Isabella quietly made her way downstairs, skirting around the pillars. As she reached the door, she unexpectedly saw James leaning against a wall, a lit cigarette held between his fingers, his head slightly bowed as he smoked. Seemingly hearing the sound of high heels on the floor, he subconsciously lifted his head, his gaze briefly meeting Isabella's. Her gaze was calm and clear, with a touch of surprise in her golden eyes. James raised a somewhat helpless smile. He just wanted to see her, that's why he waited here. Originally, it was just to try his luck, never expecting to truly encounter her. At least, greeting her was the right thing to do. "Isabella, what a coincidence," James stubbed out the cigarette, stepping toward her. "Yeah, I came to pick up a dress. I didn't expect to find you here," Isabella replied with a smile. Her tone while speaking to him was calm, as if he were just an acquaintance to her. "I came to get a dress for tomorrow's company celebration. Would you
As soon as the three entered the venue, they attracted numerous stares. The reason was simple: Aria's outfit in red and white was simply too eye-catching. Although the charity auction had turned into a sort of matchmaking event, it was still under the guise of charity. Aria's flashy attire for a charitable event seemed oblivious to worldly hardships. What she didn't know was that Mrs. Hannah from the Turner family was a werewolf of the shadow clan, particularly averse to animal skins. Unaware of the attention she drew, Aria flaunted her dress's vivid colors in front of everyone's gaze. Isabella could only accompany her by her side. As they arrived, several familiar girls approached. As per the protocol, these young girls had to greet the attending elders before they could freely mingle. Mrs. Hannah held the highest seniority and status among them. Whether known or unknown, everyone had to pay her respects. Mrs. Hannah maintained an aloof demeanor towards everyone. However, her
Aria bit her lip, feeling both distressed and helpless. The price remained at 200,000, and faint whispers were heard around. "Can't even afford 200,000, such a poor look." "Poverty isn't her fault, but parading it around is just annoying." ... Aria's face turned pale, her emotions becoming increasingly agitated. Watching her, Isabella sighed in resignation. "Words come from others; don't mind them." Initially, when she was mocked for being raped by a stranger, the comments were far more hurtful than these. If she had taken it to heart, she'd have been devastated. However, Aria's pride was too strong, lacking Isabella's good mindset, and with Emily adding fuel to the fire. "Words can be dreadful. Losing face at the auction means never being able to hold your head up high in these circles again. Forget about marrying into prestigious families." "Enough!" Isabella interrupted, slightly annoyed. Truly, she was just enjoying the show, adding fuel to the fire instead of trying to
Mrs. Ada's expression turned cold. They say a mother and son share a bond, but evidently, her son's thoughts were on a different wavelength."David, what about the 600,000?" She straightforwardly brought up the issue."The trouble was caused by Aria, so naturally, she should foot the bill. There's nothing to discuss," Emily chimed in.Mrs. Ada wanted to shut her up. Fuming, she said, "Elders speak; there's no place for your interference."Emily snorted but remained silent."Emily, have some manners," Charlotte reprimanded her daughter, then turned to Mrs. Ada and said, "Emily doesn't have the right to speak, but what she said is not wrong. Aria caused the trouble, and we can't expect others to pay for it."Charlotte spoke reasonably, and even David didn't refute her.Feeling resentful and knowing she was in the wrong, Mrs. Ada resorted to being unreasonable, "I don't have the money.""Grandma, are you feeling guilty? Aria bought a gold and jade bracelet and a check for 100,000," Emily
"Aria, now is not the time to be stubborn. I heard from your uncle that Mrs. Hannah wants to use this art exhibition to find a wife for the eldest grandson of the Turner family. It doesn't matter if she likes you or not, as long as his grandson likes you," Mrs. Ada's aged hands held her granddaughter's face. "Turner family is one of the four major families. He've seen many beauties; how could they possibly like me?" Aria said dejectedly, still looking listless. Without another word, Mrs. Ada directly pressed her in front of the dressing table, "It's just a mishap at the auction, why do you lack confidence? Look at you, so beautiful; you're naturally meant for a wealthy family." Aria pursed her lips, looking at herself in the mirror. Her appearance was considered fair, but there was still a gap between her and Isabella and Emily. She sighed subconsciously, not due to a lack of confidence but because her cousins made her feel inferior. "Will Emily and Isabella also go to the art e
At the same time, Isabella followed the others out of the exhibition hall. "Grandma, Auntie, I have something to attend to, so I'll leave first," Isabella said, carrying her handbag, stepping in high heels, and gracefully walking down the steps. Emily stared at her retreating figure and said angrily, "Mom, she couldn't really be chosen by Mrs. Hannah, right?" Charlotte comfortingly patted her hand, "Don't worry, how could the Turner family accommodate a second-hand goods who has given birth to a child?" "But Mrs. Hannah clearly showed no interest in me," Emily felt disheartened. "Mrs. Hannah's opinion doesn't represent her grandson's feelings. We still need to find a way from his side. Let's go, we'll discuss it more when we get back," Charlotte said, glancing subconsciously in the direction Isabella had left. Meanwhile, Isabella had already sat in a private car; she indeed had something important to attend to. Over the next few days, her schedule was packed with commitments, a
Emily, who was exposed, turned pale, her lips trembling slightly. Her eyes, which seemed like they wanted to cry but couldn't, were filled with tears. What was originally a carefully planned beautiful encounter, in the eyes of the other person, turned out to be nothing more than a ridiculous farce, with her as the clown. Henry crossed his arms, his eagle-like eyes sharp and looking down at Emily. "Are you Emily? I've heard about you. You've been with two men, the first was the son of a real estate tycoon. Because he had a drug history, he was forced to break up, and you even went to the extent of aborting the child. The second was the heir of the Brown family; when their family just lost power, you abruptly broke off the engagement without any hesitation. They say a harlot has no feelings, and an actress has no righteousness. Emily, which category do you belong to?" Henry's voice was indifferent, almost contemptuous. Emily's meticulously done makeup couldn't hide the paleness th
A black Rolls-Royce Phantom parked nearby blinked its lights twice. Andrew strode over, opened the door, and got into the driver's seat, his long, clean hands resting on the steering wheel. The car slowly pulled out of the garage. He drove slowly, searching for Isabella along the way. He wanted to find her quickly and then, confess openly that he wasn't just some wanderer. His identity and position could provide her with everything she desired. However, despite driving quite far, he still hadn't seen Isabella's shadow. Yet, he could faintly smell her scent. Perhaps they had missed each other at some unsuspecting crossroad. ... Meanwhile, James found Emily in the club's restroom. She curled up in a corner, tears streaming down her face. "Emily? Why are you hiding here?" James raised an eyebrow, looking at her. Emily lifted her pointed chin, tearfully murmuring, "James." "Get up quickly; the floor is cold." James walked over and helped her up from the ground. However, Emily's l