Chapter 42 Amazing Beauty

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"Lionel, where's that pretty wife of yours?"

asked Ivy. Holding onto Lionel's arm, she searched for her competitor in the busy crowd. She was smiling proudly at him, with her lips slightly parted and her face as enchanting as always.

She hoped that she could finally meet Cassandra for the first time - the last time in Lionel's office didn't count. All she knew about Cassandra was from the photograph, plus what Lionel had told her. She wasn't worried, however. No one can be a threat to a woman like Ivy.

"Is everything ready?" Lionel asked, shaking off her smile with a serious look.

The name Cassandra ignited his anger as always. He couldn't forget how that woman had insulted him by slapping him and stepping on his pride. Tonight was his revenge. He was bringing Ivy to the celebration banquet, knowing that it would humiliate Cassandra.

"Lionel, have I ever let you down?" the woman assured him. "I am very close with the owner of the hotel. Trust me, everything will go to plan."

Ivy's alluring tone and eyes hypnotized Lionel, subduing his anger. He was delighted to hear her assurance, and in a sudden rush of jubilation, kissed her right then in front of everyone.

The other members of the Tang family stiffened in surprise and displeasure. It was such an immoral act from a married man, as if he didn't care at all about disgracing his family. Horace's face creased with anger, and he stepped toward his son.

"Horace, just leave him be. It is too elegant an occasion for us to quarrel in public. He's still young and it's natural for young man to fall for many women."

Jill stepped out in front of her husband to pacify his anger. Lionel was her precious son, and she had always wanted him to have anything his heart desired. This time was no different.

"I can't believe he brought his mistress here, to such a formal occasion! How am I supposed to explain this to the rest of the family? And what about Cassandra? She will lose face!"

Horace disdained his wife's constant coddling of their son. Because of her, Lionel was weak, incompetent, and spoiled. Horace's eyes burned with fury at the fact that his son had failed to meet expectations yet again.

Jill tried again to calm him, "So what, Horace? You can yell at him now, but do you really want to make a scene here for others to see? Will you expose our family to ridicule? In any case, nobody else knows that Cassandra is Lionel's wife. We can settle this better at home later."

Jill couldn't care less about how Cassandra would feel. She had disliked her daughter-in-law since the moment Cassandra had married to her son. As time elapsed, this dislike had only grown - Lionel had told his mother about all the not-so-secret flirtations between Cassandra and Rufus. In fact, Jill wouldn't mind seeing Cassandra get a taste of her own medicine - to see Lionel flaunting his mistress. She wanted to see where this would lead.

Despite her cruel intentions, her words did make some sense. Horace took a deep breath and sighed in frustration. They could not make a scene out here. Losing face for Horace or Lionel meant losing face for the entire Tang group. ***

"Are you Mr. Luo's secret guard? I know his assistant, Leo...You know, I even feel like I've seen you before...and now you're the person that Mr. Luo assigned to pick us up! That is very kind of you, to offer your service like that. If not for your help, Cassandra and I would certainly be late,"

Stella chattered to Victor as they approached the

When her sister ran away from the wedding, Autumn was forced to marry Charles.

His name had been linked to innumerable ladies.

He had different girlfriends for every day of a year.

Autumn had never thought that she would fall in love with him.

cere tone and smile, and even more at the woman staring at her smugly from over his shoulder.

Ivy looked her rival up and down, and was surprised at the other woman's lack of envy at the sight of her presence as the mistress. Either Cassandra truly felt nothing for Lionel, or her power of deception was to rival even Ivy's own.

Either way, Ivy suspected that there was more to the tiny woman than met the eye.

"Thank you, Mr. Tang."

Cassandra matched her husband's false politeness.

"Come, a toast to Manager Qin!"

Lionel lifted his glass, indicating for Cassandra to drink. His eyes sparkled with malice.

Cassandra's smile froze. She knew that she had an unnatural intolerance to alcohol, and would be tipsy after a few sips. Last time she drank was the night in Rome, and it didn't take much to get her completely drunk.

There was no way she was letting that happen again, not here, not now.

"Thank you."

She smiled. She raised the glass to her mouth, careful not to let any of the wine actually touch her lips. But this didn't shake off Lionel, as she had hoped that it would.

Ivy, meanwhile, was growing indignant at Cassandra's lack on interest in her. The other woman had barely given her a glance, treating her as no more than a puff of smoke.

Ivy's pride could not allow her to be ignored like this, and she tightened her grip on Lionel's hand.

"Manager Qin, this is quite unfair. I have finished my glass, yet you have barely touched yours. Am I not good enough to have a drink with you?"

Lionel tried to provoke her. He was increasingly frustrated, not only at the fact that she wouldn't drink, but also at how unbothered she seemed by seeing her husband flaunting his mistress so publicly.

He once again thought of the relationshio between Cassandra and Rufus. His suspicions were driving him crazy.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tang. I don't drink,"

Cassandra refused firmly. She was determined not to give in to Lionel's pressuring.

Lionel's face soon turned bleak. Before he could say another word to intimidate her, he was cut off by a familiar voice, "I'm her boss. If Manager Qin cannot drink, then I shall drink for her stead."

Rufus slipped in softly from out of nowhere. He took the glass from Cassandra's hand and - to the surprise of everyone around him - emptied it with a swig.