Chapter 67: wait a minute
Anna smiled brightly as she refreshed her social media page for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Another three thousand followers?"
Her smile grew even wider. The party had been worth coming to after all.
Ever since she posted a few elegant pictures from the luxurious birthday banquet, her followers had been increasing every minute. People kept leaving comments about her beautiful dress, asking if she had finally entered the circle of the city’s true elites.
She happily took another selfie before changing her pose.
Behind the camera... No one would ever know how exhausted she really was. Just a few minutes ago, she had finally escaped from her parents. As usual, they had been introducing her to rich businessmen.
Unfortunately... Most of those men were already married. Anna sighed quietly.
Sometimes she really wondered... Would they do the same thing if I were their biological daughter?
The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. She shook her head and forced another beautiful smile for the camera.
This wasn’t the time to think about those things. She had an image to protect. Just as she was choosing another angle for a picture, Monica hurried toward her, her eyes bright with excitement. "Anna, you won’t believe this. I just saw Abigail here!"
Anna laughed and shook her head. "No way. This birthday party is for VIP people only. The main event has already ended, and everyone is talking business deals now. Abigail couldn’t have gotten in... a commoner like her can’t fit here "
Monica leaned in closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing the juiciest secret. "But the dress she’s wearing looks crazy expensive. Like, designer level."
Anna’s smile started to fade. She crossed her arms and tried to play it cool. "She probably borrowed it from someone. Or maybe she slept her way in. That sounds more like her style."
Just then, her eyes landed on a familiar face across the room, and her whole expression changed. Laurence. The twenty-year-old guy from that wild night stood there, looking completely at ease.
He had insisted she ride with him so he could meet her to his boss. What was he doing here? Anna’s stomach dropped when she noticed he wore the same sharp mafia-style outfit as the other serious-looking men around him.
A twenty-year-old boy mixed up in all of this? Mafia? She sighed deeply and turned away before he could spot her.
Even if she disguise herself that night, she still not comfortable seeing him.
.....
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bustling hall, Madeline spotted Madam Perry near the refreshment table and let out a happy giggle. "Found you!" she said, rushing over with a big grin. She linked her arm with the older woman’s and started asking questions right away. "How do you know Mrs. Kim? And all those other powerful women? You seem to fit right in with them."
Madam Perry gave a small, mysterious smile and waved her hand like it was nothing important. "It’s not a big deal, dear. Just some old connections." Her answers stayed vague no matter how Madeline pressed for more details. Something felt off.
Madeline could sense it in her bones. Madam Perry was hiding a big secret, and the way she avoided giving straight answers only made Madeline more curious.
Before Madeline could ask anything else, Mrs William walked up to them with a polite smile on her face. Abigail’s biological mother looked elegant in her evening gown, but there was a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
Madam Perry raised an eyebrow, her tone turning icy. "Why are you here?"
Madeline blinked in surprise at how cold the words sounded. She glanced between the two women. With the beautiful dress Madeline had personally designed for Mrs William and her hair let down in soft waves, she looked stunning. More like a lady in her twenties than a woman in her forties. Her skin glowed so smoothly that it was almost funny how young she appeared.
Mrs William smiled awkwardly and asked, "Have you seen Abigail later..." She don’t even know where to start.
Madam Perry laughed coldly. "You’ve got some nerve."
Mrs William lowered her head and sighed. She don’t like what’s going on at all "I..."
"You lost every right to ask about that child the moment you hit her and even sent her out of your house at night." She turned sharply, taking Madeline by the arm. "Come on, Let’s go."
They walked away together through the crowd. Madeline kept glancing back, still shocked by the tension she had just witnessed. As they moved toward a quieter corner of the hall, Madam Perry suddenly stopped.
Her eyes went wide as she stared straight ahead. In the next moment, she grabbed Madeline and pulled her behind a large decorative pillar. She closed her eyes tight and breathed heavily, pressing her back against the cool surface.
Madeline stood there, shocked and confused. She looked around, trying to figure out what had caused such a strong reaction. "What is going on?"
"Is he gone?" Madam Perry whispered suddenly, her voice shaky.
Madeline frowned and kept scanning the room. "He? Who?"
"Stop looking around like that," Madam Perry hissed. "He’s very sensitive to things like that. Calm down and check if that Dracula is still swinging his glass of wine in his hand."
"Dracula?" Madeline chuckled softly despite the strange situation. She peeked out carefully and spotted the man Madam Perry meant. He stood tall and commanding, swirling a glass of red wine while listening to Mr Kim talk.
The man was very good-looking in that sharp, dangerous way. His features were striking, and his cold expression made him look exactly like a vampire king from one of those dramatic stories. The way he held himself sent a little chill down Madeline’s spine.
"He’s still there," Madeline reported, trying not to laugh at the nickname. But then something clicked in her mind. She looked at the man once more, her eyes widening in horror. She turned back to Madam Perry, who was still breathing nervously behind the pillar.
"But wait a minute..." Madeline said slowly. "Why are you hiding from Henry’s dad?"