Chapter 2:
1837 Words
The sleeve was impeccably tailored, with no logo, a high-end custom piece!
The man, well-versed in etiquette, raised an eyebrow and said, “No worries. I don’t mind if you lead me to a change of clothes…”
He looked at the dazed maid with a calm smile, but his lecherous gaze revealed his malicious intent.
A beautiful, intelligent, and stubborn woman like her was incredibly tempting… It made his desires harder and more inflamed!
He wanted nothing more than to overpower her right now! To take her ruthlessly!!
To tear apart that facade of modesty…
His gaze sent shivers down Annieie’s spine, but as a guest, she couldn’t treat him rudely.
However, she also couldn’t escort someone who clearly had ill intentions towards her to the changing room…
The guests in the hall were all turning their heads towards this unfolding situation, the tension palpable!
But Annieie was composed. After a moment of thought, she bowed her head and apologized, “I’m sorry, I was rude!” She then took out a handkerchief from her pocket and respectfully handed it to him, saying, “I have other duties to attend to. Please, use this to clean yourself, and I’ll have another maid take you to the changing room.”
After this, she bowed again and, without waiting for a response, turned and walked away, her long braid swaying gracefully through the air.
Barely a few steps away, a cheerful, melodious voice came from behind.
“Will, Will, I was just looking for you. I didn’t expect you to be here…”
“What are you looking at?”
—It was Cristina.
Annieie thought to herself, truly, birds of a feather flock together; no wonder Cristina’s associates were just as despicable as her.
The two were a perfect match—one a hypocritical schemer, the other a sinister gentleman. And the man was indeed bold and unrestrained, his unmasked desire as exposed as a noble beast in the rainforest, graceful yet wild!
Recalling those disturbing purple eyes, Annieie quickened her pace.
Behind her, Will watched the maid’s hurried figure, a wicked smirk playing on his lips…
Cristina, visibly agitated, nearly bit her cherry-red lips in frustration, as though fearing he would chase after Annieie. She clung to his arm, her voice sweet enough to make even Lin Zhiling feel embarrassed, “Will, you haven’t wished her a happy birthday yet~”
Will turned his gaze back to her, smiling slowly. “Dear Miss Cristina, happy birthday. May you become more beautiful!” His purpose for attending this party was to meet this designer. This woman had information on Cristina perfume!
He gentlemanly lifted her hand and lightly kissed it.
The whole room watched, the scene as romantic as a prince kissing a princess!
Cristina’s heart fluttered like a young deer, her vanity thoroughly satisfied.
But she forgot that a hand-kissing gesture was quite common in Western countries.
—A usual noble courtesy.
As the guests began to disperse, chatting and drinking, anticipating the second half of the party—where Chairman Cristina would Annieounce the adopted daughter of the Cristina family!
At this moment, the changing room at the back of the hall wasn’t crowded.
As Annieie arrived at the changing room and stood in front of the mirror, Cristina’s snowy white figure appeared beside her. “Sister, you’re really something. Even with your face covered, you still attract attention. Or are you trying to get back at me for making you a maid?”
She tilted her head and looked at Annieie, her red lips curling slightly.
“You’re overthinking it.” Annieie, ignoring her harsh words, let down her long braid that had been pinned up, allowing her hair to cascade to her waist.
It looked like beautiful silk or ethereal smoke, turning everything around her into mere background.
Just her back was naturally beautiful, breathtakingly so!
Her name was Annieie Cristina, adopted daughter of the Cristina family.
Her beauty immediately overshadowed Cristina’s, making Cristina’s eyes burn with envy. Cristina bit her lip and said, “Is it because the designer of ‘Cristina No. 2’ became me that you’re feeling uneasy? Let me tell you, it was Dad’s decision. Our family’s kindness in taking you in is already a great favor. Naming ‘Cristina No. 2’ after me is your repayment to our family and me! Will is mine, so don’t think of trying to get him as revenge against me!!”
Repayment? It seems the person who took me in wasn’t you. Annieie’s eyes turned cold.
But she didn’t want to discuss the perfume further, only glancing indifferently at Cristina in the mirror, “Stay away from that man. Giving you this advice is the best repayment I can offer.”
That man was noble but also sinister, and definitely not simple.
She didn’t believe Cristina could handle him…
“So you’re jealous of me!” Cristina suddenly laughed arrogantly.
She moved behind Annieie and whispered slowly into her ear, “But who told you to come from such humble beginnings? Naturally, you have to live under my aura… But also, if you hadn’t come to our home, you wouldn’t even have seen Will’s face. Poor… woman, don’t be so harsh on your step-sister!”
Getting more and more insolent!
Annieie’s gaze turned icy, and she slammed the comb onto the vanity!
She turned around, stepping closer to Cristina, and said coldly, “Oh? Then tell me, who is the real designer of ‘Cristina No. 2’? Who made the company renowned? Saying this only shows that you’re even less significant than a poor woman. Afraid I might steal a man from you? In terms of looks and talent, do you think I’m at a disadvantage? Why do I always wear a mask? Standing next to you, any man would know whom to choose! I’ve been tolerating you, not because I want to compete for anything with you, but because I just want a home!!”
She was genuinely angry, her first unreserved retort. She had always given way to Cristina, but Cristina continued to push her!
Annieie didn’t want to argue further and was about to change her dress.
But the scheming heart is hard to guard against. Just a few steps away, she was struck hard from behind!
“You…” Her vision darkened, and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
She didn’t even have a chance to remove her mask…
Without warning, the situation took a sharp turn!
Cristina stared at her with rage, her eyes burning red, “Don’t even think about it. I won’t let you have your way!”
She was smarter and more beautiful, made the Cristina family’s eldest daughter, so didn’t that mean she was on top? Not a chance!—She would never let her father reveal this adopted daughter!
Afterwards, she called two servants to carry the unconscious Annieie to a guest room and lock her up.
In front of the locked guest room, Cristina stood there, her white dress swaying, her eyes slowly revealing a calculating glint, “But what if Dad Annieounces her at another time?…”
She was the legitimate daughter; Annieie was just an adopted one.
The two elderly maids, recently obsessed with palace dramas, eagerly offered their scheming suggestion, “Miss, I have a plan. Big families care most about their reputation. If Miss Annieie were to engage in some disreputable behavior or do something to disgrace the Cristina family, the master would certainly not accept her again!”
Upon understanding, Cristina’s eyes lit up!
A vulgar, boring, and malicious plan, but if it works, it’s worth it.
She cleared her throat and, with a look of high nobility and innocence, spread her hands, “I didn’t hear anything. I’m going to find Will now. You handle this yourselves! Do well, and there will be generous rewards…”
After saying this, she flounced away, her dress adorned with scattered diamonds, in a cheerful mood.
What Cristina didn’t know was that Will, whose sleeve was stained with wine, was also heading to the changing room.
He happened to see Annieie being carried away…
As the two housekeepers were bringing in more staff to create trouble for Annie, they were suddenly intercepted by several imposing bodyguards dressed in black. The housekeepers gasped in alarm. “Who are you?! We’re with the Don family…”
The bodyguards remained silent, standing firmly to clear a path for their distinguished employer.
The housekeepers, seeing the stern expressions on the men’s faces, hesitated. “Sir, we’re servants of the Don household. What is the meaning of this…”
Without a word, the man in charge glanced coldly at the locked door. “Open it.”
“Sir, that’s not possible. Inside is…”
The bodyguards pressed the housekeepers against the wall and forcefully found the key to the door.
The grand ball continued outside, while in a luxurious guest room, a figure in a maid's uniform lay on the grand bed. The room was dimly lit, and Annie’s silhouette shifted restlessly.
Under the effects of the drug, Annie felt dizzy and uncomfortable, her awareness of Cristina’s intentions painfully clear.
She heard noises at the door and instinctively tried to rise, but her strength failed her, causing her to collapse on the floor.
The door creaked open, and a tall figure entered the room, his presence commanding attention. He approached her with a suave, predatory grace.
“Seems like the lovely maid is in some trouble,” he said with a smooth, enigmatic tone.
Annie, disoriented and struggling to focus, looked up with pleading eyes. “Help… help me…”
The man was Hwang-Po Will, now dressed entirely in black, exuding an even greater air of mystery.
Annie’s vision blurred, making it difficult to recognize him. She reached out, clutching at his leg. “Please… help me. I need…”
Hwang-Po Will raised an eyebrow in surprise, his interest piqued by her reaction. He chuckled softly and lowered his gaze to her.
“You need help?” His voice was low and laced with a hint of intrigue.
Annie, affected by the drug, found her thoughts drifting and her requests coming out in a haze. Hwang-Po Will observed her condition, a calculating look in his eyes.
He gently lifted her face, noting her vulnerability and confusion, and a smirk grew on his lips.
“You’re my responsibility now. Only I can assist you,” he said with a firm tone.
Annie, her strength waning under the influence of the drug, was no longer the composed and resilient person she usually was, now reduced to a state of fragility.
Hwang-Po Will carefully placed her back on the bed, his skilled hands unfastening the buttons of her uniform. Despite her weak attempts to resist, she was unable to fend him off.
Hwang-Po Will looked at her with a mixture of amusement and determination. “It seems what you need is exactly what I can provide.”
- Writer
