Outcast: The Alpha King’s Beloved by Blue Tears
CHAPTER 35 ADMIT IT IN PUBLIC
Jennifer’s POV:
Anthony picked out a wine red dress with an open, crisscross design at the back. The hemline was embroidered with large lilies in a lighter shade of wine-red silk, adding a touch of awe to the dress without taking away from its elegance. The dress was particularly light and airy. It was cinched at the waist, outlining my curves. Moreover, the silver-gray high-heeled shoes that Anthony had chosen for me earlier drew attention to my slender legs.
I tried to pull up the zip that was at the back of the dress, but it was hard for me to do it by myself.
I had to ask the sales a*s*sistant for help. “Excuse me, can you help me zip up this dress?” I asked.
“Yes, miss,” the sales a*s*sistant answered.
After a pause, I heard the sound of the door opening and closing.
“Let me help you,” Anthony said in his magnetic voice.
I almost jumped in surprise when I heard his voice. Before I could even take a look at his face, he pressed me against the wall and kissed me, swallowing the words at the tip of my tongue.
His tongue entered my mouth and tangled with my tongue, leaving me feeling out of breath. I felt like all my senses were on fire. His hands restlessly wandered around my body, from my swaying b*reas*ts to my navel, and then further downward.
“You’re w*et.” Anthony’s low and hoarse voice brought me back to my senses, and I grabbed his hands to stop him.
He stared at me with blurred eyes. His desire was clearly written on his face.
“I’m sorry, Jennifer. I forgot myself.”
He leaned forward and bit my collarbone lightly. Then, he wrapped his arms around me and finally zipped up my dress.
I was so light-headed that I could barely registered what was happening.
As soon as he finished zipping up the dress, I rushed out of the fitting room with a red face.
The next evening, Elizabeth held the masquerade. All the trainees had been invited to attend it. It was a rare entertainment activity for us, so naturally, everyone was in high spirits.
Since it was a masquerade, all the guests were required to wear masks. This was great for me, because my mate bond with Anthony couldn’t be made public for the time being.
Anthony was wearing a black and golden mask, but everyone could recognize him at a glance, because there was no one else whose aura could match his. Under the longing gazes of the she-wolves in the hall, he walked straight to me and held out his hand.
“Miss, may I invite you to dance with me?”
The other she-wolves looked at me with envy. From where I was standing, I could hear them whispering heatedly amongst themselves, trying to guess my ident*ity. However, my face was covered tightly by the mask. I didn’t think anyone could recognize me.
With that confidence, I placed my hand on Anthony’s, accepting his invitation. I was wearing the wine-red dress that he had bought yesterday. After leading me to the dance floor, Anthony wrapped his arm around my waist and began dancing with me, much to the awe of the whole crowd. Standing in the center of the ballroom, Anthony spun me around and lifted me into the air every now and then, evoking cheers from the other guests. But the whole time, the two of us stared into each other’s eyes, as if the lively atmosphere around us didn’t exist, and we were the only two people in the world.
Just when the song was about to end, I felt someone suddenly bump into me from behind. I looked up subconsciously, but at this time, I felt a light breeze on my face.
My mask was torn off.
I could only helplessly watch it fall to the floor before it was picked up by that b*tch , Ella. She shot me a vicious grin.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I took off your mask by accident,” she said in mock apology.
Then, she pretended to widen her eyes in astonishment and deliberately raised her voice so that it was loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear.
“Oh my God! It’s Jennifer!”
Her voice drew the others’ attention, and sure enough, the other she-wolves also joined in the exclamations of surprise.
“It’s really Jennifer!”
“How could it be Jennifer? Is she Mr. Jones’ date tonight?”
“Oh, so Jennifer really has seduced Mr. Jones! I thought they were just rumors. Uh-oh… Did I say something wrong?” As soon as Ella finished speaking, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, as if she had said too much by accident.
Of course, I knew that this was all part of her plot to ruin my reputation. I really wanted to tear her hateful face apart.
“Ella, watch your language,” Anthony warned her in a low voice.
But Ella just pretended to be frightened and replied, “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Jones. I said too much.”
Her words thrust me and Anthony into the center of attention. Previously, Barbara had spread a rumor that I had seduced Anthony. Although the prince had promptly driven her away, the rumor had already spread among the other trainees and affected my reputation. Now, Ella’s words were adding fuel to the fire. All the trainees were discussing in whispers.
“Is Mr. Jones defending Jennifer?”
“Jennifer is such a cunning woman! As soon as you look at her, you can tell that she’s a seductress. Who knows how she seduced Mr. Jones.”
“What a shameless b*tch!”
Some of the she-wolves began to attack me with malicious words. They didn’t dare to badmouth Anthony, so they all targeted me. Their words were getting more and more unpleasant to hear.
Only a few trainees like Skylar and Daniel were on my side, but they couldn’t do anything at the moment to stop these she-wolves from abusing me.
I glared at Ella with undisguised anger and hatred. She had tried to hurt me again and again these days. The only reason I hadn’t exposed her yet was that I didn’t have any evidence. However, this was the last straw; I couldn’t tolerate her any longer.
“Don’t be impulsive. We have to wait for the right time to get revenge,” Eva reminded me, sensing how angry I was.
“Yes, Eva. I will make her pay the price one day,” I told Eva in my mind, clenching my fists.
Even Anthony noticed the fury on my face and loosened his grip on my hand.
I watched in a daze as he walked away from the dance floor. “Is he angry?” Eva asked worriedly in my mind.
My heart ached, but I still said, “Eva, don’t talk nonsense. He won’t be angry with me because of a petty issue like this.”
Anthony didn’t walk of out of the hall, but walked up onto the stage and picked up the microphone.
“Jennifer is indeed the woman I have feelings for, but she has never seduced me. So if I hear anyone insult her, slander her, or spread rumors about her again, I won’t spare them.”
The crowd instantly stopped talking, and their jaws dropped in shock.
“How could Mr. Jones have feelings for that b*tch ? Did I hear it wrong?” a she-wolf complained.
After Anthony cast a cold glance all over the hall, no one dared to speak anymore.
As for me, I didn’t care about anything else anymore. The hall and all the other guests around me seemed to disappear. Only Anthony’s powerful words reached my ears, filling my heart with unprecedented warmth. Ever since I lost my parents and brother, I had forgotten what it was like to be protected like this. It turned out that being protected was such a precious thing.