Love Began with the First Meeting



"Distinguished guests, thank you for coming to attend my birthday party today.."

With a reddish glow creeping on his face. Roger stood on the stage wearing a stately Tang suit, a traditional Chinese garment. Hidden lights cast soft and gente beams of light on his large family, which included his son, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren and so on. He delivered the note of acknowledgement like a much younger man, whose strength belied his age. There were sounds of clicking against the shutters from time to time, which presented a most harmonious tone to this sonorous moment.

"Today, I would like to make an announcement" Roger paused, indicated that the audience should focus on Henrik, and then Roger continued with a proud smile, "My grandson Henrik is going to be taking charge of The Kingdom of Rocks"

Although the gathered guests and media representatives might have already predicted the announcement before the party they were still somewhat surprised when Roger made the official announcement. At that moment, all the spotlights were shining on Henrik, and the reporters looked forward to creating a dramatic headine

Pine, let me be brief. If you guys take care of my Hervik, I would be incredibly grateful" Roger seemed to crack a joke then. "Next, lef's welcome Henrik to give us an opening dance"

The party was being held to celebrate Roger's birthday, but right at this moment, the limelight had shifted from Roger to Henrik. The news had now been released that he would take over The Kingdom of Rocks. In other words, this announcement had been Roger's real purpose all along. After all the four big families had to do something to fight back, since Eric had so ruthlessly suppressed and crippled them

Henrik hadn't brought a dance partner to the party. However, there were dozens of starlets and single ladies from established families who were willing to oblige. Therefore, as the gentle music began playing, these women were all hoping that Henrik would invited them for this special dance. The Family was on the same social level as the Tang Family on Dragon Island after all, and it was also one of the double tycoons in the four big families. It would be exceedingly good fortune for any woman to many into the Ji Family

However, Saly was different from any of them. Her eyes were scanning the whole crowd of the Family, noting all of them, from the most impressive to the lowest. No matter whether they were close relatives or distant ones, the Ji Family had a large family tree. However, Rachel was still nowhere to be found within this huge population.

Was that picture an authentic one?"

Sally found that her mind was as confused as a tangled skein, and her hands that held her handbag couldn't help clenching it. All that she really wanted was an opportunity to get out of here, in order to check if the location on the picture was nearby this villa. To her surprise, Henk came up to her without any saming, put his arm around her waist, and assumed a parabolic posture to imite her, like a gentleman, for a dance

"Miss, may I dance with you?" Henrik banded the invitation in a low and horse but attractive voice

All of the guests and the gathered media also turned to look at Sally. Of course, there was no lack of jealous and envy in the looks which some of the more ambitious of the women gathered about Henrik fashed her

Finding herself in such an emberrassing pickle. Sally couldn't help oursing Henrik for a thousand times in her mind. The last thing that she had wanted was to draw public attention to herself. "I'd love to, but I'm sorry, I can't dance." She rejected him with an indifferent politeness. Her hands grasped the handbag even tighter as she became nervous. Besides, she could clearly sense Addison's detached but prating look from across the room, and it was about to tear her heart apart

Hearing this, Henrik still smiled at Sally's delicate face. He forcefully seized her hands, as if he had not been turned down. When Sally tried desperately to get away from him, he whispered in a low voice that only she could hear, "Aren't you coming for me, today?" Seeing that Sally was about to quit struggling. Henrik smiled. "You really don't know what it means to give up."

Sally was shocked for a moment. Before she realized what Henrik meant, he pulled her on the dance floor

With the melody of waltz ringing out. Henrik gave his best dance performance and lead Sally in beginning a fabulous display of grace and rhythm on the middle of the stage. With a beautiful movement of pulling, pushing and pulling Sally back again, Henrik continued their conversation. "I had heard that you didn't want her to be influenced by you before you were sentenced to prison, but now, aren't you contradicting what you said before?"

Henrik forced Sally to join him passively in the dance. Fortunately, prison had not only had meals and labor tasks, but also activities such as dance to keep them occupied. Thanks to the ballroom dance they had leant in prison, she was capable of handing this bizarre occasion. "I'd never thought of trying to influence her." Sally sneered. "Of course, I have to make sure that she lives a happy e."

Henrik dragged Sally forward and with a powerful palm bent her waist over. Then he looked down upon her with his lips in an airy smile. "Do you think she lives well in the J Family?"

"Well, I can't give you that answer for sure until I see her in person." While talking. Selly was abruptly pulled upright by Herrik

Their quiet conversation while moving in the dance might have been seen as a gente whisper from the outside. It couldn't be any warmer or more affectionate, or so seemed. As a result, all of the women present who were crazy for Henrik's attention stand at Sally with an envy that couldn't be suppressed. If looks could kill then they would have murdered Sally a thousand times already

Siting off to the side, Addison swirled the wine in his goblet slightly with his slender fingers. Under the light of the lamps, the wine slowly trickled down the side of the glass to join the scarlet spirits at the bottom of it. It reflected glaring crimson lights within the clear surface of the glass vessel. This was exactly how he felt right at that moment, watching Sally and Henk dancing together

He had been waiting for her to grow up. However, he had never had the chance to dance with her on such a formal occasion. Addison felt the bitter pangs of regret in his heart. Charle said that she had been guided by him to the VIP room because her clothes had been spoed. Compared with the black outfit which she now wore, the previous white one was more suited to her. In other words, the complicated and intricate patterns on the black costume falled to fully show off her beauty. In contrast, the simple, snow white dress presented a much more pleasing viewe

But the man who was dancing with her was an eyesore for Addison

Addison could no longer bear to watch them, and setting the goblet aside he stood up and moved outside. He had originally only planned to stay for o brief show of face at the party, and that was all, but what was happening now made him reluctant to stay here any longer. Mentally speaking. It made him feel contemptuo

He had received the training which came with being a ruler candidate, and possessed a sense of superiority which came natural to the Long Family Under these circumstances, and as a proud son of the Long Family, he could not allow this situation to continue.

"Bro, are you going to leave?" Charlie asked with his hand holding a plate loaded with food, while Elsa was next to him, burdened with her own mountain of food

Addison sneered and was aware that Charlie had made the plate for Evelyn, so he frowned and reminded him. "It's not so healthy to eat a lot in the

Charlie looked down at what he was holding and repled with a shrug. "Evelyn is going to the beach with Ezra to collect shells, and it requires a lot of energy." He handed the food to Elsa "Please, take over for me. I need to have a talk with Addison

"Okay." Elsa gave an innocent smile and said goodbye to him. "Mark, see you."

Addison nodded, and the two of them stepped out of the hall to take in some fresh air leaving Elsa behind

The night breeze was warm and comforting. A fresh scent of salt spray from the ocean and fresh cut grass filed the air. It relieved some of their atigue and tension

Charlie spoke first. "Perhaps I should not ask because fm afraid touch your bottom line, but I still believe is necessary to talk with you." After a pause, he turned around and looked searchingly at Addison. "You know Sally, right?" There were both hesitation and certainty in his voice. Although it was phrased as a question, it sounded more like a statement of fact.

Addison stopped walking and stared at Charle speechlessly, as waiting for him to finish speaking

"I've never heard this from you" Charlie spoke in a light voice.

"It couldn't be mentioned at first. Later, it was not possible to talk about it."Addison also replied in a light voice. "But now it is forbidden to discuss it Upon hearing this, Charlie frowned. "Is the the girl who had accidentally seen on your cell phone?" he exclaimed in a low voice

"Hmm." Addison didn't contradict this statement, and tumed around to keep walking along. The right lamps cast shadows which lengthened and shortened as they revealed a nameless solitude in the deserted grounds. The revelry inside the dance hall was a stark contrast to Addison's back she walked

Charlie followed with concem on his face. "Is she the girl you cannot let go?"

"Hmm." Addison just murmured, making it dificult to tell his exact attitude towards Sally from his voice. "Don't let Evelyn know about it. Not to mention Mom and Dad. You'd better not try to make an in-depth analysis of it either."

Charlie shrugged. "Of course, it's your own business. The reason why I'm asking is to avoid stepping into a minefield. Even though you are the candidate for ruler, we are brothers and I have no interest in that position. So your future career had been already well organized when you were stil young and sacrificed yourse." His words were heavy of heart. "When you are in such a position, especially considering the status of Dragon blandin the whole world, and its degree of openness, we have to sacrifice a lot..

Even though Charle didn't elaborate on these points, Addison understood them better than anyone else. Nevertheless, it sensibility couldn't be controlled by one's sense, it was not sensibility at all

The party was lively and busting with dancers and festivities. After the opening dance by Henrik and Sally, the other guests also crowded onto the dance floor as well. The royal welt was one of the most delicate and elegant dances. It could convey the yearming for a better life, particularly when performed with those that they loved.

However, neither Sally nor Harrik had focused on the dancing itself. The engaging way was instead interpreted as sarcastic and ironic, given their relationship, while in their eyes it was a public display of diama

"You won't see her here." Henrik bent down near to Sally's ear and whispered. "I didn't bring her back." After these words, he straightened and with a smile offered a gentemanlike salute to Sally, let go of her hands, and invited another woman to dance on the stage.

Sincere or hypocritical smiles blossomed on everyone's face. Sally stayed where she was, as the dancers twirled around her. It was as if she was isolated from the rest of the world. After a long while, she seemed to startle at the movement around her and came back to reality. She received a detached look from Henrik, so she was determined to turn around and leave the dance floor

Sally kept looking around in the hall, but Rose was nowhere to be found in the crowds of people. Likewise, she also didn't see Addison anywhere. A sense of frustration gripped her, so she had to step out of the villa. Standing in the winding corridor, she took out a photo and tried to look at it closely with the help of the dim light from the recessed sconce lights.novelbin

There was a crouched girl sitting in the comer of the picture. Her slender arms were draped around her knees, and her weepy eyes gave her a terrified appearance. She seemed scared to face the world, and was filled with fear

The picture was actually blamed and quite faded away, which gave it a mysterious appearance. However, was stil fair enough for her to recognize that the gewas Rachel

What had happened that could have brought Little Pear into such a sorry state?

Sally gnashed her teeth in sonow. When she turned the photo over, there was a line of small words scribbled on the back. "If you wish to meet your sister, then go to the villa owned by the al Family on the Dragon Island

She had no idea who the cryptic water was, but the only hope for her to find out the truth was to go to the place mentioned on the picture. Before going back inside, she looked around at the surroundings and quickly saw that there was a second, smaller, three-story villa located behind the four story main villa

Sally put the photo back into her handbag, and pretending that nothing had happened she wandered into the garden of the Ji Family's villa. Today's quests were quite numerous. Not only did they gathered in the main villa's party area, but also had fun and cavorted outside the villa. Because of this Sally managed to blend into the groups of small crowds, and she never became the focus of anyone present

Sally found nothing after searching around for a while, so she began to think that it was a joke Henrik had played to make fun of her. Had she just walked into his trap without even noticing it?

Sally curled her lips in disappointment and went back along her way until someone appeared ahead of her and blocked her way

"Excuse me, are you Sally?"

Sally sized up the man in front of her to be in his 30s with unremarkable features. "Do I know you?

The man smiled and introduced himself, "H, lan, an assistant to Master Mathew." After a pause, he continued, "Master Matthew wants to see

you."

Sally frowned and couldn't understand why "Master Mathew?" She stil did not know who this man was referring to

"Yeah!" lan answered. "Watthew Tang, the eldest son of the Tang Family Master Mathew Held a strong emphasis intentionally

Sally looked lan up and down and replied in an indifferent way, "I do remember correctly, I don't know him at all

"Oh no..." lan spoke slowly. "Didn't you receive the package from Master Matthew? I thought you were related to each other."

Sally's face tumed pale at once. "The package I got was sent by Matthew?" Her face became still with the shock of discovering there was another player at work

"This way, please." lan didn't answer her again, but just gestured to the side and made space for her to walk through

There was no hesitation Sally just followed lan, even though she knew it might be a trap. Her steps were even rapid with anticipation. This was simply because she had to figure out so many things. Hervik had refused to cooperate as her inside contact, but now there was Matthew

"Sally, please?" lan stopped. "Over there, on the bench, ister Matthe

Sally looked where lan had pointed and without utering a word walked straight there. She stopped before him and stood still, measuring up this man so famous for his hypocrisy and cruelty among the younger generation of the Tang Family. Different from the beauty of the Tang Family's ruler Mathew was only distinguished by his fortitude. With large eyes under bushy eyebrows, his facial lines appeared gloomy and sinister. He induced a sense of terror in Sally, and she trembled despite the hot summer night

"Sit down. Perhaps Matthew was used to giving orders so his words were spoken with an air of arogance. Nevertheless, he still had an imposing aurs going for him. After all, apart from the Long Family, the Tang Family boosted the most dominance and could not be ignored on Dragon and

Sally behaved quite obediently and sat down as he instructed. "I hear that the package which I received in T City was actually sent by you, Master Mathew?" She looked at him guarded

"Yeah," Matthew agreed, and smiled at Sally. "I thought you might take it easy, but..." He didn't say it out loud and taunted her then, "You fight alone against the Ji Family. So even though I give you the address, it is still in vain."

Sally rubbed her hands for a moment, and automatically ignored Matthew's irony. Then why are you telling me about my sister's situation?"

Matthew neered and carried on with his eyes tuming evil "Don't you know that I am Henri's implacable enemy? I will undermine whatever he wants. Likewise, he does the same to me." Atera pause, he stood up. "Since there is a chance to send trouble his way, I would like to do that."

Although Sally had only been released from prison just a month ago, she had quickly caught up on the news. T City, the port of Dragonland, was renowned for its dozens of newspapers and online gossips, especially about Dragon Island, and she had learned fast. Even though Sally didn't want to know what happened on Dragon Island, she stil had access to the rumors and knew something about both the Tang and Ji Families. "I'm afraid it will not be that easy!" she said adamantly. Sally was not an idiot. While she had been isolated from society for seven years, her IQ didn't degrade in that time. "Such things might have a negative impact on me, but cannot make any difference in striking Henrik After a pause, she smiled grimly. "On the other hand, Henrik is in charge of the J Family's business now As far as I know. The Tang Family is not controlled by you?" Mathew's face flashed with anger for a brief moment, but he soon regained his calm at once. "So what?" After a pause, he lay back on the garden bench, witching various guests at the party strolling about. "You just need to tell me whether you wish to see your sister, or not. If your answer is no, we can call it a day."

Sally wished to tum him down, but she was not forceful enough to act like that. Her sister was her vulnerability and allowed for her to be manipulated "What are your terms?" Sally gnashed her teeth. There was no such thing as a free lunch, particularly with these guys from the super rich families. Everything that they did had a reason behind it

"You are so calm." Matthew leaned forward and smiled wickedly. "I'm kind of into you.

"You'd better not be Sally and "Otherwise, I guarantee you will regret i

Mathew had a broader sense of humor and didn't take Sally seriously. "My terms are quite simple. If you help me with one thing, I will do you a favor and bring your sister back to you. Perhaps I can even set her free from her own status quo."

"Why should I believe you?" Sally questioned scamfully, "I haven't even see her, so how do I know whether your picture was photoshopped, or not?"

"Then you can verity first before you make a decision." Matthew shrugged to show that he could wat

Sally smiled bitterly. First, I have to know what you need me to do."

Mathew sized Bally up, and then focused on her cute face, utering each word slowly and clearly

need you to seduce Addison"