Chapter 255: Chapter 252: She Woke Up
The next day.
Early morning.
Matilda Yale was cleaning up the boiled shrimp that had fallen all over the floor, which was caused by Lily Clarke flipping the plate in anger.
They were thrown all over the floor, not because the shrimp weren’t fresh enough, but because Lily was very angry today.
All because her posts about her injury on Weibo had more comments and likes than the ones forwarding Elliana Lyle’s posts.
Lily had been staying in the hospital to maintain her public image, and she often got angry due to her dissatisfaction with the hospital’s facilities.
Now, even a slight displeasure could cause her to explode.
After tidying up, she put the picked-up shrimp into a plastic bag, ready to throw them away.
At this moment, Lily, who was doing her makeup at the small table, called out to her.
"Where are you going?"
She replied, "I’m throwing away the shrimp."
Lily turned around, looked her up and down, and sneered, "Wouldn’t that be a waste? You eat them."
Having said that, she turned back to continue touching up her foundation, not forgetting to remind her again, "Finish it."
This command immediately filled her heart with anger, as if her face was being burned by fire.
It was a blatant humiliation.
She was hired as an assistant, not a servant.
But last time she resisted, her family suffered consequences, and after seeking help,
she discovered a nest of mice with snakes, all living in harmony.
Now, she dared not have any thoughts of resistance and could only wait for her contract to expire in four years.
Although eating the shrimp was Lily’s way of humiliating her, she had no choice but to accept it.
The floor was mopped clean, and the shrimp were shelled, so eating them shouldn’t cause any stomach issues.
Lily was doing her makeup today to meet Norman Bennett at the hotel, so she applied her makeup meticulously, aiming for a no-makeup look.
Called pseudo natural look.
Although her skin and facial features were already good enough, she still put effort into refining her appearance to win a smile from a certain someone.
With everything ready, Lily sat in a wheelchair, and Matilda pushed her out of the ward.
Since they were in a better VIP ward, it offered more privacy, and there weren’t many people outside at this hour.
This was also the reason Lily dared to lose her temper so freely.
In front of anyone other than herself, Lily would never lose her temper, at most quietly mocking others.
Therefore, some people on the internet labeled Lily as a "green tea bitch," while others still regarded her as pure.
After leaving the VIP ward area, two security personnel appeared.
They were Lily’s bodyguards.
Outside, when facing people taking photos or asking for autographs, Lily responded with gentle behavior, occasionally showing a hint of sadness.
Especially when asked about Elliana Lyle, her eyes welled up. If not for fearing her makeup would be ruined, tears would have rolled down her cheeks.
She was already used to these situations because, if not for her acting skills, she wouldn’t be a movie queen.
It took quite a bit of effort to reach the hotel where Norman Bennett was staying, but the receptionist informed them that Norman left minutes after arriving and hasn’t returned yet.
This rendered all of Lily’s elaborate preparations worthless.
Seeing Lily’s warm smile, Matilda knew that she would be in trouble once they got back.
"Then I’ll stay here too," Lily said.
This was unexpected for Matilda, but knowing Lily’s mindset, it didn’t seem out of place.
The manager had instructed her to stay in the hospital to make others believe her injuries were serious.
But now that they were already outside, there was no point in going back.
The receptionist awkwardly said, "I’m sorry, Miss Clarke, our hotel has been fully booked since yesterday."
Because Elliana had stayed at this hotel, combined with Norman Bennett’s arrival, it naturally attracted many enthusiastic guests.
Even nearby hotels were fully booked; Frontier City was experiencing the highest tourist numbers in history.
"Alright then, sorry for the trouble," Lily smiled slightly, nodded her thanks, and then instructed her assistant to push her away.
...
―――Frontier City.
Desert.
"..."
Heat―――.
As if she was in the heart of a raging fire, or soaked in boiling water.
It was both stuffy and hot.
After an unknown amount of time, Elliana Lyle regained her consciousness. It was quiet, so quiet she could hear her heartbeat.
The first thing she noticed was an unbearable smell, which forced her to open her eyes.
She couldn’t see anything clearly; it was dim, as if a thin fog covered her vision, presenting a gray, murky scene.
Along with that came pain, her face burning as if scalded, and her throat dry and sore.
She wanted to move but felt her hands were numb, trying to stretch them only to find they seemed bound by something.
No matter how hard she tried to break free, it was useless.
Elliana’s mood gradually turned anxious, and the mist in her eyes almost cleared, allowing her to see her surroundings.
The environment was dark but not so much that she couldn’t see anything. The only source of light came from a corner, where through a crack one could see some unclear water stains.
Her back leaned against a slightly hot wall, surrounded by many people, all women, wearing identical black bodycon dresses, their hands tied behind them with moderately thick ropes, about five or six centimeters wide.
Those women hung their heads one by one, some seemingly sleeping, others with half-closed eyes staring blankly at their legs.
But it was clear they were all very tired.
Like mannequins in a store, devoid of any vitality.
Realizing her own restrained hands, she understood that she too was tied up.
Her mind was in chaos, questioning where she was. Why was she here?
Or could it be that this was just a dream?
She remembered... remembered...
Remembered filming in the desert and... a sandstorm...
As she recalled the sandstorm, everything came back to her.
Scenes of being kicked in the face flashed before her eyes, after which everything went black...
The memories were still jumbled; she struggled to piece them together.
She was the last to board the vehicle at that time, and in front of her was... Lily Clarke!
Was that kick from Lily?
With this thought, she fell silent, her heart chilled.
It was she who went to rescue Lily, and Lily wanted her dead!
...
Gradually, hatred filled her eyes, and the narrowed eyes exuded a chilling aura.
The hatred shook her sanity, and she couldn’t even comprehend the value of kindness.
She could have chosen not to save Lily, could have sat by and watched, and it wouldn’t have affected her at all.
Why did she save her... why, it was all her own doing...
A kind of spell seemed to echo in her mind, tormenting her ear.
"Elliana, you must always have a kind heart, look at this little duckling..."
As she was on the verge of breaking down, a gentle voice echoed, the voice of her mother reading a picture book to her as a child.
Words often mentioned but never again after she grew up.
These words momentarily calmed her heart, but she couldn’t rise to the level of the duckling and repay evil with good.
This debt, she vowed to collect!
"#～*"
A strange noise snapped her back to reality, and she lifted her head to see a woman around her age squatting in front of her.
The woman had her hair in a low ponytail, with a strand falling over her forehead, making her face look petite yet refined.
Especially the beauty mark at the corner of her eye, quite beautiful.
It felt like she had seen her somewhere before, but she couldn’t recall.