Chapter 2 Beauty With Brains

"Did you get the job done?" Madeline couldn't help but hit Lucia with her elbow. Seeing Chloe's elegance, her heart was brimming with envy.

How she wished she could rush forward and tear up Chloe's dress!

"Yes, I did! Why hasn't it come off already?" Lucia was starting to feel anxious. All her efforts were in vain.

"Wow, Miss Chloe Chu is a stunner! I don't think I have seen someone gorgeous like her before!"

Once they had gotten a good look, they began to whisper praises.

"She's like a princess in a fairy tale!" someone whispered.

Lucia's anger became tenfold on hearing these compliments. Downcast, she stared at her evening dress. It didn't even fit her properly! She, Nicholas' second daughter, wasn't half as elegant as Chloe. She always stood out like a sore thumb. And today, she looked like a funny clown, her fat body bursting out of the gown.

The man's sharp eyes remained glued to Chloe. He was eyeing her like she was his prey. Even though he had seen lots of beautiful women, he had never been so interested in anyone before.

None of them held the charm that Chloe had. As she walked gracefully, his eyes followed her everywhere she went.

"Oh, woman!" he muttered to himself. He took another glass of wine from a nearby waiter and took a sip.

'A princess in a fairy tale?' Hearing the comments from the crowd, the man's cold and attractive lips twitched.

"Miss," Yvonne said, trying to get Chloe's attention. She was an observant lady and her sharp eyes realized that the evening gown would soon come apart.

Chloe met Yvonne's eyes. At first, she didn't understand what her maid was trying to say. But soon, she began to feel it. Her face flushed and she found herself in a dilemma.

'What should I do? If I turn around and run upstairs, I am going to come across as an impolite girl. How do I save the day?' She racked her mind for a solution.

'How did this happen? I think I should blame my own body for being too plump, ' Chloe thought and laughed a little. She was the type of girl who could find humor even in the face of adversity. Suddenly, she remembered the ornament on her bun. It was a hairpin!

She turned around, took the hairpin from her bun and pinned it on her chest. The split lapels were sewn back together once again. The whole issue was sorted within seconds.

People hardly noticed the interlude. In the blink of an eye, her problem was solved.

'Beauty with brains, ' thought the man, who was taken with her. He had clearly seen what had happened.

Apart from that, nobody else suspected a thing.

"Mom!" Lucia, who was eagerly waiting for something bad to happen, stamped her feet. She was frustrated. "Look at that bitch," she whispered to Madeline, unable to hide her indignation.

"I saw it. You don't have to scream and make a scene," Madeline said, raising her hands to stop her daughter. The truth was, she had been more excited than Lucia to see Chloe make a fool of herself.

Now they could do nothing but watch Chloe come down from the end of the stairs, like a fairy descending from the sky. The praises were pouring like rain.

"She's so beautiful. You are lucky to have her as your daughter!" Nicholas' friends couldn't stop gushing over Chloe's beauty.

Nicholas called Chloe over to his side, asking her to propose a toast to the guests. After all, they were important partners of the Chu family. If Chloe took over the Chu family's business in the future, these people would definitely support her.

With a lovely smile on her face, Chloe happily chatted with everyone present.

"Mom, what we should do? I can't stand to see her so happy!" Lucia pouted, realizing her own inferiority.

In situations like these, Lucia understood how ugly she was! Lucia's hatred for Chloe knew no bounds.

"Stop! You have no one but yourself to blame. I asked you to do a simple task, but you couldn't even do that!" Madeline was disappointed with her daughter.

"Now look at this," Madeline said, opening her hand and showing her a small bag of powder.

"I am giving you another chance. Go ahead and add this to her drink." Madeline looked at her daughter warily, afraid that her stupid daughter would fail her again.

"Okay, Mom. I won't let you down this time." Lucia was sure of herself. Walking towards the waiter, she added powder to the wine. And then, she asked him to pour the wine in Chloe's glass. She paid him a good sum for this help.

Happily, he went to Chloe and asked if he could refill. Chloe politely held the glass out, letting him fill it.

"Chloe, after you graduate from college, would you like to work in my company as an intern? The work I am offering suits your major." The guest warmly chatted with Chloe.

"Yes, of cause." After drinking a few glasses of wine, Cassie felt a surge of heat rising in her belly.

It couldn't be! From the very beginning, she accustomed herself to wine. Her father had told her that a capable business woman must learn how to drink. Business parties had a lot of drinking involved.

If a few glasses of wine made her feel dizzy, how could she manage to chat with her business partners in the future?

'No, this can't be!' she told herself. She was well-aware of her drinking capabilities. Just a few glasses of wine had never made her feel like this before.

She tried to compose herself, only to feel dizzy again. It got so bad that she had to hold onto the wall to stop herself from falling.

'Am I really that drunk?' Soon, her whole body softened. She tried hard but her legs were starting to give up on her.

At the same time, she was a little short of breath.

"Yvonne, Yvonne," Chloe called as she looked around. But her vision had been affected as well. She could see double images. Knowing she was about to lose her balance, she looked at the guests. "Excuse me, I need to use the washroom," she said and fled from the hall.

She made her way to the garden, trying to get some fresh air. If there was something she loved a lot, it was the garden. It could always lift her spirit.

The party was still going on. People were dancing, talking and laughing. The atmosphere of the banquet was deafening. All this hustle-bustle was suffocating her. Chloe tried to find respite in the garden.

"Ah, I feel horrible!" she muttered under her breath.

But as the fresh air blew onto her face, her restless heart felt a lot better. She staggered towards the roses.

People were dancing and singing inside the hall. They were so busy that they barely noticed her absence.

As soon as the smell of roses entered her nostrils, her face broke into a genuine smile. She swayed happily, without a care in the world. Five seconds ago, she had felt horrible. But being here dispelled all the restlessness that had resided in her heart.

She had thought she was all alone here. However, the man with those eagle-like eyes followed her. Clad in a tuxedo, this tall and handsome prince made his way towards his princess.