Her Return, His Regret

Chapter 7- Strangers

Ryan was stunned.

Everything about the woman on the stage reminded him of his dead wife.

Her face, her body, her voice... there was an uncanny resemblance between the two women.

He frowned as he watched Lora Davis give her speech.

'Larisa, is that you?' He asked in his mind and a complicated look crossed his face.

Lora Davis finished her speech and got down the stage. The MC then announced that she was to open the dance floor with her male companion, Jason Anderson, a mysterious young man who appeared to be a handsome new face in Moonstone City. He was tall with a lean body and he had sandy brown hair with brown eyes.

The man, dressed in a three-piece gray suit, walked towards Lora with a charming smile. In front of everyone, he held out his hand to Lora and asked, "May I have this dance, Lora?"

Lora smiled and placed her hand in his. They moved to the dancefloor and began to dance to the music.

Jason glanced at Lora as they danced. He smiled at her and remarked, "Congratulations, boss lady."

Lora chuckled and answered, "Thank you, Jason."

"I'm the happiest man in the room right now, and I bet the men who are watching are jealous of me," Jason said, looking into Lora's eyes.

"Oh Jason, you'll always be so flirtatious," Lora happily replied.

"As the youngest female CEO in Moonstone City and the mysterious daughter of the Davis family, it's all enough to make all the men crazy about you," Jason continued.

"Jason, you're also at the center of attention. You're the new mysterious CEO who just moved to Moonstone City. Seriously, I've known you for so many years, and you are still just as mysterious," Lora quipped at her friend. Meanwhile, Ryan's jaw was clenched for some reason.

Watching the woman who looked like Larisa dance so intimately with another man ignited an indescribable flame of jealousy in his heart.

He knew she couldn't be his wife... but why did he feel so angry and frustrated seeing this strange woman with another man?

His eyes narrowed and he felt like someone was squeezing his heart. It took his all not to walk onto that dancefloor and rip them apart. From the side, Ivy happened to see Ryan's expression as he stared at Lora Davis.

She balled her hands into tight fists as a bitter feeling crept into her heart. 'Do you still have that bitch in your heart?' She asked in her mind.

It had been six years and Ryan was yet to marry her... could it be because he couldn't forget Larisa

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+25 BONUS

Chapter 7- Strangers

Bennett?

Not only did she have to compete with a ghost, but she also had to compete with someone who resembled one Larisa Bennett.

Ivy glared at Lora Davis with hatred in her heart. She won't let anyone steal Ryan away from her! He was hers and hers alone!

"Ryan... Do you think she looks like Larisa?" Ivy suddenly asked, getting Ryan's attention. "How I wish she was Larisa. I've been thinking about her all the time for the past six years, and I've been blaming myself all the time. If it weren't for you saving me, Larisa wouldn't be... But how could Lora Davis be Larissa? She's not the one. How can she be the daughter of a rich family?"

Ryan came back to his senses when he heard that. Of course, Larisa was an orphan with no relatives. There was no way she could be Jack Davis' daughter.

He glanced at the woman on the dancefloor and saw how she moved with expertise. Larisa never knew how to dance and she hated attending such events.

'That's right... there's no way she's Larisa. I saw her remains myself, Ryan said in his mind.

"You're right... Larisa is gone," he muttered but he sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

However, he couldn't shake off the tight feeling in his chest. He felt like he was missing something.

A little while later, Lora had just finished greeting and getting introduced to most of the high-ranking guests. Jason excused himself to pick up a call and left Lora alone.

Seeing her alone, Ryan left Ivy's side and approached her.

"Good evening, Miss Davis," he said in a deep velvety voice.

When she heard the man's voice, Lora turned to look at him. Ryan's heart skipped a beat when their eyes locked.

Those hazel eyes...

Up close, she looked more identical to Larisa Bennett. Was she really not her?

"Good evening," Lora's soft voice reached his ears.

Although she was polite, he could tell that there was no familiarity in the way she responded to him.

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. He smiled and said, "I've been wanting to have an opportunity to talk to you. I would like to propose a partnership-"

"This isn't the place nor the time, Sir. Most importantly, shouldn't you introduce yourself first? You can't just jump to talking about business without telling me who you are," Lora remarked.

Ryan's heart dropped as reality sank in. This woman couldn't be his wife. His wife would have recognised

him.

How can someone resemble a dead person so much? Even their eyes were the same...

"Sir??" Lora called out, confusion plastering her face.

"I'm Ryan Kingsley, the CEO of the Kingsley group," Ryan introduced himself even though it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Why did being strangers with the woman before him feel so wrong?

"Ok, Mr Kingsley. You can contact my assistant for any business-related matters," Lora remarked. She smiled and added, "Please excuse me."

"Wait..." Ryan couldn't help but stop her.

He looked into Lora's eyes and there was an indescribable emotion flowing through him at the moment. Even though he knew the woman before him wasn't Larisa... it sure felt good to see someone who looked like her.

It had been six years since he lost his wife and yet, he couldn't forget her.

"Mr Kingsley, what's the matter? And why do you keep looking at me like that?" Lora blinked and asked Ryan, her face devoid of any emotion.

Ryan gulped. He swallowed the lump in his throat and finally said, "Lora Davis, you feel so familiar. Is it you, Larisa?"