Crossing his arms, Richard scoffed. He admitted to having some desires for the woman in front of him. He met Rosalie for the first time when his older sister married into the Ameratti family. The young Rosalie back then looked so adorable, devoid of any feminine charm she had now. But anyone could tell what kind of woman she would become—an ethereal beauty.
He always thought Rosalie would grow up beautifully, like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. And he hadn't been wrong about that.
Too bad, Rosalie was his sister's stepdaughter. So he couldn't cultivate any relationship with her. Emma seemed to have caught on to his feelings and warned him not to get involved with Rosalie. But that does not mean he could not take his time admiring the young woman in front of him.
Richard gestured to his watch and informed her, "It's almost 11, Rosalie. Why don't you finish so I can take you to the party?"
Rosalie silently peered at him in the mirror.
Richard couldn't help but feel uncomfortable being stared at by her. He wanted to look cool and overbearing in her eyes, but why did it feel like he was being treated as an unwanted bug?
But before he could further investigate his doubts, Rosalie took out a dress from the closet and entered the bathroom. So, what if he wants to stay? Let him stay and wait, then.
***
Richard wanted to wait inside the room initially, but he was so bored. Thinking that Rosalie would take some time to finish, he decided to have some smoke. Thankfully, there was a balcony inside Rosalie's room with the beautiful scenery of the garden outside. So, while waiting, he had a good time appreciating the beauty of nature.
As he waited, he received a call from his sister.
He instantly connected to the call and heard his sister's frigid voice over the phone. "Where are you?"
Richard threw the third butt of the cigarette off the balcony and replied, "Where do you think? I'm still at the mansion, your good stepdaughter is still not done."
He had been waiting for quite some time, but Rosalie still hadn't come out.
He went inside and approached the bathroom. He was about to knock and prove to his older sister that he wasn't lying when he noticed it was not locked.
Rosalie was nowhere inside the mansion.
Where could she be?
***
At the hotel entrance, a white Maserati GranCabrio was parked in front.
As it pulled up in front of the hotel, a valet appeared to take the keys from the car's owner. But the moment he saw who owned it, the valet tripped and landed on his knees.
"Are you alright?"
A soft and feminine voice rang in his ears.
The valet couldn't believe his ears. Was an angel speaking to him right now?
He raised his eyes and gasped loudly.
In front of him was a woman with elegant and refined beauty. She has long, flowing black hair styled in soft waves, which frames her face beautifully. An angel descended in front of him.
The valet couldn't speak. He had never seen such a beautiful lady before. Even the most popular actresses, models, and idols that have trended on social media have nothing compared to her.
During the commotion the valet created after his fall, a small crowd formed at the hotel entrance. It was at this moment that another valet returned from duty and saw this scene.
When the other valet saw the woman, he was momentarily lost in a daze. But he quickly recovered. He apologized to the woman and smacked the head of the valet, who was still kneeling on the ground. He then took the keys from the woman and parked them in a special spot only for VVIPs in compensation for the blunder earlier.
Rosalie didn't know the thoughts of the valet and entered the hotel under the passersby's eyes.
As soon as she stepped foot inside, the cold air conditioning system of the hotel seemed to pierce through her heart. The memories of the past coincided with what was happening in real-time. But this time, she was not walking straight into a trap.
Following her memories, Rosalie walked in the direction of the foundation party. The closer she got to it, the louder her heart pounded against her chest, and the sound seemed to echo in her ears. Rounding a corner, she saw a crowd of people standing on the other side of the long hallway, carrying notebooks, mics, and cameras in their hands.
Because that day was the celebration of Ameratti's foundation day, many influential and wealthy families attended. In addition, some celebrities were even invited to entertain the guests; it goes without saying that the press wouldn't let this pass silently. They needed to create a buzz.
Rosalie noticed many journalists and reporters stationed outside, with their heads lowered, as she walked towards the banquet hall entrance. It was 11 a.m., and the party should have started soon, so they stopped paying attention to their surroundings.
They did not mind if someone arrived late because they already had enough articles to write about.
Furthermore, what kind of lunatic would show up late to the party the Ameratti family hosted?
As a result, no one wanted to waste the film in their cameras on someone unworthy.
However, one reporter became curious. She wondered what was going to happen to this person. Inwardly, the reporter felt glee, imagining the humiliation this person would receive after being rejected to enter the venue.
If she's lucky, she could capture that moment and publish it online, gaining some attention from the netizens!
As the person approached, the reporter nervously and eagerly raised her head as a slender figure walked down the hallway.
"Fuck."