No Way Back by Anna Mac

Layne could no longer accept Madelyn as his lover.

He had to speak his mind, no matter what. It was better to just get the pain over with, rather than prolong

the agony.

Night fell.

At the Nightshade Bar.

Jane Fowler and Lila Sutton arrived after a long hiatus.

Jane ordered the bar’s latest drink, called Mona Lisa. She put her arm around Lila’s shoulder and said

resentfully, “Lila, you little **********! You’re the super famous one now, and I must wait in line to ask you

out. You’re something else!”

“Oh, Janie, don’t misunderstand. I finally figured out the modified program you gave me recently. I then

designed a game and released it online. It has caused quite a sensation!”

“I’ve been staying up all night recently working like a mad woman to release versions 2.0 and 3.0.

Woohoo! I’ll wait until I gain popularity before starting my own game company. Then I’ll form an eSports

team to compete in tournaments when I’m rich. I am getting closer and closer to realizing my dream for

sure!

Lila became more and more excited as she spoke. She quickly took out the mobile game version 4.0 she

had designed to show Jane. “Come on, Janie, help me to see if there’s anything else to improve. I also

asked Connor Luther to take a look; he gave me some useful pointers! This standalone mobile game is

close to becoming a finished product!”

Jane pretended to be angry and shouted, “Well, I was wondering why you suddenly agreed to drink with

me at Nightshade Bar tonight. You’re taking me for a product tester!”

Lika said cheekily, “Why did you say such things, Janie? I was hoping you could invest in my gaming

company in the future. We will be the major shareholders at the founder’s level. We will work together

and make a fortune. I won’t forget you if there’s an opportunity to make money”

“Tak, you are not only a freeloader of the fruit of my labor but also a freeloader of my money. Wow, Lila

Sutton, you’ve changed! You’re becoming more and more like a **********capitalist.”

“Boohoo! Janie, you *********! How can you trash me that way? I’m going to cry now, boohoo!”

Jane and Lila continued to joke with each other. Then Jane clicked on the latter’s mobile game, version

4.0, and started to play. She raised her eyebrows after playing for a while.

“Not bad at all, Lila. Although it’s a low-budget game, the impact and level design are quite interesting.

There is also some. new gameplay that hasn’t appeared in the market yet. The Crusoe-themed

background doesn’t feel out of place, either. In fact, it makes the game more interesting,” Jane

commented.

“The current version gets four out of five stars on my evaluation scale. You’ll have to wait a little longer

for me to play the game to decide if it deserves the fifth star. In any case, it’s already an interesting and

well-developed product. When did you become a flash of genius, Lila?”

Lila was offended; she pouted. “Janie, I may be ***********compared to you, but I am just as smart as the

next person. After all, I was the top scorer of the Scholastic Aptitude Test in Stormton City back then!”

“Okay, okay. You’re right! My Lila is the best. A round of applause please!” Jane said jokingly.

“Janie, who have you been mixing around with lately? When did you become such a *********to mock

me? Hmph! Anyway, Connor is a great help. He even suggested some of the designs.”

Lila blushed subtly when she mentioned Connor.

It did not escape Jane’s keen eyes. She kept it to herself.

“Lila, you seem to be very close to Connor recently. How did that happen?” Jane asked curiously.

“Oh, now that you mention it. I don’t know, either. I guess our relationship has improved naturally.”

Lila did not fake it. She was genuinely confused.

“When did my relationship with Connor become so good?” she wondered.

Lila had thought about it before but could not figure out why.

Jane’s question prompted Lila to think about it again. However, she still could not figure it out.

Jane did not expect Connor to lure Lila away unwittingly.

“Do you like Connor?”

Jane’s unexpected straight ball sent Lila seeing stars. The latter was dumbfounded.

Lila’s face turned scarlet when she met Jane’s serious stare. She quickly shook her head. “Janie, what

are you talking about?! Please don’t joke about such a thing! Connor and I… huh, how is that even

possible? We’re just good friends!”

“But your expression says otherwise.”

Jane held her forehead and said. Lila might be about to brush it off in the past, but Jane was in the know

now. She had found her significant other and understood that Lila’s behavior was that of a woman who

had fallen in love. However, Lila would not face the truth and pretended not to know.

Although Jane was reluctant to let her go, falling in love was good for Lila. It was the most primitive

emotion of human nature. A good partner would give Lila sufficient motivation to achieve ambitious

goals. As long as she did not lose her mind in love to the point of giving up on her dreams or meeting a

scumbag who took her for a ride, Jane was okay with it.