Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Bad-hearted version...
"You will definitely be the star of the show at the party tomorrow," Lucas praised. "I have never seen a more eye-catching dress in New Orleans than the one you are wearing. All the women at the party will envy you."
"Of course, don't you see who made this dress?" Irene proudly looked at the white beaded dress on the mannequin, and then reminded Lucas, "Remember to bring me a black suit tomorrow, with exaggerated shoulder pads, so that my head looks especially small."
"Yes, Mr. Bean," Lucas deliberately saluted in a funny way, which made Irene burst into laughter and she felt particularly relaxed.
This state of mutual teasing was very similar to when they were studying for their master's degrees, and it immediately brought the two people closer together.
Hannah was confused. What is a small-headed dad? Could there be a big-headed dad?
Leo saw the intimacy between Irene and Lucas. His expression became more gloomy, and his fingertips tapped the corner of the table slowly and orderly, as if he was thinking about something.
Lucas took advantage of Irene's good mood and said, "Sister, don't forget my contribution after you make a big splash tomorrow. I made a great contribution today."
"It's not too much to give a little reward."
He rolled up his sleeves, his tone became slightly tense, and his light brown pupils stared into Irene's eyes. He didn't look like just a junior apprentice at all.
Leo sat with his fingers on the waistband of his pants and his eyes were cold.
Irene obviously misunderstood what Lucas meant.
"As usual, I'll treat you to a meal, and then mention your store a few times during the promotion. Don't worry, your sister isn't the kind of person who would burn bridges after crossing them," Irene casually punched Lucas on the shoulder, her eyes full of excitement and anticipation for tomorrow.
A hint of disappointment flashed across Lucas' face, but he didn't mention it again. He just smiled and changed the subject.
Leo slowly leaned back on the couch.
Who wouldn't be excited? The long-awaited opportunity was right in front of her. Whether she could become famous overnight would depend on tomorrow night. Irene's eyes were full of ambition that could not be concealed.
Since she was a child, Irene has been seen as a restless person by others.
When she was in junior high school, she was a day student. She brought snacks and comic books to the boarding students every day, charging 50 cents per person for the purchases, which made her rich and her pockets bulged. In high school, she made money from notes. She monopolized the notes of the top students in each subject, divided them into grades according to their usefulness, and sold them to parents who wanted their children to be successful. Which parent could resist not buying the most expensive ones? In college, it was even more direct. She started working as a tutoring agency, selling cheap but useful university tutoring to parents at the gate of the elementary school under the scorching sun, making money from both parents and students.
At first, she made money just out of interest, but after tasting the benefits of being rich, Irene could no longer stand life without money.
This ability to make money, which far exceeds that of her peers, is the reason why she dares to challenge her father - she is rich, she has a strong backbone, and the benefits of economic freedom are not just talk.
Money makes the world go round. If you have money and ability, you can hold your life in your hands, especially in turbulent times.
If she could really make a fortune this time, she would take Hannah and Leo abroad as soon as the war broke out.
But now she has all the skills but no money, her pockets are empty, and she can't even take out the money to buy bulk goods.
She is now a typical "three-nothing" person - no money, no fame, and no status.
She also had to worry from time to time whether Tina would bring a group of people to New Orleans to capture her.
If she had enough money to hire seven or eight strong bodyguards, she wouldn't be afraid of ten Tinas.
Unfortunately she didn't.
Irene was truly dreading the days when she would have no control over her own destiny.
She wanted to be famous, to have many stores of her own, to have more and more wealth in the bank, and she wanted everyone to remember her face when they mentioned her name.
I want to hold my life firmly in my hands.
And she can definitely do it. Irene's eyes lit up surprisingly well, she is Irene.
"One more thing," Irene slapped her head, "I plan to claim that I'm a designer who studied in Paris. Will this be a bummer?"
Lucas thought for a moment, "I don't think so. If someone asks you carefully, just say that you are my classmate and we learned sewing together in Paris. By the way, there was no such thing as a designer at that time, so you should pay attention and just say that you are a tailor."
Irene nodded gratefully and stretched out her hand to Lucas carefully. The man didn't understand why, but he still held Irene's hand.
"If we become rich and powerful, we will definitely forget each other," Irene said this in Chinese. Her tone was full of sincerity and her eyes were earnest.
"If you don't know how to speak, you don't have to keep silent," Lucas said unhappily, but he couldn't hold back his expression and couldn't help laughing.
There was an ambiguous and tacit atmosphere flowing naturally between the two people.
Some words that only the two of them understood made Leo feel sour.
Leo lowered his head, jealousy and anger gnawing at his heart like ants. He didn't even dare to look up at Irene, for he was afraid that the anger in his eyes would scare the woman.
He stared at Lucas's shoes.
The man sat on the sofa, his legs crossed, wearing a pair of pointed leather shoes that were polished to a shine. They swayed slightly as he talked to Irene.
It is a nervous and excited attitude that a man has when facing a woman he likes.
Lucas's hands, which were loosely placed on the sofa, were also shaking. He leaned forward, approaching Irene like a leopard on the hunt. The man didn't show it on his face, but his unconscious movements told Leo that Lucas had the same admiration for Irene as he did.
And Irene had no intention of being on guard against this kind of admiration.
In other words, she was also taking advantage of Lucas's admiration for her to achieve her own goals.
Now there is only one Lucas, but what about the future? The ambition in Irene's eyes is not fake, and she has never hidden her desire for money. She will use Lucas to achieve her goal today, but what about tomorrow? What about the day after tomorrow? There must be countless difficulties in the future, and there must be countless Lucas——
Lucas covets Irene.
Just thinking about the possibility almost drove Leo crazy.
It was Chinese again, something he couldn't understand at all, but Lucas could understand what she was saying and could even continue the conversation.
From the time he met Irene until now, he had never seen Irene so relaxed, as if she had unloaded a heavy burden, and she looked very lively.
Leo clearly realized the current situation - it would not be enough to just get rid of Lucas, his real enemy was Irene's ambition.
Only if Irene completely gives up her so-called clothing business can he have Irene all to himself.
The white long skirt shimmering with a soft moonlight shone into Leo's eyes. He raised his head and stared at the skirt.
*
The setting sun shone through the skylight onto the white tablecloth. Irene spent a huge amount of money to order a large table of food, which included fried clams with crispy shells that broke at the touch, French seafood soup, and roasted pigeon with honey brushed on the skin. The side dishes were a dish of cream-baked yams and lemon pie.
"cheers!"
Irene was the first to drink most of the glass of wine. She was in a good mood tonight. As soon as Lucas left, Irene took Hannah and Leo to prepare a big meal. She also spent two cents to ask Mrs. Soy's grandson to run errands for them and buy a bucket of beer.
She drank several glasses of wine happily. As soon as the wine entered her stomach, her already good mood swelled up like a balloon. She mumbled to the other two people and described the future she desired.
"When I become famous and make money, I will open six stores. No, I want my clothing stores to be all over the United States. Everyone who hears my name will think of my face. I want to build my own fashion empire!"
“When it comes to fashion design, everyone will think of me!”
Irene was obviously drunk. She spoke incoherently with a hazy look in her eyes. She didn't pay any attention to the gloomy expression on Leo's face after he heard her dream.
She put down her wine glass and walked to the stage with slightly unsteady steps. She carefully touched the pearls on her skirt.
"I will definitely become famous, and I will definitely make everyone remember my name."
Irene seemed to be talking to herself, or trying to convince herself.
She could definitely do it. She was the best student in their college. Moreover, she had Leo as her muse. There was no reason why such a beautiful dress would not be famous.
Irene let out a long breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She seemed to have heard people's praise for her - such intoxicating praise, just thinking about it was enough to make one's heart flutter.
Popularity nourishes people, and this also applies to fashion designers.
The mirror on the wall reflected Irene's almost obsessive look as she looked at the skirt, and it also fell into Leo's eyes.
Leo felt a little uneasy, but this uneasiness was nothing compared to his desire to monopolize Irene. He was like a helpless straw that was hit by a strong wind and could only be crushed to the ground.
It's okay. After this incident, he will be twice as nice to Irene.
He would find a way to make money and let Irene live the life of a lady.
As long as Erin only had eyes for him.
Leo played with the match in his hand, his fingertips stroking the rough surface used to rub and start fire, and his nose seemed to smell the unique smell of burning cloth.
He would portray the whole process as an accident, he would seriously comfort the sad Irene, and he would also buy expensive hats and jewelry to make Irene happy.
Even if Irene was quick to discover that he was the one who burned the clothes, it wouldn't matter. He had a hundred or a thousand ways to force her to stay with him - because Irene had someone she cared about.
For example, Hannah.
The fat cat lying on the tree outside the window suddenly jumped lightly towards their open window. Irene picked up a piece of chicken, rinsed it in water, and placed it on the window sill.
The cat picked up the meat and ran away without even looking at Irene.
The woman smiled and cursed softly, "You little heartless person," but there was no annoyance in her eyes.
After all, she has always been a gentle and kind person, and Leo felt a little warmth flowing through his chest.
He was staring at Irene so intently that he didn't notice Hannah glanced at him.
His eyes were full of caution.
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