplicably guilty. But she had no way out.
Lola didn't sleep well all night. The next morning, she got up early, her eyes a bit swollen, and she had to put on a lot of powder to cover it up.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt a bit dazed.
She was indeed older than before.
Not just because she had given birth, but also because of her state of mind. She had lost the sparkle she once had.
She remembered that after she first lost Johnny, she wasn't like this either.
Downstairs, she heard Angelina's voice. Lola quickly finished getting ready and went downstairs.
Darren and Angelina were already sitting at the dining table.
Angelina was very well-behaved, eating by herself, with Darren only occasionally helping her.
Lola sat down and said softly, "I'll take Angelina back later. You stay home and rest."
She didn't want Darren to be too involved. He was in poor health, and Johnny would definitely say unpleasant things if he saw him. But Darren smiled faintly. "I'll go back with you."
As he spoke, he reached out and touched her hair. "We're a loving couple now."
Lola smiled lightly.
After breakfast, Angelina climbed into Darren's lap, softly telling him about the spotted puppy she saw last night, using all the beautiful words she knew to describe Bobby.
Darren smiled wryly. "Did the nanny let him in?"
He directed this question at Lola.
Lola nodded. "I'll talk to the nanny. But I don't think he'll come over often."
He probably just wanted to see Angelina.
Darren didn't ask further. He finished breakfast and prepared some gifts to put in the car.
Lola carried Angelina to the car and said softly, "I'll drive."
But Darren insisted, and in the end, he drove.
Half an hour later, the car slowly drove into the Hawkins Mansion. Not only were Frederick and Charlotte there, but also the siblings, and even Patrick and Laura had come.
With Patrick there, Frederick didn't get a chance to speak.
As soon as they met, Patrick took Angelina into his arms, shed a few tears, then scolded Frederick and Johnny.
After scolding, Patrick looked around. "Where is Johnny? Does he not want his child?"
Laura cleared her throat.
Only then did Patrick notice Darren and snorted. "Darren is Darren; so is Johnny! Just because Darren took care of Lola and Angelina, it doesn't mean Johnny should be let off! Raising a child isn't that easy. Just providing some sperm doesn't mean it's none of his business!"
Just as he finished speaking, the sound of a car engine came from the yard.
Johnny's car stopped, and he got out, closed the door, and respectfully said, "Grandpa!"
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