Chapter 2 Man In A Mask

As the lights flickered, the night was extraordinarily bustling in City A.

It was Valentine's Day.

There were many couples walking on the street, some smiling and some playing.

But Mandy, who was walking home alone after catching her boyfriend cheating on her, felt very sad and lonely.

Not only was today the third anniversary of the day Mandy and Daniel had started dating, but it was also the anniversary of the day Mandy had lost someone dear to her.

Four years ago, her best friend had died in a car accident.

Suddenly, Mandy hated this day very much. She felt like it was cursed.

A gust of wind blew, and Mandy shivered involuntarily.

She was wearing nothing but an off-shoulder embroidered dress. But right now, she didn't want to go home or talk to anyone. She just wanted to be alone.

The truth was, she wasn't sad at all about Daniel's betrayal.

She was just a little disappointed and unwilling to accept the fact that Daniel had been cheating on her behind her back.

She didn't understand why he had done it. And more importantly, she didn't know how long his affair with Celine had been going on.

A few years ago, Mandy and Daniel had studied together abroad. Back then, Daniel had been very considerate and treated her like a queen. After graduation, Daniel had returned to the country, while Mandy had continued to study in England and returned a year later.

Maybe there was something wrong with their relationship because of long distance.

After all, men couldn't resist sexual temptation.

Mandy blinked. Her eyes were so dry that she wanted to cry.

Without meaning to, she had walked right up to the street of the most popular bars in the city.

Looking at the bright neon lights, Mandy shook her head with a helpless smile on her face.

Then, she walked into the nearest bar, Queen Bar. The music inside was deafening, as if it could make everyone inside forget all their troubles and have fun. Plenty of attractive young men and women were dancing to the loud music.

All of a sudden, the music stopped playing. Everyone on the dance floor shuffled to a stop and looked expectantly at the DJ.

"Okay, let's find the luckiest lady tonight. Camera, please sweep the floor. Three, two, one. Let's look at the screen!" the host announced in a high-pitched voice.

On the big screen behind the DJ, a close-up image of Mandy's face appeared.

Mandy was shocked. She had never expected something like this to happen.

Without doing anything, she had been thrust into the spotlight.

All eyes were on her. Mandy felt her face burning in embarrassment.

The crowd spontaneously parted for her, reminiscent of the way a crowd would part to make a path for a princess in fairy tales.

"We've found her, the luckiest lady tonight. With a round of applause, let's invite her onto the stage to sing a song for us!"

The host had added fuel to the fire.

Mandy rubbed her dress awkwardly.

What was happening?

'This is the first time I've come to a bar. What a coincidence! And sing a song? Did I even agree?'

"Go ahead."

"Yeah, what are you doing? Hurry up!"

The people standing around her suddenly became eager.

Mandy had no choice but to walk to the stage with her eyes lowered.

She came to a stop in front of the host. Seeing the confusion on her face, the host immediately knew that she was a newcomer, so he explained the game rules to her.

The woman who was selected would get unlimited free drinks tonight, but only after she sang a song for the audience.

Mandy was a little shy and she didn't like to sing in public. However, she n

oticed a black three legged piano in front of the stage. Holding the microphone, she came up with a brilliant idea.

"I'm not good at singing. Can I play a song for you instead?"

The crowd exchanged surprised glances and then nodded eagerly.

Hearing their positive response, the host also agreed.

Feeling a little relieved, Mandy walked to the piano gracefully.

She had started taking piano lessons when she was three years old and reached the professional level when she was in third grade. Her parents had always wanted to train her to be a professional pianist. However, because of an unexpected accident that had happened four years ago, she had never played the piano again. But every note and every key was deeply rooted in her mind.

She gently pressed down on the keys with her slender fingers and played a pleasant prelude that sounded like the cautious mood of a girl falling in love. The audience was intoxicated by the music.

The truth was, Mandy had thought that she could no longer play the piano. She had never wanted to touch the piano again. However, she didn't mind making an exception for the song she was playing now, Star. It was a song that she had composed on her own when she was fifteen years old. It was a gift for her best friend.

On the left side of the bar, a man dressed in a handmade Italian suit stared closely at Mandy. There was nothing but coldness on his exceptionally handsome face, but in his long and narrow eyes, there seemed to be a hidden secret.

'How could anyone possibly play this song?!' the man wondered.

Suddenly, he waved his hand at the bar manager and beckoned him. The manager immediately ran over and stood in front of the man in an obedient manner.

"Send her to my room. Preferably unconscious." The man pursed his thin lips lightly after speaking, and there was no emotion on his cold face.

Mandy was like a prey that he had been hunting for a long time.

"Yes, sir." The bar manager nodded immediately. He had gotten used to such requests.

When the melody came to an end, a burst of rapturous applause broke out, and everyone in the audience praised Mandy.

Mandy smiled and took a bow before stepping off the stage and finding a quiet spot to drink.

It had been four years since she had last played the piano, so she hadn't expected that she could still play it so well without playing even one wrong note.

However, she knew that her playing skills were not as good as before. This piece of composition held a special meaning for her. She would give it to that person on this special day.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Mandy started to feel dizzy. Her mind was in a mess, and soon, her vision blurred before she passed out completely.

A long while later, Mandy suddenly woke up. She felt cold all over her body, and realized that she was submerged in a bathtub.

Looking around with fear, she jumped out of the cold water in a hurry. When she walked out of the bathroom, she saw a strong man sitting on the bed in nothing but a bathrobe.

He was wearing a masquerade mask on his face. His hair was still wet, and drops of water were dripping down to his inviting collarbones. The man in the mask instantly put down his glass of red wine and looked at Mandy with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

After just one glance from that man, Mandy felt numb all over. She bit her lips, wondering what was going on right now. The man was looking at her with an expression that was unsettling enough to frighten people thousands of miles away.

Suddenly, Mandy felt a little hot. Her fine face instantly flushed like a cooked lobster.