No Escape from Love

We soon arrived at the hotel entrance. Alex got out of the car first and thoughtfully walked to my side to open the door and escort me out.

There were plenty of people who had been waiting to chat with Alex to build connections. When they saw the scene, a good number of them immediately surrounded me.

"Miss, what's your name?"

I was caught in the middle of the crowd. Most of them had quite a bit of perfume and cologne on, and all those high-end fragrances clashed and combined into a pungent smell that made me want to sneeze.

"I'm Serena Ashford," I replied with a small smile.

"Ms. Ashford, what's your relationship with Mr. Hastings?"

"Yes, Mr. Hastings seems so gentle with you."

"In the past, Mr. Hasting's female companions always had to get out of the car themselves."

The group chattered incessantly, not concealing their speculation about me at all. "I'm someone Alex hired," I answered truthfully.

The crowd fell silent.

After a long while, someone broke the awkwardness with a laugh. "Ms. Ashford, you have quite the sense of humor."

I didn't know what to say.

Even when I told the truth, no one believed me. Alex gave me 20 thousand dollars to accompany him to this event. So, wasn't I someone he hired?

"Serena, is that you?" A voice I dreaded hearing suddenly called out from behind.

I turned around and, sure enough, it was Julian.

Julian's eyes lit up as soon as he saw me. He walked up to me and was clearly very pleased with my appearance. His eyes seemed full of pride as he exclaimed, "Serena didn't you say you weren't coming? Were you planning on coming in secret to surprise me?"

I shifted slightly to avoid Julian's attempt to hold my hand.

He chuckled softly. "Are you feeling shy? It's okay. Just hold onto me. I'll introduce you to some of my father's business associates."

"Who is this guy?" The murmurs in the crowd grew louder.

"Exactly. Does he really have the nerve to fight with Mr. Hastings over a woman?"

I coughed lightly and reminded Julian, "Julian, isn't an invitation required to enter this gala?"

Where did he think I got mine?

Julian finally understood. He had an incredulous expression on his face as he asked, "So, how did you get in? Who else would be willing to bring you here besides me?"

"That's none of your concern, Mr. Blake," Alex interjected in a cool tone. Yet it was enough to silence everyone in the audience.

Alex walked over and stopped beside me. Calmly, I placed my hand around his

arm.

1.n

I had expected Julian to back off at this point. Yet it seemed like there was a loose screw in his head. He seemed oddly thrilled when he learned that I came with Alex. "Mr. Hastings brought you here? Serena, did you not want to come with me because you had already agreed to come with Mr. Hastings?"

Julian's expression sparkled with anticipation, but I felt like I was looking at an idiot. Remembering the role I was supposed to play today, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Alex stepped slightly forward, blocking me from Julian. He said to Julian, "Mr. Blake, there's no need for your concern. We have other matters to attend to, so please excuse us."

Alex turned to lead me away, but Julian was relentless and chased after us. "Mr. Hastings, I know you treasure Serena a lot. I do too. Please entrust her to me. I promise I'll take very good care of her in the future."

A flash of anger crossed Alex's eyes, but it quickly turned into disdain and contempt.noveldrama

The atmosphere turned incredibly chilling. Alex was clearly feeling unhappy, so

the guests dared not utter a sound.

Only Julian stood there expectantly as he waited for Alex's response.