CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: I SEE MYSELF AS THE "MISTRESS

I haven’t danced in a long time. When the music really started playing, my body felt a bit stiff. Luckily, the alcohol quickly kicked in, and as my courage grew, my body relaxed a lot. Gradually, I could keep up with the rhythm of the music.

Someone tossed a rose at me. I picked one up and, amidst the crowd’s jeers, rolled up the hem of my sweater a bit, tucking it under the bra, revealing a strip of slender, snow-white waist. Then I directly tucked the rose into the waistband of my jeans, the fiery red rose contrasting sharply with the white skin, full of temptation, prompting a group of men to shout excitedly.

I found this feeling of being the center of attention exhilarating. With the alcohol still surging, I was ready to roll up my clothes even further. Crystal and her friends were all startled, rushing toward me in a hurry.

Just then, suddenly all the lights went out, and everything became pitch black.

I stopped, only to see a shadow coming up to me, cursing through gritted teeth, "Damn it, Zoe Hathaway, are you sick of living?!"

It was Henry Preston. The power outage at the bar must have been his doing.

Wasn’t Azure Vaughn around? Seeing Henry rush down to stop me, didn’t she think of a way to block him?

"Henry!" I heard Azure’s voice coming from the crowd. Someone turned on a phone flashlight, but it wasn’t directed at the stage; instead, it was aimed outside, leaving my area still in darkness.

Henry grabbed my arm with one hand, infuriated. Hearing Azure’s voice, he instinctively opened his mouth, "I—"

I stood on my tiptoes, hooked my other hand around Henry’s neck, and accurately sealed his lips, blocking all his remaining words.

He tried to push me away, but under the influence of alcohol, I boldly grabbed his hand and placed it on my chest.

Should someone point the flashlight this way, they’d witness this wild scene. In such a thrilling environment, Henry didn’t push me away again. Instead, he punished me by giving me a firm squeeze and then held me tight to deepen the kiss.

"Henry, how about we go home?" I asked softly, my breath coming in gasps.

"Okay." Henry’s voice was already a bit hoarse. He suddenly picked me up and carried me off the stage. Under the chaotic, weak flashlight lights of others, we left the bar, speeding all the way back to Maplewood Gardens.

As soon as we got into the bedroom, the fire kindled instantly.

But then Henry’s phone rang—it was Azure calling. The last bit of his rationality urged him to take the phone, wanting to answer, but I wouldn’t let him.

"Henry, you’re making it seem like we’re having an affair, and she’s the legitimate wife calling to check up," I said, sitting atop Henry, holding his hands.

"Do you still remember your identity?" Henry gritted his teeth, the muscles of his jaw moving, his face suddenly showing anger. "Daring to dance a striptease at a bar, have you eaten a bear’s heart or a leopard’s gallbladder?"

"Weren’t you also having drinks with someone else?" My head was a bit dizzy. Seeing Henry not answering the call, I simply let go of his hands, then lay down on his chest and closed my eyes, saying, "We’re even."

Henry pinched my waist, and I could feel the vibration of his chest as he spoke, "Even what! How can we be the same? If I hadn’t had someone cut the power, were you planning to perform a striptease?"

I couldn’t help but laugh, "Didn’t you say no man would be interested in my figure? Why the rush?"

"..." Henry didn’t answer. He just suddenly turned me over from atop him, switching to him above and me below. His eyes clearly filled with desire, Adam’s apple moving, as he bent down to forcefully seal my lips again.

The phone rang again, but this time it wasn’t Azure calling Henry, it was Ivan Underwood calling me.

Just as I was about to pick it up, Henry grabbed the phone and threw it to the ground, then pulled the covers over us, continuing our passionate entwining.

When I got up the next morning, I felt like my whole body was falling apart. Turning my head, surprisingly, Henry was still sleeping beside me, not having left for the office early like the previous two times.

Strange, even though I’m his rightful wife, why do I feel a bit uneasy after our tender exchanges, always wondering what Azure will think, whether she’ll cause a scene with Henry?

But looking on the bright side, isn’t that what I want, for them to not have peace?

I consider myself the "other woman," and Azure the "legitimate wife," turning everything around.

Just as I was lost in thought looking at Henry’s sleeping face, his phone rang again, still Azure. Acting on impulse, I picked up the phone and answered the call.

On the other end, there was a long silence, so I remained silent as well.

Azure now probably can’t swallow her pride. Originally, she hadn’t fully accepted Henry and ended up frantically sending texts and calls, as if feeling unreconciled. But when the call connected, she didn’t know what to say.

I’ve been through this kind of situation in my past life too, frantically dialing Henry’s number, sending him long tirades, not knowing what I was clinging to, just feeling extremely upset when he ignored me, almost going insane.

Suddenly, Henry stirred, his thick, long eyelashes fluttered slightly, then slowly opened his eyes, and he asked lazily, "Awake?"

Startled, I quickly hung up the call, answering somewhat flustered, "Uh, yes, awake, I’ll go take a shower!"

Saying this, I got out of bed, grabbed a set of clothes, and went into the bathroom to shower.

Looking at the traces all over my body in the mirror, I’m really curious—hasn’t Henry had any relations with Azure yet? Why does it seem like he’s completely unsatisfied, without any restraint?

After showering and getting dressed, I returned to the room, thinking to ask Henry if he wanted to take a shower as well, only to find the bed empty and disheveled, his figure already gone.

He’s probably seen the pile of messages from Azure sent last night and suddenly regained his senses, right?

The little white flower he dreams of has finally gotten jealous.

"Madam, Laura Lawson has come and wants to see you." Just then, a servant came upstairs to tell me.

Laura Lawson coming to see me? I was taken aback—could she already know that Henry is pursuing her daughter?

I quickly went downstairs, and sure enough, Laura was waiting for me in the living room. Seeing me, she stood up nervously to greet me, "Madam."

"Auntie Lawson, why are you here? About Henry unilaterally dismissing you, I only found out after the fact, otherwise, I would never have let you go!" I walked over, held Laura’s hand, and sat back down on the sofa. At Laura’s feet were some plastic bags filled with vegetables and fruits, presumably brought by her.

"Madam, sigh, I could never have imagined that Mr. Preston was the boss in charge of the biotransformation project," Laura looked uneasy. "After learning that Orson Vaughn hurt you, I had no face to stay here, but these few days I couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning. You’ve been so good to me, I had to come to see you and apologize on behalf of Vaughn."

With that, she lifted the vegetables and fruits from the floor, "Madam, these are some vegetables and fruits grown at my home. If you don’t mind, please accept them."