Chapter 8: Moving Moments

A playful, amused smirk curled the corners of his lips. He never expected to be so fatefully linked to her.

Last night, he had broken into a suite at random and stumbled straight into her bathtub. As he recalled her exquisite face, her delicate, porcelain skin, and her alluring, graceful figure, his body involuntarily tightened. It was hellish; the intense desire he felt for her had taken even him by surprise.

He had always been a man of restraint, yet last night, he had been bewitched by that little enchantress and had inadvertently fallen into her trap.

His strength had yet to recover from the lingering effects of the drug, and he reached out to press a hand against his hastily bandaged wound. What surprised him most was that she hadn’t betrayed his whereabouts. He couldn't fathom her motives, but she certainly had a bold spirit.

Just then, a clamor erupted outside. He crept toward the door and peered through a crack. It was the special forces of the Disha Group, and they had tracked him here.

Even the Disha Group had been mobilized. They were insisting on entering to conduct a search, while the Zhao family servants stood their ground, refusing to let them through. An argument was raging outside.

Knowing the uncompromising nature of special forces, he shifted his gaze toward the large trunk.

***

Tong Xiaoman, the cherished cousin of the Zhao family, was celebrating her eighteenth birthday. It was the most anticipated social event in high society of late.

Although, quite coincidentally, Cheng Shuimiao, the leader of the local gang the Dragon Shadow Syndicate, had been assassinated at this very peak moment—a scandal that had rocked the entire city—it did nothing to dampen the festive spirit of the banquet.

Few were unaware of the Tong family. They had built their fortune on toxins, wielding immense power in both the underworld and legitimate society. With the passage of time, they had modernized into a global pharmaceutical enterprise. However, the Tongs were notoriously low-profile and rarely appeared in public.

The Zhao family, conversely, was the polar opposite. Their wealth and influence were staggering; their multinational conglomerate thrived, and they held sway in both the light and the shadows. Their current president, Zhao Yi, was particularly known for his high-profile and flamboyant nature. Yet, beneath his cavalier, rogue-like demeanor, he was ruthless and decisive in business, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals and showing no mercy to his rivals—a man who struck terror into the hearts of the business world.

As the Zhao family held an economic hegemony, only the wealthiest and most prestigious were invited to the banquet.

Tong Xiaoman wore a sexy black cocktail dress designed by a master couturier. Her long hair was half-pinned, with soft strands falling against her ears. Her face, meticulously made up, was breathtakingly beautiful and dazzling. She was stunning, like a fairy who had wandered into the mortal realm, possessing an ethereal charm that could capture a soul in an instant.

All eyes in the room were fixed upon her. She smiled, scanning the crowd of socialites and stars, amidst the clinking of glasses. She swirled the transparent crystal glass in her hand; the cherry-red liquid shimmered with an alluring glow under the crystal chandeliers.

Accompanied by her cousin, Zhao Yi, she moved through the crowd, greeting the social elite. Her breathtaking appearance and powerful backing immediately drew a swarm of admirers, including elites and prodigies from various fields, all casting looks of praise and desire in her direction.

The scene was truly hypocritical, tedious, and dull. She must have been incredibly bored to have agreed to celebrate her birthday here.

After her face began to ache from holding a forced smile, she downed the liquid in her glass and grabbed Zhao Yi, who was currently reveling in the company of various beauties.