Chapter 287: Shrouded in Mystery
Upon reaching the bathroom, Raylee noticed her shoulder had been scratched open by Samuel. A patch of skin, about the size of a coin, was marred with bloodstains. Quite a bit of blood had been lost. Her pristine skin, though beautiful, appeared somewhat lacking.
“What’s going on? I didn’t feel any pain, so how did I end up with a cut that’s bleeding?” Raylee frowned, feeling that her skin had suddenly become incredibly sensitive, and she didn’t consider it a good thing. So, without delay, she took a picture and sent it to the doctor on the masked man’s medical team.
“The wound on your shoulder has been bleeding continuously. I happen to have a band-aid with me; let me patch it up for you.” A gentle voice echoed from behind. Through the mirror, Raylee caught sight of a familiar face. She exclaimed in surprise, “Layla? What brings you here?”
“People in high society would often host charity events and various banquets, which I frequently attended. What’s so strange about that?” As Layla spoke, she reached into her bag and pulled out a band-aid. With utmost care, she gently applied it to Raylee’s wound.
Raylee felt a chill as the band-aid was applied. This band-aid was truly a timely aid. She expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you, Layla.”
“It’s just a band-aid, what’s there to thank? In fact, I should be thanking you for having the courage to rescue my brother in Musmeynia. If it were any other woman, just hearing the name Musmeynia would probably scare her stiff, but you ventured over there fearlessly. When it comes down to it, I owe you both an apology and a word of thanks,” Layla replied with a faint smile.
Faced with Layla’s friendly demeanor, Raylee was momentarily taken aback. This scene feels as unreal as a dream. There are two points of uncertainty here. The first is that Layla isn’t surprised by the drastic changes in my appearance. She’s even acting as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Unlike others, who looked as if they had seen a ghost when they saw me again after five months, Layla looked at me and spoke to me as if it was all completely natural for her. However, I haven’t met Layla after I returned, so could it be that Layla had someone monitor me all this while? The second point is Layla’s unnaturally kind attitude toward me. I had ventured to Musmeynia to rescue Jeremiah, but my mission ended in failure. She clearly despised me and even wished for my death, so why did that hatred suddenly disappear? Not only was there no resentment toward me, but she even apologized to me and expressed her gratitude toward me?
Raylee was beginning to doubt whether the person standing in front of her truly was Layla. Could it be that she was so devastated after losing her dear brother that she chose to forget it all?
“I… I… believe that one day, you’ll fully recover,” Layla uttered a statement that didn’t make any sense.
Raylee asked in a bewildered tone, “Layla, how did you know I was undergoing treatment? Do you know something? Also, why did you suddenly stop feeling upset when you mentioned Jeremiah?”
Layla shook her head with a smile and spoke like a wise older sibling giving out advice. “The past is meant to be left in the past. Constantly dwelling on it will only drain you from within. Constantly draining your own spirit won’t bring you happiness. So, letting go of the past is a good thing, isn’t it? But, Ray-Ray, your situation is different. You’ve endured injustice being imprisoned for four years. This is a deep-seated grudge, a resentment that can’t be easily dismissed. In order to live the rest of your life without regret, you must never let your enemies off the hook. Keep going! I wish you a brighter tomorrow!” Layla then patted Raylee on the shoulder before leaving the restroom.
From beginning to end, Layla never responded to Raylee’s question, let alone clear up her confusion. This left Raylee even more bewildered. Facing the enigmatic Layla, she was filled with puzzlement, a cloud of questions darkening her mind. Still unable to understand what was going on, she left the bathroom.
At that moment, there was quite a lively scene unfolding in the banquet hall. It was someone from the Lorimer family again. This time, however, it was Tiffany. She had drunk too much, causing a scene at the charity sale. She wrapped her arms around Casimir, her mouth painted with bright red lipstick, fervently kissing his face.
Casimir wanted to break away from Tiffany. Despite her refined upbringing, the young lady had been trained in combat arts since childhood. Her strength and agility were beyond comparison to the average person. Even though Casimir was a man, he was no match for her. Held in her arms, immobile, he was forced to endure her kisses. Smooch! Smooch! Smooch! In the presence of everyone, Tiffany showered kisses on Casimir’s face relentlessly.
Pushing her way through the crowd, Waverly witnessed the scene and was absolutely livid. “Tiffany, you shameless woman! I can’t believe you’d start poaching men at my event!” In that moment, Waverly didn’t care whether Tiffany was from the Lorimer family or any other prominent family. She rushed forward and engaged in a tussle with Tiffany.