Chapter 14 You Stalk Me
The words “Dance Gala” immediately caught my eye. I picked up the flyer instinctively. Seeing the words “500-thousand-dollar prize," I perked up immediately. My gaze shot downward. It was a dance gala co-hosted by a couple of international hotels. After the gala ended, the audience would vote for the best dancer, who’d win 500 thousand dollars. I was greatly tempted. If I won, half of my dad’s debt would be covered.
The registration deadline was at midnight tonight. And it was already past 8:00 p.m. now. As I saw the address, I breathed a sigh of relief—it wasn’t far from here. Following the navigation, I came to the gate of a grand hotel. As soon as I entered the lobby, I spotted a familiar figure. It was Reynaldo. Fate did play cruel jokes on people. How come I constantly ran into him anywhere I went?
Chapter 14 You Stalk Me
Right now, he was walking into the elevator with a woman by his side. She had a graceful figure, her long, straight hair cascading down her back. Somehow, my gut told me she was Kimberly. No wonder Reynaldo told me he wouldn’t come home tonight; he was here, getting a room with her. In the blink of an eye, I was engulfed by bitterness as well as a hint of heartache. Taking a deep breath, I put away all those negative emotions and walked toward the front desk. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on personal feelings. Money! Money was my priority for now. The receptionist told me politely that I should go to the conference room on the second floor for registration. I then went upstairs and knocked on the door of the conference room. Soon, a slightly familiar male voice rang out. “Come in.” I tried to remember who it was for a few seconds but still couldn’t. As I pushed open the door, I coughed because of the unpleasant tobacco smell. Looking up, I saw several men playing pool. The whole room was hazy. What kind of conference room was this?
Chapter 14 You Stalk Me
“Wrong place.” I asked, a bit uneasy, “You mean I should sign up here? Where’s HR? Or the judges?” “Hello?” A couple of men behind him spread their hands at me, grinning. They struck me as trust fund kids, and I didn’t think they were professional judges. Johnathan crossed his arms over his chest. “My family owns the hotel, and my friends and I co-host the Dance Gala because we wanna meet more gorgeous women. So, participants are all stunning beauties who are perfect in both figure and face. “We’d rather handle the auditions ourselves than let some stuffy old men with no eye for beauty do it. Don’t you agree with me, Esmie?” I rolled my eyes inwardly. Then I thought, “He doesn’t get to call me that at all! “What a punk." While thinking this, I smiled fawningly, “Then… do you think I’m qualified to attend the gala?” He rubbed his chin, sizing me up. Then he nodded and said, “Yeah, you’re a ten in both figure and face, but…” “But what?” I asked. He sighed, “But I don’t wanna offend Reynaldo.”
I was at a loss for words for a second before saying calmly, “You won’t. I no longer have anything to do with him.”
Chapter 14 You Stalk Me
“Is that so?” He took out his phone and clicked the screen. Then he said, looking skeptical, “What to do? I’m still so scared. After all, he can be terrifying when he’s mad.” In fact, I totally agreed. But it was just a dance gala; I wasn’t going to meet Winston. Why would Reynaldo be mad? Besides, he was upstairs, getting intimate with Kimberly. Why would he give a damn about me? The prize was 500 thousand dollars; with it, I could cover half of Dad’s debt. I said to Johnathan firmly, “I mean it. You’re thinking too much. Reynaldo and I are practically strangers now. Even if we weren’t, he had no right to meddle in my business.” “Oh…” Johnathan dragged out his words and smiled at me slyly. “Remember what you said. If he does go crazy, you gotta protect me.” I nodded hard. Deep down, I still thought he was worrying over nothing. Why would Reynaldo pick on him over such a trivial matter? With my repeated assurance, finally, Johnathan agreed to let me attend the gala. It’d start at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow, and he asked me to go back and get prepared. I came home wearily. Without taking a shower, I lay in bed like a starfish. I had to admit—after the bankruptcy, I came to realize how great my life had been. Right now, I struggled for money every day. I had to find a job and save up. Otherwise, once Reynaldo dumped me, I wouldn’t even be able to make ends meet. As I was lost in thought, suddenly, the bathroom door was opened. I jerked upright immediately and saw Reynaldo walking out in his robe. Looking at him, I was shocked. “You… Weren’t you in the hotel room with Kimberly?” The faint smile on his lips suggested he was in a good mood. Seeing this, I felt slightly relieved. It seemed he was no longer upset. Gee, Kimberly was charming indeed. After spending such a short time with her, he was already in such a great mood. He walked up to me, lifted my chin, and smiled at me, “You were stalking me?” What? “No. I accidentally spotted you,” I said. “Oh.” He pecked my lips. “You know, stalking me isn’t exactly an embarrassing thing. You could have admitted it.” I felt speechless.
Chapter 14 You Stalk Me
One minute, he was insecure, and the next, he was overly confident. But to say he was always a confident man seemed wrong because he sometimes doubted himself and was unbelievably paranoid. He was like a book that I could never seem to understand. His gaze on me darkened, filled with lust. But he had been with Kimberly earlier—such a thought made me just want to push him away. He leaned closer to me, and I tilted my body, saying I was tired. His expression darkened at once. “You met Winston in the evening, and now you wouldn’t let me touch me?” I felt speechless again. Just then, his phone rang. It was Johnathan calling.