"Where did you hunt for your mask, Amanda?" Lea automatically asked Amanda again over the phone."Huh? To the boutique, of course. There's a masquerade boutique in the mall there," Amanda replied from the other side, mentioning the largest mall in the center of the city."Oh? I didn't know that. Don't forget to invite me when you go hunting." Lea warned her friend."Okay, let's do it later in the evening, then? Many people are expected to attend the event. So, we need to quickly find one so we won't be late and miss the special one." Amanda immediately took the initiative."After work, I'll drop by your office then, okay?" Lea confirmed that Amanda's office was closer to the mall they were heading to."Okay, just make sure you leave at four; don't work overtime until five!" Amanda responded. She often arranged to meet Lea after work, and their leaving times differed. Lea was used to working overtime until five, while Amanda always left at four."Hahaha, alright... I won't take overtim

The knocks on the door snapped Lea out of her reverie. She was staring at the costume she had hung on a hanger in front of the wardrobe.Quickly, the girl, who had changed from her work clothes into long pajamas, opened the door."Yes, Mom?" she asked, poking her head out of the door."Daniel is looking for you." Mrs. Anna's words immediately left Lea stunned."Oh my, Daniel is here again, Mom?" Lea asked, surprised. She remembered that he had been subtly requested to leave the last time he visited. Why is he back again? she thought to herself."Yes, he's out there. Find him. It's not good to keep guests waiting," said Mrs. Anna, pushing her daughter's shoulders, who seemed reluctant to leave her room."Just tell him I'm already asleep, Mom," she replied, coming up with an idea so she wouldn't have to deal with Daniel again.Mrs. Anna shot her a sharp look in response to her daughter's request, saying firmly,"Go find him for a moment!"Receiving such a look, Lea lost the courage to r

"Got home a bit late, Lea?" Mrs. Anna greeted her daughter, who had just arrived, strolling into the living room where she was sitting, holding a women's magazine. "Oh, yes, Mom. Adelle's house just stopped her for a moment earlier. Had something to do," Lea replied, trying to act casual and carrying her bundle of clothes as if they were files from the office that she sometimes brought home to review when her work got busy. "Oh... well, next time you come home late, let me know, okay? So I don't worry in waiting," Mrs. Anna advised her eyes back to examining the magazine in her lap. "Yes, Mom. Sorry... I just stopped by briefly to pick up a file she had left. I needed a copy, so I dropped by. Thought it wouldn't take long, but you know how it is, chatting until you lose track of time." "Huuu... you!" Lea then excused herself to her room, relieved that her mother didn't suspect what she was carrying and she didn't have to meet Grace because her younger sister hadn't returned from h

"Hikz, so you really can't get the tickets, Fred? Huwaaaaa ... I wanted to join, you know,""Oh, I've looked everywhere, Honey. There are none left. The tickets are really limited, and you can't just buy them anywhere. If it's not from their circle, it's impossible to get," Freddie replied with a tone full of regret. He felt uneasy delivering the bad news to his girlfriend, but if he didn't do it soon, Grace would be even more disappointed and keep hoping."But Sist Lea got one," argued Grace. She was truly jealous of Lea's luck, effortlessly getting a free ticket from her colleague."Yeah, that's a different case, Jo. Your sister just got lucky; her friend couldn't make it, so she got the ticket," Freddie explained with regret. He knew Grace had relied on him, with his many connections, to get anything she wanted, especially just entry tickets to a costume party. Oh, dear! Grace was genuinely disappointed this time."You just go home! I'm so frustrated! I might as well go to sleep!"

Finally, Lea left her house at precisely 7:00 PM. Grace and Mrs. Anna saw her off with lots of advice and suggestions to behave gracefully, not be rude, and avoid unnecessary conflicts with others.Lea arrived, shaking her head at Anna's panic, her mom, and her sister. "Seriously, it's like I'm a troublemaker or something. You're making such a big deal out of it," Lea protested.Mrs. Anna responded that her daughter indeed tended to create trouble. "Sometimes, you're too quick to get emotional, Lea. You should be more patient when dealing with new people.""That's right! Remember what happened with Shane? Even though we warned you, you still caused trouble in the end!" Grace chimed in, responding to Lea's protest."That's different. It was Shane who caused trouble first. I just responded appropriately," Lea insisted."Well, that's still considered creating trouble. An elegant woman can control her emotions. She stays calm even if others bother her. The most important thing is self-ima