Chapter 12
Simone Milton lowered her gaze, quietly observing Nick Arthur, who remained with his eyes closed, untouched by the noise.
Although Nick Arthur’s situation made her feel sad and sympathetic, it didn’t mean she believed she had the ability to help Nick, who suffered from severe psychological trauma, overcome his problems overnight.
No matter how you look at it, seeking help from a professional doctor at the hospital is far more reliable than asking her to help.
Seeing the expectant look in the bodyguard’s eyes, Simone Milton suddenly realized that she couldn’t bring herself to say the words of refusal.
“I’ll do my best! But I still think you should seek help from more professional people. At most, I can only act as an assistant,” said Simone Milton, effectively agreeing to the request.
“Of course, it would be perfect if Miss Milton would be willing to help my boss!” Upon hearing Simone Milton’s agreement, the bodyguard immediately nodded in agreement.
“What do I need to do then?” Simone Milton asked the bodyguard again. What should she do next? What if, by accident, she accidentally annoyed Nick Arthur once more? That wouldn’t be good.
Who would have thought that this bodyguard would smile at her and say, “Miss Lin, what you need to do next is very simple: just remain as you are! There’s no need for any changes in your attitude. Just treat Mr. [Name] as you usually do.”
“But…” Simone Milton found it hard to understand. What the bodyguard said seemed too strange to her.
What does that mean—that she just needs to maintain her current attitude? That’s too hasty of a decision! Maybe it’s some kind of prank by the bodyguard?
Simone Milton was thinking all sorts of things in her head. She couldn’t help but want to ask the bodyguard what those words meant.
Just as the bodyguard noticed Simone Milton’s confusion and was about to explain further, Nick Arthur, who was lying beside her, slowly opened his eyes.
As soon as it became clear that Chen Zi had woken up, Simone Milton immediately apologized, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Arthur! Was it my conversation with the bodyguard that woke you up?”
After a long while, Nick Arthur finally came around completely. He sat down slowly and said, “No, you don’t need to worry.”
He glanced at the clock in the car and realized it was already past the time when Simone Milton was supposed to be working. He frowned slightly, then turned his head to look at Simone Milton.
“You should’ve woken me up long ago. Why didn’t you?” Nick Arthur said that, but inside, he felt a little thrilled.
At the same time, he also thought that Simone Milton was simply too pleasant to work with. Having such a hardworking employee was truly a blessing.
“Don’t worry, for the extra time you’ve worked, I’ll pay you double as overtime! Thank you. Let me take you home.” Nick Arthur said this while glancing at the driver who was paying close attention to him, signaling the driver to take Simone Milton back home.
After about ten minutes, the driver finally arrived at the villa where Simone Milton lived.
Simona Milton got off the car. With a gentle smile, she waved at Nick Arthur, telling him to go back and rest. Then, she started walking toward the villa.
Simone Milton had taken just one step when Nick Arthur from inside the car called out to her, “Wait, I just thought of something I need to tell you!”
Hearing Nick Arthur’s call from inside the car, Simone Milton instinctively stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him, her face filled with confusion, as if to ask, “What do you want to tell me?”
Nick Arthur cleared his throat, feeling a little embarrassed. He turned his gaze aside, with a secret hope in his heart.
He said to Simone Milton, “Here’s the thing: I need a female companion tomorrow. I was hoping you’d be willing to go with me. What do you think?”
“But…” Hearing Nick Arthur’s invitation, Simone Milton frowned, hesitating for a moment whether to accept it or not.
If she remembered correctly, according to the original story, tomorrow seems to be a family gathering for the Arthur family. As described in the original text, Alberta Arthur will bring Katie Adams home to meet her parents.
This is a relatively important plot point in the entire story. Of course, in the original work, there’s nothing related to the original protagonist at all.
The heroine, Katie Adams, went with Alberta Arthur to the Arthur family. With her excellent skills and abilities, she quickly dispelled any dissatisfaction that Alberta Arthur’s parents might have had.
Because Katie Adams was very good at getting along with people, she received widespread welcome and praise from the Arthur family. As a result, Alberta Arthur’s parents immediately decided that Katie Adams would be the ideal daughter-in-law for the Arthur family.
This also gave Katie Adams great confidence. As the original character became more and more aggressive later on, Katie Adams wasn’t afraid at all. In fact, she even dared to confront them head-on.
If she accepts Nick Arthur’s invitation at this moment, then tomorrow’s family dinner will definitely be wonderful.
But… to be honest, Simone Milton really didn’t want to accept Nick Arthur’s invitation. It was like a pass that would allow her to gradually get lost in Nick Arthur’s false tenderness.
It would make her unable to resist longing for more. Simone Milton knew she was greedy. If she really developed any desires for Nick Arthur, the consequences would be disastrous. She might even end up like the original character.
Thinking of how miserable the original owner must have been, Simone Milton couldn’t help but sigh. The thoughts that began to form in her mind weren’t suppressed at all; instead, they grew stronger and stronger.
What if… what if I’m actually that special person to him? He went so far as to make a special promise like “I’ll only show my true face to you.” Doesn’t that mean I’m also special to him?
In that moment, her mind was filled with such thoughts.
No, that’s not right! Nearly trapped in false fantasies and unable to extricate herself, Simone Milton immediately shook her head, pushing those unrealistic thoughts out of her mind.
“I’m sorry, but I might not have that much time tomorrow. So, Mr. Arthur, I think you could invite other ladies instead. After all, there aren’t many people in the world who would dare to refuse Mr. Arthur.” Simone Milton, having once again confirmed her decision, shook her head and declined Nick Arthur’s invitation.
Nick Arthur heard Simone Milton’s refusal, but instead became even more determined. He said, “But you know, even if I found a woman who agreed to go with me, even if she were more attractive than you, she could never be you!”
“Only you are unique to me. You’re the most special person in my life. So, I hope you’ll agree to my request!” Nick Arthur stared intently at Simone Milton, completely unaware of how enchanting and sweet his words sounded.
At least at that moment, Simone Milton felt that all the psychological preparations she had made up until then were completely shattered by what Nick Arthur said.
“Mr. Arthur, has anyone ever told you that your way of speaking is really tempting?” Simone Milton said helplessly.
Hearing Simone Milton’s helpless tone, the corners of Nick Arthur’s mouth, hidden beneath his mask, twitched slightly.
He replied to Simone Milton, “In fact, no one had ever said such things to me before I met you! Perhaps, you’re the only person in the world who would ever say something like that to me!”
“In that case, I have no choice but to comply. May I ask, Mr. Arthur, what time will you come to pick up your companion tomorrow?” Simone Milton said with a smile, thereby agreeing to his request.
Seeing that Simone Milton agreed, Nick Arthur immediately outlined the plans for the next day: “Tomorrow at six o’clock in the evening, I’ll come pick you up on time. As for the dress and other necessities, I can take care of everything for you. The formal event will start at eight o’clock, so we have plenty of time.”
Simone Milton thought about the schedule for a moment. It didn’t conflict with her regular schedule at all. So, she nodded in agreement, indicating that she understood.
Upon returning home, Simone Milton saw Martha, with a rosy face, running towards her as soon as she entered the door.
“Mom, listen, today at school, I learned a new dance. Let me show you!” Excitedly, Martha started dancing around.
Seeing Martha so cheerful, Simone Milton felt that all her fatigue from the day vanished without a trace.
She knelt down, picked up Martha, and carried her into the living room. She gently tickled Martha’s nose and said, “Our Martha is so amazing! That dance was really beautiful! Did the teacher teach you that?”
“Yes, Mommy, don’t you think it’s nice? This is the performance we’ll put on on Children’s Day!” Martha chattered non-stop.
Simone Milton listened and joined in with surprise, praising Martha for being so clever, which made the children laugh heartily.
Seeing Martha’s high spirits, Simone Milton felt the time was ripe, so she changed the subject.
She said, “Here’s the thing, Martha. Mom might not come home until very late tomorrow. Please be good and finish your homework with Grandpa before going to bed, okay? Don’t wait for Mom like you did today, okay?”
Such cautious words fully illustrate Simone Milton’s current unease. Simone Milton is truly afraid that after saying those things, Martha will keep pestering her relentlessly.
But, both reasonably and unexpectedly, Martha wasn’t as persistent as she had imagined.
Upon hearing this news, Martha’s expression became sad, and for a moment, her eyes filled with tears. Yet, she stubbornly raised her head and asked if Simone Milton was too busy with work.
Martha said, “Mom is so busy with work and gets home so late. Please don’t rush back home! It’s not safe for Mom to walk home at night. The teacher said that it’s very dangerous for girls to walk around at night…”
Although she was very reluctant to do so, for Simone Milton’s sake, she still spoke up and told Simone Milton not to rush home so much.
The purpose is to prevent Simone Milton from facing any potential dangers that might arise from returning home late at night.
“My little Martha has grown up now! Don’t worry, Mommy will be brought back safely by kind uncles. Nothing bad will happen to her. But Martha, you must not stay up waiting for me, okay? Promise Mommy.” Simone Milton said this while looking Martha straight in the eyes.
Martha nodded in agreement.
After another brief interaction between mother and daughter, Simone Milton took Martha, who clung tightly to her, back to the bedroom.
Whenever she came home late, Martha would cling to her excessively on the previous day, as if afraid that she might never be able to see Simone Milton again. It was both funny and heartbreaking to see that.
I went to sleep with a thousand thoughts in mind. There were no dreams throughout the night. Soon, the next morning arrived.
Getting up early, Simone Milton rushed to the filming location. As always, she was full of energy. The scenes she filmed were, as usual, error-free.
Perhaps it was because of the work schedule that time passed by quickly. In the blink of an eye, Simone Milton found herself already in the afternoon.
Since she had no lines to say at night, Simone Milton could leave the set without any problems. Just as she was about to leave, she saw, not surprisingly, Katie Adams walking out, arm in arm with Alberta Arthur.
This couple showed complete signs of being in love. Katie Adams clung tightly to Alberta Arthur’s chest, as if declaring her claim over him. Anyone who saw them would be “attacked” by the pink “bubbles” surrounding them.
Simone Milton hadn’t really paid much attention to these things either. However, to her surprise, Katie Adams suddenly noticed her as she was about to leave the set.
And then, Simone Milton saw that Katie Adams, who had seemed gentle and smiling before, now turned to look at her with a look of defiance and mockery in her eyes, as if declaring her own victory.
Such a look left Simone Milton speechless. It also made her wonder if Katie Adams knew something, which was why she had the confidence to provoke her like that.
After all, even before this, despite all the disagreements between them, Katie Adams never gave her such a provocative look, as if she were afraid of being caught in some wrongdoing.
When comparing the same person’s behavior under different attitudes, it’s quite easy to identify the problems involved.
Simone Milton guessed that Katie Adams probably knew that Alberta Arthur wanted to introduce her to the Arthur family members. Whether she figured this out on her own or actually received the information, it didn’t matter.
In short, Katie Adams believes she no longer needs to put on a pretense around Simone Milton.
“What confidence!” Simone Milton murmured to herself, feeling a hint of malice arise in her heart.
She suddenly wanted to know what kind of expression of surprise and shock Katie Adams would have on her face when she saw her there at the Arthur family’s dinner party, after being introduced to them by Alberta Arthur.
With that thought in mind, Simone Milton wasn’t as angry at Katie Adams’ provocative gaze. In fact, she even smiled back in a polite manner.
However, a smile like Simone Milton’s seemed arrogant and domineering in Katie Adams’s eyes, which made her extremely annoyed.
However, since Alberta Arthur was still by her side, she could only hold back her annoyance.
Katie Adams told herself firmly: “Don’t lose your composure, Katie Adams. After tonight, you’ll no longer be on the same level as Simone Milton. You won’t have to fear her anymore!”
With such thoughts in mind, Katie Adams turned her head away and got into the car with Alberta Arthur, heading toward Anzai.
After Katie Adams and the other person left by car, Simone Milton slowly departed as well. She waited at the same spot where she usually waited for her bodyguard. After a while, Nick Arthur finally arrived to pick her up.
Opening the car window, Nick Arthur, who was inside the car, apologized, “I’m sorry for being late. Let’s hurry up and get everything ready for you.”
“No, Mr. Arthur, your timing is perfect!” said Simone Milton, opening the car door and getting in.
Upon getting in the car, Simone Milton went with Nick Arthur to a well-known luxury store. Nick Arthur helped her choose a light orange dress that reached her knees.
This light orange short dress not only failed to highlight any flaws in her figure, but also didn’t make her skin appear dull or yellowish. Instead, it emphasized her graceful curves, making her look even more attractive. Her naturally fair skin also appeared even whiter and rosy.
Coupled with the makeup applied by the high-end makeup artist Nick Arthur, who was specially hired for her, and the hairstyle created by the stylist, Simone Milton looked absolutely radiant and stunningly beautiful.
After everything was ready, Nick Arthur stepped forward and looked closely at Simone Milton’s face. Satisfied with what he saw, he nodded and said, “Not bad at all. It seems my investment in hiring you all was worthwhile. Good job!”
He wasn’t stingy with his compliments. In fact, he even glanced up and instructed the driver to give the tips that had been prepared earlier to the makeup artist and hairstylist.
After seeing the makeup artist and hairstylist off, Nick Arthur took Simone Milton’s hand. Together, they got into the car, looking radiant, and headed toward the Arthur family’s ancestral home.
The Arthur family’s old house. Although it’s called an old house, this building isn’t actually very old. However, it does cover a quite large area. It took Simone Milton and Nick Arthur nearly half an hour to drive there before the party started.
At this moment, the parking lot near the old Arthur family mansion was filled with numerous luxurious vehicles. Many of the descendants who arrived late rushed inside the mansion in a hurry.
Simone Milton and Nick Arthur arrived neither too early nor too late. At least, Alberta Arthur had already brought Katie Adams into the Arthur family ahead of them.
Nick Arthur, once again wearing a mask, was now accompanied by Simone Milton. The two of them looked like a perfect couple as they slowly entered the Arthur family’s ancestral home.
The moment they entered, everyone present couldn’t help but quiet down and turn around to see who had come in.
This turn of events left many people completely stunned.
These members of the Arthur family, upon seeing that familiar figure, were utterly shocked: Was this really Nick Arthur, their cold and heartless man who never brought any female companions to family dinners? Could it be that someone had gone mad?
Looking back at that woman walking shoulder to shoulder with Nick Arthur, some of the younger people suddenly realized: Oh, no wonder this “stony-hearted” man has suddenly blossomed into romance. This woman is quite pretty! Now it makes sense!
And most of those people were members of the Arthur family who had come just to watch the scene. In contrast, Katie Adams, who had been talking with Alberta Arthur’s parents, immediately showed a displeased expression on her face the moment Simone Milton entered the banquet hall.
Speaking of Katie Adams, she’s not in a very good mood right now.
It’s not something hard to understand. After all, before Simone Milton and Nick Arthur entered, Katie Adams, who had been brought back by Alberta Arthur, was the focus of everyone’s attention.
Although at first, there were indeed some rude people who tried to embarrass her, Katie Adams is such a smart person!
She not only effectively dealt a blow back to those who tried to cause trouble, but also earned the approval of most of the members of the Arthur family present.
Even Alberta Arthur’s parents, who weren’t initially very impressed by her, praised her highly for her excellent reaction time.
These compliments and welcomes from the Arthur family truly made Katie Adams feel elated. After all, up until now, the Arthur family represented the circle of people she had always dreamed of being part of.
Being praised and welcomed in this way made Katie Adams feel proud alongside Monica. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but complain to Alberta Arthur why she hadn’t introduced her to the Arthur family earlier.
In that case, she wouldn’t have to pay so much attention to what others thought, nor would she have to put on a pretense of being friendly with Simone Milton.
However, she was always good at hiding her true feelings, so the members of the Arthur family never realized what she really thought.
In other words, if anyone from the Arthur family were to discover her true feelings, it would mean that Katie Adams would likely be barred from entering this circle. She wouldn’t be able to cross social barriers and integrate into the elite class.
So, for the sake of a better future for herself, she chose to endure and to act accordingly.
Yet, Simone Milton was like a persistent ghost who suddenly appeared at the very moment when she seemed to have reached the pinnacle of her life.
Previously, all those admiring glances were directed at her. But as soon as Simone Milton appeared, those glances shifted to her instead.
Katie Adams endured it, and her expression once again became gentle as before.
While talking with Alberta Arthur’s mother beside her, she silently reminded herself: It doesn’t matter if those unimportant people turn their attention to Simone Milton! As long as I hold onto Alberta Arthur’s parents tightly and keep their hearts with me…
Yes, the praise and welcome from the other members of the Arthur family were indeed nice, but they couldn’t compare to the affection shown by Alberta Arthur’s parents.
After all, if she wants to “fly up to the treetops,” she must please these two people. This could affect her chances of joining a powerful family.
So, she comforted herself by thinking that as long as Alberta Arthur’s parents weren’t attracted to Simone Milton and the other person, then it would be fine.
Self-comforting, Katie Adams felt much better now. She smiled and spoke to Lady Arthur beside her.
Unfortunately, Katie Adams only managed to say the word “auntie” before Lady Arthur, who was holding her hand affectionately, patted her hand and said, “Katie Adams, this is your first time at our home. I’m sure you don’t yet know everyone here. Come, let me introduce you to Uncle Alberta!”
Mrs. Arthur said this, ignoring the expression on Katie Adams’s face, and enthusiastically pulled her forward to Nick Arthur.
“Nick, you’ve finally come around. You’re already so grown up now. It’s time to find someone who can take good care of you. Being alone all the time is lonely…” Lady Arthur said, then introduced Katie Adams who was beside her. “Here, this is the girlfriend my son has chosen: Katie Adams. She’s actually a famous star!”
Hearing Lady Arthur change the subject and introduce Katie Adams, Nick Arthur gave Katie a brief glance, then looked at Simone Milton, who stood beside him, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He thought to himself: Sure enough, Simone Milton is more attractive!
He thought this in his heart, but said nothing outwardly. In fact, he even spoke in a calm tone, wishing Katie Adams and Alberta Arthur well.
“Oh, it’s wonderful to receive your blessings!” Lady Arthur was amazed to hear such words coming from Nick Arthur, who was usually so cold and aloof. A smile couldn’t be suppressed from her lips.
In Lady Arthur’s opinion, today is truly a wonderful day, with two pieces of good news.
Not only did her own son find a girlfriend who she thought was satisfactory, but even Nick Arthur, who had remained single for years in their family, finally came around.
