Bab 11: How Can We Have Fun Without Drinks?
Chapter 11: "How Can We Have Fun Without Drinks?"
"Mr. Davies, allow me to introduce you to my woman, Alla," Billie introduced with an unabashed confidence that took Alla aback. The title she once craved was now being assigned to her by a man of questionable character. The man she yearned for, however, was disinterestedly swirling his wine, not sparing her a glance. His indifference was so profound that it bordered on cruelty.
Upon seeing Casiano's lack of interest, Billie hurriedly cupped Alla's chin. "Mr. Davies, don't you think she bears a striking resemblance to your Ella?" He had encountered Ms. Reed, who was strikingly similar to Alla, during a project discussion at Reed Corporation. After some inquiries, he found out that Ms. Reed, who had recently returned to the country, was Casiano's woman. So, he promptly visited Davies Corporation and capitalized on Alla's resemblance to Ella to ingratiate himself with Casiano, successfully inviting him to this meeting. Billie intended to seize this opportunity to secure the project that intrigued him.
Upon hearing Billie's words, Casiano finally lifted his cool gaze to appraise her. His peach blossom eyes were veiled, revealing no discernible emotion. After a moment, he spoke nonchalantly, "She's no match for my Ella." His words struck Alla like a dagger, causing her heart to bleed.
"Of course she can't compare to Ms. Reed," Billie held her chin, looking at her with contempt, "She's an orphan, with no power, no influence, no background. Ms. Reed, on the other hand, is the only daughter of Reed Corporation, not to mention her high education and high intelligence. How could she possibly compete?"
Indeed, how could she possibly compete? In Casiano's eyes, she was merely a stand-in. How could she be compared with the real deal? Alla pressed her lips tightly together, remaining silent. Her heart, however, was bleeding...
Billie had said so many derogatory things about Alla just to flatter Casiano. However, Casiano seemed oblivious, focusing on his wine glass without giving Billie so much as a glance. Recognizing Casiano's disinterest in the topic, Billie tactfully refrained from further comment, promptly pulling Alla to sit across from him.
As they settled down, a man in an expensive suit uncorked a bottle of wine and offered it to Alla. "Ms. Barton, do you drink?" Alla was unsure of who this man was and hesitated to accept the drink. If he had added something to it, Billie could do as he pleased with her later. As she hesitated, the man smiled, "Don't worry, there's no drug." The man's smile was warm and comforting, which slightly eased Alla's apprehension. She took a sip from the glass but didn't dare swallow it.
A woman seated next to the man sneered upon seeing this. "I must say, Mr. Roman, the women you find are getting less and less classy. My dear Eric kindly offers her a drink, and she's too wary to drink it. She's really not giving anyone face."
The Eric the woman spoke of was Casiano's cousin, also a playboy, but not as perverse as Billie. Alla hadn't met Casiano's friends or relatives before, so this was her first time meeting Eric. She couldn't help but give him a few extra glances. He somewhat resembled Casiano, but lacked Casiano's cold demeanor and instead seemed quite mild.
The woman's face darkened when she saw that Alla didn't react to her words. It was clear from her comments that she wanted Alla to finish her drink. If Alla was sensible, she would apologize to Eric and down the drink, ending the matter. But Alla seemed to be playing dumb, which was rather ungracious.
Of course, Alla understood, but since the woman was speaking to Billie and hadn't explicitly asked her to drink, she decided to feign ignorance.
The woman, dissatisfied, reminded Billie, "Mr. Roman, you're able to meet Mr. Davies today thanks to my Eric's introduction. Without him, you wouldn't even be able to see Casiano, let alone discuss a project. Yet your woman refuses to drink even a glass of wine. How are we supposed to have fun later?"
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