His Contractual Mistress

As the gathering went on, the Alumnae enjoyed the food, and Vince is one of them. 

"Waiter! Can you get me another bowl of this?" Vince made another request. The waiter bowed at him and rushed toward the buffet table. 

Meanwhile, Jake and Lloyd blink countless times. They have noticed, Vince is eating a lot tonight and the opposite of him. One thing they always teased Vince during their college days, he is picky with food, especially in unknown restaurants.

"Aren't you hungry, huh?" Jake was astounded to see Vince acting like this in front of them.

"Have you realized that is your fourth bowl?" Lloyd reminded him which Vince only shrug a shoulder and continues eating until he has his fifth bowl. 

"Man! I think that's enough already! You do know that dish has a lot of cheese?" Clifford Wong chimed in. 

"It is what makes this dish yummier," Vince bragged about the food instead, with a huge smile across his face. He would love to tell his friends that it was precisely like Hailey's dishes. Even he will close his eyes. He could tell that it was her who prepared them. 

"Mr. Shen, a dessert for you." 

"Oh, thank you!" His eyes spark with delight upon seeing the platter of tiramisu. It didn't hide from his friends how his face brightened when the server place the plate on the table.

Lloyd wants to try it, but Vince slaps his hand. "Hey!" Lloyd was astounded by what Vince did.

"You heard the waiter. It's only for me."

"Can you still stuff your stomach for more? We wanted to try it too! It looks different from the usual tiramisu." Lloyd has observed.

"Why not? Can't I enjoy the food?" Vince muttered between stuffing his mouth with the dessert.

His friends could not believe what they see at the moment. The meticulous Shen prince does not mind etiquette at all. 

"The rest of the dessert will serve soon, sir." The waiter politely informed them.

"Oh. So this is special treatment, huh?" Jake chuckled after he figured it out.

On the other hand, Vince ignored his friends, who remain giving him a face. He looked up at the waiter and queried him. "Is Miss Hillson done making the dishes?"

"Yes, Mr. Shen... She is on her way back at this moment." 

"I see. Thank you." 

"You're welcome, Mr. Shen." The waiter bowed and left. 

Vince's friends were staring at him with amazement. He lifted his head and saw them gaping at him with funny faces. 

He asked, "What? Is something on my face?" 

His friends nodded. And one of them stated... "Wow. How envious we are. It feels like this gathering is made to show off your love life." 

"Huh? What is that mean?" Vince is no clue at all, especially that he has no experience with love. 

"Look at you. Having a personal international chef? And what kind of reception is this? It was more like a wedding to me!" 

"What are you guys talking about?" Vince pretends he has no idea what his friends are talking about. He is casually putting a spoon of tiramisu on his mouth to avoid everyone's meaningful stares. 

"You're a kind of denial now," Lloyd expressed between his laugh. 

"How do I become one? And what to deny?" 

"Aw, come on, man! You wanted to impress your girlfriend, aren't you? It was the purpose of these whole magical decors, right?" 

"Hm..." Vince ignores the question. He keeps on eating his dessert while casually he glanced at Hazel.

She had the fun of her life watching the boys putting the mighty Vincent Shen in the hot seat. 

Hazel meets Vince's eyes. She nodded at him and stood from her chair. "I'm going to excuse myself, gentlemen. I need to go to the powder room." 

Hazel wandered her eyes to the entire reception. Searching for Nadia, but it was Liza she found. "Hey, is Hailey coming back?"

"Not yet. She might be still in the kitchen. Mrs. Gomez told us that the kitchen needed more hands," Liza replied.

"Okay, but we need to dress her up now! Where's Nadia, by the way?" 

"She's checking out if Hailey can come back already."

"Okay! Informed me if she's back!"

Liza nodded. She left Hazel as a guest called on her. Hazel opens her purse and takes out her phone. 

'Boss, Hailey wasn't here yet.' 

It was what Hazel typed on her phone. She put it back in her purse and headed to the powder room when she met Zenaida and her fake friends in the hallway. 

"Stupid waitress! She almost messes up my dress!" Zenaida stresses out to her friends. 

Hazel halted from walking. She turned around and watched Zenaida and her minions step out of the building, headed back to the venue. It intrigued her if who she was talking about. 

* 

Meanwhile, Hailey has just arrived at the venue. She first headed to the Staff Locker Room to fix herself before she appeared in the reception. 

"Nadia? Are you crying?" It surprised her to hear sobs the moment she entered the room. And it shocked her more to recognize the girl struggling to wipe her uniform that was drenched with wine. 

"What happened?" She rushed at Nadia's sides to help her dry herself. The girl was reeking with wine that poured from her head down to her sleeves. "Who did this to you?" 

"I... She freaks out when I almost bumped into her carrying a tray of wine." 

"Who did this to you?" Hailey repeated her question. She prayed that her guess is wrong because there is only one person she knows who would do this to people below her. 

However, Nadia is hesitant to name that person. She lowered her head and averted her eyes, not to meet Hailey's eyes. 

"It was her, isn't it?" She had a strong hunch that Zenaida is the witch who would love to embarrass someone. 

Now that Hailey had her presumption. She had no reason to remain quiet. "I didn't mean to, Hail. I heard that Zenaida and her friends are lashing you! So I put wine on the glasses and walk straight toward them. It is stupid of me, but I want to pretend I was accidentally poured the wine on them. But what happens instead... Zenaida suddenly turned around, and I wasn't prepared to spill the wine on her." 

"This happens to you because of me..." Hailey extends her arm and rubs Nadia's cheek. "Thank you. But next time, just ignore them." 

"But Hail..." 

"I know... Let me handle her. And if I am the one who heard about it. I know how to protect myself. You don't need to make a reckless decision that will put you in an unlikely situation. Okay?" 

Nadia tears a smile as she nodded at Hailey. "Okay." 

"Promised?" 

"I do promise," Nadia swears at Hailey. 

"Okay. Just stay here. Let me fill your place," said Hailey. 

"Thank you, Hail." 

She nodded at Nadia. She fixes herself before she heads to the venue. And the moment she steps out of the Staff Room, the smile on her face disappears. 

And it is fate that their path crosses easily.

"Well, well... Well... Look who's here! Peasant always a peasant."