A Beauty With Multiple Masks

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Inside Arielle’s room.

Arielle felt neither unhappy nor unsettled in any way as she surveyed the modestly decorated interior of the hotel room.

Never mind that she had temporarily fallen out of favor with Henrick, her very presence had already thrown this family into disarray, and amidst the ensuing chaos, she reckoned that she would surely find the truth which she sought!

The ceremony would begin in half-an-hour.

Before leaving the room behind, Arielle went before the mirror to straighten out her disheveled hair.

The girl staring back at her in the reflection looked unbelievably fetching, coltish and acquiescent, but only she herself knew this to be a mere facade.

A wolf masquerading in sheep skin bit faster, more incisively and viciously, and left no chances for its enemies.

The venue for the ceremony was extravagantly luxurious, with the aroma of coffee from the sampling stations of the various sponsoring roasters saturating the air inside.

Shandie picked up a cuppa the moment she entered and took a whiff from it before tilting her head toward Henrick. “This is pretty good, smells full-bodied. And judging from its form, I reckon that it should be from… Corleon.”

The sponsor at the side approached appreciatively when he incidentally overheard her. “You’ve a good eye, Miss. Our beans are indeed sourced from Corleon.”

The man’s effusive praise for Shandie made Henrick’s heart swell with joy as he looked proudly at her.

While Shandie was basking in her moment of glory, she lifted her head to see that sponsor looking absolutely mesmerized by Arielle.

Shandie had no doubt that the man would start drooling were he to carry on ogling, and that irked her to no end.

 

Although Shandie was a little over twenty just as Arielle was, the former still came across as a young lass who had yet to shake off her own girlishness.

In a few more years, there would be no telling whether Shandie herself would even be fit enough to be a complementary leaf to the ravishing rose that Arielle could become.

The very thought of that had Shandie gnashing her teeth and wishing for Arielle to disappear.

She thought that a country girl like Arielle should not show up and mess up her life like this!

Shandie took two steps to her left to block off the man’s line of sight, and harbored deviousness in her eyes when she picked up a cup of coffee in the same motion.

She shoved the beverage into Arielle’s hands and said, “Have a taste of their coffee too, Arielle. I thought it’s rather decent.”

Before Arielle could respond, Shandie pressed a hand to her own mouth as if she had hit upon a realization. “I forgot that you’ve always stayed in the countryside… so you must not have taken coffee before, haven’t you?”

eyes behind her. He was looking for an ambassador

that she was from the countryside and had not even drank coffee

undesirable, as

toward Shandie’s comments and only wished to taste it for

sampling drew a frown

fragrant as the coffee smelled, it was too acrid to the taste buds and apart from the bitterness, there was little complexity to the aftertaste –

 

made it

adamant in the view that

does a country bumpkin like

the sponsor apologetically. “I’m sorry, mister. It’s not that your coffee isn’t good,

did not understand his product at

okay, since not everyone is a coffee lover. In that case, I’ll

sponsor nodded at

he watched the man depart, believing his younger daughter to be far more

“Really, Shannie. Why did you have

quite indignant. “It

waved it off. “The girl had always been forgetful, but Arielle, how could you tell the

gaze apologetically. “I’m sorry,

“It’s almost time, so you should

before she took her pass backstage, while Arielle followed Henrick and Cindy

 

far behind by a Henrick who looked like he was trying to keep his distance from something repugnant,

father who would happily toss her aside

kept her own emotions

ceremony commenced shortly after they

primarily because of the presence of Vinson Nightshire as one of the guest-of-honors

to secure a slot at the event just

the introduction by the host; starting with one of the founders of Crown Coffee Academy; followed by

welcomed in the final guest. “Please put your hands together for the CEO

ignited went far to illustrate

door leading backstage. At the end of the

documentation of the ceremony each year would receive extra attention largely because of

of the stage to

Is that… Arielle?

awhile before pulling away. He then extended

 

gathered in the seats. “Hello everyone,

from the audience grew ever more

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