A shiver of apprehension skittered down Natalie's spine, her palms moist with the sheen of nervous perspiration.
Just then, a coquettish female voice rang out. "Adrian, welcome."
Emerging from the house, Alice was clad in a light pink dress, her makeup meticulously applied.
Daniel's gaze flickered between the two women, surprise etching his features as he noticed the striking resemblance between Alice and Natalie.
A chuckle of realization escaped him. "Adrian, Natalie and Alice bear such a striking resemblance, and both reside here. They must be sisters, correct?"
Natalie jolted at his words, but before she could muster a response, Alice's voice cut through the air, "Impossible. She's nothing more than a maid in our house. She saved some money and used my photo to get plastic surgery."
With that, Alice shot a venomous glare at Natalie. "The kitchen's in chaos, get back there and help!"
A wave of embarrassment crashed over Natalie. This wasn't the first time Alice had demeaned her in such a manner, yet for some inexplicable reason, she didn't want the man standing before her to think less of her.
Natalie unclenched her fists, nodded, and pivoted on her heel to reenter the house. Alice's voice wafted faintly from behind her. "Adrian, you have no idea. This woman is never content. She's always trying to ingratiate herself with anyone possessing wealth. If my parents weren't so benevolent, she would have been ousted long ago…"
Daniel's expression darkened at Alice's words. His response was laced with derision, "Ms. Cullen, it appears you have some misconceptions about plastic surgery. Your nose seems more artificial to me."
"Daniel, show some respect," Adrian reprimanded, his tone low yet devoid of any real reproach.
With a nonchalant shrug, Daniel was the first to cross the threshold into the villa.
Alice's fists clenched, her body quivering with suppressed fury.
She seethed inwardly, "This is all that harlot Natalie's doing. She has an arsenal of tricks to seduce men, and now even Daniel is defending her."
Natalie had the audacity to remove her mask in Adrian's presence! Fortunately, Alice was quick-witted, and Adrian must not have noticed the discrepancy, or else Natalie would have surely faced Alice's wrath!
Daniel's frosty demeanor towards Alice following the incident was palpable, prompting Alice to shift her focus to Rachel.
To secure her place in the Howard family, Alice knew she needed to win their favor.
With this in mind, she proffered a dish to Rachel, her voice soft and her smile warm, "Rachel, try this. Our chef may not be as skilled as the Howard family's, but he excels at this dish."
"I don’t like it," Rachel retorted, her expression one of disdain.
Rachel didn't appreciate Alice's insincere overtures or the familiarity with which she addressed her.
Unfazed, Alice quickly offered an alternative. "Oh, in that case, how about this one…"
"I'll get what I want to eat myself." Rachel interrupted her sharply before she could finish.
Alice's hand froze mid-air. She looked so forlorn that she was on the verge of tears, completely at a loss. "I'm sorry…"
The atmosphere at the dining table instantly turned awkward. Emmett was uncomfortable seeing Alice treated in such a manner, but she couldn't risk offending Rachel. She cleared his throat, casting a tentative glance at Adrian.
Adrian set down his knife and fork with deliberate slowness and addressed Rachel coldly, "If you don't want to eat, leave."
Rachel's defiance was palpable.
She had been itching to leave anyway!
She rose from her seat and stormed out, but at that moment, Natalie entered with a bowl of hot soup. Natalie didn't notice Rachel's abrupt departure until it was too late to avoid a collision, and they bumped into each other.