Stigma

In the suburban area of Los Angeles in A Country, a blood red sports car drove along the road through tall palm trees before finally pulling up to an old castle.

Two big and strong guards walked over to stop the sports car. "Identification please," one guard said loudly, walking over to the driver's side. The driver's window rolled down slowly. The guard was shocked to see a delicate woman behind the wheel. A card was in her hand, an invitation. The woman gingerly handed it over to the guard.

"Hello there," Wendy Shangguan greeted as she waved the invitation in front of the guard.

"Ahem, I'm sorry." The guard coughed awkwardly. He took the invitation with both hands and double-checked it before letting her drive in.

There were a lot of people coming here today. It was because it was the birthday party of the Earl of the old castle. All the guests invited were either rich or powerful people in the entire country. There were waiters walking around with silver trays filled with champagne glasses. Everyone was busy chatting with each other -- whether it was about world economy, politics or something expensive they had bought recently.

At that moment, a woman in a red, off-shoulder dress came into the hall. Most of the people's conversations drifted off into silence, the woman's presence stirring intrigue. Her entrance, which was accentuated by the way her high heels crispily sounded against the marble floors, was quite the attention grabber.

The dress the woman was wearing flattered her white and smooth complexion, like a pool of blood against white snow. Delicately embroidered laces were sewn onto the delicate fabric. Her hair was in a messy but classy bun, several hair strands grazing her ears and the sides of her face, making her look sweet and innocent.

The men present seemed to have forgotten their female companions, their eyes glued onto this alluring woman.

One man walked towards the woman as he adjusted his tie. "Hello. Are you here alone? I'm wondering if I could have the honor to be your partner tonight," he said with a cheeky grin.

"I'm sorry but she has a boyfriend now." A deep and magnetic voice suddenly came from behind.

Hearing the cold voice interrupt, the man was annoyed. He turned around and saw who it was. "Mr. Harold?" the man exclaimed in surprise.

At the age of twenty-four, Harold He had become the chairman of the HX Group. He had developed the main structure the company had today, specializing on airline, industry, finance, tourism, and other forms of technology. In a short amount of time, his business had expanded internationally.

It was the first time the man had seen Harold He face to face. But what made him more surprised was that the woman he had approached walked over to Harold He and held onto his arm!

For the past few years, no one had seen Harold He with a woman in public nor were there even any gossips of any past girlfriends. Because of this, rumors about his sexual orientation started to stir. However, nobody had seen he got into intimate relationships with any man.

Knowing that he couldn't afford to offend him, the man smiled politely. "Forgive me. This beautiful lady here is Mr. Harold's girlfriend?"

Harold He glanced at him coldly and did not answer his question. He took Wendy Shangguan directly to the Earl and began to busily chat away.

Was that girl his girlfriend or not? He didn't admit or deny it. The guests started to whisper among themselves.

With a smile on her face, Wendy held Harold's arm, picked up a glass of champagne and clinked glasses with the other guests.

Just then, her phone started to ring. "Excuse me," she quietly said as she walked to a less crowded part of the room to check the message.

On Wendy Shangguan's cell phone, there were several pictures of a woman in a lotus dress who was tied up. The end of the rope tied to the back of an off-road vehicle.

Wendy's eyes widened in disbelief. She held her phone tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably and her breath coming in short gasps.