Alice lifted her gaze to Louis, her expression puzzled. She had always known Louis to be a genius in business but utterly clueless in social relationships. Now, she had discovered something new—Louis was surprisingly stubborn.
Raising an eyebrow, Alice looked at Louis and calmly said, "You think I came here because of you? Louis, have you ever considered that you might be suffering from severe delusions?"
Louis frowned deeply, anger flashing in his eyes at her words.
Indeed, he believed Alice had come here because of him. After all, why else would someone like Alice, who disliked parties, attend this event alone?
Standing beside him, Maya pursed her lips, seemingly dissatisfied as she interjected, "Alice, you can't talk to Mr. Louis like that! Apologize to him right now!"
Louis frowned slightly, confused by Maya's sudden interference in his conversation with Alice. Perhaps she was upset on his behalf, but such intervention felt unnecessary. Still, Louis chose not to address it at the moment.
Alice smirked, her gaze shifting from Maya back to Louis as she spoke softly, "What's this? Feeling sorry for Louis? Louis, I think you should be happy—it seems like the one you secretly admire has feelings for you, too."
Louis's brow furrowed slightly as he opened his mouth to clarify that he did not like Maya, but Maya beat him to it.
Her eyes widened innocently, shimmering like those of a startled rabbit. "What… what are you saying? Mr. Louis and I have nothing… yet."
Yes, she had said "yet" instead of "nothing," making her intentions towards Louis unmistakable. Of course, most men, including Louis, would miss such nuances.
Louis nodded firmly, confirming, "That's right. There's nothing between us." Then he frowned again. "Alice, stop making baseless remarks."
What was wrong with Alice? Did she truly have no intention of apologizing to him?
Louis was convinced that Alice must have been obsessively longing for him. Yet her calm demeanor upon seeing him, as if they were mere strangers, left him utterly baffled. Why?
No one could answer Louis's question. His blind confidence in Alice's supposed love for him—or perhaps an unacknowledged love of his own—prevented him from accepting the truth: Alice no longer loved him.
Alice shrugged nonchalantly. Her outfit, combined with her carefree attitude, exuded a beauty entirely different from her usual elegant and alluring style in evening gowns. Yet it effortlessly drew the attention of everyone around her, Louis included.
Alice was stunning—unbearably so. No matter how much they wished to deny it, it was a fact that no one could refute.
Louis couldn't help but recall the first time they met.
It was at the MidNight bar. He had been in utter despair after Maya left for overseas, leaving his long-hidden feelings unspoken. At the time, Maya had been the only girl Louis was close to, having grown up together. The fleeting emotions of adolescence had made Louis mistakenly believe he loved Maya deeply.
But thinking back now, perhaps he hadn't loved Maya as much as he thought. It was just an illusion he had clung to.
Louis only remembered drinking heavily that night. Alice appeared while others at the bar sought solace or abandoned themselves to indulgence. She was like a lamb wandering into a den of wolves—a beautiful and enticing lamb. Even though her expression was cold, it couldn't mask her innocence.
It was undoubtedly her first time in a bar; Louis was sure of it.
His gaze unconsciously fixed on Alice. He noticed many others were also staring at her, each harboring their sordid thoughts.
The attention Alice drew from so many people made Louis uncomfortable. His discomfort reached its peak when Alice, having drunk too much, became visibly intoxicated, nearly collapsing onto the table.
A crowd gathered around her, seemingly under the guise of conversation, but they were looking for an opportunity to get close to her. Each one harbored their intentions, silently wondering who this lamb would fall prey to.
At that moment, Louis frowned deeply. He couldn't understand why he felt so uneasy about a stranger being surrounded. Perhaps it was because she wore a pristine white dress, and her delicate back reminded him of Maya.
Yes, he told himself, he couldn't bear to see Maya surrounded by filthy people like this, and this girl was too similar to Maya. That must have been why he couldn't ignore it.
"You filthy scum—what the hell do you think you're doing?" Louis stepped forward. Despite having had several drinks, he was still far more sober than the drunken crowd.
He intercepted a man's hand as it reached for Alice's shoulder.
The men scowled at him, their faces flushed red and their eyes hazy from the alcohol.
One of them growled, "You little punk, don't you know who you're messing with?!"
As he spoke, the man grabbed a nearby bottle and swung it toward Louis. A scream pierced the air, but no blood was spilled.
Louis kicked the man away, pivoted, and struck another on the chin with his elbow. In the same motion, he landed a punch on a third. In mere moments, three men were incapacitated. The others, now wary, dared not take another step forward.
Just as Louis was about to leave, Alice suddenly grabbed his hand.
Louis saw her pale, flushed face, her eyes brimming with tears—perhaps from fear.
She opened her mouth, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. Yet Louis understood her words: she wanted him to take her away.
Louis didn't know what he was thinking at that moment. When he realized it, he was carrying Alice out of the bar.
"To the nearest hotel," Louis told the driver.
His plan had been simple—leave Alice at the hotel and walk away. But Alice clung tightly to him, refusing to let go.
She looked at him with a drunken, longing gaze before pulling him into an awkward kiss, one filled with yearning and sadness. For a fleeting moment, Louis felt a connection with her. They were both failures in love.
But soon, he could think no longer. Alice had awakened a primal desire within him. Losing control, Louis removed her pure white dress.
What followed was a night of passion, fiery and entwined, albeit slightly clumsy—a night neither of them would ever forget.
Louis knew he had taken Alice's first time. And sometimes, he wondered if Alice had also realized she had taken his first time.