Chapter 400 William and Hayden (1)
<Chapter>Chapter 400 William and Hayden (1) </Chapter>
Seven years ago, a lavish masquerade ball was underway in the luxurious ballroom of a six-star hotel in London.
"See her? The woman in the black dress with skin as smooth as satin?"
"Yeah, she's got a killer figure. Wonder what her face looks like?"
In a corner of the ballroom, a man in a gold Venetian half-mask and another in a white mask chatted unabashedly in Mandarin while sipping their drinks.
"Tonight, she's mine."
"Holy shit!" The man in the white mask was utterly astonished, pausing for a few seconds before composing himself, "You, hasn't she always ignored you? What makes you think you can—?"
"Of course it's..." The man in the golden mask started with a sleazy smirk, lifting his champagne glass to his lips and downing the bubbly with ease, "The drink in her cup."
"You had someone spike her drink...?"
The man chuckled but remained silent. He grabbed another glass of champagne from a passing waiter and followed the lady in the black evening gown.
That woman was none other than Hayden, the elite heiress of one of the country's prominent families, The Smiths.
A few meters away, William stood tall and imposing in the corner, overhearing every word of the men's conversation clearly.
Glancing over, he caught a brief look at Hayden, who was also wearing a black half-mask matching her gown, as she walked out towards the banquet hall exit. His brows narrowed slightly beneath his mask, and he promptly stepped out through another side door.
Once outside in the corridor, he immediately spotted the woman on the phone, a glass in one hand, her phone in the other, leaning seductively against the railing.
In the dim light, the woman's pose was alluring, her red lips bewitching, and her actions spoke of undeniable sensuality.
Watching her speaking on the phone and tilting the glass towards her lips while the man bent on bedding Hayden was already approaching her.
Without hesitation, William quickened his pace toward Hayden.
"Ah!"
Just as William passed by Hayden, her arm tilted, and with a yelp, two-thirds of the champagne from her glass spilled over the front of her dress.
"Sorry about that, madam!" William's thin lips turned slightly behind his mask as he apologized. He looked at the obviously startled Hayden, her bright red lips agape.
"Did you do that on purpose?" Hayden glared at the stain on her chest, visibly annoyed.
Although the man before her was masked, and she couldn't see his face, the look in his eyes just moments ago conveyed a strange sentiment she couldn't quite place.
"What is that?" Hayden wondered, unable to articulate her feelings.
"Are you alright?" The man who was interested in Hayden rushed over immediately, his face full of concern.
At the sound of his voice, Hayden's brows furrowed instantly.
Turning her head, Hayden recognized the man instantly, even though he wore a half-mask. Her displeasure grew. "Nikolai Ivanov, what are you doing here?"
"I..."
"Shut up, get lost!"
Before Nikolai's voice had faded, Hayden brusquely cut him off. Nikolai's presence completely scrambled his already foul mood.
Without paying any attention to William at his side, Hayden set his empty glass on the marble railing and shoved Nikolai aside roughly as he strode past him toward the elevator.
Nikolai followed after him.
"Nikolai, stop following me, or I won't be nice," Hayden warned fiercely over his shoulder, then continued on his way with long strides.
William stood there, watching them, an eyebrow raised in amusement.
Why did he stand up for a chick he'd never met and who he didn't even know? Was it just because she was easy on the eyes?
Ha...
With a puzzled smile, Teresa turned and left to rejoin the party.
No sooner had William entered the grand ballroom than his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.
He took out his phone, his brow furrowing slightly as he stepped back out into the hallway to answer it.
Whatever the person on the other end said, William listened intently, his expression growing more serious by the second. After hanging up without any delay, he made his way quickly to the elevator.
As he reached the elevator and pushed the button to go down, the doors slid open. Before he had stepped in, he caught sight of Hayden curled up in a ball inside.
Her face was buried in her knees, and since she was still wearing her mask, William couldn't see her expression. However, it was clear she was in pain.
"What's wrong?" Without any hesitation, William stepped in to help Hayden.
"Don't touch me!"
Startled by the voice, she looked up sharply. Upon seeing the man who had just collided with her and spilled his drink all over her, she spoke in a cold tone just as William's hand was about to reach her.
Caught off guard, William stopped mid-motion.
After a brief pause, he gave a wry smile, withdrew his hands, then turned away from Hayden as if he had seen nothing and pressed the button for the first floor and the close-door button.
After doing all that, he completely ignored the figure huddled behind him. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared motionless at the elevator floor numbers descending.
Hayden looked up at the tall man with a statuesque poise standing before her, and somehow, the cramping in her lower abdomen seemed to ease.
Damn it, her stomach was already in knots, and then Nikolai had to show up and make her discomfort even worse.
The elevator's ding softly chimed as it reached the ground floor. Without giving a second glance to Hayden, who was still behind him, William strode out with long steps as the doors slowly parted.
Hayden watched him leave, feeling an inexplicable urge to chase after him and demand an apology. But as she tried to stand, a sharp pain surged through her lower abdomen, forcing her to pause. It took a moment before she could muster enough composure to walk out of the elevator.
The driver had already pulled up outside the hotel lobby and was waiting. As soon as Hayden appeared, he promptly got out and opened the car door for her.
Once inside the vehicle and the door shut, Hayden removed her mask, revealing a layer of fine sweat covering her forehead from the pain.
"Miss, are you alright?" the driver asked with concern, catching a glimpse of her discomfort in the rearview mirror.
Hayden leaned back into the seat, furrowed her brows, and closed her eyes. "It's nothing. Just take me back to my dorm at the business school," she said.
"If you're feeling unwell, you shouldn't go back to the dorm. How about you head home to your villa?" suggested the driver.
With her eyes still closed, Hayden merely shook her head again without a word.
Seeing her insistence, the driver didn't press further. He lightly stepped on the accelerator and steered the car towards the business school's student housing.
Back at the dorm, Hayden took out some pain relievers and popped two pills. Only after the discomfort had eased did she head for a shower.
"Click!"
