Isabella Sheffield didn't take the handkerchief but followed the clean and slender hand upwards, a man standing beside her gazing at her silently.
In a dark blue suit wrapped with a long black coat below the knee, his face fair and smooth, sharp features emanating an icy composure, thick eyebrows, high nose, perfect lips, beamed nobility and elegance. His deep, dark eyes were sharp, yet shone enchantingly. One could say he was cold and aloof yet irresistibly charismatic.
"Crying is a manifestation of weakness." Seeing Isabella refusing to take his handkerchief, he tossed it to her with little interest and just walked off after glancing at her.
"Wait!" Isabella quickly got up to catch the departing man, only to feel a sensation like ant bites in her leg. Unable to steady herself, she toppled forward.
Just when Isabella thought she was going to take a tumble, she sniffed a faint pleasant scent. The anticipated pain didn't come, and as she slowly opened her eyes, she realized she was being cradled.
"How much longer do you plan on hanging onto me?" The man's cold and displeased voice echoed overhead. Isabella shuddered. It was freezing in the middle of winter.
"I'm sorry..." Isabella forced herself to stand, her face reddened, suppressing the numbness in her leg. Then she asked, "Do you have your household registration book with you?"
Isabella had planned to cry it out and then leave. But after laying eyes on this man, she changed her mind. Seeing the two people happily together and Rachel Stewart's smug face made her feel uncomfortable. They could keep their relationship behind her back, so why couldn't she find someone to put on a show and regain some dignity?
The main reason was that she had promised her family she would live happily. If she returned home in a dejected manner now, her family would surely worry about her. She didn't want to trouble them anymore.
Having just cried, her eyes were still flushed red. She kept her head down, like a child who had done something wrong.
Upon hearing Isabella's words, Alexander Cole's eyebrows lifted. With a normally expressionless face, a flicker of curiosity played across his features. He had seen everything that transpired at Isabella's end, which is why he offered her a handkerchief when she was sitting alone, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I do."
"Let's get married." Isabella lifted her head and looked straight at Alexander Cole.
Alexander Cole furrowed his brows, sizing up Isabella from head to toe. She was indeed a resilient girl.
"No... What I mean is, could you help me put on a show? Once they are gone, we will go back to being strangers." Isabella explained hurriedly. She didn't want to impose; it was clear this man in front of her wasn't too pleased. But she still wanted to give it a shot.
"Alright, how do you want to play this?" Rarely met with an interesting character whom he didn't dislike, Alexander Cole wouldn't mind some additional amusement.
Isabella thought Alexander Cole would decline. Surprisingly, he agreed very cheerfully. She hadn't even thought about how to act when she saw Ethan McMillan had come out while Rachel Stewart was nowhere to be seen. Isabella guessed she must have gone to touch up her makeup in the restroom, as she now had attained what she dreamed about; she certainly had to show off. However, seeing Ethan McMillan holding that red booklet, it was a sore sight for Isabella's eyes.
"Isabella, you..." As soon as Ethan McMillan came out, he noticed Isabella still standing there. He was about to say something when his gaze fell on Alexander Cole, who was standing next to Isabella. There was a flash of surprise in his eyes, along with a slight animosity as he rudely asked, "Isabella, who is he?"
Isabella had been suppressing a gust of frustration, and it hadn't been vented yet. She found Ethan McMillan's tone unacceptable. She blurted out angrily, "Ethan McMillan, what right do you have to question me? We've broken up already; you should focus on your life with Rachel Stewart."
Ethan McMillan's gaze lingered between the two. He softened his tone, frowned, and said, "Isabella, I understand your pride, but now is not the time to show off. Who is this man, and why have you brought him here?"
"Of course, to get married. What else would I be doing at the Civil Affairs Bureau, having a meal?" Isabella replied, looking at Ethan McMillan as if he were an idiot.
"Wifey, aren't we here to get our marriage certificate? Let's go." Alexander Cole pulled Isabella into his arms, looking at her bravado, his lips slightly uplifted, speaking softly. His voice was almost enough to melt one's bones. Isabella widened her eyes at Alexander Cole, incredulous. She hadn't misheard, had she? This man just called her wifey?
Upon hearing this call, Ethan McMillan's face darkened. He hadn't expected that Isabella indeed knew this man.
Alexander Cole didn't care about what Ethan McMillan thought, directing the dumfounded Isabella towards the main hall.
When Rachel Stewart came out of the restroom, she saw only Ethan McMillan standing there. Isabella had already left. She walked over to Ethan McMillan, linking her arm with his, cooed, "Dear, let's go."
Snapping back to reality, Ethan McMillan glanced at Rachel Stewart's coquettish face, then looked back at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Finally, he decided to leave.