Finally, the wine-tasting session ended, and it was tfor the formal dinner and dance. Shirley breathed a sigh of relief; she
hoped to finish quickly and return to the hotel. This kind of place wasn’t quite suitable for her.
As romantic music filled the air, many guests approached Zacharias during the dinner to greet him. At that moment, a man of
similar age smiled and approached. “Zach, you've changed so much... for the better, of course!” The man was dressed in a
handswhite suit, a typical foreign hottie.
“William, it's been a while.” Zacharias smiled and embraced him. Watching their brotherly embrace, Shirley wondered if Zacharias
had friends here too.
After a hug, Zacharias turned to Shirley. “Shir, this is my schoolmate, William.
His father is the prince of Flor.” “Nice to meet you,” Shirley greeted with a smile. A hint of a knowing smile laced William's eyes as
he said to his good friend, “Zach, you lucky man. Your companion is a beauty.” Zacharias smiled silently, giving no remark, and
then William said to him, “I'll have to greet other guests. | hope you two can have a wonderful ttonight.” Zacharias noticed
that Shirley seemed uncomfortable with her feet. He took her hand and said, “Lettake you to rest.” A VIP lounge had been set
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtup, and Zacharias led Shirley into one of them. After the waiter brought in drinks, Zacharias closed the door.
After finally getting sprivate time, Shirley breathed a sigh of relief. She lifted her evening gown and took her left foot out of
the shoe, revealing a red and swollen area around her small toe.
At that sight, Zacharias crouched down, reaching out to hold her ankle and inspect. Shirley, feeling a bit shy, tried to withdraw her
foot. “I'll be fine after srest.” “It’s swollen. I'll have someone bring you a new pair of shoes,” Zacharias said with concern.
Shirley shook her head. “No need, | can endure it. It happens whenever | wear heels.” “Don’t wear them anymore then. Just put on
what's comfortable,” Zacharias suggested, planning to call someone to bring a pair of shoes.
“Don’t bother, really” Shirley quickly stopped him. “I have adhesive bandages; I'll just use them.” With that, Shirley opened her
bag and took out a thin piece of adhesive bandage. She felt better after applying it when she put her shoes back on Zacharias
looked at her with a touch of distress. He didn’t expect her to go this far just to match his status.
“We'll leave earlier, then,” Zacharias suggested, and Shirley nodded. As Zacharias stood up, he cupped her face and kissed her on
the lips as if comforting her. Shirley was slightly startled, and a sweet feeling surged from her chest.
They couldn't stay in the room all the time, and soon, it was tfor the dance.
Zacharias took Shirley out, and just then, a beautiful Western girl boldly approached and invited Zacharias, “Mr. Flintstone, may |
invite you for a dance?” Shirley knew the girl. She was the daughter of Flor’'s vice president. Obviously, she was very polite in
inviting Zacharias.
Shirley considerately let go of Zacharias’ hand and smiled. “I'll be waiting over there.” Zacharias couldn't refuse the girl either
because the two countries were establishing friendly relations. He smiled and nodded. “It would be my honor.” As Zacharias and
the girl walked toward the dance floor, Shirley watched their figures. Suddenly, she felt a sense of tightness in her chest, as if a
hand had gripped her beating heart, making even her breathing a bit uneasy.
Shirley knew that the girl's invitation to Zacharias was just a polite gesture, but she still felt an uncomfortable sensation in her
heart. Perhaps it was jealousy.
Zacharias and the girl entered the dance floor, and Shirley saw a waiter bring a glass of red wine. She could have declined, but she
reached out and took the glass.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
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