Chapter 16
Agnes was chillin' in the corner, munching on some fancy snacks and feeling way better. A gust of sea breeze hit, and she quickly shut the window. She'd bailed from the salon so fast she forgot her shawl. If it wasn't for the cabin's heating, she'd be an ice pop by now.
She was bored out of her mind, waiting forever for the party to kick off. At least the tasty food kept her busy.
While grabbing a drink, she overheard someone saying the Perez family was waiting on some big-shot guest. Once they showed up, the party would start, and the cruise would set sail.
Minutes later, there was a ruckus at the cabin door. Agnes was floored seeing almost all the women rushing to the entrance like it was Black Friday.
If it weren't for their usual high-class manners, they'd probably be screaming their heads off.
In no time, she figured out who had everyone so hyped.
From her spot by the food, Agnes had a clear view of the entrance. There he was, the richest dude in Lumina City, Leopold.
The Perez family was waiting for him. As soon as he showed up, the cruise ship started moving, and the party was on.
Agnes didn't want to deal with Leopold in public, but that jerk always had a bone to pick with her. So, from the moment he showed up, she did her best to stay out of sight.
Leopold and Ella kicked off the party with the first dance.
Another pair was their principal, Ethan and his date.
Made sense since it was a Perez Group shindig. Ethan being there was no biggie. His partner was a total knockout, a stylish and elite woman in a brown evening dress who gave off a super chill vibe.
After the dance, the room erupted in applause. Agnes clapped too, but she was really clapping for Ethan and his partner.
After the dance, everyone scattered for some free time. For a while, whether inside the cabin or out on the deck, people were toasting, chatting, singing, and laughing, having a blast.
But the smart ones could tell that apart from the work talk, everyone was getting bored as time dragged on. People were just making small talk, and even though there was singing and dancing, there weren't many real connections.
Justin had been goofing off with two hotties from the start and was now laughing it up with them not far from Agnes.
Agnes shook her head, kinda helpless. She was stuffed, so she got up and headed outside to check out the night sea view.
There were quite a few folks on the deck. A sea breeze blew, and Agnes shivered. It was freezing.
She thought about going back to grab Justin's jacket, but seeing he was about to kiss one of the ladies, she turned back.
She looked at the sea and smirked. Justin was still a guy, after all; he couldn't resist a pretty face.
She wondered if Justin would still be friends with her if she wasn't good-looking.
"Agnes?" A gentle voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Agnes tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear and looked at the person. It was Ethan. "Mr. Perez, hey!" she greeted politely.
Agnes was the type who responded better to kindness than to harshness, and she dug Ethan's gentle vibe.
Ethan took off his pricey suit and draped it over Agnes, saying warmly, "It's freezing out here. Why aren't you inside?"
Agnes, who'd been shivering, instantly felt warmer. She looked at Ethan gratefully and said, a bit embarrassed, "I stuffed myself inside and came out to walk it off."
Her words made Ethan chuckle. "Did you come with Justin?"
"Yeah," Agnes replied.
"Justin's a flirt. Once he's got pretty ladies around, he forgets about you." Ethan, like her, leaned on the railing, staring at the dark sea.
"It's cool. He's single and has the right to chase happiness and beautiful women!" Agnes said.
Ethan smiled lightly. "Come on, I want to introduce you to someone."
"Who?" She was puzzled. Why would Ethan want to introduce someone to her? Was he like this with everyone?
Ethan didn't answer, just motioned for her to follow him. Agnes couldn't refuse and trailed him back to the cabin.
In the cabin's food area, Agnes was floored to see the three people in front of her: Leopold, Ella, and the woman who had danced with Ethan earlier.
Could she ever get away from Leopold?
Ethan greeted the trio politely.
Just as Agnes couldn't stand Leopold's sharp and mocking gaze and was about to turn and bail, Ethan extended his right arm to block her way. "Agnes, Leopold is my good friend. This is Ella Garcia, Leopold's partner, and this is my girlfriend, Kelly Sanchez. Kelly, this is Agnes Tudor."
Agnes had no choice but to step forward, deliberately ignoring Leopold and Ella, and smiled at Kelly. "Hey, Kelly, nice to meet you." She was puzzled. She and Ethan weren't close, not even having spoken privately. Why was he introducing his girlfriend to her? What was his deal?
Kelly warmly took her hand and said softly, "So you're Agnes? You're gorgeous! From now on, we're friends. If you need any help, you can come to me!"
Her voice was clear and pleasant, making Agnes feel more at ease.
Agnes was a bit flattered. Before she could say anything, a voice cut in, "Kelly, not everyone can be your friend. After all, you can't judge a book by its cover. A pretty face is just skin deep; a dirty soul is the most disgusting thing!"
Kelly and Ethan were shocked, looking at Leopold. Ethan had guessed there might be some beef between Leopold and Agnes, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad.
Leopold usually hated women, but he'd never been so acid-tongued to one. Even if a woman shamelessly tried to get close to him, Leopold would just give an order, and the woman would be in a living hell.
Was it all because of those ten times Agnes said, 'Leopold, I love you'?
Agnes grabbed the wine glass from Ella's hand and splashed it forcefully!
"Agnes!" Realizing what she was about to do, Ethan tried to stop her, but it was too late.
Amid the gasps of the onlookers, the wine flew out of the glass and into the air.
"Oh my God! Who is that woman? She's so bold, daring to splash Mr. Neville with wine. Does she have a death wish?"
"She's crazy! She must have a mental problem!"
"Just wait and see! She's definitely done for!"
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