The servant’s tears flowed like a river, her wails making it seem as though the sky was falling, evoking sympathy from the crowd. Isabella became the target of even more criticism, as Regina secretly rejoiced, thinking that this man’s interference only pushed Isabella further into the spotlight of disgrace.
But Lucius remained calm and composed, as cold as ice. He patiently waited for the servant to finish her tearful accusations before responding in a frigid tone, "Go apologize to the Rivera family’s mistress and accept your punishment."
The servant’s tear-streaked face stiffened, then twisted into a sly smile as she retorted, "The master ordered the young lady to apologize to the madam. I wouldn’t dare steal that honor."
A dark cloud settled over Lucius’s expression, his eyes sharp as blades. "You deliberately pretended to slip, spilling wine on the young lady, which led to the mistress being scolded. Shouldn’t you apo
The maid covered her ears and burst into tears. It was all over for her now.She glanced at Regina’s face, dark as a storm cloud, and her fierce eyes, like a beast ready to devour. Terrified, the maid could only sob, “No one instructed me. I just can’t stand Isabella. I wanted to humiliate her. She’s just a country bumpkin pretending to be a refined lady, lording over us servants. I deliberately wanted to make her look bad.”The guests in the hall gasped in disbelief. It was indeed a strange world they lived in.From now on, people would need to be more careful when hiring servants. It would be a misfortune to bring in a housemaid who would plot to disgrace her master and tarnish the family’s reputation.However, it seemed there was more to this incident. The maid was clearly too frightened to speak the whole truth, afraid of offending someone.Carlos was both angry and humiliated. On such an important day, with so many distinguished guests p
Lucius gave her a gentle look, as soothing as a spring breeze, instantly helping her escape her anxiety.Ignoring Regina's hidden resentment, Isabella smiled and made eye contact with Lucius.Regina, almost driven to fury by Isabella's disregard, saw an opportunity when she noticed the wine stains on Isabella’s dress. A cunning idea crossed her mind.Regina quickly took Isabella’s arm and said with a concerned tone, “Isabella, your dress is so stained. How can you attend the party like this? Come with me, and we’ll get you changed into the dress I’ve prepared for you.”Regina inwardly sneered: ‘Hmph, now you have no excuse to refuse. If you wear that dirty dress to the party, it will look like you're intentionally tarnishing Carlos’ reputation. This trick is meant to trap you. Let’s see how you escape this one.’Carlos nodded in agreement and urged, “Go ahead a
Cynthia’s heart raced, her emotions stirred. Damn, how could this man be so incredibly handsome?Standing to the side, Samuel noticed the wine in Lucius’s hand.Whether by sheer luck or intentional choice, Lucius had picked a 1988 Lafite.If Lucius wasn’t being deliberate, then he must be an expert with a refined palate. Tasting wine is often a way for high society to flaunt their status.Could this pauper actually know about this? Whether by intention or accident, he had selected the most expensive wine.Seeing Isabella holding the wine, Cynthia felt a pang of disappointment and tried to dissuade her, “Sister, you know you can’t drink alcohol, right? It’s bad for your health. You should stick to juice.”Isabella was initially displeased with Lucius’s choice of red wine, but Cynthia’s comment made her more confident in Lucius’s decision. She shot
Upon hearing the praises from the crowd, everyone agreed: “As expected of Young Master Hayes`, whose family has a long history in the fine wine business. His taste is impeccable; just one sip and he can identify a top-tier wine. He’s definitely a seasoned wine connoisseur.”“We’re not worthy; we couldn’t possibly tell the difference. The more refined the wine, the more it showcases a person’s sophistication and status. Young Master Hayes must have tried all the top wines; we can’t compare to such experience.”Cynthia, hearing all the influential figures acknowledging that they couldn’t match her boyfriend’s insight and taste, couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.Just as everyone was busy complimenting Samuel, the hostess paused and then announced, “We also have to congratulate Mr. Lucius Knight, as you have won the challenge as well.”The crowd was nearly stunned into silence.Moments earlier, everyone had seen it. Lucius hadn’t even taken a si
Mr. Knight is either a scion of a prominent family or a top-tier world-class sommelier. However, among the few renowned international sommeliers, no one has ever heard of someone named Lucius Knight.Lucius instantly piqued the public's interest, leading everyone to speculate about his identity.Meanwhile, some people couldn’t hold back their gossip and started mocking Samuel.“Claiming to be the heir of a wine empire and boasting about his wine-tasting skills, yet he's not as impressive as an ordinary Lucius.”“He’s just a wine connoisseur with no real knowledge, flaunting his wealth just because his family is rich. Not everyone has tasted fine wine.”The rumors reached Samuel’s ears, and he was so enraged that his teeth were grinding. He had originally planned to use the wine-tasting event to humiliate Lucius and let everyone know he was just a provincial bumpkin, hoping to vent his frustration at Isabella’s change of heart.Now, however,
In an instant, Carlos seemed stunned by Lucius’s overwhelming aura, frozen in place.When this man was enraged, he seemed like a hellish demon, terrifying beyond belief.Lucius held Isabella protectively, his silence more menacing than words. His gaze was like a sharp, bloodthirsty blade, cutting into Carlos with an intensity that seemed to wish he could chop him into pieces.Dare to lay a hand on his Bella? Lucius would make Carlos suffer a thousand deaths.Lucius’s tall, imposing figure shielded Isabella, causing Carlos to hesitate, afraid to make a move.Struggling to recover from Lucius’s terrifying pressure, Carlos gathered his courage, his fingers trembling, his voice hoarse and stammering as he said, “I’m disciplining my own daughter. What... does it have to do with you? How dare you...”Lucius actually smiled, but it was a smile more frightening than Satan’s. “Bella is my wife. Who dares to touch her?”His eyes circled Carlos
Lucius staggered down the dimly lit corridor, leaning against the wall for support. The scream he had heard earlier seemed to come from the end of the corridor, and he was desperately searching for it.His mind was clearer now, but he was overwhelmed by an unfamiliar sensation that made him feel extremely uncomfortable.But he couldn’t care about that; he had to save Bella.He reached a white door, and a woman’s voice seemed to be coming from inside.“Bella!” Lucius’s heart leapt with joy. He flung open the door and rushed in.In his dazed state, he saw Isabella in a pure white dress, with her back to him.Overcome with joy, he grabbed her and said with a trembling voice, “Bella, I finally found you. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you earlier. Let’s get out of here quickly.”Cynthia was startled when someone suddenly embraced her from behind. Just as she was about to get angry, she turned around to find it was Lucius.His eyes we
Cade laughed heartily, “How could he not? With that much drug and a beautiful woman around, any man would be irresistible.”Isabella snapped back to her senses and ran forward like a madwoman, screaming frantically, “Cynthia, you shameless, despicable woman!”Cade, with a dark expression, waved his hand, and the bodyguards quickly stepped in to restrain her, gagging her, tying her hands and feet, and dragging her over to Leonard Reed.Cade, with a fawning expression, showed his concern to Leonard Reed, “Mr. Reed, I’m sorry. This girl is wild. I’ll take you to the hospital to get your wounds checked right away.”Leonard Reed glanced at Cade and shook his head, “No need. It’s just a scratch. I actually like Miss Rivera’s fiery spirit. Don’t ruin the mood.”With that, he grinned and picked up Isabella, carrying her into the room and happily instructing, “No one is to disturb us. Remember, beating and scolding is a sign of affection. I won’t be angry w
Cynthia, like Masha, followed a sweet style. Her outfit today was a noticeably improved version of her usual attire—a lovely pink short skirt that gave her a sweet, youthful vibe.As soon as she appeared, the other trainees in the audience couldn’t help but praise her. Singing a sweet song while smiling brightly, she performed a simple yet charming dance. The overall atmosphere was incredibly cute, and the crowd was in awe.“Oh my gosh, she’s so adorable!”“This Cynthia seems to be an individual trainee, and she’s the first to perform! Her skills are amazing!”“At this level, she should be able to score at least a B grade.”During the initial stage of *Next Girls*, trainees were graded by the mentors into five levels: A, B, C, D, and E, with A being the best. Only seven positions were available for debut.Isabella felt indifferent to Cynthia’s per
However, just as Isabella finished speaking, the manager who had just expelled Cynthia and Samuel approached again. This time, his face was beaming with smiles, completely different from the nervous, sweaty demeanor he had earlier. He cheerfully said to Isabella, “You’re a student from the Aetheron Film Academy, aren’t you?”“Yes,” Isabella nodded, unsure of what the manager wanted. Did he intend to say she didn’t comply with some rule and throw her and Lucius out as well?“What’s the matter?” Isabella asked warily, frowning at the manager.“Well, since it’s exam day, we have a special event going on. We’re holding a lottery for students from the Aetheron Film Academy who dine here, and the prizes are quite generous. Would you like to participate?” The manager said, placing a large lottery box in front of Isabella.
After bidding farewell to Derek, Isabella returned home. During her exam preparations, Lucius, as a family member of a candidate, had also put in a lot of effort. Today, they must celebrate properly—dinner at a restaurant!Isabella had already mentioned this to Lucius; as soon as she got home, she would take him out to eat.Who would have thought that when she opened her phone, she found a message from Lucius saying he had already driven to the school gate to wait for her to go eat together.“Your car seems quite expensive, doesn’t it?” Isabella didn’t know much about car brands, but the emblem on Lucius’s car depicted two little figures holding up a small fork, looking quite noble.So, she guessed that Lucius was probably driving a pretty nice car.“I’m not sure about the specifics; it’s just arranged by the company,” Lucius replied. He had been busy with some matters la
However, before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Isabella's cold laugh, her eyes filled with complex emotions. “If you had just told me what you wanted, I would have given it to you. So if you really like him, just say it, and I won’t hesitate to let you have him. Why bother tarnishing your reputation as a mistress by doing such a disgraceful thing? My dear sister, you’ve truly disappointed me.”“Anyone who can be seduced by a mere glance from you, do you think he’s worth anything? Thank you for helping me identify trash!”“Isabella, don’t say that! He... he’s not trash. We just got caught up in the moment.” Cynthia was at a loss, completely unsure of how to perform. Although she was supposed to be the supporting actress, she felt like she was being led around by Isabella.“You mean you were momentarily confused, right? In front of so many people, you can openly hold hands. What about when I'm not
Time flew by in the training camp, and in a month, Isabella will take her exams for the Aetheron Film Academy, including an interview test. Therefore, she didn’t visit the Knight’s training camp as often and returned to school to study.The entrance interview for the Aetheron Film Academy typically involves three teachers and two senior students as assistants. However, when Isabella arrived at the venue, she was surprised to find that the seniors assisting this year were familiar faces.Samuel and Cynthia stood beside the three interview teachers, looking like a perfect match with their impressive looks.Generally, the performing arts program at the film academy has multiple phases, including a first and second round for elements like dialogue, performance, and vocal skills. All these stages are completed in a single day to prevent any potential interference, such as bribing the teachers.Aft
“Uncle, I need you to help me check on someone. There’s a trainee named Cecilia at the Knight training camp.” Lucius’s voice grew angry as he mentioned her name, and he instructed Lysander coldly.“Is something wrong? Did that little wife of yours get bullied again?” Without needing much context, Lysander immediately guessed that Lucius’s anger and attention to detail must be due to something happening to his wife.“She withdrew at the last moment before the competition. Cecilia schemed to make her give up. People like her, who play dirty, don’t deserve to stay at the Knight training camp. She’ll only bring chaos,” Lucius stated, believing Lysander would understand that Cecilia could not remain there.Meanwhile, Cecilia successfully secured first place in the afternoon competition, guaranteeing her a spot in Bryan’s film.However, Bryan himself was not present at the finals that afternoon.
After Isabella left, Cecilia wasted no time stepping forward. "Director Wade, it was our fault. Karrie was on the phone with a friend, and he happens to be called Lucius too. Isabella thought it was her boyfriend, and that’s why she ran off. She got jealous and left the competition in a hurry."While Bryan had been speaking with Isabella, Cecilia and Karrie had been eavesdropping the whole time. So, as soon as Isabella left without an explanation, Cecilia seized the chance to pretend to defend her. In reality, she only made the situation worse.Cecilia assumed that Bryan would be displeased to hear that Isabella abandoned such a golden opportunity for a man. But to her surprise, Bryan saw right through the situation.Unlike Cecilia, Bryan knew that Isabella’s boyfriend was indeed Lucius from the Knight Group. Their relationship was well-known, and her concern was understandable. When Bryan recalled Isabella’s words
Bryan had already made up his mind to cast Isabella as the lead in his new movie. But who would have thought that halfway through the competition, Isabella would suddenly withdraw, running off the stage without a word?Bryan felt as if his heart had left with her. After all, she was the actress he had chosen!Frowning, he watched Isabella's retreating figure and found himself instinctively following her to find out what was going on.Previously, he had heard that Isabella couldn't swim, which was why he had set the rules as he did. Yet, not only could she swim, but she swam exceptionally well, securing the first place.This showed that she must have put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.She seemed like someone who would work hard for her dreams, and Bryan admired that.So what could have caused Isabella to withdraw at the last moment?
Fortunately, there were lifeguards on duty. Upon seeing the situation, one jumped into the water to rescue the struggling competitor.Once the person was pulled from the water, Isabella and Masha realized that it was actually Karrie who had nearly drowned.It was said that those who drowned often knew how to swim, but Karrie had become overly nervous after entering the water. Her calf cramped up, preventing her from extending her movements, and she was unable to swim.The pool was two meters deep, and when she choked on water, she couldn’t breathe. In her struggle, water flooded her goggles, blurring her vision. All she could do was thrash about underwater, creating splashes as a desperate call for help.In this group match, Cecilia successfully took first place and advanced to the semi-finals, while Karrie, just as Isabella had predicted, cramped up mid-race and was eliminated.