Chapter Two Danced with the Lion
1210 Words
Ace reached out his right hand, "May I invite you to dance?"
April thought that Ace had found out the truth, and just wanted to come over and tell her that she was the one who went to the wrong room. She never thought that Ace wanted to invite her to dance.
"May I?" Looking at April's slightly surprised expression, Ace asked again.
April realized that the eyes of the people around her were focused on her and the two handsome men. She felt a little uncomfortable. April likes to be the center of attention, but not the protagonist of gossip.
There were men who like to invite April to dance now and then at the party. If April thought that the man was not good-looking enough, she would put her head on Ash's shoulder and pretend to be very intimate, saying that Ash did not want her to dance with other men.
Ace was much more than handsome, but April did not want to be near the walking iceberg. However, refusing a somebody in public may be more troublesome.
"Yes." April and Ace walked to the dance floor.
Ace was a gentleman, holding April's hand and hugging her waist lightly. He kept at a moderate distance.
April thought Ace would say something to her, but Ace just looked at her face silently.
April did not have the courage to look at Ace’s eyes, so she only stared at Ace's dark blue tie.
A few moments later, April couldn't help but look up at Ace for one second. Once her eyes met Ace’s, April lowered her head and looked at his tie again.
She seemed to hear Ace laugh slightly. April couldn't figure out what Ace wanted to do. Was he making fun of her? April suddenly felt a little angry. She was the only one who made fun of others ever. Valentine was the only exception...
"Do you know anyone named Ace?" Ace suddenly broke the silence.
"Hmm... In One Piece, Luffy's eldest brother is called Ace. He is one of my favorite cartoon characters."
“......”Ace was speechless for a moment.
"What about in real life?"
"you are the first one."
"Have we met before?"
"maybe."
They fell into silence again. Why was time passing so slowly? April was actually very talkative, always lively and cheerful in front of other men, and very good at finding topics. She could not stand the atmosphere.
"Do you like traveling?" April broke the silence.
"Not really."
Such a topic killer.
"Where do you like to travel?" Ace asked a few seconds later.
"Seaside is my favorite."
The music stopped just after answering. April took a long sigh of relief. She was finally able to leave the man.
Ace led April towards Ash, only halfway through.
Suddenly a lady couldn't stand firm and was very unsteady somehow. Seeing the wine in her glass was about to pour on April, Ace turned April around and hugged April tightly. The wine was all spilled on the floor.
April grabbed Ace's shoulders. Her heart missed a beat.
A faint fragrance lingers in Ace's nose.
The fragrance was too faint indeed, let April just wanted to get closer to Ace and smell it better.
April has a hobby of collecting perfume, but she didn’t think it smelled like any brand’s perfume.
"Are you okay?" Belinda's annoying voice pulled April back to reality.
The lady apologized and left quickly, most likely under Belinda's instructions. She wanted April to make a fool of herself.
April stood still and sneered, "I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you, I am very fine."
"Oh, are you the April I know? I haven't seen you for a few months. Did you go to experience life as a coal worker?"
April was ridiculed by Belinda for her skin color, "Then you finally accepted the fact that you are ugly and flew to Korea for plastic surgery? Look at your jaw, the prosthesis is almost flying out. Let me check how is the quality"April stretched her right hand to Belinda’s jaw. Belinda hastily backed away and cover her jaw.
April laughed behind her hands.
Belinda clenched his fists and was about to slap April. Ash was here now. Ash and Ace stood on both sides of April. Belinda could only endure it, biting her lip and left.
Since high school, April and Belinda have been rivals.
Wealthy people can be roughly divided into two types, like the old families of the Belinda family which managed luxury goods, and the upstarts like April's father who had become rich because of his real estate business.
Upstarts usually try their best to please “old money” families in order to gain recognition. But April never please Belinda. On the contrary, April tried her best to surpass Belinda in every respect.
She got better grades and was more popular among boys and so on.
Anyway, April's father did not have much business to do with the old-money families, and April is not afraid to offend those old money families who thought they were extremely noble.
Watching Belinda left angrily, April smiled and blinked at Ash. Ash gave April a spoiled smile.
April looked back at Ace who was still expressionless.
"See you next time." Ace said.
"See you." .....
There would be the next time? April thought.
The grand banquet was still being held. April had participated countless times and didn’t think there is anything special about this one. After drinking some wine with Stella, she felt more and more uncomfortable, so she went back to the residence with Ash.
April didn’t like living in suburban villas with her parents but preferred to live in the apartment in the city center.
April asked Ash in the car, "I found my shawl was on my lap when I woke up in the hotel. Did you cover me with it?" Ash shook his head.
April glanced down at her high-slit evening dress.
Fuck... how much Ace saw.
That night, April started to have a fever. Ash postponed all the business trips while handling official duties in the apartment while taking care of April meticulously until she recovered completely.
Although Ash had just received his dual degrees diploma, he had started to help April's father James with the company's affairs soon after he went to university. From a small position to CEO, only took him four years of hard work. He had also invested in many projects by himself. Ash was so busy every day but he would always rank first in all aspects of taking care of April, which was one of the reasons why he could be trusted by April's father.
If Ace looked like a dangerous lion, then Ash was like a golden retriever, smart, capable, gentle, and loyal. He was April's most trusted person.
After three days, April was completely healed.
Ash hurried off on a business trip.
April’s mother Rose called April to go home and have dinner together.
April’s driver Caleb took April home.
April walked into the dining room.
"Mom! I miss"...you so much.
Seeing him sitting next to her mother, April petrified...
- Writer
