Chapter 520 Is It a Misunderstanding?
Azalea hoisted her wine glass and knocked it back in one go. She downed that high-octane booze like it was water, and when she set the glass down, she didn't even wobble. Clearly, she was no stranger to such an occasion.
Maybe it was Francis's chill vibe and good-looking face, totally free of any coldness, that made Azalea loosen up. She plopped the empty glass in front of him with a smug grin, "How's that for ya?"
The flickering lights made Francis's sharp features pop, making him look even more handsome. With Azalea's admiring gaze locked on him, Francis casually replied, "Not bad."
Seeing Francis's interest piqued, Azalea extended her hand and smiled, "So, you gonna agree to my request or what?"
They chatted like the crowd around them was just background noise. Harper clenched her fist, discreetly pinching her palm to keep the rising discomfort in check.
Francis's eyes seemed indifferent, but he was taking in everything, including Harper's noticeably pale face.
"Come on, you've promised me. I'll look like a fool in front of my friends if you take your words back," Azalea pouted, pushing him.
Francis's slender fingers picked up a gold-embossed business card and slowly raised it. Just as Azalea reached out to grab it, he pulled his hand back a bit.
"Give it to me," Azalea whined, acting all spoiled.
She'd dealt with plenty of guys; the more serious they seemed, the more twisted they were behind closed doors. So, Azalea had her own tricks for handling these types.
But the rich-looking, handsome Francis in front of her? She had to bring out her A-game.
She bit her lip and pouted, "Come on, please." Her tone was dripping with suggestiveness, like she was ready to strip any second.
Harper frowned, unable to take it anymore, and stepped forward to sit down. She didn't believe that even with her sitting there, he'd still be so unprincipled.
The next second, Harper saw Francis's fingers move slightly forward, tucking the business card into Azalea's cleavage. Such a sleazy move, though not unusual in this setting, was clearly meant to embarrass Harper, who was right next to him.
Azalea was also taken aback by Francis's action. She had thought a classy guy like him wouldn't be so easy to sway. Her face turned red, and she shyly said, "You're so bad."
Azalea covered her mouth, her expression all coy, playing the shy card perfectly.
Even though Francis's fingers had only touched the business card and not her chest, Azalea's coy words made it seem like he had groped her.
Francis crossed his long legs and chuckled, "You don't like it?"
Azalea, flustered by his bluntness, bit her lip and said, "Actually, I do."
Francis laughed nonchalantly, "Then don't give this card to your friend."
"Oh..." Azalea suddenly remembered her original plan was to get contact info for her friend. But she had been so drawn to Francis that she had completely forgotten about it.
But now it was clear that Francis had a thing for her, so why sweat the friend stuff? With a guy this hot and loaded, she had to lock him down.
"Tonight, I'm crashing at the hotel next door," Azalea said, making a phone gesture and giving him a sultry look, "I'll hit you up when I'm done."
Francis gave a faint smile, which everyone took as a yes.
Harper's nails dug into her palm painfully. Even though she felt he was just putting on a show, the thought of him flirting with such a woman made her feel inexplicably disgusted. If she still didn't get Francis's game by now, she'd be too naive. He was doing this to make her see clearly and give up hope.
But this method was too despicable.
Azalea, satisfied with the answer, deliberately walked past Harper and stepped on her shoe. With her high heels, her sudden step caused Harper to cry out in pain. But Azalea didn't apologize; instead, she left with a provocative smile.
"Hey, stop!" Harper shouted at Azalea.
Azalea stopped, her tone still arrogant, "What is it?"
"You stepped on me," Harper said.
"I stepped on you?" Azalea laughed like it was a joke, denying it, "Lady, don't falsely accuse me. I didn't feel anything, didn't even touch you."
Today, Harper was wearing black leather soft-soled shoes. Because of her pregnancy, she needed very comfy shoes. The black leather material on her shoes was top-notch, quickly rebounding after being stepped on, making it impossible to see the mark without taking off the shoe.
Clearly, Azalea had noticed this and was adamantly denying it.
Azalea pouted, "Lady, this gentleman just spoke to me. I get it if you're jealous, but you can't falsely accuse me."
Harper couldn't believe Azalea was slandering her.
"You're saying I'm falsely accusing you?" Harper laughed coldly.
"Of course."
Azalea could have ignored Harper and left, but she changed her mind. If she acted a bit pitiful, maybe Francis would let her stay.
She looked at Francis with teary eyes and said coquettishly, "You have to stand up for me."
Harper didn't want to waste words with such a person. Just by looking at her attire, it was clear. Such unrefined and low-quality clothing couldn't belong to a member here. Azalea must have sneaked in to find wealthy men.
Harper coldly said, "Either apologize to me, or I'll ask the manager to verify your membership."
Harper's words made Azalea's arrogant expression disappear instantly, replaced by panic. She had indeed sneaked in. High-end clubs were very strict about identity. If caught and her face recorded, she wouldn't be able to sneak in again. The quality of this club was very high, and she had benefited from it. She didn't want to be exposed.
But even though Azalea was scared, she knew she couldn't admit to stepping on Harper, as it would leave a bad impression on Francis.
Azalea quickly moved closer to Francis, trying to grab his hand, but he subtly avoided her. Panicking, she didn't notice and pretended to sob, "Your friend is bullying me. Are you going to do something about it?"
Harper admired Azalea's shamelessness even more. She could twist the truth with every word. Who was bullying whom was pretty obvious, right? If she hadn't deliberately stomped on Harper's foot, Harper wouldn't have even called out for her.
Francis rubbed the rim of his glass and said slowly, "It's just a small misunderstanding. She's crying so pitifully, Ms. Murphy, don't be so harsh."
To Harper, his words felt like a cold slap in the face, chilling her to the bone. She had been stepped on, yet in Francis's words, she was the aggressive one.
No matter how good-tempered Harper was, she was willing to be wronged. She swiftly took off her shoe and sock, exposing her foot, and said with a laugh, "Is this a misunderstanding?"
There was a very noticeable red mark on her foot, even starting to turn purple.
Actually, Azalea's step had been very brief. For most people, it would have left at most a slight redness, if anything at all. But Harper's skin was very delicate, so even the slightest mark would linger for a long time.
Taking off her shoes in such a place was quite unseemly, and Harper didn't want to be a spectacle, so she quickly put her shoe back on.
Azalea felt a bit guilty, not expecting that a one-second step could leave such a mark. She followed up, her voice small, "I didn't know. It really was a misunderstanding!"
"Apologize," Harper said, not wanting to waste any more words.
Azalea turned to Francis, her big eyes filled with tears, looking pitiful.
At this moment, Francis's eyes were downcast, his expression calm, revealing no emotion. But Azalea felt an inexplicable chill.
Azalea, feeling wronged, said, "I'm sorry, it was unintentional. Please forgive me."
With just a few words, she positioned herself as the victim. Clearly, playing the weakling was something Azalea was very good at.
Harper was strong, so Azalea played weak, dropping to her knees with a thud. "I'm begging you, is this enough?"
Harper was caught off guard by Azalea's actions. All she wanted was a fair apology, but Azalea turned it into a dramatic scene. People around them started giving Harper reproachful looks.
Harper remained calm, stating her position, "All I want is..."
Before she could say "an apology," Francis interrupted, "Enough."
He frowned and signaled to Azalea, "Get up."
Azalea's eyes were red, and she looked at Harper timidly, as if she didn't dare to get up without her forgiveness. Francis, running out of patience, said coldly, "If you like kneeling so much, go do it outside."
Seeing that it was enough, Azalea quickly got up, not wanting to annoy Francis further.
"Thank you." Her eyes were red, and she softly thanked Francis, sniffling. Her short skirt didn't reach her knees, so the cold floor of the club had reddened them from the kneeling, making her look even more pitiful.
Harper had never encountered someone so good at acting. Perhaps frequenting nightclubs had made her shameless.
Francis's thin lips parted, "What's your name?"
Azalea was surprised, "Are you asking me?"
Francis clasped his hands, his mesmerizing gaze falling on Azalea, and casually said, "Yes."
Azalea smiled through her tears, "My name is Azalea."
Francis's lips curled slightly, "Nice name."
He waved over a waiter, flashed his black card, and pointed at Azalea, "Get this lady a membership card."
Azalea was so shocked she couldn't close her mouth.
A membership card for Twilight Lounge required assets of over tens of millions of dollars. Twilight Lounge had drinks, high-end restaurants, and leisure clubs, all accessible with one card, and reservations could only be made with this card.
This card was not just a symbol of wealth but also of status. It was a card many people dreamed of having, and Azalea was no exception. But she never thought she would have the chance to own one in her lifetime.
Azalea was so happy her voice changed, stammering, "Thank you."
Francis smiled lightly, "Go ahead."
Azalea happily followed the waiter to get her card, not forgetting to give Harper a fierce glare from a corner where Francis couldn't see.
That glare felt like an invisible slap to Harper's face. Just now, she had used the fact that Azalea didn't have a membership card to make her apologize. And now, Francis got Azalea a membership card. This wasn't just about embarrassing Harper; it was like tearing her heart out inch by inch.
Harper sat there, her face pale, her chest feeling like it was crawling with bugs. She looked at Francis with a pained expression, "Francis, don't you believe what I'm saying?"
Francis still didn't look at her directly, casually saying, "Ms. Murphy, don't overthink it."
Harper felt it was absurd, even feeling for a moment that she didn't know Francis at all. To make her give up, how many more heart-wrenching things would he do?
Harper couldn't sit there any longer and wanted to leave, but just then, Alvin and his friend returned. They had met some acquaintances over there and chatted for a while, unaware of what had happened here.
Alvin brought another two young men over, eagerly introducing them to Harper. "Harper, these are the children of my good friends, Trevor and Lloyd. Although they're currently abroad, they'll be coming back to Northfield to work in the future. You should get to know each other; it's good for young people to help each other out."
It was clear to everyone that Alvin was trying to set Harper up.
Alvin was upset by Francis's attitude earlier. Although he admired Francis, Harper's importance to him was greater. So he was determined to prove that Harper was not without admirers.
Alvin, despite being middle-aged, sometimes acted like a child, which was a genuine and endearing trait. Harper felt awkward but didn't want to embarrass Alvin, so she politely exchanged business cards with the two men. Her decision to leave was thwarted by Alvin's insistence on chatting with them.
Just then, the club's host suddenly spoke into the microphone, his voice booming, "Dear guests, it's time for our Friday Night Warmth. Please put down your phones and give a warm, loving hug to the person next to you."
Harper rarely came to the club and didn't understand what was happening.
The next second, all the lights went out. Just as she was feeling anxious, she was suddenly embraced tightly by someone unknown.
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