MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Whenever Katie was losing a disagreement, she would cry. If she looked upset, men would often fall for her act, whether she was right or wrong, but women just seemed to blame her.

It was the second time that her tearful performance didn't work, the first time was when she had met Joshua at the auction. Katie thought for a moment, then her eyes widened, and she looked at Hazel with shock, "You, you…."

Hazel smiled as she saw the look of disgust on Katie's face, as she realized she was the one sitting beside Joshua at the auction. It was obvious that Katie had done some research on Joshua but not on who the woman was with him.

"Are you that preoccupied that you forgot me already?" Hazel looked at her with a little smile.

Katie's expression became twisted. Suddenly, she turned her head around to whisper something to her companions. When she was done, she stepped toward Hazel.

"No wonder someone like you can be easily confused with what is right and what is wrong. I am really surprised, though, that someone with your identity would still go around trying to cause trouble."

"My identity?" Hazel was quite curious and wanted to hear Katie's theory.

Katie leaned toward Hazel, so close that only they could hear what was being said, "You think that you can be Joshua Denmark's woman just by following him around?" Katie sneered.

"Do you even know about Mr. Denmark's party? He is throwing it for his younger sister, they aren't blood-related, but he does acknowledge her. Anyway, as for you, a woman who doesn't belong to a well-known family, you're not even good enough to be invited to the party. You are only his temporary plaything!" Katie taunted.

Hazel stood still, smiling at Katie and her ludicrous thoughts. Katie truly had no idea who she was and assumed she was just Joshua's lover or that she had some shady connection to him.

After listening to Katie's insinuations, Hazel felt even less inclined to tell her who she was, but Katie took the silence as a triumph.

"Pack the dress up for me!" Katie demanded with a huge grin.

The clerk gave Hazel a hesitant look as she picked up the dress, she did not know what to do.

Hazel frowned slightly and then looked at Katie. "I saw this dress first. How can I make that clear to you?"

"You..." Katie's face changed instantly. She had thought she was forcing Hazel to back down but instead, she was being embarrassed again.

Gritting her teeth, Katie said, "Don't be ungracious! I am the daughter of the Shawn family! Who are you?! Do you really think that Mr. Denmark will back you and not me? Aren't you afraid he won't like you if you cause trouble?"

"I know you're the daughter of the Shawn family. You don't have to keep reminding me of that," Hazel said calmly. "I also remember that the Shawn family loves to try and take things from others."

Hazel didn't change her attitude, she stayed calm, but her voice grew louder, so the people around them began to look at Katie.

Katie's expression turned nastier the more Hazel spoke. She was utterly shocked when the girl who had been admiring her pointed at Hazel and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! Is that a pink diamond necklace around her neck? Is that the one from the auction?"

All of Katie's friends gathered around to look in curiosity. Hazel raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled, she was sure that having Katie's friends gathered around her angered Katie to no end.

It was as if the words physically smacked Katie in the face. She had just told her friends that Joshua tried to give her the pink diamond necklace, but they could clearly see it was hanging around Hazel's neck.

Katie felt the mocking eyes of everyone staring at her and turned pale. She spun around and came face to face with her friend, "Bonny, since you know Mr. Denmark bought the necklace, are you sure hers is real?"

"You mean, hers could be fake?" Another of Katie's other companions asked.

Suddenly, everyone looked at Hazel in disbelief, they all began to believe her necklace was fake. She was utterly stunned, she could not comprehend how Katie could lie so easily and have people believe everything she said.

Bonny didn't give up on the integration, she continued, "Didn't you say that Mr. Denmark is nice to his sister? Maybe he gave the necklace to her?"

"Bonny, do you actually think this woman is the long-lost daughter of the Denmark family?" Katie smiled sarcastically. "You are a lady of high class. Have you ever seen this woman in our circle? Don't try to give anyone credit, she will only destroy your social status!" 

Hazel tried to hold back a snicker. She could see that Bonny wanted Katie to make a fool of herself, but at the same time, she did not truly believe that Hazel could actually be Denmark's daughter.

Katie's so-called circle of rich and famous people was different from the ones Hazel associated with. The people Hazel spoke to were business contacts and the family members of people within Katie's circle. 

"I hear that Joshua is so good to his sister that he rarely leaves her side," Katie drawled. "But, look around, do you see anyone with her?"

Katie's observation changed the way everyone looked at Hazel. She intentionally tried to get her friends to believe that they would have never come across the woman in front of them before because she came from an unsophisticated background.

The group of women looked at Hazel with disapproval and with an air of judgment. They didn't understand how a woman could grow up poor but then shop in an expensive boutique and afford all of the dresses she had picked out.

"Yeah, Bonny. Don't compare us to some mistress!"

"Yes! How important is the daughter of the Denmark family? If she knows that you are comparing her to some random woman, aren't you afraid she might be offended?"

Hazel looked at this group of women, smiled, and politely said, "Joshua did indeed give me the necklace." 

The women all froze for a moment and looked at each other with serious expressions, but then suddenly, they broke out in laughter. None of them believed Hazel, they all thought she was nothing but the mistress of a rich man and did nothing but live in a fantasy world.

"This…this woman," Katie said in a sarcastic tone. The situation turned to her advantage, so she was not going to back down, "You'd better leave. This store isn't for everyone."