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Finally, the wine-tasting session ended, and it was time for the formal dinner and dance. Shirley breathed a sigh of
relief; she hoped to finish quickly and return to the hotel. This kind of place wasn’t quite suitable for her.
As romantic music filled the air, many guests approached Zacharias during the dinner to greet him. At that
moment, a man of similar age smiled and approached. “Zach, you’ve changed so much… for the better, of
course!”
The man was dressed in a handsome white suit, a typical foreign hottie.
“William, it’s been a while.” Zacharias smiled and embraced him. Watching their brotherly embrace, Shirley
wondered if Zacharias had friends here too.
After a hug, Zacharias turned to Shirley. “Shir, this is my schoolmate, William. His father is the prince of Flor.”
“Nice to meet you,” Shirley greeted with a smile. A hint of a knowing smile laced William’s eyes as he said to his
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtgood friend, “Zach, you lucky man. Your companion is a beauty.”
Zacharias smiled silently, giving no remark, and then William said to him, “I’ll have to greet other guests. I hope you
two can have a wonderful time tonight.”
Zacharias noticed that Shirley seemed uncomfortable with her feet. He took her hand and said, “Let me take you to
rest.”
A VIP lounge had been set up, and Zacharias led Shirley into one of them. After the waiter brought in drinks,
Zacharias closed the door.
After finally getting some private time, Shirley breathed a sigh of relief. She lifted her evening gown and took her
left foot out of the shoe, revealing a red and swollen area around her small toe.
At that sight, Zacharias crouched down, reaching out to hold her ankle and inspect. Shirley, feeling a bit shy, tried
to withdraw her foot. “I’ll be fine after some rest.”
“It’s swollen. I’ll have someone bring you a new pair of shoes,” Zacharias said with concern. Shirley shook her head.
“No need, I can endure it. It happens whenever I wear heels.”
“Don’t wear them anymore then. Just put on what’s comfortable,” Zacharias suggested, planning to call someone
to bring a pair of shoes.
“Don’t bother, really” Shirley quickly stopped him. “I have adhesive bandages; I’ll just use them.”
With that, Shirley opened her bag and took out a thin piece of adhesive bandage. She felt better after applying it
when she put her shoes back on
Zacharias looked at her with a touch of distress. He didn’t expect her to go this far just to match his status.
“We’ll leave earlier, then,” Zacharias suggested, and Shirley nodded. As Zacharias stood up, he cupped her face
and kissed her on the lips as if comforting her. Shirley was slightly startled, and a sweet feeling surged from her
chest.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
They couldn’t stay in the room all the time, and soon, it was time for the dance. Zacharias took Shirley out, and just
then, a beautiful Western girl boldly approached and invited Zacharias, “Mr. Flintstone, may I invite you for a
dance?”
Shirley knew the girl. She was the daughter of Flor’s vice president. Obviously, she was very polite in inviting
Zacharias.
Shirley considerately let go of Zacharias’ hand and smiled. “I’ll be waiting over there.”
Zacharias couldn’t refuse the girl either because the two countries were establishing friendly relations. He smiled
and nodded. “It would be my honor.” As Zacharias and the girl walked toward the dance floor, Shirley watched their
figures. Suddenly, she felt a sense of tightness in her chest, as if a hand had gripped her beating heart, making
even her breathing a bit uneasy.
Shirley knew that the girl’s invitation to Zacharias was just a polite gesture, but she still felt an uncomfortable
sensation in her heart. Perhaps it was jealousy.
Zacharias and the girl entered the dance floor, and Shirley saw a waiter bring a glass of red wine. She could have
declined, but she reached out and took the glass.
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