Chapter 52 A Face That Must Not Be Seen
Chapter 52 A Face That Must Not Be Seen
Emeli’s heart pounded so hard that her ears rang. Across the ballroom, beneath the dim glow of the crystal chandeliers, Aric and Victor walked side by side. Both looked perfectly suited in their tuxedos, chatting casually as if the world were not collapsing right in front of Emeli.
They really do know each other. And they’re coming this way.
“Are you even listening to me, Ken?” Alexander Senior’s deep voice shattered the panic that was beginning to consume Emeli’s thoughts. The middle-aged man stared at his son with a demanding look in his eyes. “The board commissioners from Euro-Group have already arrived at the main table. You need to greet them now. Put your ego aside tonight.”
Ken did not answer immediately. His jaw remained tight as his gaze shifted from Liona’s sour expression to his father. “I’ll go over there. But Emeli stays with me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Alexa Ken,” Liona cut in as she folded her arms, a mocking smile curving her lips. “Bringing an intern with no clear background to the main commissioners’ table? Do you want to embarrass Alexander Group?”
Ken’s attention was completely diverted. His focus was occupied by the confrontation with the two people standing before him, along with several company executives who had begun approaching to greet him. The arm that had been wrapped around Emeli’s waist gradually loosened as he stepped forward to face his colleagues.
Emeli knew this was her only chance. The air around her felt suffocating. If she stayed there for another thirty seconds, Victor or Aric would recognize her face.
Emeli lightly touched the sleeve of Ken’s suit, forcing a faint smile onto her increasingly pale face. “Ken... I need to use the restroom for a moment. My stomach suddenly doesn’t feel well.”
Ken turned toward her, his brows knitting together when he noticed the anxiety in her eyes. But before he could refuse, Alexander Senior had already signaled to a female hotel staff member in a black suit standing nearby.
“Take this young woman to the VIP restroom,” Alexander Senior ordered coldly, clearly wanting Emeli removed from his son’s business affairs.
Ken held Emeli’s wrist for a moment, his gaze boring deeply into hers. “Don’t take too long. Once I’m done with the commissioners, you’d better be back at my side.”
“Yes,” Emeli whispered hoarsely.
The moment Ken released her hand, Emeli quickly turned away and followed the staff member through the crowd of guests. Every step felt like walking on nails. She deliberately kept her head lowered, allowing a few strands of hair to fall over the side of her face as they passed near Aric and Victor’s position.
As soon as the quiet VIP restroom door closed behind her, Emeli immediately braced herself against the marble sink. Her entire body trembled violently. Her breathing came in short, painful gasps.
She stared at her reflection in the large mirror. This beautiful dark blue gown, this flawless makeup—everything felt like a burial shroud ready to bury her alive.
“If Victor sees me... he’ll know I lied to him. And Aric...” Tears nearly slipped from Emeli’s eyes as she remembered the warm-faced young doctor. “Aric will find out that I’m Ken’s mistress.”
She had deceived both good men by claiming she was sick. And tonight, that lie was ready to come back and destroy her. Worse still, if Ken found out about her connection to the two of them, the possessive and ruthless man would not hesitate to destroy Victor’s and Aric’s careers overnight.
I have to leave. I can’t stay here.
The reckless decision appeared in her mind without warning. Emeli glanced toward the restroom door, knowing that the female staff member sent by Ken’s father was probably waiting outside. Leaving through the main entrance would be suicide.
Emeli moved quickly. She bent down and removed the high heels that had been torturing her feet, carrying them in one hand. Her trembling fingers reached behind her head and removed every hairpin holding her updo in place. Her long hair instantly fell loose, messy but effective enough to conceal the shape of her face.
She looked toward the end of the restroom corridor and spotted a small wooden door marked Staff Only that led to the building’s back service hallway. Without a second thought, Emeli pushed the door open and slipped into the dimly lit concrete corridor.
The cold concrete floor stabbed at her bare feet, but Emeli did not care. She ran, half dragging her long evening gown behind her as she hurried through the winding hallways normally used by hotel staff. Her breathing grew increasingly ragged, driven by overwhelming fear.
When she finally pushed open the emergency exit at the back of the hotel, the cool London night air immediately hit her face. Before her stretched a quiet road beside the hotel. Without looking back, barefoot and with her hair in disarray, Emeli ran toward the main road, searching for any taxi that could take her as far away from that hell as possible.
Meanwhile, inside the grandeur of the ballroom, crystal glasses clinked softly. Ken had just set down his champagne glass after finishing his final handshake with the directors of Euro-Group. The tedious formal conversation had taken longer than he had expected.
Liona was still standing nearby, trying to talk to him, but Ken had no intention of responding. His thoughts had already returned to the one woman he had left a few minutes earlier.
Ken turned his tall frame and looked toward the pillar where he had told Emeli to return after using the restroom.
Empty.
Only a few socialites stood there, laughing while holding decorative fans. Ken’s brows furrowed. His sharp gaze swept across the entire ballroom, searching for the striking dark blue color of the gown he had personally chosen for Emeli.
She was nowhere to be found.
Ken strode toward the female hotel staff member who had escorted Emeli earlier. The woman appeared uneasy as she stood near the restroom corridor.
“Where is the woman who was with me?” Ken asked, his voice suddenly dropping several octaves, cold and demanding.
The staff member flinched, her face instantly turning pale at the dangerous glint in his eyes. “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Alexander... I’ve been waiting outside the door the whole time, but Miss... Miss never came out. When I checked inside, the restroom was already empty.”
Ken’s jaw tightened instantly. The glass in his hand was gripped so hard that his knuckles turned white. His eyes swept across the crowded ballroom once more, realizing a single fact that immediately ignited his anger.
Emeli had disappeared.