Amanda took a step toward him and pushed his finger away. She then turned to the steward, who
stood as dumbfounded as the rest of them.
"Who is this? I thought you said the cottage hadn't started serving yet.
Who is this guy then?" Amanda questioned, again.
Her expression was a mix of disgust and fury. She couldn't help but raise her voice at the steward.
"He… he is my master's son..."
the steward stuttered answering. He could barely bring himself to speak in such an embarrassing
situation. Honestly, he was at a complete loss as well.
"Hey, you. What is this? Who are these two women?"
The man yelled even louder than Amanda, just as arrogant and rude as before.
"Sir… Sir, she is the daughter of master's friends," the steward replied, pointing at Amanda. "Last night,
her friend, this young lady, slept in this room."
The steward was so terrified that he was trembling.
Dead silence followed his answer. Ivy was stupefied, having found who the man was.
'This man is the son of the owner of this place?
He thought I was a prostitute?
Oh my goodness How did I get involved in this complicated matter?' Ivy thought, her heart still beating
fast.
"Can you please leave the room first? We can talk once Miss Luo is dressed," Amanda toned down
and requested the man.
She was the first person to recover from the shock and confusions of the situation, and to break the
awkward silence. Before he could go out, she thought it was sensible to already warn them.
"I don't want this to go out of this room. If any of you try to mention this to anyone, I swear I will make
you pay for it!"
Amanda gritted her teeth as she spoke, her lips twisted in anger. The man sneered at her before he
exited, slamming the door behind him. Amanda and Ivy remained in the room.
Just as the door closed, Ivy slumped onto the floor. The force with which she was supporting herself in
front of that stranger vanished right after he left. All life drained out of her eyes. She looked absolutely
disconsolate and broken.
"What happened? All I remember is I was with Lionel last night. Where did this man come from?"
Ivy mumbled to herself, unable to accept what the circumstances were telling her.
"Ivy, stop panicking. First, put your clothes on. This place is under CCTV surveillance. I can ask the
steward to check the recordings of the corridor from last night. We'll find out what happened, soon.
Please, try to keep calm. Anxiety will do you no good."
Amanda kept trying to console her, picking up her clothes from the floor and handing them to her.
"I will wait for you outside. Take your time to get dressed. The surveillance system is located in the last
room on the first floor. I am going to go and take a look at the recordings."
Pressing her hand, she reassured her and walked away, leaving Ivy alone in the room.
Ivy sat clueless for a while. Slowly, then, she started to pick up on the missing pieces in her memory.
She dug deep into her brain, recalling the last moments she remembered being with Lionel last night.
They had been drinking and gotten immensely inebriated. The sex after drinking felt surreal. She fell
asleep right after they finished. This was all she could recall. It was as if she had suffered from a
temporary memory loss.
Ivy sighed deeply and put on her clothes, like a robot. She felt no emotions as she walked toward the
room Amanda had mentioned. Amanda, the strange man and the steward were already there; their
eyes were glued to the screen before them.
"Mr. Tang left the room at half past six this morning, and the man came into the room right before
seven," Amanda explained. "I arrived about ten, just a while ago. The steward told me you were still in
your room, so I thought I could come and have a small chat with you. But then I heard you screaming
from outside the door. I also heard a man's voice, which instantly alarmed me. That was when I asked
the steward to open the room..."
Amanda described the chain of events she was aware of, while the screen showed the man entering
the room.
"When Mr. Tang left the room, the room wasn't locked properly. That was why he could enter without a
key. He saw you lying on the bed, and thought you were called in by him… You know what happened
next..."
Amanda's voice trailed off. Ivy's heart grew colder and colder with each word she uttered.
"It's just a misunderstanding. Totally a misunderstanding! How could I have known that procuress
would cheat me! She took my money and never sent the woman!
She just apologised now and promised to compensate. What the fuck! I will make that bitch pay for
this!"
The man rolled his sleeves up, as if getting ready for a fight.
"Hey! Wait! I have something to say..."
Amanda said, before he could walk out.
"You have done something wrong. How can you just run away? This can't be settled so easily, mister. I
am going to call your father right now. Let's find out what he has to say about this!
Do you really think we will just let you go? I can't just stand here and see you ill-treating my friend,"
Amanda spoke annoyingly, taking out her phone and dialing the number.
Suddenly, Ivy's trembling hands pressed on Amanda's. Her quivering and raspy voice said, "Let him go.
Just think as if nothing has happened."
Ivy stopped Amanda, her eyes turning teary.
"Ivy, it was his mistake. We have to make him pay!"
Amanda tried to persuade Ivy. However, the response she got was only Ivy shaking her head
vigorously.
"No, I don't want anyone else to know about this. Just let him go. Please, Amanda," she pleaded.
She could barely control her emotions anymore and started to cry inconsolably.
Amanda looked at Ivy hesitantly for a while, finally nodding in agreement.
"Go off now. If you dare mention this to anyone, I will tell my father to ruin you, your father and all your
businesses!" Amanda growled at him, threatening.
Amanda's protective approach filled Ivy up with warmth. She came off as such a gentle and soft
person, yet she turned fierce and harsh when it came to Ivy's defense. Even after letting the man go,
she threatened him for her sake. Ivy really felt like Amanda was a person she could easily rely on.
There wasn't much of an effect on the man. He jeered, "That's fucking unlucky of me." With that, he
turned and left, stomping his feet. The steward followed him.
"Ivy, rest assured. I know what you mean. I promise no one else will get to know about whatever
happened. The owner of this cottage depends on my father for most of his business opportunities. His
son wouldn't dare talking about this. Plus, the steward has been in his position for years, and he knows
perfectly well about what he should and shouldn't do. They will keep this a secret. Don't worry!"
Amanda continued to console Ivy, who finally broke into a wail, unleashing all her emotions. She simply
laid her head on Amanda's shoulder and let out her sadness.
After Ivy was pacified, Amanda asked someone to take her back to Tang family.
"You can rest at home for two days. You don't have to come to work. Just relax yourself,"
Amanda sighed, putting up a sorry and pitiful look, which saddened Ivy further.
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