Ch. 261..270

A Cue for Love Chapter 261

Vengeance On Scumbags 3

Just from appearances, the red wines in the ten decanters did not look much different from each other.

Under the light of the crystal chandelier, they all looked pretty similar in color.

As soon as Hector finished his introduction, several of the socialites with half-baked knowledge of wine had the urge to back out.

They had thought that it would just be a casual game, and never expected Susan to take it so seriously.

Now that their families had gathered to watch, they felt caught in between a rock and a hard place. They did not have much choice but to do their best to get through it and hope that they made it to the second or third round at the very least.

Natalie swept her gaze over the ladies, who were looking rather out of place, and sighed inwardly. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Phoebe and Susan deliberately dug a hole for me, and there was nothing I could do to avoid falling into it. But these ladies jumped in without knowing what they were really getting themselves into.

As she thought about how the prize for the winner was the chance to dance the opening dance with Samuel, she could not help but roll her eyes.

What’s that saying again? Men are nothing but trouble? Well, I’ve truly experienced it today. I can’t believe how many ladies are willing to go through with this just for the chance to be Samuel’s partner for the opening dance. If it were a chance to spend the night with him, they’d probably even be willing to go through hell and high water.

Meanwhile, Susan and Phoebe were feeling relaxed and confident.

It may be something that runs in our blood, but every generation of the Leister family loves wine. All of us would run around the winery and plan when we were kids, so we grew up surrounded by the aromas of wine. There’s nothing we know better than wine. We even asked Hector to set the rules to show that it’s a fair game and that we’re not cheating.

Although each of them secretly hoped that they would be the one to win and get the chance to dance with Samuel during the opening dance, they were united by a common goal—to humiliate Natalie in front of everyone and put her in her place.

An ugly orphan like her doesn’t deserve Samuel. In fact, she isn’t even worthy to stand among the Leister family at a banquet like this.

Soon, the game began.

The waiters tied a strip of red silk over each of the seven ladies’ eyes, blindfolding them to heighten their sense of smell.

Then, the waiters poured out the first wine from its decanter into seven glasses and let the ladies sniff it. Once they had gotten a good sniff, they were to write down their answers.

The first bottle of wine was a 1983 Lafite, which was not too difficult to identify. Although some of them took longer than others to write their answer, all of them got it right.

Phoebe and Susan were slightly surprised that Natalie had answered correctly, but they were not too perturbed yet. It’s just the first round. According to Hector’s rules, the difficulty level will gradually increase with each round.

However, things took a turn over the next three rounds.

One of the ladies had the wrong type of wine for the third bottle, while another put down the wrong vintage for the fourth wine.

Meanwhile, Natalie was still going strong, having answered all of them correctly.

The blindfolds prevented Susan and Phoebe from observing the crowd’s reaction, but even so, they felt their dismay increasing. The first guess may have just been luck, but what about the others? Don’t tell me she really does know a thing or two about wines.

However, they dismissed that thought just as quickly as it popped up in their mind, suppressing the worry in their hearts.

So what if she does? The other wines will be much harder to guess. She may be better at this than the other ladies, but there’s no way she can beat us! Hmph! Just wait and see!

Susan and Phoebe were oblivious to how the game was panning out due to their blindfolds, but those who watched the game closely had a good grasp of each of the seven ladies’ capabilities.

A Cue for Love Chapter 262

Mesmerized

After catching up with Alfred, Samuel entered the hall with Wyatt.

Since they had not been in the hall earlier, they were unaware that a wine guessing game was underway. When they passed through the crowd, they saw the ladies with red silk blindfolds over their eyes, smelling glasses of wine.

While Samuel only had eyes for Natalie, Wyatt was staring at Susan and Phoebe.

“What has Sue dragged her cousin into this time?” Wyatt muttered. Frowning, he turned to a waiter standing nearby and asked, “What’s going on? What are they doing?”

The waiter answered, “They’re playing a wine-guessing game. They have to guess the wine by its aroma.”

“Guess the wine by its aroma?” Samuel murmured, staring at Natalie with an unwavering gaze.

She was sitting up straight with a piece of red silk over her eyes. Her black, lace-trimmed gown contrasted sharply against her skin. The red and the black together made a striking visual impact.

A waiter held a wine glass up to Natalie’s nose. After taking a sniff, the corners of her lips curved upward slightly, and she picked up her pen to write her answer.

Then, all the answer sheets were displayed. Compared to the others, Natalie’s handwriting was the clearest and neatest, showcasing her excellent penmanship.

Suddenly, he recalled what Natalie had said earlier with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She said she wouldn’t pick on others, yet she wouldn’t allow others to pick on her either. Susan wants to humiliate Natalie in front of everyone, but her plan appears to have backfired. If I’m being honest, even I don’t know just what Natalie is capable of. However, Susan dared to challenge Natalie. Well, all I can say is that Susan has dug her own grave.

Mesmerized by Natalie, Samuel’s thoughts began to drift.

I wonder what it’ll feel like to have her lying on top of me with that red silk over her eyes…

As the thought crossed his mind, his gaze deepened.

The game continued, and eventually, two of the five ladies made wrong guesses. The last three people that remained were Natalie, Phoebe, and Susan.

The Leister family had long been known for being a connoisseur of wines, so the other guests were not surprised that Phoebe and Susan were still in the game.

However, the fact that Natalie was also among them was beyond their expectations.

Phoebe and Susan felt their confidence waning as the game proceeded to the ninth bottle of wine.

Finally, they realized that they had underestimated Natalie. Natalie didn’t drink all that wine because she was a glutton and trying to take advantage of all the good wines we put out. It’s because she knows the wines. There’s no turning back at this point. Whatever it is, we can’t lose the next two rounds to that orphan.

Soon, the waiters poured the ninth wine into glasses and held it up to the ladies’ noses.

Natalie took one whiff and was the first to write down her answer.

It was not a deliberate attempt at stealing the limelight since she was blindfolded and had no way of knowing whether the others had already written their answer or not. She had merely written her answer as soon as she identified the wine by its aroma.

Susan and Phoebe took a long time to answer. Their hesitation was not only because it was getting harder to identify the wine, but also because their confidence had suffered a blow.

Phoebe wrote down her answer first, closely followed by Susan.

After checking their answers, Hector announced, “Phoebe and Natalie have answered correctly. Susan got the vintage incorrect. This bottle is a 1988 La Romanee Conti, not 1991.”

Susan could not believe her ears.

Did I lose? How can this be possible? What’s more, I lost to a good-for-nothing orphan! This was supposed to be a trap to humiliate her, but why has it backfired?

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 263

Strip Her Of Her Defense

Susan pulled off the red silk covering her eyes and glanced at Natalie and Phoebe with a bitter expression.

Spotting Wyatt standing next to Samuel, the color drained from her face.

When did he get here? What should I do? He must’ve seen how I have lost!

As she gazed at Samuel worriedly, she realized that he was not looking in her direction. His eyes were fixed on Natalie instead!

I meant to humiliate her and take her down a peg, but look at what has happened… I’ve actually created the perfect opportunity for her to show off!

Susan bit her lip angrily, her eyes reddening as fury raged within her.

With that turn of events, only Natalie and Phoebe remained to identify the tenth wine.

The guests gathered around them were abuzz, split into two camps by their differing speculations on the result.

“The Leister family was the one who provided all these wines. Susan just came of age, so she can’t have had much exposure to wines. It was only natural that she lost. However, Phoebe is slightly older than Susan, so she should have better knowledge and experience of wines. I think Phoebe will be the winner,” a man remarked, giving his two cents.

Another guest countered, “I beg to differ. That other lady has been answering every round without hesitation. They’ve been using a pen to write their answers, and you can see that she has written her answers clearly without crossing anything out. She may be young, but she seems much more knowledgeable about wine than the two Leister ladies.”

Natalie and Phoebe could vaguely make out what the guests were saying.

The former’s expression remained as calm and composed as before, radiating an intimidating aura.

On the contrary, Phoebe’s nervousness was causing her palms to sweat. Even if Natalie loses now, it won’t be embarrassing for her. But if I lose, I won’t just be embarrassing myself. I’ll also be humiliating the entire Leister family! I have to win the next round. I just have to do it!

Hector motioned for the waiters to pour the wine into two glasses and hold them up in front of the ladies.

Their reaction that time was nothing like the other nine times. As soon as Natalie and Phoebe smelled the aroma, their brows drew together sharply.

Phoebe felt that it smelt familiar but try as she might, she could not recall what type of red wine it was, let alone the location of production and vintage.

Meanwhile, Natalie only pondered briefly before writing her answer.

As she wrote, she could not help chiding Hector inwardly for doing something so brazen.

Even after Natalie finished writing, Phoebe still had not picked up her pen yet.

Hector asked, “Phoebe, do you have your answer?”

Not daring to admit that she did not have a clue, Phoebe had no choice but to say, “Just a minute.”

Phoebe picked up her pen and wrote something, then crossed it out and wrote something else. She repeated the process a few times, unsure about her answer. In the end, she decided to go with her instinct and wrote her final answer, then passed it to the waiter standing next to her. It’s up to fate now.

The guests in the hall started chattering among themselves.

“Hector must’ve given them a tricky one. Did you see how both of them hesitated?”

“Yes! What wine could’ve confused them both?”

“I wonder who got the right answer.”

Susan stared at Phoebe with her hands balled into tight fists. She had completely forgotten all about her embarrassing defeat. I pray to God that Phoebe doesn’t lose to that b*tch!

The air was thick with anticipation as everyone waited for the results.

Standing not too far away, Wyatt was also getting nervous.

Meanwhile, Samuel stood with one hand in his pocket. There was a hint of a smile in his eyes as he gazed at a calm and composed figure.

She probably knows the correct answer, yet she still manages to put on a calm and unfazed expression. How intriguing. She’s good at concealing her thoughts and emotions.

However, it was for that very reason that Hector felt an overwhelming desire surge within him—the urge to strip her of her defense.

A Cue for Love Chapter 264

Shocked

Hector was the first to see the answers, and a look of disbelief flashed across his eyes.

This tenth round was more of a prank than a test. Whoever managed to pinpoint at least one of its contents correctly would be named the winner. But I never imagined that one of them would be able to list out the contents of the glass perfectly!

“I announce that the winner is Ms. Natalie!” Hector declared, turning toward Natalie with unbridled awe and admiration in his eyes.

The waiters displayed the answers for everyone to see. Natalie had listed three types of red wines with their corresponding location of production and vintage. After changing her answers a few times, Phoebe had only written one type of red wine.

Seeing the puzzled looks on the guests’ faces, Hector explained, “The tenth wine was a mixture of Pétrus, La Mondotte, and Valandraud. Not only did Ms. Natalie get the types of wine correct, but she also identified their location of production and vintage to a tee.”

Shocked, a collective gasp rose from the crowd.

A mixture of three wines! What an unpredictable thing to do!

Phoebe’s answer was not even remotely accurate, but that just showed how difficult the last round had been.

“I have to compliment Ms. Natalie’s knowledge of wine,” said Hector, clapping his hand.

That led the other guests to burst into applause as well.

“The two ladies from the Leister family failed to figure it out, but that lady got it right! That’s incredible!”

“She came with Samuel, didn’t she? Well, well… It’s always the quiet ones that surprise you.”

“I’m more interested in that lady’s penmanship. It’s simply amazing!”

“She’s just good at everything!”

Just like that, the scornful gazes the guests once directed toward Natalie turned into looks of admiration.

Phoebe pulled off the blindfold and scurried over to Susan. “I… I never thought it… it would end up like this…”

“You were the one who came up with the brilliant idea! Look at what happened! This is supposed to be my coming-of-age party, but she’s the one hogging all the limelight!” Susan hissed. Having nowhere to vent her pent-up rage, she could only unleash a verbal tirade at Phoebe.

Although Phoebe was also devastated that she had humiliated herself in front of everyone, she dared not say anything for fear of offending Susan. Hence, she could only grit her teeth and put up with Susan’s rebukes.

When Natalie took off the blindfold, she realized that everyone was looking at her.

Natalie was satisfied that she had succeeded in getting back at Susan and Phoebe in her own way.

However, the eyes on her made her feel uncomfortable. After giving the crown a slight nod, she walked to a less conspicuous corner.

“Ms. Natalie,” a voice said.

She turned and saw Hector beaming at her.

Hector hurried over to Natalie and said with a smile, “I’m curious to know how you managed to guess that the last wine was a mixture of a few different wines?”

Natalie’s eyes flashed as she explained, “It wasn’t a guess. I really could smell the aroma of three different wines. Your rules only mentioned that we were to identify the wines through smell, but there was no mention that it would only be one wine per round. I merely wrote down what I smelled, that’s all. Actually, the other lady also realized it too. However, she was too focused on winning that she didn’t even consider that you would come up with something so… unusual.”

Hector could not help laughing heartily after hearing her reply.

This has nothing to do with her appearance, but I can sense something special about her. In fact, I’ve realized that she’s just like fine wine. There’s more to her than meets the eye.

His eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “It’s rare for me to meet a like-minded person, and I certainly didn’t expect that I’d meet someone like you here tonight. It truly is a blessing!”

However…

Before Natalie could respond, she felt a man’s arm circle her waist possessively.

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 265

Declaring Dominance In Public

Turning around, Natalie saw Samuel.

Even with a layer of lace in between, his fingers were still gently rubbing her waist, seemingly filled with rage but carrying a tinge of flirting to it.

“It’s only a few bottles of wine, and you’re treating her as your bosom friend. Aren’t you a little too hasty, Mr. Lightwood?” Samuel’s grim tone revealed the immense fury in him.

At once, Hector’s body stiffened for a brief moment. Even the bright smile on his face froze.

He could not figure out why Samuel acted that way as he could clearly sense his animosity toward him.

Being extremely sure that he had never offended Samuel, Hector figured that the only possible reason was how he treated Natalie as his bosom friend.

Of course, he could not deny his admiration for her.

But after having a taste of Samuel’s excessive domination toward Natalie, he dared not express his feelings.

“I didn’t mean that, Mr. Bowers.” Hector cleared his throat before he continued, “I see Ms. Natalie as a friend. I wanted to treat her and let her have a taste of a bottle of wine that I’ve treasured for years since I know she loves wine so much.”

As soon as Natalie heard that there was good wine, her almond-shaped eyes lit up at once.

“Great! I’m sure Mr. Lightwood’s wine is a precious and rare one.”

“If you like it, I’ll…”

Before Hector could finish his sentence, Samuel grimly interrupted, “There’s no need.”

“Says who?” Natalie’s eyes were as wide as saucers as she threw Samuel a pouting look. I’ve already agreed to the gift. Why is this man rejecting it in my place?

“You don’t want it,” Samuel suddenly uttered.

“I want it,” Natalie argued.

Samuel tightened his grip on her waist as he called her name out with his deep voice.

“Nat.”

“I do want it…”

Standing awkwardly in front of the two, Hector felt sidelined while watching Samuel display his affection for Natalie.

Ahem! Ahem! Hector deliberately cleared his throat again before he interjected, “I guess I’ll have to take my leave first. My friend seems to be looking for me.”

After coming up with an excuse, he grabbed the chance to slip away from the awkward situation.

“Don’t go, Hector! He doesn’t want the wine, but I want it!” At the thought of how the chance to receive a good wine was going down the drain, Natalie felt her heart wrenched.

“How dare you still call his name?”

Samuel’s eyes darkened as he grabbed Natalie’s face in an attempt to shift her sight away from Hector.

“It’s all your fault! He wanted to gift me his treasured wine. But thanks to you, I ended up getting nothing!” Natalie rolled her eyes at him.

“If he purely wants to give you the wine without harboring any ulterior motives, why would my few simple words scare him away?” Samuel furrowed his brows. “I’m pretty sure he’s up to no good.”

“He can plot whatever schemes he wants; it’ll be fine as long as I don’t let him get his way. But he’s gifting good wine. Why would anybody not want it?” Natalie retorted as she could not get over it.

“Why are you so stubborn? And you’re even trying to twist the facts unreasonably?” Samuel bit her earlobe.

Her heart was thumping erratically as his warm breath stirred her emotions. “S-Samuel Bowers! There are so many people around! What are you doing?”

“I’m marking my territory. You are mine.”

“Y-You… hmm…”

Before she could continue any further, Samuel’s lips came crashing on hers.

Since Samuel’s existence had perpetually been the center of attention, everyone had their eyes on the two of them as soon as he kissed Natalie.

Does this man not feel shameful at all?

While she tried to struggle free, the man pressed his lips against hers even more firmly. There was simply no way she could refuse his passionate kiss. Ultimately, she allowed him to do whatever he wanted, except that her slender body was extremely stiff the whole time while in his embrace.

Some distance away, Susan and Phoebe saw that steamy kiss scene too.

Why would someone like Samuel swallow his pride and kiss a woman like her?

The eyes of the two women were burning with jealousy in unison.

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 266

Do Not Get Drunk

Phoebe was someone who would never let her emotions show on her face. Hence, regardless of how envious she was of Natalie, she did not express it openly.

However, Susan was the exact opposite. She had been the apple of the eye among the Leister family and had been well adored since young.

Her love for Samuel had bloomed since her prime of youth. She had given up previously as she thought she had lost to the twins’ mother. But now that she saw Samuel kissing someone whom she had never seen before, she could no longer suppress the burning rage within her.

“Why is it her? Why can’t it be me? I’m better than her in every way. Why did Samuel choose her instead of me? Susan was seething with anger.

“Perhaps she made use of peculiar tactics to seduce Mr. Bowers?”

“I’m sure that is it!” Even though Susan’s voice sounded sweet, her eyes were full of vicious intent. “If I can’t get Samuel, I won’t let that woman get him either! I’ll make sure her reputation is ruined at my party tonight!”

“Susan, you…”

“You have to help me, Phoebe.”

Meanwhile, Samuel reluctantly let go of Natalie’s lips and rested his forehead against hers while adjusting his heavy breathing. The kiss did not last too long despite it being a passionate one.

Natalie was not faring any better either. She was panting heavily, trying to catch her breath.

“H-How can you do that? Y-You’re being unreasonable.”

“You’re so attractive that other men are coveting you. If I don’t assert dominance, you’ll be taken away by other men sooner or later.” Samuel leaned close to her ear and whispered.

Natalie could not wrap her head around Samuel’s behavior.

All she knew was Hector’s wine, which she supposedly would receive as a gift, had disappeared for good because of him.

“My wine…”

Among the vast number of interests, one of Natalie’s favorite was savoring good wine.

Knowing that she had such an interest, Yandel had searched many good wines for her throughout the years. But of course, no one would complain about having too much wine! At the thought of how she had missed a bottle of precious wine by a hair’s breadth, she felt crushed by disappointment that even her gazes dimmed.

“You love wine that much?”

“Mmm.” Natalie nodded. “Of course, we should enjoy it while we can. Savoring a good wine is like savoring merriment in life.”

“Not only do the Leister family have a winery in Livingsfill. I have a private one too,” Samuel uttered.

“Oh!” Natalie was startled for a tad moment before she could react.

“Do you own a lot of good wine in your winery too?” Her eyes lit up at the mention of good wines.

Seeing her expression, Samuel unknowingly curled his lips up into a smile. “From this moment on, the winery is yours.”

A bottle of wine? And the whole winery?

Immediately, her sorrow, as well as the embarrassment from Samuel’s sudden kiss earlier, had vanished into the air.

“Are you sure?”

“No.” Samuel deliberately said the opposite.

“Stop lying to me. I’ve heard you clearly earlier. You said the winery is mine.” Natalie smiled so brightly her eyes narrowed. “Hehe! All of the wine in that winery belongs to me now!”

“It’s all yours, on one condition.”

“What is it?” Natalie stared at him curiously.

“From now on, you can only get drunk while you are with me.” Samuel gently tucked Natalie’s messy hair behind her ear while fixing his gaze intently on her. “I’m the only one allowed to see your drunk look, but no one else. I don’t care if they are men or women.”

Natalie’s heart was pounding wildly.

She could feel Samuel’s possessiveness toward her.

Isn’t this man acting way too aggressive?

But even so, she did not feel suffocated by his overwhelming affection. On the contrary, she appreciated the man’s tender love, care, and protection for her.

“Samuel, thank you.”

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 267

A Lifetime To Repay Me

In truth, Natalie was not only showing her appreciation for Samuel’s generosity in gifting her a winery, but she was also thankful for his love toward her.

“Stay by my side and repay me slowly.” Holding Natalie tightly by her waist, Samuel pressed against her body and leaned close to her ears. “As long as it’s you, I don’t mind.”

Natalie felt even her cheeks burning as emotions surged within her.

“I-I’m a little thirsty. Let me go get a drink.”

She quickly walked away and started fanning trying to cool herself down.

She was so flustered that she could even vividly feel her cheeks blushing red.

Oh gosh. This isn’t good. Why am I getting more and more easily affected by Samuel?

Seeing a server walking past her, she quickly grabbed a drink from the tray and took two sips.

“Look! That’s the woman whom Samuel kissed!”

“She must be a talented lady to be able to beat Susan and Phoebe. But it’s a pity she doesn’t look as pretty.”

“Perhaps that’s the secret of successful people, unlike you and I who’re only after looks.”

Unable to hold her embarrassment in, Natalie almost spat out the beverage in her mouth.

The evaluation from head-to-toe made her feel so embarrassed it was as though she went through the walk of shame.

After several sips of the iced beverage, she finally cooled herself down. Just as she wanted to look for Samuel, a familiar figure bumped onto her violently.

Burgundy-colored wine spilled straight onto her.

The familiar figure that bumped her turned out to be none other than Phoebe.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Phoebe had a look of apology written all over her face. “I don’t mean it. I’m so sorry that I got your gown dirty.”

“It’s fine.” Natalie held her hand out to steady Phoebe. “Be more careful when you walk.”

“Got it.” Phoebe stole a glance at Natalie’s gown and added, “I’ve dirtied your gown. Let me take you to change into a clean gown. Otherwise, it’s going to be uncomfortable for you.”

“There’s no need.” Natalie kindly rejected it since it was no big deal to her.

“What do you mean?” Phoebe was a little stunned initially. “Ms. Natalie, you’re set for the opening dance with Mr. Bowers later. Perhaps it doesn’t affect you, but Mr. Bowers is, after all, representative of the Bowers family. Your appearance not only reflects your image. If you look bad, it’ll reflect badly on him too.”

Staring at the scheming lady before her, Natalie lifted the corners of her lips into a faint smile.

She thought Susan and Phoebe had learned their lesson earlier during the wine-tasting contest. Nonetheless, it turned out that these two envious women had yet to have enough of such petty games.

She wants to play such tricks? Game on then!

Her motto in life was to give in to others even if they tried picking on her. However, she would not sit still if they continuously picked on her time and again.

“Sure. I’ll have to trouble you then.”

Phoebe smiled, thinking that she had succeeded with her plan. “You’re welcome.”

On the other side, Justin walked over to Samuel while holding his glass of wine in his hand.

“Samuel, she’s gone. What are you still staring at?” Justin sized Samuel up and teased, “Everyone has always said that you’re not interested in women and that Franklin and Sophia are surrogate children to carry on the Bowers family’s family line. It seems like those people have to take back their words now.”

“She’s mine. Of course, I have to pay more attention to her.” Samuel’s eyes were radiating warmth and tenderness as he took a sip of wine.

“Are you bragging?”

“No.” Samuel shifted his gaze to Justin. “I’m only speaking the facts.”

Justin was at a loss for words.

The dejected Justin, who had been snubbed by Jane earlier, could only feel a crushing blow to his pride and ego after hearing Samuel’s words.

“Don’t you sense the intense rivalry the two ladies from the Leicester family have toward Natalie?” Justin decided to give Samuel a piece of mind. “She’s after all, your woman. You should be the knight in shining armor and save the damsel in distress!”

Samuel’s eyes glinted with an inscrutable emotion as he looked intently at Natalie’s face. “She doesn’t need my protection. She’s far more powerful than everyone assumes her to be.”

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 268

Putting On A Servant Costume

It was the first time Justin had heard Samuel had such high compliments for someone.

He stood frozen on the spot for a good while before he regained his senses and quickly took a gulp of wine from his glass to calm himself down.

What the hell!

Justin’s curiosity toward Natalie had only increased after hearing Samuel’s praises. Now, he wanted to see how special Natalie was.

Natalie followed closely behind Phoebe into a guest room on the second floor.

Once they got into the room, Phoebe put on a warm smile on her face as she said, “Ms. Natalie, please wait here for a moment. There’s some juice over at that corner; do help yourself to it. I’ll bring you a clean gown that suits you soon.”

Finishing that, she stood up and left.

Left alone in the guest room, Natalie sauntered around while surveying the surroundings, only to realize that the room was way warmer than the ballroom. In no time, she felt her throat go dry.

Her gazes landed on the glass of fresh orange juice on the coffee table.

She walked over and picked up the glass, only to find it weird after taking a whiff of it.

Tsk! Tsk! Susan has such evil thoughts despite her young age, huh? How is this digging a hole and making me suffer? She’s obviously trying to destroy my reputation and make me fall from grace!

Picking up the glass, she poured all the juice into a potted plant beside the coffee table.

Shortly after, Phoebe knocked and pushed open the door.

As soon as she walked into the room, she saw Natalie lying on the couch, her body slightly curled and her almond eyes tightly shut.

Assuming that Natalie had lost consciousness, a hint of smugness flashed across Phoebe’s eyes. She walked nearer and gave the former a nudge. “Natalie, wake up. Do you hear me?”

Looking at Natalie’s state and the empty glass on the coffee table, Phoebe was certain that Natalie was knocked unconscious after taking the drugged orange juice.

Phoebe reached her hand out and pinched Natalie’s cheeks. Even her exquisite makeup could not disguise how malicious she was.

“Tsk! What gives you the right to be standing beside Samuel with this face of yours? If I can’t, neither can you.”

She then fished out her phone and sent a voice message to Susan.

“She has lost consciousness. The man I’ve arranged will arrive at the room in ten minutes.”

At the mere thought of how disgusted Samuel would be if he saw the sight of Natalie tangled with a random man in bed, Phoebe could not hide her excitement. She pushed herself up from the couch and prepared to exit the room.

Just as she headed toward the door with her guards down, an arm swiftly landed around her neck.

“Mmph—- Phoebe let out a muffled grunt before falling onto the ground.

Natalie dusted her hands and shot a cold, piercing glare at the collapsed Phoebe.

Even though she appeared exceptionally calm, her downcast gaze had a hint of daunting glint to it.

In truth, her skills might not be comparable to that of a skilled young man, but it was more than enough for her to deal with a defenseless wealthy lady like Phoebe.

Following that, Natalie carried Phoebe onto the couch, removed her hair accessories, and messed up her hair so that her long wavy locks would cover her face.

She then opened the wardrobe in the room, only to find two sets of clothing—a cream-colored silk nightgown and a servant uniform.

Without hesitation, Natalie chose the black and white striped servant uniform.

She hurriedly removed the gown on herself and changed into the servant uniform. Next, she took off the hyper-realistic mask on her face and proceeded to get out of the room.

At that point, she was completely different from the impression others had of Natalie completely.

Many had caught a glimpse of her looks as she made her way from the inner hall to the ballroom, yet no one could recognize who she was.

As she was about to walk into the ballroom, a familiar silhouette came before her, blocking her path.

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 269

Getting Recognized

Natalie looked over, only to notice that it was Justin.

I’ve removed the hyper-realistic mask. Don’t tell me he can still recognize me? Or perhaps he has taken me for Yara?

No matter what reason it was, it was not something Natalie would hope to happen.

“Is anything the matter?” Natalie purposely held her head low.

“I’d like a piece of strawberry cake,” Justin uttered while loosening his tie.

Hearing that, she silently heaved a sigh of relief.

“Sure, mister,” she politely replied. Of course, she could not be bothered by the strawberry cake. She continued with the act just so that she could escape from the tricky situation.

“Hurry. I’ll wait for you here.”

“Sure.”

Just as Natalie was about to leave, Justin suddenly reached out his arm and grabbed hold of her wrist.

“You—” Natalie furrowed her brows.

“Wait, no… Have I seen you before? Your voice sounds very familiar. It seems like I’ve heard your voice recently…” Justin tightened his grip on her wrist. “I’m sure I know you. It’s just that I can’t recall right now.”

Natalie felt a chill down her spine.

It had never crossed her mind that not only had Justin met Yara before, but he could even recognize her voice.

She knew that Samuel would learn about it had Justin smelled something fishy. It had always crossed her mind about coming clean with Samuel about the hyper-realistic mask, except that she had yet to find the best time to do it.

Despite the internal dilemma tearing her apart, her mind was in an unusually calm state.

I can’t just confess this way.

“Mister, could it be that you got the wrong person?” Natalie pried his fingers off her wrist.

“That’s impossible.” Justin narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure I know you. You aren’t a servant from the Leister family. I can’t recall who you are now, but I will be able to do that after a short while.”

“Y-You really made a mistake!”

Despite Natalie’s constant denial, Justin was just as eloquent. There was simply no way she could win the debate.

This isn’t going anywhere. We’ll only attract more attention with more commotion. Perhaps someone in the crowd might recognize Yara. This wouldn’t do any good for me. Oh dear, I’m done for!

Just when Natalie was in an anxious state, a woman’s voice sounded from one side.

“Justin, you’re becoming braver at flirting recently, huh?” A cool-looking lady strode toward them, with her eyes that were full of disappointment fixed on Justin. “Hah. So this is your so-called love for me?”

“I-I… Things aren’t like what you imagined it to be!”

Justin’s love for Jane was embedded deep within his bones. Seeing how she had misunderstood him as a two-timer, he was eager to explain his stand. Nevertheless, he still held onto Natalie’s hand tightly as he was afraid that the suspicious woman would run away in the process.

“My feelings for you are true and honest! It’s just that she looks like someone I know!” It seemed like Justin had become a young boy in front of Jane. “You have to believe me, Jane.”

Having heard him call the lady Jane, Natalie immediately knew she was his beloved.

She saw her only chance to get away from her current situation.

“Mister, I’ve told you many times. I really don’t know you.” Natalie blinked at him as she put on an innocent expression. “Yet, you’re still unwilling to let go of my hand and even claims that I look like your first love. My hand hurts a lot…”

“First love my foot!” Justin snapped. “Stop spouting nonsense! My first love is Jane!”

“But that’s not what you say just now…”

“What are you babbling about?”

“Why are you denying what you’ve told me earlier?”

“Listen carefully! Don’t think that I wouldn’t dare to beat a woman up!” Justin was on the verge of going berserk.

“That’s enough! Stop pretending, Justin. I don’t want to see you anymore!”

Finishing her sentence, Jane looked grimly at the two who had differing statements before turning around and walking away.

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 270

Shattered Ideologies

Watching Jane walk away without looking back, Justin shot daggers at Natalie and shrugged off her hand without any hesitation.

He then ran in the direction where Jane left and shouted, “Jane, stop right there.”

Although Jane had heard him clearly, she completely ignored his commands and held her head low as she continued forward in large strides. It seemed like she was determined to get the man out of her life.

Staring intently at their silhouettes, Natalie rubbed her reddened wrist that Justin grabbed earlier.

Hmm… It seems like Jane’s actions show that she still cares about him, unlike what she says. Perhaps, I might’ve even created a chance for him to confess his feelings to Jane. What a blessing in disguise!

While this little encounter threw Natalie into a little surprise, she was relieved that Justin did not expose her identity.

In the meantime, after receiving the voice message from Phoebe, Susan did not see or hear from her again.

“Where exactly did Phoebe go?”

In reality, Susan was not genuinely concerned about Phoebe’s whereabouts. Her only anticipation was to see the miserable-looking Natalie, with barely any clothes on, getting criticized by everyone.

As such, she gathered a few ladies from wealthy families that she was close with and came up with an excuse so that they would accompany her to the guest room to get an accessory.

Standing before the guest room, Susan narrowed her eyes. A flash of cruelty flickered in her icy gazes.

Hmph! I’m the daughter of the Leister family! While that woman is an orphan with no background! How dare she snatch Samuel from me? I’ll let that wretch meet her doom for doing that!

Pushing open the door, Susan walked into the room with her best friends.

In the next second, they were dumbfounded by what they saw on the couch—two naked bodies intertwined together.

The man’s breathing was as heavy and intense as a beast, while the woman’s soft moans filled the air.

The two had their clothes disheveled.

The woman was on top of the man, and her long hair was all over her face.

“Ah! W-What are you guys doing?” Susan covered her mouth and gasped in astonishment.

The other ladies had looks of disgust on their faces as well.

“No way! How shameless!”

“Aren’t you too disgusting to be doing this here? Are you guys a little too impatient?”

“Don’t you know what kind of occasion this is? Whatever it is, there’s still a limit to having fun.”

Susan felt a slight sense of victory within her.

However, it would be a pity if they were the only ones who saw that sight. She wanted more people to join in to see Natalie’s pathetic look.

She believed that Samuel would lose all interest in Natalie if he saw her in such a predicament.

Since it was quite a commotion there, some guests had followed the trail of sound and went over in no time to join the spectacle.

In truth, it was common for men and women of the upper-class society to have such clandestine affairs, some faring way worse than this. Even so, a majority of them still knew their limits, unlike the pair before the crowd’s eyes. Everyone was appalled at how the two were still reluctant to be separated even after getting exposed.

“Who is that? She won’t be able to get married anymore!”

“Exactly! I’m sure no family would allow their son to marry a woman like her!”

“There’s nothing that deserves our pity! Serves her right for doing such a disgraceful thing!”

Susan was on cloud nine after hearing the crowd’s reactions, except that it was not enough to satisfy her.

When she saw Samuel making his way over in her direction, she became incredibly thrilled.

She hurriedly padded to Samuel’s side and grabbed his arm as she said pitifully, “Samuel, it’s my coming of age ceremony and my birthday today. H-How can they do something so disgraceful and shameless here?”