Since Waylen doesn’t object, she expertly cuts a small piece and raises the fork to feed him. Waylen looks at Leilani with a mischievous glint in his eyes and lowers his head to eat foie gras Lisa offers him.
The air is filled with emotional tension. The women at the next table simmer with jealousy and hatred and wish they were in Lisa’s position, and Lisa glows with confidence and pride. Robert subconsciously gives Leilani a look of pity.
“She’s like a princess losing both her husband’s love and her kingdom,” Robert thinks.
Leilani frowns slightly and feels herself growing restless. She never expected Waylen to be so skilled at seducing women, and she feels an inexplicable displeasure at the sight of him with Lisa. Her subtle expression doesn’t escape Waylen’s gaze. He suddenly locks eyes with her.
“Mrs. Bamford, What kind of book do you think I am?” he asks.
Leilani puts her water glass down with a heavy thud, and Waylen looks at her with a captivating but barbed smile. She takes a deep breath and smiles charmingly.
“I seldom read and have no idea about literature,” she says cooly, “But I don’t think it matters whether a book is great literature or a vulgar, popular novel—the interest of the reader matters more than the book itself. If a reader is uninterested, even a masterpiece can be dull and useless.”
She wipes her mouth with a napkin, stands up and saunters away from the table. Robert stands up and makes a move to follow Leilani, but Waylen raises his hand to stop him.
“I’ve heard that there’s a big show in the hotel bar tonight,” Waylen remarks.
Lisa’s heart flutters in her chest and her mind races.
“It sounds like Waylen is inviting me to spend the night together,” she thinks, “Is Waylen Bamford interested in me? What should I do? Should I play hard to get or agree to accompany him immediately? No, this is Waylen Bamford—he’s a legendary figure—I can’t play hard to get with a man like him.”
Almost as soon as Waylen finishes asking, she gives him a hurried nod. “I’d love to go.”
“She can’t wait to come with me,” Waylen thinks with satisfaction.
Waylen takes the napkin that Robert hands him, elegantly wipes the corner of his mouth, and stands up, “See you there.”
He begins to walk away and then suddenly turns around as if he’s just thought of something. He glances at the table of women, “Are they are your friends?”
He doesn’t wait for Lisa’s answer.
“They can join us tonight. The more the merrier,” he says casually.
Lisa’s eyes gleam; she can hardly believe her luck. She wants to react to Waylen’s words and show her gratitude and excitement, but he quickly leaves the restaurant. She stomps her foot excitedly and looks at her friends.
“Did you hear that?” she says, “Mr. Bamford and I are going on a date tonight!”
The women are dumbfounded by Mr. Bamford’s cool charm and his invitation to join him at night. Upon hearing Lisa’s excited scream, they become excited and begin to exclaim and giggle among themselves.
“Yes, Mr. Bamford invited us to go there together. Did I hear that wrong?”
“It’s all because of me that Mr. Bamford invited you,” Lisa says, holding her neck up like a proud peac.o.c.k.
“Mr. Bamford seems interested in Lisa,” whispers one in despair, “What should I do? I want him to be mine.”
“What? How could he be yours?” hisses another.
“Do you take Mrs. Bamford seriously?” one woman asks Lisa.
“Mrs. Bamford? The doormat who doesn’t every dare to speak?” says Lisa derisively, “Such a plain wife doesn’t suit Mr. Bamford at all.”
“I sympathize with her,” hazards one of Lisa’s friends.
“You sympathize with her?” scoffs another, “You’d better learn from Lisa rather than waste your time sympathizing with Mrs. Bamford. After all, Mr. Bamford is head over heels in love with Lisa.”
“Stop talking nonsense,” interrupts another, “We should go shopping and buy some nice clothes to dress up for tonight. Quickly—while we still have time!”
There is a luxury shopping mall next to the hotel. The shops are situated in the middle of the skyscr.a.p.er, accessible only by modern, glass-walled elevators. All of the world’s most luxurious and fashionable brands are available in the mall. As they walk through the mall, Lisa’s friends continue to enthusiastically flatter her.
“Lisa, I know that Mr. Bamford likes cultured and intelligent woman like you so look at this store,” says one, “All of the clothes here are French and it was Princess Diana’s favorite brand before her death. It matches your temperament and style and you can dress up in a dignified and elegant manner.”
“Do you like that bag?” asks another, “I can buy it for you.”
“Look at this necklace. It’s designed for you,” gushes one woman.
“And this pair of shoes. Wow, they’re perfect.”
“Shall we go and see the clothes first?” Lisa asks.
Balmain is one of Leilani’s favorite brands. She loves their simple and stylish designs, and it’s well-known as the brand that best understands a woman’s figure. Her fingers glide over a row of plain dresses as the salesperson behind her introduces the dresses one by one. When Lisa and her friends enter the store and see Leilani they become even more excited.
After leaving the restaurant, Leilani decided to go shopping to take her mind off things. To avoid a repeat of the jewelry store incident, she specifically consulted with the front desk before shopping. The staff assured her that every store at the mall would accept her hotel card.
Upon seeing Lisa and her friends, she sighs. She never expected that Pleasure City would be so small.
“Oh, is that Mrs. Bamford?” Lisa says loudly, “I didn’t expect to be so lucky as to meet you here.”
“Will this be like the jewelry store all over again?” Veronica says maliciously,. She turns to the salesperson and continues, “You must pay attention to her. Last time she went to buy jewelry, but she couldn’t afford to pay her bill.”
The salesperson is slightly surprised, but she quickly regains her professional demeanor.
“We’ve verified Mrs. Bamford’s identity, but we treat all our customers equally,” says the salesperson, “It doesn’t matter if a customer purchases an item or not. We strive for customer satisfaction, and we want all of our customers to buy only what they love.”
“Well don’t you have a clear awareness,” Veronica snaps.
“Moreover, Mrs. Bamford has already finalized her transaction, and we are grateful for her patronage,” the salesperson continues.
The women look at the bags in Leilani’s hand and realize that she’s bought thousands of dollars worth of clothing. The women feel ashamed of their pettiness and become too embarrassed to speak. Lisa remains unfl.u.s.tered; instead she smiles slyly at Leilani.
“Who are you going to please with such beautiful clothes, Mrs. Bamford?” she asks.
The women seize the opportunity Lisa has just offered them.
“Who can she please but herself?” sneers Veronica, “After all, Mr. Bamford is going on a date with Lisa tonight.”
“Really?” Leilani says emotionlessly.
Leilani’s fingers stop on a black velvet dress, and she gently caresses the soft material. As she pulls the dress from the rack, she examines it with a critical eye.
“I hope you please Mr. Bamford,” Leilani says calmly, “I said that you were destined to be a mistress, but I didn’t expect for you to get a chance so soon. Lisa, you’d better seize this opportunity.”
Lisa’s face pales with anger and shame.
“You little—” she hisses.
The shop assistants begin to whisper to each other behind their hands.
“Is Lisa Mr. Bamford’s mistress? It must be hard for his wife to act so calm.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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