Chapter 9 What’s That?

• What substance would make a person feel as though she’s burning up, her mind hazy, and her entire person out of sorts? Mike’s gaze alighted on Willow, for he couldn’t possibly fail to deduce what Arielle had drunk when he was a man close to 50 years old. But why did Willow give such a thing to Arielle?
• Guilt welled within Willow as he stared at her, and she shook her head profusely. “Dad, I didn’t drug Arielle. How could I possibly—”
• Blinking her big eyes, Arielle looked at her innocently. “Willow, what do you mean by drugging me? W-What drug did you give me?” I’m just an 18-year-old girl, so it’s normal to be ignorant of many things, no? Similarly, she put on an award-worthy act at this time.
• “What exactly did you give her, Willow?” Mike’s brows creased deeply. If Willow truly did something to ruin Arielle’s engagement to Young Master Ziven, I’ll never forgive her!
• “Dad, how could I possibly do that to Arielle? She must have drunk something else, and she’s afraid that you’ll reproach her, so she’s pushing the blame on me.” Willow’s acting skills were superb, for a faint sheen of moisture blanketed her eyes in an instant. “I’m your daughter, Dad! Don’t you know the kind of person I am?”
• All at once, Scarlett wailed, “Mike, Willow is the top socialite in Baylin, so how could she possibly set her sister up? Furthermore, Arielle has always been a bad girl. Are you going to believe her accusations and condemn our gentle and filial daughter who has excellent grades and character?”
• Willow had been perceived as a well-behaved girl ever since young; to the eyes of others, she was always gentle and obedient. Besides, she’d always been exceptional in both character and grades. Plus, after she’d attended Baylin’s high-societal events a few times when she was 18 years old, the title of the top socialite in Baylin promptly fell on her. On the one hand, it was because she was indeed very beautiful, and on the other hand, she was also multi-talented; she could play the piano and dance well, her every single movement close to perfection.
• Mike shifted his eyes back to Arielle, who was standing at the landing, his gaze dubious. She’s indeed stunning right now, but she has always been a problematic child. Not only does she play truant, but she also smokes and drinks. Besides, she’s promiscuous, puts on heavy makeup, and she even ran away from home. It’s a whole lot of problems that can’t be salvaged by an exquisite and flawless countenance. At long last, he declared, “Arielle, your sister won’t ever give you anything bad, so it might have been... a misunderstanding.”
• Arielle smiled faintly, but the smile held no warmth at all. I’ve only ever smoked once in my entire life, and it was Willow Grace who deliberately led me astray, saying that it was fun, so I tried for a bit. Just like that, a photo of me smoking while having heavy makeup on and a few beer bottles around me inexplicably circulated all over the Internet. Admittedly, I was indeed stupid during my previous life that I never once suspected her.
• “Of course, I know it’s a misunderstanding. How could I possibly suspect Willow of hurting me? After all, she helped me keep it from you when she taught me to smoke back then.” She blinked her eyes as a silly smile bloomed on her face. “If it weren’t for her, you would’ve found out about it immediately, Dad.”
• “What did you just say?” Shocked, Mike swung his gaze sideways, and he stared at Willow.
• “Dad, I-I would never…” D*mn you, Arielle Grace! Is she purposely exposing me tonight? But why did she suddenly change so much? Is this simply a coincidental slip of the tongue? Or is this deliberate? Why does she feel entirely different tonight? Or am I reading too much into things?
• “Mike, you know Willow abhors the smell of cigarette smoke. Do you believe she’d teach Arielle to smoke?” Scarlett was gripped by the urge to rip out Arielle’s tongue. In the past, Arielle Grace was so painfully stupid that she couldn’t even speak properly, but she’s now glib despite looking innocent, and every single word out of her was a trap! Why does it seem as though she’s a wholly different person?
• Mike didn’t know whether he should believe Arielle. Her change tonight has been so drastic that I’m still rather lost at the moment. But most importantly, the engagement party has been called off, so Young Master Ziven probably won’t want her anymore! What should I do now?
• Out of the blue, Scarlett arched an eyebrow and stalked up the stairs toward Arielle. “What’s that on your neck?”