Luna's body numbed as her back was stuck against the wall. She couldn't think of anything and couldn't breathe properly in her situation because Danish's eagle eyes had hypnotized her. When Danish's head fell on her shoulder after losing consciousness, her eyes blinked, bringing her back to reality.
Luna assisted his large torso in winding into his room and lying down on the bed. Then she carefully removed his shoes and blanketed his body with the coverlet before walking to the exit.
As Danish gripped her wrist, her feet were unable to proceed to the door. And he mumbled someone's name.
"Please don't leave me, Ana." Danish moaned the name of his girlfriend. And, strangely, it caused Luna's heart to ache. Luna turned her gaze away from Danish, whose eyes were still closed, and attempted to untangle her hand from his grip. That man wasn't going to let go of her wrist easily. After several attempts, she managed to free herself from his grip.
She dashed out of Danish's room in a hurry. She moved cautiously toward her cabin, expecting to see other people in the corridor.
She entered her room after puffing through the hallway and paused at the door for a moment to exhale her nervousness.
Despite her efforts to calm herself, what she had witnessed with Danish in the corridor sent her heart into an uncontrollable flutter.
His piercing stare continued to frighten her. His image fiddled in her head again and again, which was sometimes disturbing. She had to keep reminding herself not to fall in love with that ruthless man.
***
Danish jerked awake from his sleep, his eyes squinting at the light on the ceiling. The headache hit him, and his hand instinctively massaged his temple to relieve the pain.
He had no idea how he ended up on his bed. The only thing he remembered was spending time at the bar with Yuan Xi. And he was driven home. He stumbled in the alley on his way to his bedroom. And her face flashed before his eyes.
He forgot the rest after Luna propped up his drunken body.
He hissed in regret; how could he have been so careless as to let that village girl touch him? She might be able to help, but he had set a rule not to interact, let alone have physical contact with that girl. When the alarm went off, he pushed that thought away. The clock had struck seven o'clock. He had another important client meeting in two hours.
He rolled out of bed, sick to his stomach and suffering from a headache. Because of nausea, he puked. He was still fortunate to have avoided tripping on the slick bathroom floor. Instead, he was enraged because Luna had mopped the floor the day before. That girl had to have done it on purpose to harm him. He promised that she would bear the consequences of her actions.
Danish strode out of his room, finished with everything. His gaze was drawn to the time on his wristwatch, and his quick steps led him downstairs.
"Danish..." his mother called after him, pausing his stride. "Why are you in such a rush?"
"I have a meeting in less than an hour, Mom." His gaze was drawn to his wristwatch.
"I know. So, I just wanted to invite Ana to a charity event that our foundation is planning for today. Could you please extend this invitation to her?" He was given an invitation card.
"I apologize, Mom. Because I am so busy, why don't you contact her on your own?
I'll text you her phone number."
"That's a great idea.
"I have to leave right now." Danish dashed down the stairs and into the living room.
"At the very least, Danish, you should eat your breakfast first." As Danish was out of sight, her voice hung in the air.
***
Luna made her way downstairs through the corridor. Grandma invited her to attend a charity event. Grandma Li had to be getting ready in the breakfast room right now. She sped up her steps. However, Danish's face slid inside her head. It would be awkward for her to meet him in the breakfast room. She could only hope that man didn't remember anything from the night before.
Luna descended the stairs to find only Grandma Li, Sandra, and aunt Jangmi in the room. She took a seat after apologizing for her late arrival. Sandra, as usual, took advantage of the situation to mock her.
"I believe it will be difficult for you to teach her about ethics, Mom. Living in a village cut off from the outside world must have limited her opportunities to interact with other people. It's no surprise she doesn't know how to behave properly." Luna simply shut her mouth. Confronting this woman was a terrible idea.
"Can't you just eat with your mouth and mind your own business, Sandra?" The sound of the fork and knife colliding on the table pierced Luna's ears. Her chin twitched. Aunt Jangmi on her side also looked surprised. But she didn't say anything.
"I won't stop... as long as this girl is here, Mom. What is the purpose of her presence in this house? She is an adult capable of supporting herself. Does she need an asylum?"
"I told you to stop, Sandra!" Grandma Li's interruption brought her to a halt. She held her fork and knife, sliced the bread, and inserted it into her mouth. This time, she didn't look at anything except her food. "How come I don't see Danish?"
"I saw him leave the house just a few minutes ago," aunt Jangmi replied to Grandma's inquiry.
"He must have an urgent matter." Sandra caught Grandma's eye. "Luna, please finish your meal. We'll be at the event in an hour with aunt Jangmi." Luna nodded in submission.
"I'm sorry, Mom, but I have a meeting with some Korean investors today." Grandma Li ducked her chin and accepted her explanation.
Luna was in the car with Grandma Li an hour later, driving to the location of the charity event. This was an annual event held by the Li Foundation to assist those in need. They invited philanthropists and other important people to the event. Many people, including orphans, are receiving relief packages from donors.
That was like strapping a burden to her shoulder. She was concerned that because she didn't know how to interact with her guests, she would only cause problems for herself and her foundation. Luna was concerned that she would make a mistake. After all, her background didn't fit Grandma Li's social networking.
Her heart was torn about what she should do during the event. Her thought took up all of her attention. She had no idea Grandma had mentioned her name. She was only jolted back to reality when she touched her hand.
"What are you contemplating?"
"There is nothing, Grandma. I'm just not sure what I should do during the event. This is my first time attending an event of this nature."
"You are not required to do anything." Grandma Li tried to calm her by squeezing her palm. That old lady sensed her unease. "Don't be too concerned." Luna bowed her chin with a nervous smile.
Luna's heart beat faster against her chest as the car came to a halt in front of the massive structure. The driver let Grandma Li and her daughter in. Luna marched into the entrance, accompanied by Grandma Li. The flutter in her chest didn't stop until she was inside the venue.
The crowds in the room dispersed, and all eyes turned to Grandma Li, who was trotting to the center of the room. They all greeted her with respect. Everyone in the room respected her as the head of the Foundation.
She was replaced on stage by the master of ceremonies. The event got underway. She read the event summary, and it was time for Grandma Li to deliver her speech. She entered the stage with grace. Everyone's ears and eyes were focused on what she was going to say.
On the other hand, Luna noticed Sandra sitting with Danish's lover, a pretty girl in a red mini gown. It was her third time seeing that girl, but it was only today that she could observe her. Her long brown hair was tucked behind her ears, revealing the perfect sculpture of her face from one side, with a pointed nose and thin sexy peach lips.
Luna was intimidated by Ana's flawless beauty as she looked at her. It was impossible to compete for Danish's attention, let alone his love, with that girl. In despair, her chin dropped to her chest. She'd never have a chance with this girl as her rival.
Luna needed to pee in the middle of the event. She left Grandma Li, who was still speaking on the podium, and ran toward the restroom, as directed by the event organizer. She had finally found the toilet. She exited the room after cleaning her hands. The door, however, was locked from the outside. She yelled for assistance. No one could hear her hoarse yell.
She was too terrified. Grandma Li must have summoned her to the stage by now. It was terrible that she was trapped inside the restaurant and no one noticed. She didn't stop pounding on the door, hoping that someone would hear her yell. It was pointless because there was no sign of anyone coming to rescue her after ten minutes.
Who mercilessly imprisoned her here?