Chapter 4: Undercurrents - The Vanishing Cinderella

Midnight, twelve o'clock.

The private club "The Vault" in downtown Seattle.

This place was the social ground for the top circle, membership-based, with extremely high privacy. There was no ear-splitting electronic music, only a top jazz band humming softly, the sound of the cello flowing slowly in the air, yet it couldn't soothe the irritability in William's heart.

William sat in the corner booth, his slender fingers playing with an empty wine glass, his expression lazy, but his eyes revealing an indescribable boredom.

He didn't want to come originally.

He was long tired of such occasions of exchanging toasts and fake politeness.

But returning to the empty manor, that inexplicable sense of coldness upset him, as if that figure wearing a beige coat was still swaying before his eyes, and the air seemed to retain the faint fragrance from her body.

"Heard you brought a girl back to the manor tonight?"

Julian leaned over, his face wearing that signature bad smile. He was William's childhood friend and also a famous playboy in Seattle, his pair of peach-blossom eyes always looking for prey.

"Rare, the iron tree blossomed?"

A few friends nearby also chimed in, their eyes ambiguous.

"I heard it too; Old Chen went to pick her up. They say she's not old, looks very pure."

"William, this isn't your style. Before, when those socialites and models threw themselves at you, you didn't even lift an eyelid. Why the change of character this time?"

William glanced at them, his tone faint, as if talking about an insignificant trivial matter.

"Just a student delivering something."

"Helping her mentor deliver a piece of porcelain, got a little injured, so I kept her for a casual meal, that's all."

He was lying.

Only he knew how many times his gaze had involuntarily fallen on that girl during that meal.

"Casual?" Julian yelled exaggeratedly. "When have you, William Sterling, been so helpful? And casually sent a set of clothes? I heard from Martha that you personally called to have them sent."

William ignored him, tilting his head back to drink a mouthful of wine.

The harsh wine slid down his throat, sobering him a bit, but couldn't suppress the inexplicable restlessness in his heart.

That little girl.

Obviously looking weak and frail, like a startled little rabbit, daring not even speak loudly. But in her bones, she was terribly stubborn.

Would rather drag an injured leg to stay in a hotel than accept his charity.

Even on that business card, she wasn't willing to linger her gaze for a second more.

This feeling of being rejected was too strange to him, yet... damned thrilling.

"What's her name? Which school?" Julian was relentless. "Ask her out to play together sometime."

William frowned, an inexplicable possessiveness rising in his heart.

"Don't get any ideas about her."

His voice turned a few degrees colder, carrying a flavor of warning. "She's different from those girls you usually play with."

"Yo, protective already?" Julian laughed even more happily. "Alright, alright, I won't move. I'll just check her background for you, okay? What if she has bad intentions? After all, these days, women wanting to climb up the Sterling family have endless tricks."

Saying that, Julian took out his phone and made a few calls.

As Seattle's "know-it-all," Julian's network covered the whole city. As long as it was someone active in this territory, there was no one he couldn't find.

William didn't stop him.

Actually, he also wanted to know, who exactly was she? Where did she live? What kind of life did she live?

However, ten minutes later.

Julian stared at his phone, his expression becoming very colorful, like he had swallowed a fly.

"Damn it."

He looked up, staring at William with a face full of disbelief.

"No such person found."

"What?" William raised his eyebrows, his hand holding the wine glass tightening slightly.

"The Four Seasons Hotel replied; there is absolutely no check-in record for a Catherine Hale. There was no single female matching the description checking in tonight either."

Julian spread his hands. "The hospital found something; they said Old Chen sent her, but the contact information left was also Old Chen's. For the name, only 'Catherine' was left, not even a last name."

"Is this girl a spy? Such strong counter-reconnaissance ability?"

Julian clicked his tongue in wonder. "William, you've met a master. This trick of 'playing hard to get' is played smoothly. First attracting your attention, then disappearing, whetting your appetite."

William froze for a moment.

Playing hard to get?

No.

He replayed the view of her back when she left in his mind, that back appearing thin in the rainy night but held straight.

That urgency to escape him, that look of avoiding him like the plague, was definitely not acted out.

Immediately after, he chuckled low.

The laughter was deep and pleasant, vibrating his chest slightly.

So that was it.

The Four Seasons Hotel was fake.

The so-called "friend waiting for me" was also fake.

She was exactly like that Cinderella in the fairy tale.

As soon as the midnight bell rang, she fled the ball in a hurry, not even leaving a glass slipper behind.

Hiding herself strictly, for fear of having any more involvement with him.

"It's not playing hard to get."

William swirled the wine glass in his hand, staring at the amber liquid hanging in a beautiful arc on the glass wall, as if he saw those clear and stubborn eyes.

The smile in his eyes deepened, revealing a trace of appreciation never seen before.

"She really... doesn't want to deal with me."

In this circle where everyone wanted to climb up, everyone wanted to cling to the Sterling family.

There was actually someone who treated him like a flood or a savage beast, avoiding him like the plague.

She didn't want to be his canary, nor did she want to be a vine clinging to a big tree.

She just wanted to be herself.

Interesting.

Too interesting.

This moved him more than any woman he had ever seen before.

"So what now?" Julian asked. "Do you want me to have someone check the nearby surveillance? As long as she is still in Seattle, I can dig her out."

"No need."

William waved his hand, refusing very crisply.

Since she wanted to hide, let her hide.

If pushed too hard, even a rabbit would bite.

He disdained using such means to force a girl, and even less did he want to see fear revealed in her eyes.

Anyway, that piece of Song porcelain was still in his hands.

As long as she still mingled in this circle, as long as she was still Professor Evans' student.

We will always have a day to meet again.

"There's plenty of time."

William said softly, drinking the wine in the cup in one gulp.

The strong liquor entered his throat but turned into a determination bound to win.

Catherine, let's wait and see.