Chapter 2
725 Words
We were led into a waiting lounge.
Several leather sofas were arranged in the room.
A few young men and women were sitting on them, with agents wearing name badges standing nearby.
We sat down on an empty sofa.
An agent walked over with a cup of water and looked down at my right wrist.
The black pending-guest wristband peeked out from under my sleeve.
"People still go through this route? Pretty retro."
Chloe leaned back on the sofa and grabbed a magazine from the table.
"Whatever gets me the connections."
The glass door of the lounge slid open, and a man in a gray suit walked in holding a tablet. His name badge read "Assistant."
The assistant came over to us, looking down to check the list on his tablet.
He raised his head, looked at me, and frowned.
"The person Mr. Williams specifically asked to see tonight isn't this one."
Eleanor stood up and walked over to the assistant.
"She's the elder sister, here in place of her younger sister. The younger one is cleaner and more suitable for TV."
The assistant pressed the tablet's power button. "Have her leave."
Arthur shot to his feet and moved to the assistant's side. "She's of age. Our family agrees, and she agrees too."
I lifted my head and looked at Arthur. "When did I agree?"
Arthur turned his head and lowered his voice. "Don't make me slap you here."
I leaned against the sofa armrest.
"Arthur Jones, are you afraid of losing face, or afraid you can't close the deal?"
Arthur raised his right hand and swung it at my face.
His palm smacked my left cheek.
The lounge fell silent.
Everyone around stopped talking and looked over. Chloe dropped the magazine, ran over, and stood in front of Arthur.
"Iris, stop making a scene. Dad's doing this for the family."
I licked my lips. The corner had split open, and I tasted blood.
The metallic taste spread through my mouth.
I pressed my tongue against the cut but made no sound.
Eleanor pressed down on my shoulder, pushing hard. "You're making trouble for your sister. Apologize to the assistant. Now. Your sister only has one chance at this. Don't you dare ruin it."
My upper body bent forward.
I stopped halfway, then straightened up.
"You'd better pray that Julian Williams doesn't know who I am tonight."
The assistant took a step back, staring at me coldly. "Around here, no one calls Mr. Williams by his full name."
Chloe grabbed Eleanor's arm.
"See? She's always like this. No manners, always putting on airs."
Eleanor picked up a glass from the table.
She pulled the cork from a nearby bottle and poured half a glass of clear liquor, then pushed the glass toward me.
"Just suck it up. Once tonight's over, it'll be fine. Drink this and stop making that face."
I picked up the glass.
The cold glass chilled my hand.
I tilted my head and downed half of it. The liquid burned down my throat into my stomach, making it clench in pain.
Sweat beaded on my forehead.
Chloe pulled a chair over and sat down.
"Iris, aren't you the one who's always so tough? Can't handle a single drink now?"
I set the glass down on the table with a clink.
"People are like wine. Only the cheap ones try too hard to prove they're strong."
Chloe stood up, her lips pressed tight.
The assistant's phone buzzed in his pocket.
He took the call, listened for a moment, then hung up. "Mr. Williams is tied up in an internal meeting. He'll be here later."
Arthur parted his jacket and sat back down on the sofa. "Then let her learn some manners first, so she doesn't offend Mr. Williams."
I lowered my gaze to the half-glass of liquor on the table.
The manager pushed open the lounge door.
"The Jones family, follow me to the VIP waiting area."
Arthur stood up.
Chloe followed, and I brought up the rear.
Chloe lowered her voice and addressed Arthur, "Dad, once Mr. Williams is satisfied, can you get him to put me directly into the show?"
Arthur walked ahead without turning around.
"Don't worry. Your sister is just a stepping stone for you tonight."
I raised my hand and touched the red mark on my left cheek.
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