The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 242: Lost Everything

Chapter 242: Lost Everything

Adeline’s grip on his shoulders loosened as her hands fell to her sides. Adeline’s thoughts churned with confusion and dread as she considered the unthinkable, no... That can’t be it.

She left Benedict without another word and rushed toward the teleportation circle, ignoring her own reservations about using it again so soon. It didn’t matter. She needed to meet Dimitri. She needed answers. So what if she already used it twice already?!

She needed to meet Dimitri right now!

The moment she stepped out of the teleportation circle near the orphanage, she barely waited for the carriage to take her there, urging it to move faster.

Her heart pounded as they approached, her anxiety heightening with every second. Something felt off—something was wrong, and she could feel it in her very core.

As the carriage arrived at the orphanage, Adeline’s worst fears began to materialise. Her eyes landed on Dimitri immediately, but he wasn’t alone. He stood in the garden, talking to someone. Annora.

Adeline’s breath hitched, her heart sinking into her stomach. Dimitri, her friend who had always been by her side, was smiling at Annora. Smiling. It wasn’t the kind of smile reserved for politeness, it was warm, easy, and friendly.

No.

Adeline barely waited for the carriage to stop before she jumped down, her feet hitting the ground hard as she rushed toward them, her chest tightening with panic.

"Oh, you’re too humble, Archmage," Annora said sweetly, her voice light and graceful. "I too love the children, just as you do."

"Well, we should all do our part, should we not?" Dimitri replied with a gentle smile.

Adeline reached them, her breaths coming in short bursts from how fast she had run. Her eyes darted between Dimitri and Annora, her panic only growing.

Dimitri turned to her, his expression amicable but strangely distant, his smile surface-level. Adeline immediately sensed that something was off.

"I must thank the Western Marquess for arranging my stay," Dimitri said calmly, "but I should take my leave now. There are pressing matters to attend to back at the tower."

Adeline’s stomach dropped. His words felt like a knife cutting through her. Why was he talking like this? Why was he acting as though their friendship meant nothing?

"D-Dimitri, what are you talking about?!" she asked, her voice rising in panic. "You said you would stay!"

Dimitri frowned, his expression neutral but respectful. "I’m sorry, Lady Adeline, but this was always meant to be a short visit. You can’t expect me to stay behind forever."

Adeline froze, staring at him in disbelief. His tone was so detached, so formal as if the bond they had shared meant absolutely nothing.

"Dimitri, stop—"

"Sorry, Miss Kendrick but this is inappropriate." He quickly cut her off.

Adeline felt tears sting her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Her hands clenched into fists as she turned to Annora. She knew this wasn’t natural. She knew Annora was behind this change in Dimitri.

"You did this, didn’t you?" Adeline said, her voice steady but filled with barely contained anger.

Annora turned to her with a calm, innocent expression. "I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Lady Adeline."

"You know exactly what I’m talking about," Adeline said, stepping closer to Annora, her voice lowering dangerously.

Annora simply smiled and gave a polite bow of her head. "I must be on my way back to the Temple. I have responsibilities as well, after all."

Before Adeline could respond, Annora turned to Dimitri with a gentle smile. "I hope to see you again, Archmage," she said softly.

Dimitri nodded politely. "I’m sure our paths will cross again, Saintess."

Adeline watched in stunned silence as Annora gracefully walked away, leaving her standing there with Dimitri. She turned back to him, her voice trembling. "Dimitri, this isn’t like you! What’s going on?"

Dimitri didn’t meet her gaze. "I’ve already said all there is to say. Goodbye, Lady Adeline."

He gave a slight bow, then turned and walked away, leaving Adeline standing alone in the alley.

Her hands trembled at her sides, her mind reeling. This wasn’t Dimitri. This wasn’t the friend who had stood by her through thick and thin. Something was wrong—very wrong.

Adeline clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as anger and frustration bubbled inside her.

Adeline fell to her knees, her fingers digging into the earth beneath her as tears streamed down her face. Her heart ached, the pain too much to bear. In her desperation, she looked up toward the sky and called out to the one being she felt might understand.

"Goddess!" she cried, her voice breaking. "Are you seeing this? Are you seeing what I’m seeing?!"

For a moment, there was silence, and Adeline felt a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, her plea would go unanswered- that the reality she faced wasn’t real. But then, a soft voice echoed in her mind.

"I see it, Adeline," the Goddess finally replied. Her voice was calm, but there was a hint of hesitation. "They... They are following the original plot. The plot I have written."

Adeline froze, her breath catching in her throat. "The original plot?" she repeated, her voice trembling with disbelief. "How could that happen? I worked so hard to change things! I made real connections, didn’t I? Then why is this happening?!"

Her voice cracked as a fresh wave of tears spilled over. Adeline travelled alone, she was powerful enough to defend herself, and this also allowed her privacy. There was no one else in this dark alley...

The Goddess was silent for a long moment, her presence hovering as if she were struggling to find the right words.

Adeline had always been resilient, always found a way to move forward, but now she was breaking in a way the Goddess had only seen once before. This wasn’t just defeat, it was devastation.

"I’ve lost everything," Adeline whispered through her sobs. "Cassian... Benedict... Dimitri... I thought they were my friends. I thought I was part of their lives. But now... Now it’s like none of it mattered."

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