"Well, yes, of course," Magee answered perfunctorily, as he looked around the hall, searching for someone.
Although it was clearly a half-hearted reply, Leona felt completely satisfied and happy. She was contented just as long as Magee would say he loved her, and she tried not to get bogged down in the details.
Life had put her through many harsh situations, and she's had to experience many difficulties to get to where she was. As a result, all she wanted now was for someone to love and someone who cherish her for who she was.
A few moments later, a woman walked into the hall and instantly attracted everyone's attention like a magnet. Everyone fell in silence, and they watched with eyes wide open, as she walked in with so much grace and confidence. It was as if the world had slowed down.
"Here she comes," Magee mumbled and smiled craftily.
"Who?" Driven by curiosity, Leona frowned and looked in the direction Magee was looking at with anticipation. She recognized who the woman was at first glance, and she couldn't believe her eyes. "Emily?" Leona asked speechless and shaking her head in disbelief.
What was Emily doing in Leona's engagement party?
She didn't invite Emily to the party!
Leona didn't intend to invite Emily because she was guilty of scheming to poison her. On one hand, Leona was afraid that Emily would create a scene and embarrass her in front of her friends. On the other hand, she was afraid that Jacob would unleash his wrath upon her for attempting to poison Emily. Leona knew very well that she was no match for neither of them.
Besides, who knew whether or not Emily would ruin her engagement party?
All of a sudden, Magee turned to face Leona as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. "I invited her for you," he said plainly, as if he didn't find it wrong to invite his fiancee's enemy to their engagement party.
"Magee, how could you..." Leona couldn't find the words to express her shock.
"You look like you've just seen a ghost. Why didn't you feel afraid when you were harming her? There's no need to feel afraid. I won't let anyone lay a finger on you, especially not Jacob. He can't afford to offend me or my dog," Magee reassured her.
Whether Leona was just pretending to be naive or not, she didn't feel offended by the fact that Magee likened her to his dog. Instead, she chose to believe that Magee was comforting her. She felt warm and safe when she heard Magee say that he would protect her. Funnily enough, she started to worry about Magee. "But I'm afraid that Jacob will do something to hurt you." she said to him, anxiously.
"Don't worry," Magee held her hand and gently caressed it, "If it comes to that, I will give you to them in exchange for my life. Then I will be fine."
Leona stood there frozen, as if paralyzed from the neck up. The warmth that was in her heart moments ago had dissipated. Pure terror surged through her veins, sending icy daggers straight to her heart. She felt like she was being held underwater, gasping for air, with no sign of respite. "Magee, I am your fiancee! You cannot do this to me..." she pleaded bitterly.
"I was just kidding. I didn't expect you to take it so seriously," Magee sneered at her coldly and continued, "How could I? Don't be silly."
Leona was completely shaken up, and this time not even Magee's word could give her confidence. Before she knew it, Magee pointed at Emily who just walked in and said, "Look, it's Cloris Lu!"
"She's not Cloris, she's Emily," Leona grumbled, impatiently. When she looked at Emily's spectacular dress, she went delirious with jealousy.
Since it was their engagement party, Leona was wearing an haute couture evening dress which complimented her best features. Her small waist was hidden under the lavender tube dress and her curvy hips fit so perfectly. The dress outlined her hourglass figure.
However, Leona was not expecting to see Emily walk in so boldly wearing the same dress as her at her own engagement party. It was evidently clear that Emily was deliberately provoking her.
Sadly, no one in the party noticed her anger. Everyone in the hall had given all their attention to Emily.
With her head held high and a pair of silver high heels, she waltzed on with an effortless saunter, silhouetted against the bright light behind her.
Something about the way Emily's beauty radiated in that same exquisite dress, took the breath away from everyone. The low-cut design set off the perfect outline of her shoulders and her neck, making her look like an elegant white swan.
Emily's perfect skin that looked so fragile and yet so soft. Cheeks the color of pink roses and eyelashes longer than most women in the hall. There was a shyness to her, a hesitation in her body movements and a softness in her voice. Somehow her imperfections made her perfect.
Emily could have graced any billboard or magazine cover, but her glamour was too brilliant for this mundane world. Her beauty was that of an angel's that had fallen from the heavens above.
Emily's graceful beauty was hardly a fair comparison to Leona's plain and even flirtatious demeanor in that dress.
'Different people in the same dress could give people different kinds of feelings. In other words, expensive clothes could not make an indecent man look graceful, but a graceful man could make even the cheapest of clothes appear expensive.'
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