Atop a high hill overlooking the lake, a gentle breeze stirred, tousling the hair of two girls. They sat on the grassy cliff, gazing at the vast expanse of the lake and the slight ripples on its surface. A few white clouds floated in the azure sky, reflecting on the water, turning it blue as well.
"Elizabeth, where do you think he went?" Lisa's eyes were filled with worry. She stared at the lake in a daze, then suddenly turned to Elizabeth and said, "How could he just leave like that? Not even a goodbye? God, that bastard better never show his face again, I swear I'll kill him!"
When she uttered the last sentence, Lisa tried to make it sound as bitter as possible, but couldn't hide the sense of loss in her voice. Was her first romance ending just like that?
"No, absolutely not, I'll kill him!" Lisa reiterated her intent.
Elizabeth wasn't sure how to console her. She gently squeezed Lisa's hand and said, "Try not to overthink it, he's not an ordinary man, so you can't judge him by ordinary standards. If you truly want him to think of you, to be attracted to you, then you have to become extraordinary."
Lisa fell silent. Elizabeth was right. Perhaps she had to make herself extraordinary to keep that bastard's attention.
It wasn't just these two girls sighing over Jason. Even Joseph took some time to adjust. In the first few days, he was still in the habit of visiting Jason's place, which was now empty. Even the cottage had disappeared overnight, leaving no trace behind. It was as if it had never existed.
Even Louise, the police chief, couldn't help mentioning Jason to Officer Patton. But they could only sigh, helpless to find him.
The town's summer quickly passed, and fall brought its own beauty. Flowers bloomed and faded with the passing of time. Some people forgot many things with the passage of time, while others reminisced about the past.
Autumn in Los Angeles was different.
The colors of Los Angeles in the fall were vibrant. The azure sky, and the natural hues of orange, yellow, and green mixed together. In the evening, Los Angeles had its own charm. Skyscrapers and low-rise buildings stood together in a dazzling display of lights, full of temptation.
From the streets below the towering buildings, you could see the hustle and bustle of traffic, though there were few pedestrians. A young man with black hair, wearing jeans and a jacket, looked rather ordinary. He navigated through the streets and entered a five-story building, where two burly men stood guard at the entrance.
"Hey, buddy, you need an invitation to get in!" A bald, burly man poked the young man who had approached the entrance, gesturing with his head. The other burly man rolled his neck, the cracking sound of his bones indicating their formidable strength.
"Here's my invitation, pal. I think… it's legit. Buck introduced me. You know, Buck." The young man with black hair smiled slightly and handed a few bills to the burly man.
The burly man took a look at the bills in his hand, did a quick mental calculation, and nodded, "Of course, pal... Just don't cause any trouble inside, don't make it hard for me." He gestured to the young man, and the other guard at the entrance cleared a path and opened a small door next to the rolling gate.
The young man with black hair entered, walking down a long corridor and a flight of stairs before being met with a lively atmosphere. The booming music and frenzied vibes energized everyone in the room. Men and women danced, bodies convulsing uncontrollably. Their faces radiated an ecstatic expression.
"Hey, I'll have a beer!" The young man with black hair sat at the bar and snapped his fingers at the bartender who was showing off his tricks. "And some ice!"
"Wait a moment!" The bartender whistled, took out a beer glass, poured a full glass of beer for the young man, and handed it over. "Pal, you have to pay first. Otherwise, once you start partying, you won't remember how many beers you've had."
"Of course..." The young man with black hair took out a stack of bills and gave one to the bartender. "Keep the change. Today's your lucky day!"
This was a hundred-dollar bill, which certainly caught the bartender's attention. He whistled again, telling the young man, "Yes, sir. If you need anything, just call me."
The young man with black hair took a big gulp of his beer when a sultry young woman with chestnut-colored hair approached him. She wore a sexy, glittering tight tank top and a short skirt that barely covered her buttocks. She sat down on the stool next to the young man.
"Can I buy you a drink?" The woman expertly lit a cigarette, propped one hand on the bar, blew a puff of smoke towards the young man with black hair, winked provocatively, and said, "Just one beer, and I'll show you what it feels like to die of pleasure." As she spoke, she took off her high heels, placed her long, white leg on the young man's lap, rubbing her toes against his bulging crotch.
"Mmm..." With a long, sultry sigh, the young, attractive woman let out a deep, throaty sound, like a long-held breath finally being released. With her seductive sigh, she could easily stoke a man's wildest fantasies.
"Of course, why not? You're quite a catch, darling!" The young man with black hair winked at the woman, then snapped his fingers at the bartender again, "Get this lady a drink." As with many bars, this place was also rife with a variety of deals, although they seemed more rampant and abundant here. As the young man with black hair was drinking, six people had already come up to him, one after another, peddling drugs of all sorts - anything you could want.
However, all of these were rejected by the young man.
"Why not have a bit? It'll make things more interesting?" The young woman blew a smoke ring towards the man with the dark hair and said, "After this drink, let's find some fun... Where do you want to do it? Bathroom? Stairwell? Or on one of those couches over there?"
While the woman was speaking to the man with dark hair, he had already looked around the room. As expected, he saw many were already groping each other on the bar's couches, while others were even starting the act right there. Truly, it was a debauched party.
Alcohol, women, sex, drugs - these were all rampant in this bar. Very common indeed. That was why there were people guarding the entrance.
"No, I don't like being watched, Jason. How about we go to the bathroom?" The man with dark hair told the woman, "I'm already a bit eager."
"If you try a bit of this, you'll be even more eager!" The woman said, suddenly taking a small plastic bag from her cleavage. Inside was a white powder. "Trust me, my dear, it'll make you feel like you're in heaven. Want to have some fun? Then swallow this."
The woman's voice seemed to carry some sort of magic.
The man with dark hair blankly stared for a moment before nodding and saying, "You're right, I do like excitement, Jason." He then poured the white powder from the bag into his mouth, picked up his beer and downed a few large gulps. After a while, his eyes started to glaze over.
"That's more like it, my darling. Come on, I'll give you what you want." The woman said, then stood up, took the man with dark hair by the hand, and headed for the men's bathroom. The men in there who were relieving themselves turned a blind eye, with some even whistling.