The Villain's Wife (WN)

The Bulgari cocktail party was held in the rooftop bar of a luxurious hotel. The rooftop had a big pool that had been heavily sprinkled with sparkling glitter, causing the pool shimmer under the starry night sky.

A comfortable lounge was the first thing that greeted the guests when they first entered the rooftop bar. Soft music was playing in the background to create a relaxing ambience. Their latest collection of jewelry and accessories were put on display in glass cases that were strategically placed around the venue, making the entire venue classy and elegant.

Invitation for this party was rather exclusive. After all, the purpose of this party was to provide a private viewing of their latest collection of jewelry and accessories before they are released to the market. Naturally, only the rich and influential people were invited to attend this party.

People like… Fernando and Lily.

As someone who had built a strong reputation in the jewelry industry, Fernando was well acquainted with the executives of the said brand. Those in the industry would naturally know who Fernando is but that didn't mean that no one wouldn't be able to recognize Lily. Who in Europe wasn't familiar with the Facci name?

When Lily and Fernando arrived at the venue, many people actually turned their heads to stare at them for a while. Those who recognized them would know who they are because both Lily and Fernando were accomplished and well-known in their own field, having been thrown into the limelight by extensive media coverage. If Li Shanshan was here, everyone would surely be saying: "Here comes 'The Golden Trio'." For those who didn't recognize them, they were awed by their mighty aura and presence.

Fernando and Lily were immediately greeted by the owner of Bulgari himself, followed by some executives. This group of higher-ups of the brand were familiar with Lilian Facci and through her, they also got to know Lily Facci–Qin, Lilian Facci's beloved granddaughter. Following their lead, other prominent people in the industry also came up to greet them as well.

This heartwarming welcome immediately caught the attention of some influential locals who didn't know who Lily and Fernando are. Some quickly went up to them to introduce themselves, curious to know who they were. They could already make a guess that their background certainly wasn't simple. They didn't want to miss the chance to build some connections.

"Your bracelet… is it from the Louis Vuitton (LV) collection that was released last month? If I'm not mistaken, that bracelet is also limited edition right?" asked a model, who came with her husband, a businessman whose name made it to the list of exclusive invitees. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she stared at Lily's diamond bracelet.

"The one that did not even reach the market?" another woman joined in. The bracelet that they were talking about was a limited edition, designed by LV's owner himself. The bracelet along with four other unique designs were only seen in an issue published by a prestigious magazine. The public never got to see the jewelry anywhere, not in any flagship store and not even LVMH headquarters.

Rumor has it that these jewelry were made to be given as gifts instead of being sold to the public. Of course, no one was able to prove this. Now that they had actually seen the bracelet for themselves, their curiosity about Lily increased. They started to wonder about the kind of background Lily has and how she managed to get her hands on the limited edition bracelet.

"It is." Lily nodded as she gave the women a smile. Not many people know this, but Lily and the current CEO of Louis Vuitton were actually very well acquainted with each other. For this reason, Lily chose to wear this bracelet to make a point.

"Wow… I never thought that I would get a chance to see this piece up close," the model said, her gaze was full of respect for Lily. A while ago, her husband shared with her some information about Lily and what she heard about Lily amazed her. She had full respect for this capable woman who was standing tall in the business world dominated by men.

"Me too… That is a very beautiful piece," a beautiful woman chimed in as she smiled sweetly at Lily. Lily acknowledged the woman with a smile and also smiled courteously at everyone. Though Lily didn't know most of the women here who were trying to network with her, she immediately recognized this beautiful young woman in front of her. She was an actress under Xuan Films. Her name was Qiao Qiao.

Lily took notice of Qiao Qiao. She regarded her as valuable chess piece in her long game, a hidden weapon in her quest to destroy the Xuan family. But now was not the time to think about this woman. She would make contact with Qiao Qiao in the future, when the time is right. After achieving the effect she wanted with the bracelet, Lily excused herself and walked towards the glittering pool in the center of the venue.

The view of the pool against the backdrop of the cityscape was truly magnificent. The glitter on the surface of the pool became even lovelier as it reflected the light from the low-hanging disco balls situated at the corner of the rooftop. For some reason, Zhuo Jingren's smiling face came into her mind and a small smile made its way to Lily's lips at the same time. She thought, 'If only Zhuo Jingren was here to see this.'

Then Lily had an 'aha moment'. She quickly took out her phone and took some pictures of the pool in front of her. Since Zhuo Jingren was not here to see it for himself, she could just show him these photos later, right?

"Qin Jinghua?" Lily's brows furrowed at being called by her old name. She didn't recognize the sweet voice that called her name and so when she turned around, she was a little surprised that it was none other than Qin Fei. She was used to hearing Qin Fei's shrill voice that she had actually forgotten how she sounded like in public, when she was trying to portray a kind and gentle image.

"Sister…" Lily smiled at Qin Fei who came with Xuan Hui and Tang Lingyun. "Master Xuan seemed to have forgotten to inform me earlier that you will be coming with him tonight," she said while eyeing Xuan Hui.

"Inform you?" Qin Fei repeated as she glanced at Xuan Hui. 'Does that mean that Xuan Hui and Qin Jinghua had a private conversation together earlier without her?'

"Oh… we had a little conversation over some drinks a while ago at the previous party. Maybe he just… forgot to tell you?" Lily smiled at Qin Fei, instantly making the latter fumed inwardly. 'Xuan Hui had a drink with Qin Jinghua?! Was that why he didn't answer my calls earlier?'

However, just as Qin Fei was about to erupt and send a slap towards Lily, Tang Lingyun quickly held her daughter's hand. "You don't seem to have changed at all, Jinghua. Stop joking with your sister. You know that she is pregnant. It's not nice of you to joke around like this," Tang Lingyun said, giving Lily a smile.

"Ah… pregnant. I forgot." Lily flashed Xuan Hui a smile, immediately making the latter nervous. 'Is Lily targeting Qin Fei? Him? Or Tang Lingyun'

"Fei Fei… Let's not waste our time standing here. You are pregnant. You shouldn't be standing for too long," Xuan Hui immediately stroked his wife's back, confusion and a little guilt could be seen in his eyes. He then eyed Lily who was looking at the two of them with a small smile on her face.

'Did Lily have something to do with him losing control with his secretary just a while ago? What is her game?' thought Xuan Hui.

While Xuan Hui was immersed in his own thoughts, Qin Fei was fuming inside. If only she could crush Lily's smiling face, she would have. How dare this woman try and sow discord between her and Xuan Hui?

…

Editor: Swaning