Love You Into My Soul

"Dear Nicole, see you tonight at 7 o'clock in the Presidential Suite number 5018 in Grand Mansion on XH Road. I have informed all our ex-classmates. Come on time!"

Staring at Samuel Zhang's text message, Nicole Lin felt annoyed. She didn't know whether she should accept the invitation or not.

Samuel Zhang was her high school classmate. She hadn't come to A City for many years and had lost contact with many of her classmates. Although she had returned home two years back, she had steered clear of any acquaintances. However, she had bumped into Samuel Zhang on her way back from work one day.

He had offered to drive her home and they got talking en route. Finally, before they parted, he had invited her to the reunion party. She couldn't refuse him outright. Besides, she did have some reasons to attend the reunion.

When someone was so poor that they couldn't even afford to eat, they couldn't afford to care about their dignity!

Armed with the credit card, Nicole Lin took the elevator to the Grand Mansion. She walked to the Presidential Suite number 5018. On the way, she overheard two familiar women chatting.

"Do you think Nicole will come to this year's reunion party?" asked a woman with long hair.

Her friend, who had curly hair, smiled and replied, "You seem to be looking forward to her arrival. Are you still competing with her after all these years?"

"Given her family's current situation, there's no way she can compete with me!"

"You're right. She was so arrogant back then as though she was a princess. But her father took a mistress and had an illegitimate daughter, who was about the same age as her. Her father chose his illegitimate daughter over her. Her family was destroyed. It was terrible. I heard that she returned to A City two years ago, but she didn't dare to contact her old classmates. If Samuel hadn't mentioned her tonight, we would have never known that she was back in the city."

"I don't know why Samuel still fawns over her! But I'm dying to see how she is now. I didn't know that she would dare to come tonight!"

"Don't worry. She'll be here for sure."

"How can you be so sure?"

The woman with curly hair gave her a meaningful look and made a snarky comment. "Who do you think will pay for the dinner tonight?"

The long-haired woman was stunned.

She was the class belle back in high school. She was originally Nicole Lin's bestie, but later she had become inexplicably hostile towards her. And she always turned everything into a competition with Nicole Lin. The woman with curly hair was the class belle's best friend. Nicole Lin had severed ties with them after she went to college. She had assumed that nobody would find out the truth about her family, but it appeared that these two gossip mongers knew everything!

Nicole Lin clenched her fists, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to draw some strength. Holding her head up high, she walked towards the room. This was life. No matter how bad things got, one had to move on.

When she pushed open the door of the Presidential Suite, she saw a group of people dancing crazily. Samuel Zhang was about to start singing, but as soon as he saw her, he yelled, "Dear Nicole is here!"

All of a sudden, everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

Nicole Lin put on her bravest smile. The men returned her smiles with enthusiasm, while the women turned their noses up at her.

Nicole Lin used to be one of the popular kids in high school. Everyone who had heard of her was intimidated by her. Samuel liked to call her "Dear Nicole".

She found an empty chair and sat down. Samuel came over with a glass of wine. "Dear Nicole, you're finally here! It's so great to see you. Nobody believed me when I told them that I had invited you to the party."

"Nicole, I'd like to propose a toast to you. I haven't seen you in so long and you have become more and more beautiful!" said another man cheerfully.

"No, no, don't offer her red wine. Dear Nicole only drinks hard liquor. A bottle of liquor is acceptable."

Nicole finally waved her hand and said, "Samuel, don't bother. I have quitted drinking a long time ago."

"Oh, Dear Nicole, have you stopped your bad habits? Or have you adopted a low-key style of luxury?" Samuel exclaimed exaggeratedly.

"You are so low-key that your GUCCI bag is outdated!" Suddenly, a cold female voice cut through the conversation.

The crowd turned and saw the class belle. The woman eyed Nicole's handbag, while the men were quiet.

The Foreign Language School that Nicole attended was locally known as an "aristocratic school". Its population was made up of rich kids, who liked to compare each other's wealth and social standing. Eight years ago, Nicole was also one of these affluent kids, but then her father had fallen into the mistress's trap and had an illegitimate daughter. Since then, her life was turned upside down. Nicole didn't expect anybody to recognize her old handbag. When she came to the reunion party, she knew she was going to meet all her posh classmates again. She was carrying the branded handbag to fit in. But her old nemesis had called her out on it and embarrassed her in front of everyone.

Nicole raised her head and stared at the class belle quietly, while the latter looked back at her arrogantly. There was a gleam in her eyes, just like when she used to compete with Nicole in school. 'I never thought that she would still be hung up on the childish enmity even after eight years! Was it all because of a man?'

But when she thought of that man, Nicole couldn't help laughing.

The girl with curly hair fixed a pleasant smile on her face and walked over to Nicole. She sat down and held Nicole's hand. "Don't be mad at Jenny. After she married Mr. Ford, the second son of the Fu family, and gave birth to a healthy boy, her husband, father-in-law, and mother-in-law favored her so much that her priorities changed. Although your handbag is outdated and not a customized style, you have used it for several years. So it must be meaningful to you, right?"

said the curly-haired woman in mock empathy. She hid her hostility behind her sincere smile.

Ford Fu was known for his wealth and good looks in the city, and the L Group, which belonged to the Fu family, was one of the best real estate enterprises in the city.

'The way she is showing off their wealth is ridiculous. Does she think that I will be humiliated by her words? If I had been so fragile, I would have been defeated countless times over the years. If these people are showing off their material wealth, I will show them that I am better than them in other aspects.'

Having made up her mind, Nicole stood up and strolled over to the class belle, ignoring the hostility from the curly-haired woman. Nicole held out her hand and said, "Jenny, long time no see. Congratulations on your perfect marriage!"

The class belle looked at Nicole in disbelief! Nicole's expression was perfect. She was not at all affected by her vicious comments, and was, in fact, acting natural. For everyone present, Nicole looked much more sophisticated while Jenny and her sidekick friend ended up looking like upstarts.

Samuel laughed and said, "Dear Nicole is still more classy than you two flashy girls. Better walk away. Dear Nicole, forget about them. Susie and Dana have married much better than them. Truly upscale people never deign to show off! And Eddie, Quintin and Bain run their own companies. They have done a good job. Even those of us who depend on our fathers' businesses are envious of them. Jean and Dawn went to the police academy and they have a bright future too. So if you are fined for driving fast in the future, mention Dawn's name and you'll be let off easily. Ha-ha!"

Nicole immediately seized the opportunity to get some important information. She asked, "Which industry do Eddie and Quintin belong to?"

Samuel held up two fingers and asked her, "Do you know it?"

Nicole shook her head. She was at the party, especially for Quintin. She heard that he was engaged in the same industry as her, so there might be an opportunity for them to work with each other.

At this moment, the door suddenly opened. At first, Nicole thought it was Quintin, but then a male classmate came running in and shouted, "Samuel! Mr. Lambert is here. He's taking the elevator. He's almost here!"

The male classmates were surprised, while the female classmates were thrilled. All the single ladies tidied up their appearances, while those who were married couldn't wait to see the man. The woman with curly hair was also staring at the door expectantly. "Is that our senior schoolmate Mr. Lambert, the young president of the LA Group?" she asked inquisitively.

"Yes, yes! Bring me the two bottles of wine that I had ordered, and change the music to Mr. Lambert's taste!"

Nicole panicked. 'Why is Lambert here?'

Samuel suddenly patted her hand and said, "Dear Nicole, the person you should be talking to is Mr. Lambert. His family runs a venture capital company. If you have a suitable proposal for him, you can definitely win the project!"

Nicole was shocked. 'I am desperate for a project, but I wouldn't ask Lambert for help no matter how anxious I am. Is Samuel playing tricks on me? After what happened in the past, I don't ever want to see Lambert again in my life!' Anger rose in Nicole's heart.

Samuel and several male classmates had already gone out to take a peek at Lambert. After a while, the door opened and several handsome men in sharp suits and shiny leather shoes walked in. Lambert finally strolled in and Samuel, nodded and bowed to him. Nicole was aware of what evil lurked beneath that handsome face!

Turning away from him subconsciously, she could hear all her classmates moving towards him. This man was still the same. Wherever he went, he was surrounded by admirers. She heard the compliments of her female classmates and the gentle laughter of the men. Finally, she'd had enough. Nicole got up and marched towards the bathroom.

The music outside was loud and her heart was pounding. She hid in the bathroom and stared at the pale face in the mirror. Even with heavy makeup, she couldn't disguise her ashen face.

Lambert Lu was like a nightmare haunting Nicole's youth. No matter how hard she tried to forget him, she couldn't get over the pain. Every time she thought of Lambert Lu or heard his name, she felt like she was drowning.

She didn't know how much time had passed until Samuel knocked on the door. It was time for her to go out and face the situation. She couldn't keep hiding forever. She had done it for so many years.

Nicole pulled out her lipstick and applied it on her lips fiercely. She didn't know why she did that, but whenever she was nervous or scared, she would dress up, as if it was a protective mask that concealed her fears. She looked glamorous by the time she stepped out.

The guests were playing games. The music was loud, but Lambert Lu still turned his head slightly as if he sensed her presence. As the crowd parted, his eyes fixed on her in the flickering light. Anger was hidden within the depths of his mesmerizing eyes.

When Lambert Lu walked up to her, Nicole clenched her fists discreetly in a nervous gesture. Lambert Lu looked breathtaking with a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. When he was close to her, he held out his hand and said, "Long time no see, Nicole. I didn't expect to meet you here!"

Lambert's voice was like a dagger, easily shattering Nicole's stubborn facade.

She stared at his hand. It was slender, white, and powerful. It was these same beautiful hands that used to grab her neck fiercely. Even though Nicole would struggle and beg him, he would only squint at her coldly. She had longed to feel his hands on her, but after all these years, it was her sister who settled in his arms. Back then, Lambert had held the daughter of the mistress possessively in front of Nicole. "This is the woman I love. If you do anything to her, I will ensure you have a miserable life," he had sworn.

'Why did God have to give me such an awful man as my first love? It looks like I have come to this reunion party just to humiliate myself!'

Nicole looked at Lambert frostily. Then she picked up her old bag from the sofa and walked out silently.

"Do you hate my face that much?" Lambert asked with a wicked smile.

Samuel hurriedly went to them to smooth things over. "Dear Nicole, it's an honor for us to have Mr. Lambert attend this party, and it's also rare for us to have you here. Let's sit down and catch up. After all, we haven't talked much at this reunion!"

"If you have invited me here just to see this bastard's face, it's not necessary! Samuel, since we have been classmates for several years, I don't want to be rude. Thank you for your hospitality!"

Nicole wanted to leave, but two of Lambert's bodyguards suddenly obstructed her path.

Swirling the red wine in his glass, Lambert sauntered up to Nicole and said in a voice so low only the two of them could hear, "Your mother is dead. Your father abandoned you and your brother for his mistress. Your family's business is down and even your house is mortgaged. Your grandma is sick and needs to be taken care of. Your younger brother is a black sheep. You work in the E Venture Capital Company. As a low-level salesperson, your basic salary is 1500 dollars. After deducting housing funds and insurance like endowment, medical, unemployment, employment injury, and maternity, the rest of your salary is just 900 dollars. Your performance for the last three consecutive months has been zero and you are in danger of losing your job. You are 26 years old and your bank balance is less than a thousand dollars. Nicole, what do you have? Your life is in shambles. Ha-ha!"

Biting back her frustration, she raised her head and glared at Lambert.

He sipped his wine elegantly, showing his superiority, as if he was a nobleman and Nicole was a poor bumpkin to be trampled under his feet.

"I know what you want to do. I can see the rage in your eyes. I can still give you a chance to understand what you should do instead."

Nicole stared at him defiantly.

All of a sudden, he pulled her close to him and whispered gently in her ear, "Play a game with me. If you win, I will let you do whatever you want to do. If you lose, you have to stay here and not run away no matter what I do."

Nicole struggled to free herself from his grasp while Lambert continued, "Didn't you use to drink and play earlier? Do you dare you play with me or not?"

His face was so close to her she could feel his breath. No matter how handsome he was with his angular face and captivating eyes, she detested him. She was fighting the urge to slap him or throw a bottle of sulfuric acid to disfigure his gorgeous face. She hated him enough to actually do something so crazy.

Nicole suddenly laughed. Her voice was bitter, but it held a hint of anticipation. She said in a low voice, "If I win, will you really let me do anything I want to do?"

"Of course. I know you think I am a bastard but when have I ever broken my promise?" Lambert stroked the hair on her forehead gently and spoke to her intimately as if he was talking to his lover.

'He must think that I am obsessed with money. But what excites me more than money is the chance to slap him and throw the bottle of wine at his head. I am just drinking to boost my courage. No matter what happens when I wake up, I will be happy.' One could see just how much she loathed him!

"Okay, it's a deal!" Nicole agreed happily.

Lambert let go of her with a satisfied smile and went back to his table. He gestured with his hands to welcome her.

She strutted up to him. Samuel seemed to have caught on and clapped his hands eagerly to draw everyone's attention to it.

Lambert asked Samuel to get the dice. Before Samuel could do so, the beautiful women on either side of Lambert sprang into action. He looked like an absolute stud with pretty ladies clinging on to his arms. Lambert instructed his male secretary to bring his gloves too. 'Such a jerk! Wearing gloves before playing the game as if he is some kind of a nobleman,' Nicole thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

She waited patiently until the liquor was brought and half of the table was filled with shot glasses. The shot glasses were the perfect size for the highly concentrated liquor they were about to consume.

Nicole asked a waiter to bring her a glass of milk. Lambert nodded slightly as though offering thanks to the waiter. Nicole didn't give it too much thought, but when she drank the milk, she felt that there was something strange and cryptic about his smile.

After rolling the dice, Nicole guessed the number correctly and won. As per the rules, Lambert had to have a shot of liquor. He sipped it casually as if he was drinking water. He licked the corners of his mouth and squinted at her with an evil smile.

Nicole didn't react and set her mind on the second round. She won that round too. Lambert continued to drink the alcohol. Nobody dared to applaud her. Only Samuel cheered occasionally. In the third round, Nicole lost. The girls surrounding Lambert squealed in delight. Nicole raised her glass and drank the milk without hesitation. After drinking it, a peculiar fragrance lingered on her lips, and something felt bitter in her throat. She frowned slightly, but continued.