The Rise of the White Lotus

The next morning...

Mia Chen mindlessly stared at the ceiling all night. She didn't even notice that her dark hotel room has gained some source of light from the window as the day was about to break.

After turning off all the monitors that displayed different angles of Morris Liu's room, Mia Chen just lay in her bed all night. She wasn't able to sleep as the scene she saw — Lexi and Morris Liu being intimate with each other — kept repeating on her head.

Wasn't she prepared to return the happiness he lost? Mia Chen was certain that she was. However, why does her heart ached? Why was it betraying her?

"You're doing the right thing... we are different. Lexi is selfish, she would do anything just to keep him with him even if he says he doesn't want her anymore. While I, on the other hand, is selfless..." Murmuring in the air, Mia Chen convinced herself that what she did shouldn't make her feel hurt.

She wasn't remorseful for what she had done. But she was more like consoling her broken heart for doing the "right" thing.

"Yes, we are different. I will sacrifice my own happiness for him. I am better... always." She added as the last drop of tear fell from the side of her eyes.

Closing her eyes, Mia Chen deeply inhaled and then exhaled. She had been crying every once in a while throughout the night. Fortunately, the party next door was loud enough so her cries weren't heard outside these walls.

"Well..." Just as she wiped her tears, Mia Chen felt the vibrations of the mattress her phone caused by her side. Turning to its direction, Mia Chen languidly reached for her phone to see who was calling her early in the morning.

Upon seeing that it was Kevin Woo, her brows knitted. It was just five in the morning and Kevin Woo wouldn't call her in this hour.

"Did something happened?" She muttered before letting it ring for three more times before she answered, sounding weary.

"Brother Kevin...?" Thanks for her uncontrollable emotions last night, Mia Chen's voice sounded believable as her throat was hoarse as if she just woke up.

"Goodmorning..."

"What time is it? Did something happened?" Arching her brows, Mia Chen patiently waited for an explanation for this sudden call.

"Uhm... There's an emergency and I have to leave the country for a while so..." Sounding sorry as ever, Kevin Woo explained.

"What? Where? I mean, why?" Knitting her brows, Mia Chen slowly rose to a sitting position as she glanced at the light fog through the huge window.

"To country J with Ethan... Mia, have you seen the news?" Kevin Woo could hardly explain what was going on with her, but in the end, he ended up asking her such questions.

"News? What news?" Feigning innocence, Mia Chen checked her manicured nails with less interest.

"About Lexi and Morris..." This time, Kevin Woo's voice faded as he seemed he could not finish what he was about to say.

For a while, there was this pure silence on both ends of the line as neither of them uttered a word. It was only broken when Mia Chen spoke.

"Brother Kevin, I know it's unbelievable and maybe, it's all just a misunderstanding. Let's just hope that there's a reason for that." Mia Chen gently comforted yet, the sneer on her lips was a terrible reminder that she was a heartless manipulator.

She knew what kind of news he was talking about. It was the news that she herself took part in it to be exposed. Well, not just exposed, but she orchestrated it to happen. She was just lucky that Lexi and Morris Liu were cooperative that made things a lot easier.

"It's fine. Don't worry about me. Be a good friend to Mr. Lu. I'm sure he needed one." Continuing her act, Mia Chen didn't press about the matter further as she could not care less. Kevin Woo only responded with a low hummed before they bid their usual farewell and the line was cut short.

"Oh, poor Mr. Lu..." Imagining how broken Ethan Lu must have felt, it gave her pleasure in a way. At the very least, she wasn't the only one who was left with a wounded heart.

Mia Chen then began freshening herself up as this should be a good day for her. She wanted to look at her best as she witnesses Lexi and Ethan Lu's relationship crumble down to bits. After that, she turned on all the monitors and saved all the files into a single flash drive as she would release this in the later dates.

After all, she had already tipped a few people that were now waiting in front of Morris Liu's front door. Since these people that she snuck inside were only a few, it wouldn't gather much attention. Moreover, there weren't many guests on the said floor as it was for VIPs only.

After doing everything and making sure that she left nothing important, Mia Chen hummed her way out of her room. Unlike the melancholic atmosphere she left inside the room, Mia Chen's mood had a 180-degree change.

Just as she left the room with a fake content heart, Mia Chen's steps halted as her heart recoiled in surprise. Her eyes moved from the person's shoes up to his sharp, cold pair of eyes that was standing in front of her door.

"Bro — brother Mo? Why—" Stuttering, Mia Chen's heart pounded as her heart fluttered, and at the same time, she had a gut feeling that this would not end well.

"Why am I here and not... there?" Morris Liu coldly stared down on her as he slowly erected his forefinger, pointing up, referring to the floor above them which he and Lexi "should be" at this moment.

"Oh? Good morning." Just as Mia Chen was in the process to understand what was going on, the door next to her room that was booming until three in the morning suddenly opened.

There, Lexi appeared with a cup of coffee on her hand and a sly smirk to greet her a good morning.

"What..." Unable to muster a word, Mia Chen took a step back, but before she could run away, Morris Liu slammed his hand on the closed door behind her — on her ride side — giving her no way out.

"Oh no, Miss Chen. We don't mean harm but we just wanted to talk... let's chat for a bit, okay?" Lexi offered a sweet smile as she invited the terrified Mia Chen. However, her sweet front failed to hide the vicious glint that flashed across her pair of eyes.