Chapter 20
Kane looked calm and nodded slightly at Sophie.
"Yeah, hello."
He wanted to hurry back to check on his cupcake, but Sophie stopped him.
"My father said he hasn't seen you in a long time."
Sophie was the daughter of the Brown Family.
Kane was about to refuse, but then he remembered that a recent business deal seemed to have run into some problems, and maybe he could ask the Brown Family for help.
He nodded. "Alright, I haven't seen Uncle Oak in a while either."
When I woke up, it was already dark outside.
Kane hadn't come back.
A sense of loss swept through me, but then I remembered the conversation between Kane and James earlier.
I couldn't help but laugh at myself.
What was I even expecting?
I was just his baby-making machine.
He had someone he truly loved.
Thinking this, my eyes started to burn, and I felt a bit lost.
Suddenly, the door opened.
Before I could hold back my tears, I heard Kane's voice.
"We can get ready to leave now, dear."
I felt the blanket being pulled off me suddenly. I looked up at him, startled, and met his eyes.
His blue eyes, like seawater, held a smile, but it froze the moment he saw the tears in my eyes.
His voice carried a hint of confusion.
"Did someone bully you? Why are you crying?"
I quickly wiped the tears from my face and said to him, "I dreamed about my mother."
I don't know if it was my imagination, but I seemed to see a moment of emotion in his eyes, and even his voice became much gentler.
"I think your mother must have been a wonderful person, you wouldn't miss her so much."
He sat down beside me and reached out to gently stroke my head. In that moment, I felt like I was feeling my mother's touch, and my eyes started to burn again.
"But we don't have time for you to keep crying now. We need to go to the dinner party."
Kane wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes and pulled me up from the bed. Then he called the female attendants outside and had them touch up my makeup and help me get dressed again.
My mood gradually calmed down.
I really shouldn't have any expectations of Kane. He made it clear from the start that he married me to have a child.
I glanced at Kane from the corner of my eye, only to find him looking at me.
I felt a bit embarrassed and lowered my eyes.
"Done." The female attendant put down what she was holding, bowed to Kane, and left to do her own work.
I lifted my eyes and met Kane's gaze.
Kane smiled and nodded. "Very nice. Let's go, the party is about to start."
I followed behind Kane, walking through the corridors of the cruise ship, and finally took the elevator to the deck.
As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I heard loud music and the laughter of men and women.
I felt quite nervous and unconsciously grabbed Kane's sleeve. The next second, Kane intertwined his fingers with mine and held my hand.
"Don't be nervous. You're my date, and no one will disrespect you."
Kane's words made me relax a bit, and I looked at him with some gratitude.
At that moment, a man who looked about the same age as Kane's father walked up to him.
He looked me up and down, then fixed his gaze on Kane and smiled at him.
"Long time no see, Kane. The last time we met, you were still in California."
He seemed to be an elder, like an uncle. I stood beside them, not daring to move, only managing a polite smile.
Kane nodded casually, seeming not very interested in him.
The man also noticed Kane's lack of interest and left after saying a few words.
Not long after he walked away, Kane chuckled.
"Does he think I don't know about those things he's been doing in secret? Looks like it's time to teach him a lesson."
When he said this, his tone was flat, but it made me shiver with a chill.
I timidly looked up at Kane.
Kane looked at me, too.
He reached out and gently patted my head, his tone carrying a faint warmth, completely different from how he'd just spoken.
"Well, my cupcake, as long as you don't betray me, whatever you do, I'll just treat it as a kitten acting cute with me."
His palm was broad and warm. Resting on my head, it gave me an inexplicable sense of security.
Suddenly, Bandel walked over.
He glanced at me, then whispered something in Kane's ear.
I felt Kane's presence instantly turn cold, and a hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes.
He turned to look at me and lowered his voice. "I have something to deal with right now. Just wait here. There's food over there. If you're hungry, you can help yourself."
I hadn't thought about it until Kane mentioned it, but now I really did feel a bit hungry. My stomach even started to growl.
Fortunately, the environment was noisy enough that no one heard my stomach.
I nodded and watched Kane and Bandel walk away.
I didn't know anyone around me.
I felt a bit nervous and decided to get something to eat first to quiet my stomach.
I have to say, these upper-class people really know how to enjoy themselves. I picked up a piece of Spanish ham wrapped around melon and put it in my mouth.
The salty flavor of the ham spread through my mouth, along with the sweetness of the melon, which covered up the smoky taste of the ham.
The two flavors blended well together.
I could even taste a hint of cream.
I picked up another piece of cake and ate happily.
Suddenly, a somewhat harsh female voice came from behind me.
"Is that the woman who's going to marry Kane?"
Hearing Kane's name, I realized the person behind me might be Kane's friend. I quickly swallowed what was in my mouth.
I grabbed what I thought was water nearby and took a sip.
But it wasn't water. It was alcohol.
The sharp taste spread through my mouth, and I choked and coughed hard.
My awkward state seemed to amuse the girl behind me. She stared at me with a very disdainful laugh.
"A bumpkin like you from the slums better not show up around Kane anymore. If you know what's good for you, get lost."
I finally stopped coughing. Hearing what the woman said, I looked up, a bit confused, and froze. She was really beautiful. Her eyes seemed to speak, radiating a sharp presence.
Three other girls stood beside her, each beautiful in their own way, but from their positions, I could tell they were following the woman who had spoken.
"Hello, I'm Sonya. May I ask who you are?"
Although I could sense hostility, I still needed to maintain basic politeness to avoid embarrassing Kane or upsetting her.
One of the girls behind the woman spoke up.
"This is Sophie, the only daughter of the Brown Family."