Chapter 268 - You Look Dehydrated

Fear gripped Fiona Chung, freezing her in place. She wanted to steal a peek at Maxen but was horrified to do so.

She felt lightheaded as questions swirled in her head, but thanks to her impeccable acting skills, she managed to smile even when her insides were shaking in alarm.

Mustering up her courage, she straightened her spine and turned to Olivia's direction. "Hi, Olivia. Glad to see you again," Fiona greeted with so much familiarity before tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Earlier, she was hellbent in ringing the bells on her wrist yet again just to get Maxen's attention. This time, however, when it did, she had to cup her bracelet to stop the tiny gold bells from chiming.

Fiona didn't know why she was terrified of Olivia when the latter hadn't done anything to scare her. Or maybe, she was just guilty of being caught red-handed with her flirting?

"Hello," Olivia responded with a smile on her face, walking with confident strides out of the bathroom with Ava and Emily trailing behind her. The two ladies spared Fiona a smile too.

Seeing Ava and Emily, Fiona greeted them as well. The invisible rope that tied Fiona in her spot after seeing Olivia seemed to loosen up, giving her room to breathe.

"You look marvelous up on the stage, Fiona," Ava complimented, painting a blush on Fiona's cheeks.

"Thank you. I've been practicing, really. Trying to put my hosting skills to test."

Shifting her gaze from Ava to Olivia, Fiona avoided the towering figure of Maxen in the background.

Fiona wondered if Olivia heard her invitation on Maxen earlier, but all she ever saw was the usual stoic expression and calm demeanor that Olivia projected in the public.

She decided to cover up her lame attempt of seducing Maxen by inviting the ladies over to the same after-party event.

"Oh, by the way, there's an after-party later in the penthouse. I hope you can join us," Fiona uttered through her chattering teeth.

She didn't have to check the mirror. She heard the distress in the manner she had spoken. Add to that the immobilizing fear in her bone.

Everyone was silent as if contemplating ways to politely refuse an invitation from a commoner like her.

Nobody was attacking her, and it frightened her more. Her name's Fiona Chung and she's a world-renowned actress. Any form of rejection was a damaging blow to her fragile ego.

Fiona knew it before any of the ladies opened their mouths and she braced herself from impact, plastering an awkward smile on her face to hide her embarrassment.

Ava was the first to speak since she was acquainted with Fiona somehow. "Thank you for the invite, but I have to pass."

"Let's see what happens later," Emily raised her hand. "Thanks for the invite, Fiona." She awkwardly laughed to break the tension but failed when all that echoed in the hallway was her voice.

Beside Emily, Olivia quietly stood, but deep inside her was a whirlpool of anger and she was itching to grab anything to smash, including those damn bells.

Instead of acting on her impulses, she willed herself to imagine a thick wall of ice in front of her.

She wanted to break that ice, or if she would be honest, she wanted to break the face behind that frozen barrier. However, she had to leash the green-eyed monster that threatened to wreak havoc that night.

She didn't want to make a scene. And she didn't want to fight against another lady all because of a man. She already did that once, and she ended up looking pathetic.

If push comes to shove and she spiraled down into that dark path again, what would that make her look like? An insecured, bratty heiress?

Olivia took a sharp breath and her nose was assaulted with a whiff of Fiona's distress and the stink of her perfume. It was enough to remind Olivia never to stoop down to the actress's level.

Slicing the imaginary blue glacial wall in half, Olivia mirrored the same sanguine smile on Fiona's face.

"Thank you, but I can't join you later," Olivia spoke ever softly as if she was sorry to turn down the invitation.

She could end their conversation right then and there, but Olivia felt a bit chatty that time.

Maybe it was the champagne?

Or maybe… deep inside her, she wanted to put Fiona in her rightful place.

So she added, "I'd loved to go, but my husband and I have an early engagement tomorrow. Can't really be staying up late tonight."

The ladies gasped with hands covering their agape mouths while Maxen snickered, scratching the skin above his eyebrow.

Nobody expected Olivia to be the one broadcasting her marriage when it was Maxen who couldn't keep his hands off of his wife yet kept mum about it.

"I didn't know you got married. Congratulations," Fiona wished Olivia well. She was really surprised by the news and she subconsciously reached out for Olivia's hand, clasping it with hers.

A smile bloomed on Fiona's face, showcasing her pearly whites. If Olivia got hitched, it meant she was no longer seeing Maxen and he's currently out for the taking.

For a fleeting second, a spark of hope ignited in her c.h.e.s.t over the possibility of her spending the night with Maxen.

Fiona was snapped out of her daydreaming when the bell in her wrist made a funny sound.

"Have I told you how lovely this bracelet is?" Olivia asked, her fingers c.a.r.e.s.sing the multi-colored gemstones, each framed with a sparkling halo of diamonds.

She was not making things up, and really found the accessory lovely; however, she loathed the history of the bells that came with it.

"It's from my fa...father," Fiona's voice died down as soon as her eyes zeroed in on the jewel adorning Olivia's ring finger. It was winking at Fiona as if mocking her.

The forest green stone winked at her, sparkling brighter than the crystal chandelier, shattering Fiona's rose-colored glasses into smithereens.

It was obvious that Olivia wanted to make a statement. So she did what needed to be done and put Fiona in her rightful place.

She needed to remind the actress that what she had with Maxen was nothing more than the tangling of sheets in the past.

Olivia felt Fiona's fingertips turned icy, and it was Olivia's telling sign that the latter got the memo to back off because she really didn't want to use force and scheming like what she had done to get back at those who wronged her.

"Oh, right." Olivia finally let go of Fiona's hands. "Now I remember noticing it way back in the elevator when we first met."

Fiona didn't want to assume anything, so she just decided to play dumb that she didn't recognize the ring on Olivia's finger. "Ye-yes," Fiona stuttered.

With a practiced smile on her face that reached her ears, Fiona excused herself and walked towards the loo on shaky legs.

As if her embarrassment wasn't enough, just as she took a step away from Olivia, Fiona accidentally stepped on her gown, causing her to fall and drop to her knees.

"Oh my goodness, are you okay?" Ava worriedly asked, seeing Fiona's ashen face. She helped Fiona to get back on her feet.

"Of course. Thank you for your concern." Fiona's eyes flitted to Ava and reassured the latter.

"Okay. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm a hundred percent sure."

"Okay. Well, maybe you can rehydrate before going back on stage. You look dehydrated from too much speaking tonight."

Fiona plastered a small on her face. She wanted the ground to swallow her but she had an event to finish tonight. Feeling the need to end their conversation, Fiona waved her hand, "Thank you. Thank you. I won't hold you up any longer. But if you change your mind, just let me know."

Soon, Olivia broke out in a laughter which made Ava's brows raise in confusion.

"What's going on?" Ava asked, folding her arms over her c.h.e.s.t. She didn't like feeling left out of the loop.

"You… you said… she looked dehydrated," Emily managed to say. Her face was turning red from too much laughter.

"What's so funny about that? She does look dehydrated. I don't get it."