Megan's sentence hung in the air, unfinished, yet Karen understood. Megan was known for her promiscuity, her affections flitting from one man to another.
A blush crept onto Karen's cheeks, her voice a mere whisper, "That... that wouldn't be right."
"We're in the 21st century now. There's nothing wrong with that. Do you think you're less than Alice? The Clarks are a distinguished family in Vachilit, while the Cullens are merely a modest household."
Karen, too, came from a notable lineage and was a renowned cellist. Her pride wouldn't permit her to stoop to such schemes. She shook her head, dismissing the idea, "Let's just forget it."
Megan looked at her with a disdainful gaze, thinking, "Don't play innocent with me."
She seemed to see right through Karen, leaning in to whisper, "Karen, if you keep hesitating, and he really marries Alice, it'll be too late. If you're too shy, just wait, I'll go and help you out."
With that, Megan walked away briskly. Karen opened her mouth, as if to call out to her, but in the end, she clung to a sliver of hope and gave her silent consent...
Meanwhile, Natalie had scoured the dance floor at the ball and found no sign of Bella. She felt out of place in such settings, so she decided to call Bella directly.
"Hey, Bella, where are you?"
"I’m in the lounge room 203, playing cards with some classmates. Wanna come over?"
The music around her was deafening. Natalie could only discern that Bella was in a lounge room. She ascended to the second floor. "Which lounge room are you in?"
Bella's response was lost over the phone. Before Natalie could ask for clarification, her phone died, shutting off automatically.
She sighed in annoyance, pocketed her phone, and pushed open the door to lounge room 204.
The soundproofing was excellent, almost entirely muting the cacophony of music from the banquet hall below.
The room was dimly lit. "Bella?" Natalie called out as she ventured further in.
Suddenly, the sound of keys turning echoed from outside.
Natalie spun around to open the door, only to find it had been locked from the outside.
Down the corridor, a young man with keys in his hand wrapped his arm around the waist of a woman waiting for him. "All set," he said.
Megan smiled faintly, thinking to herself, "Karen, the eternal pretender. She's clearly desperate, but she tries to act all high and mighty in front of me."
Inside the room, Natalie was oblivious to the unfolding events.
She pounded on the door, hoping to attract someone's attention to unlock it, but the corridor outside remained silent. The loud music from below drowned out her cries for help.
The air was thick with a heady, incense-like scent.
Natalie felt a strange sensation coursing through her body.
She wondered, "What's happening? Why do I suddenly feel so strange?"
Suddenly, a strong arm encircled Natalie's waist from behind, pushing her down onto someone beneath her. A man's sharp and handsome face came into view. It was Adrian!
Natalie couldn't comprehend how he had appeared there.
"Uh, Mr. Howard..."
Adrian rolled over, his hot, dry palms grasping her waist as a scorching kiss descended upon her. Natalie's lips were soft and pink, as sweet as the fragrance of cherry blossoms.