Chapter 2 The Mysterious Man
1080 Words
At this time, Layla's legs hadn't yet been broken while protecting Adrian.
Perhaps Rebecca's gaze was too fierce. Layla, in the white dress, timidly tugged at Adrian's sleeve.
"Adrian, is Rebecca mad at me?"
Adrian shielded Layla behind him, turning to glare at Rebecca with displeasure.
"I was the one who suggested taking Layla to the ball. This has nothing to do with her! If you're upset, take it out on me."
Rebecca suddenly calmed down.
'That's right. I can't let them find out I've been reborn. I have to be careful if I'm going to find the right moment for revenge.'
Layla peeked out from behind Adrian, sensibly holding his hand.
"Adrian, I appreciate that you want to take me, but Rebecca won't agree. She's your wife. You should take her to the ball."
Adrian flustered, gripped Layla's hand and was about to say something when Rebecca suddenly spoke up, "I agree."
Rebecca's words left both Layla and Adrian stunned.
Adrian snapped back to reality, asking, "Are you serious?"
"Of course. You can take Layla to the ball. I hope you both have a wonderful time."
Rebecca's expression was gracious and composed, with not a trace of displeasure.
She had exhausted every possible method to make Adrian take her to the ball in her previous life, but Layla had still attended anyway.
Once there, Layla had accidentally twisted her ankle, and soft-hearted Adrian had spent the entire event by her side, making Rebecca the laughingstock of the night!
'Since I can't stop it, I'll let her go. The real battle will be at the ball!'
Adrian's words of persuasion caught in his throat.
'Why Rebecca, who clung to me so desperately, is agreeing this easily?'
He glanced at Rebecca's indifferent face, a strange feeling flashing across his mind.
Rebecca extended her hand and made a polite gesture.
"Well then, I'm going to sleep. Please leave."
Even though she and Adrian were married, they slept in separate rooms.
Adrian had said he wasn't used to sharing his bed with someone and needed time to adjust.
In her previous life, she'd argued with him about it multiple times, all to no avail.
Now, she was actually glad not to share a room with him.
It gave her the space to keep her secrets and the opportunity to plot her next moves.
Then, Adrian and Layla left together.
A gust of cold wind blew in, making Rebecca shiver as she leaned over to close the window.
Suddenly, a casual male voice came from outside.
"You clearly wanted to go with him just now, so why did you refuse at the last second?"
"Who's there?"
Rebecca's heart skipped a beat as she peered out the window.
'Someone has been spying on me this whole time, and I didn't even notice! Is he a friend or foe? What does he want?'
After being betrayed in her previous life, Rebecca was cautious about everything now.
She didn't know when those who wanted to harm her might make their move!
A man suddenly swung down from the tree outside her window, gripping the windowsill as he climbed into her room.
He had close-cropped hair and a firm jaw with a hint of wildness about him. His lips were a little thick, and he had a muscular build that made him look rough and uncouth. He was someone Rebecca instantly disliked.
But she couldn't miss the dangerous glint in his eyes.
He was like a predator, dangerous as a leopard, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and he'd devour her whole.
'He hid it so well.'
If she hadn't lived through a previous life, she might never have seen through his façade.
Rebecca remained calm, but her hand discreetly reached for the vase on the bedside table.
She'd smash it over his head if he showed any sign of ill intent.
He seemed unconcerned, but what he said was terrifying.
"I'd suggest putting the vase down, lovely Rebecca. Otherwise, I swear you'll end up using it on yourself."
She'd been caught, but Rebecca didn't panic.
She abandoned her pretense, holding the vase firmly in front of her, her cat-like blue eyes never leaving the man.
"How do you know my name?"
He shrugged. "Your husband called out your name several times. It wasn't hard to catch."
Rebecca didn't let her guard down.
"You know my name, but I still don't know yours."
"Who am I?" He chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough, but not yet."
Annoyed that she hadn't gotten the answer she wanted, Rebecca frowned.
"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you climbed up here just to spy on me."
He laughed heartily as if mocking her blind confidence.
"Rebecca, you're beautiful, but not enough for me to lose sleep over and climb up here just to get a peek at you."
Rebecca retorted coldly, "We're not that familiar. You should address me as Ms. Garcia."
Her irritation was confirmed. 'He has no manners at all. To call me by my first name when we've just met!'
He raised a thick eyebrow, unbothered. "Next time, I'll remember that, Rebecca."
He called her by name once more, clearly ignoring her correction.
Rebecca gave up trying to fix it and pointed the vase at him.
"So, are you going to tell me what you're doing here or not?"
Somehow, in a blur of motion, he appeared behind her.
Pressing close, he gently took the vase from her hand with his left hand while his right hand settled on her waist.
His lips were close to her ear, and he whispered as if they were lovers.
"Relax. I'm not here to hurt you."
The gesture was extremely intimate, yet Rebecca didn't feel a hint of romance.
Her whole body tensed, a cold sweat trickling down her spine.
'He's so fast! If he really wanted to harm me, I'd already be dead!'
Rebecca tried to keep her composure, stepping forward to slip out of his grasp.
"Alright, I believe you don't mean any harm."
The vase was gone, and she knew she couldn't fight him with no other weapon at hand.
Her best option was to play along, biding her time.
"That's better."
He glanced wistfully at his right hand. 'That felt pretty nice.'
"I know you want to attend tomorrow night's ball."
Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper with an amused smirk.
"I happen to have an extra invitation. Interested?"
- Writer
