"What are you saying?" Duke glared at Belinda with burning eyes. Leena was his beloved sister, and everything he did was for her sake. Why would he harm Leena?
"Now wait a minute. You got the wrong idea, Duke. I didn't mean anything by it." Belinda twitched her mouth. She wasn't stupid. She knew that what she said had irritated Duke, so she decided not to piss him off any more than she already did.
Duke smirked as Belinda kept her mouth shut. He started the car and put his foot down hard on the accelerator, zooming the two of them away. They were too busy to notice Rachel sitting in her Porsche, staring daggers in their direction, watching them as they pulled away. Her face was contorted with anger. After they disappeared on the broad street lined with trees, she also stepped on the gas and left the Leng Group.
Rachel led an extravagant life. She knew how to live like a lady of quality. She only bought name-brand items. However, she also knew that in order to live a rich life and keep herself in luxury goods, she had to find someone who was willing to foot the bills for her lavish habits. That was non-negotiable. Undoubtedly, Duke was at the top of her list, so even if Belinda frustrated her for the moment, she wouldn't give in easily. She believed that she could outdo Belinda and take her place at Duke's side.
Deep in her heart, she knew she didn't love Duke. She was absolutely egotistical and cared only about herself and her own needs. The reason why she was with Duke was that he could gratify her vanity. She liked his handsome appearance, noble temperament and most importantly, abundant funds. These were the things that she could show off. They once had a brief romance, and she still had it, so she was able to seduce Duke regardless of whether he was single or not. However, she didn't expect that Belinda, who was aggressive and sharp-tongued, was that hard to deal with. It seemed that she had a long way to go before she could get what she wanted.
In her ostentatious Porsche, she cranked up the beats, engine and stereo at full blast, intoxicated by the speed and passion that she craved. She wouldn't miss the wedding tomorrow. Although they didn't tell her where the wedding would be held, she decided to use her connections to find it out. She would doll herself up, go to the wedding, and make a scene. Then everyone would know how Belinda seduced her ex-boyfriend and forced him to marry her. Then Duke would be hers, and his friends would support them.
Darkness fell early in late autumn. When Leena woke up, the night was pressing up against the windows, held at bay by the marvels of modern life. She had slept for a long time. Last night, she worked round the clock, and she spent much time doing cleaning this morning, so she was dead tired.
With eyes half-closed, she twisted herself into a sitting position, and sleepily staggered to the bathroom. Her footsteps, as well as her heartbeat, echoed in the quiet bedroom.
Leena put up her hair and fixed it with a hairpin. After making a face in the mirror to amuse herself and pinching her soft and supple skin, she began to wash up.
Her stomach was already rumbling for dinner, so she decided to grab a bite. Ramen yet again. Although she knew that it was not healthy, she had no other choice because it could be done simply and easily. She didn't want to cook much since she had to eat her meals alone.
She sighed at the thought. Then she went to turn on the laptop on the tea table, browsing web pages while waiting for the instant noodles to be done. Every time she turned on the laptop, she would habitually click the mailbox icon. She had work arrangements that her assistant and tutor sent to her.
After she clicked the mailbox, she would usually open the emails from her tutor, because these were the most important messages. No exception today, of course. But she furrowed her brow after she read this particular email. Her tutor asked her to be at the college in two days to make final preparations to defend her thesis. How time flew. After that, she would graduate, and emerge from her studious cocoon as a beautiful and free worker butterfly.
She wanted to go back to Paris to get her degree, but she was afraid that would make Kevin nervous. Last time he came back, he panicked because he didn't find her at home. She didn't want Kevin to worry about her again. However, the thesis defense would take a long time. Thesis project typically demanded a student's full attention. If she went back to the university now, she couldn't see Kevin when he came back, so she was at a loss what to do.
She opened the email from her assistant. It said that the sales in this season was quite good. Most of the styles were booked out, and her assistant asked if she would like to add some new styles to fill the vacancies in the market. In the past, she would agree without hesitation, but she couldn't this time, because the graduation thesis would take a lot of her time.
The rest of the emails were not as important. They were just greetings from her friends, so she didn't have to pay too much attention to them and replied one by one quickly. Her tutor's email was the biggest headache. She knew that her tutor wouldn't ask her to go back to the college unless necessary, but she still didn't know how to reply to the email.
Leena sighed helplessly. Her heavy gasps echoed clearly in the quiet living room, making her realize how lonely she was. She turned her eyes from the laptop with a bitter smile and checked whether the noodles were done. She was so exhausted at noon that she went to bed without eating lunch, so her stomach had cried out for food. She tried to soothe her grumbling tummy by telling it she would be able to eat soon.
At last, the noodles were done. While she ate, she suddenly heard someone unlocking the door, and her muscles stiffened. She stared at the door with her eyes open, sat still and didn't know what to do. All sorts of thoughts were running through her head. Thief? Robber? Or drunkard? But it was only twilight. No one got drunk so early.
Just when she was thinking of all the possibilities, the door was gently pushed open, and Kevin appeared in his military uniform. She gaped at Kevin in surprise, her eyes wide. She was so involved in what she was doing that she hadn't expected him home.
"Hey, are you scared? You look like you've seen a ghost." Kevin frowned, pulled his suitcase in, and closed the door conveniently. Then he walked up to Leena slowly.
"Ah! You scared me!" Leena immediately stood up and threw herself into Kevin's arms, gently pounding on his chest, tears coursing down her cheeks.
Sorry. "I would have called you, but they confiscated our phones during training. It's off now, and needs to be recharged." Kevin gently patted Leena's back to comfort her. During the harsh training, he was so tired that he had no energy to think of anyone. Even Leena's smiling face just flashed through his mind occasionally.
Leena buried her face in Kevin's arms. She rushed over on the spur of the moment just now. After she calmed down a bit, she flushed in embarrassment. Listening to his words, she buried her head deeper.
"Sorry I scared you. It's all right now." Instead of pushing her away, Kevin held Leena more tightly. He knitted his brow at the sight of the noodles on the tea table. Did Leena always eat instant noodles when he was away for training?
I just didn't think that you'd be back so soon." Leena sniffed back her tears. Seeing that his jacket was damp with her tears, she felt so embarrassed that she didn't want to look up and meet his gaze.
I'm always back when training's over and done. Don't you want to see me?" Kevin lovingly wiped the tears on Leena's cheeks. Leena burst into tears easily, just like a little spoiled girl.
"I didn't mean that. I just thought that you'd be gone longer, that the training would take you a long time," Leena anxiously explained, her eyes red from weeping.
"Do you eat instant noodles every day?" Kevin led Leena to the couch and sat down, frowning at the steaming Styrofoam cup of instant noodles that she had just began to eat.
"No, only sometimes. Did you eat dinner? I can cook for you if you're hungry." Leena forced a smile. It was the first time that she had eaten instant noodles recently, and Kevin happened to see it.
"No, but it's a little late now. Tell you what: I'll go upstairs and shower. Then we can go out to dinner." Looking around, Kevin saw the house was clean and kept in good. When he was out, Leena must have taken care of the house very carefully. Everything was neatly in its place, whether a shelf or a cabinet. He had a wonderful wife.