"Did you offend someone?" Anastasia asked, her gaze fixed on Vladimir as he finished the last of the golden liquid. She nodded to herself, a silent acknowledgment of his predicament.
"Charlotte Mills, the daughter of the Mills family has a thing for me," Vladimir said, running a hand through his messy dark brown hair.
"I turned her down, and well, she sent those people here."
Anastasia's eyes darkened slightly. A flicker of irritation crossed her face – a reaction she quickly suppressed. Vladimir looked at Anastasia as he thought to himself humph, she's now tired of pretending. He subtly tagged onto Anastasia's hand, a casual gesture that caused her to subconsciously move her hand away. She sighed inwardly; she was a cleanliness obsession so she wasn't used to such physical contact.
"Sorry this is my fault I got into trouble."
"This is not your fault. I don't blame you, if anything it's the Mill Family, I will make them regret it," Anastasia said, her voice firm and resolute. She gently touched Vladimir's shoulder, a surprisingly comforting gesture.
Vladimir opened his mouth to protest, but Anastasia cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"Okay."
Anastasia dragged Vladimir into the opulent Sevilla Restaurant, her pace brisk and purposeful. As they walked inside, she surveyed the lavish surroundings with a critical eye.
"Excuse me, may I see your membership card?" a woman at the reception desk asked politely.
Anastasia nodded absentmindedly, then froze. Damn it! She had completely forgotten that Sevilla Restaurant was a membershiponly establishment. This was one of the places Serena, the female lead, owned.
Anastasia crossed her arms, a thoughtful expression on her face. She wondered if Serena was here on a business trip or not. Vladimir looked at Anastasia, a subtle amusement playing on his lips. He put on his VVIP badge, wanting to see how she handled the situation.
"What business…"
"She is here for me," a voice interrupted, and a man stepped forward. This man had dirty blonde hair and striking blue eyes.
{Casper, who is this annoying idiot? Maybe I should kill him?} Anastasia thought, her annoyance simmering beneath the surface.
"Host! You can't just kill people! My goodness," Casper chided, his digital form vibrating with disapproval.
"Marcus isn't she your fiancé? Mr. Yuni would never marry her," another voice chimed in.
"So that is why you ignored my messages?" Marcus said, his voice laced with a hint of accusation.
"You came here for me." Anastasia was so confused.
"Who the fuck are you? Get out of my way before I lose it," Anastasia snapped, her patience wearing thin. She truly had a bad temper, and the lack of a full thirteen hours of sleep only exacerbated it.
"Cut the act, Anastasia," Marcus sneered, ignoring her outburst.
"I know you are upset about the engagement being broken off, but frankly, I am not interested in the country bumpkin Serena."
"But you aren't the daughter of the Marcani Family, so we had no choice," Marcus continued, his tone dismissive.
"Looks like this twisted novel truly has some freaks and stupid people, tsk tsk, not even good looking," Anastasia mumbled to herself. It was so quiet, and Casper was practically convulsing with laughter as he devoured the systemprovided snacks. So this guy must be Marcus Yuni.
"What did you say?" Marcus snapped, clearly not having heard Anastasia's muttered critique. Anastasia looked up and offered him a sweetly innocent smile.
"Nothing," she said airily.
"I just said you aren't that bright, good looking, why not just find some other soul to marry? My sister nor I would marry you, that is the fact, my beautiful sister Serena is so beautiful and cool why would she lower her standards to you, I for one, I think you are a frog."
"Host! You are sharptongued!" Casper exclaimed from atop her head, barely containing his amusement.
He annoyed me!
He annoyed me! Anastasia thought to herself; if he hadn't provoked her, she wouldn't be this sharptongued.
At the same time, Serena, who was seated at an exclusive table, paused midsip of her tea and a faint smile played on her lips. She'd overheard Anastasia's words.
What she said is the fact. He is not worthy. Serena thought to herself, a flicker of understanding passing across her face.
Marcus looked at Anastasia, his expression shifting from annoyance to something akin to… fascination? He didn't know why he found her cute – despite the heavy makeup she wore – she possessed an undeniable charm. Marcus scuffed his foot, determined not to fall for that girl's tricks.
"She is not my guest, please see her out," Marcus said dismissively.
Anastasia watched the escalating chaos with a detached amusement, a faint smile playing on her lips. The sheer absurdity of the situation was almost comical.
"But I didn't break any rules!" Marcus shouted, his face reddening with frustration.
"Why is my membership canceled?!" he demanded again, desperately trying to salvage the situation. Anastasia, who had been silently observing the scene, let out a soft giggle and crossed her arms, leaning against a nearby pillar.
"Comes around goes around," Anastasia said, her voice dripping with a playful nonchalance.
"What the fuck did you say, Anastasia? You are just a fake heiress!" Marcus snapped, his patience finally snapping under the pressure. Anastasia remained completely unfazed by his outburst.
"Do you even know the meaning? What comes around goes around?"
Anastasia continued, a glint of amusement dancing in her eyes.
"I will enlighten you, darling. It's a simple concept, really. What you put out into the world, you eventually receive back. Karma, if you prefer. Perhaps your actions – manipulating others, belittling those less fortunate than yourself – have finally caught up to you."
She paused, letting her words sink in before adding with a touch of theatrical flair.
"Or perhaps your membership was simply canceled because you haven't paid your dues. One never knows with these things."
Her casual delivery and playful tone only seemed to infuriate Marcus further. He sputtered momentarily speechless before regaining his composure and launching into another tirade.
"That's ridiculous! My father is…"