Chapter 21 It was Leo who wanted to kill her...
Downstairs, a younger girl couldn't hold back any longer. She came over excitedly, holding up the hem of her skirt, her carefully styled light blonde curls falling behind her.
The girl looked at the hem of Irene's skirt with curiosity, but it didn't seem offensive.
Anyone with eyes could see that she was admiring the clothes Irene was wearing, rather than looking at the skin exposed at Irene's neckline like the men across from her.
She seemed a little nervous, and even her voice was slightly tense. "Hello, my name is Linda. Where did you buy this dress? Was it from a tailor in Mobile?"
A fish is caught!
It was worth it that she spent the entire afternoon altering the skirt - this light dress was the final assignment for her sophomore elective course.
Fortunately, she was familiar with her body data and the pattern of the skirt. She and Hannah used her skirt as a basis and worked hard for an entire afternoon to make it almost in time for the start of the dinner. Although many details and places that needed reinforcement were not made very carefully, they had tried their best, and the response seems to be good so far.
"I had this custom-made by a private tailor," Irene said with a gleam in her eyes, but with a hint of boasting in her tone, "The tailor only accepts exclusive custom-made items."
Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, the girl's eyes lit up. Which girl could resist such unique charm?
There is a reason why Irene didn't say directly that she made it. In this era, famous tailors are basically men. People naturally discriminate against female tailors and think from the bottom of their hearts that women can only make daily clothes for home wear and have nothing to do with clothing salons.
Once her clothes are sold out and become famous, it won't be too late for her to attend events as a master. Anyway, her ability is in her mind. People won't be able to buy the clothes she makes just because they look down on her because she is a woman. Irene still has some confidence in herself.
"Then could you please tell me the location of this tailor shop?" Linda asked without hope. To be honest, which woman would be willing to share her unique wardrobe? She didn't expect to get an answer from Irene.
Irene smiled sweetly. "It's my friend's tailor shop. He just graduated from the Fashion Design School in Paris. If you want one, I can tell you his address."
She pronounced her name word by word.
"My name is Irene."
He’s a pretty good designer, she added in her heart.
This is not bragging. She actually studied at the French Higher Fashion Design Institute for three years. Although she hasn't graduated yet, Irene swallowed a little guiltily.
But now she has Leo, so graduation won't be easy. Thinking of this, Irene straightened her back.
She is no longer an orphan designer now, she also has a muse!
PARIS — These days, it’s all about being on the cutting edge of fashion.
Even a handkerchief can be worth twice as much as it is labeled as made in Paris, not to mention a Parisian designer.
No wonder the clothes Irene wears are so exquisite and avant-garde, it turns out they are designed by a Parisian designer.
Several ladies who had been listening to their conversation came over and chattered with her, all of which seemed to be asking for the address of the tailor.
Irene smiled and left them her address - her future address.
"I heard that a tailor will open his first store in Rochester. His name is Isobel. You can contact him after next month. He will be open by then."
Isobel—her mother's name—was a devotee of freedom.
The gorgeously dressed woman holding a glass of red wine not far away snorted coldly and deliberately raised her voice:
"You're bragging about sewing a few feet of rags together? There's no detail at all and you dare say you graduated from Paris. I think it must have been made by a guy in a tailor shop in Paris. It's a joke that he dares to take orders with such a level of skill."
This guy is an expert indeed, Irene raised her eyebrows. She really didn't have enough time to perfect the details. She was considered fast to be able to shape the skirt in an afternoon and make it look smooth when worn.
The girl who first came to talk to Irene was obviously speechless. Linda rolled her eyes imperceptibly and explained to Irene in a low voice:
"Her husband's family is in the clothing business, and her own family seems to be a cloth factory. The most popular clothing store in Mobile is owned by her husband. But if you ask me, the clothes her husband makes are not even one-tenth as good-looking as yours. I don't know why so many people go to her house to buy clothes. Maybe they want to buy cheap clothes. After all, he has a natural advantage in purchasing goods."
“Is this what they call a strong alliance?”
Irene is really envious now. Her wife's family owns a fabric factory. This is such a good life. She can customize any style of fabric she wants without having to worry about whether she will end up with nothing.
"That's not the case. The man married his wife because of her face. He came to Mobile with no money, and he relied on his wife to build his family."
Linda nodded and gestured to Irene, "This is the one who just came in. His name is Edward."
Isn’t this the man in a suit on the deck? No wonder he’s trying so hard to attract customers. It turns out he’s married.
"Are you Miss Irene?"
Suddenly, a voice full of surprise came from beside her. Irene looked in the direction of the voice and saw a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old. She opened her big round eyes and looked at her with relief.
"Yes, I'm Irene, who are you?"
"My name is Jiaer, Miss," the girl's voice was full of joy. She took out a rose from her back like a magic trick, "This is a flower for you."
The roses were gorgeous, with faint traces of dew on them, and it was obvious that they were well preserved.
"For me?" Irene was a little surprised.
"Yes, just now a gentleman over there asked me to give it to Miss Irene who is wearing the most beautiful dress on the field. I looked around and there is no dress here that is more beautiful than the one you are wearing."
The little girl's short words made Irene very happy. There is no more sincere compliment than praising the designer's clothes.
Could it be that Leo sent the flowers? She probably didn't know any other men on this ship.
But sending flowers is not something Leo would do.
Before Irene could ask for details, Jiaer pulled her sleeve, looked at her eagerly and said:
"That gentleman also asked me to give you a message."
Irene squatted down obediently, and the little girl whispered in her ear, telling her seriously,
"That gentleman asked you to stand under the chandelier during the second song. He had a surprise for you."
The little girl's voice was full of excitement, as if even she was caught up in the sweetness between lovers.
Irene was even more surprised now. Leo could actually create romance?
Was he enlightened by a master or possessed by another spirit? She thought the latter was more likely. Judging from the way Leo acted, he couldn't do anything with just one stick. Even if a master had enlightened him, he wouldn't have the courage to send flowers.
So, who sent this message?
Irene looked at the rose in her hand with interest.
The scent of roses overlaps with the light fragrance on the invitation.
This man is still so restless even after getting married. Is he trying to seduce her?
Or maybe this is his technique to attract female customers.
Does his wife know?
Irene's eyes fell on Edward, who was standing at the door chatting with a few male guests.
She wanted to see what tricks this person had.
If he really cheated on her, she could collect evidence and bring it to his wife, and maybe she could step on him to get to the top and lay a good foundation for her to open a clothing factory in the future.
Even if she can't live off her husband, it can be considered that she is accumulating merits by doing justice for the people.
That was a fabric factory, and if the price of custom fabric was two cents per yard cheaper, she would make a profit.
Before the second song started, Irene walked slowly to the chandelier and looked at Edward with interest as he kept looking in her direction.
When the second song started and men and women in the hall began to dance together, Edward came over in a hurry, sweating profusely. He saluted hastily and whispered:
"Miss, may I ask you to dance?"
"Of course," Irene put down her wine glass with a smile. Although she had only learned modern ballroom dancing, the steps were generally the same. Besides, it would not be too much to trample a scumbag like Edward to death.
She raised her hand and placed it on Edward's shoulder, and whispered, "But this is your first dance today. Isn't it a bit inappropriate not to dance with your wife?"
Edward said perfunctorily: "She is a generous woman and won't care about these little details."
As he said this, he exerted a little force on his hands and pulled Irene a little closer to the table.
Irene raised an eyebrow and turned her head calmly to glance at the woman at the long table.
Generous? This look could almost set the back of her clothes on fire.
"What about this rose and the message that Carl brought? Doesn't she care?"
The smile on Edward's face froze. His expression turned cold instantly, and even his tone became strange, as if something was stuck in his throat. "Are you planning to meddle in other people's business?"
"Just seeing injustice," Irene looked at him coldly.
Although the two were still dancing close together, their eyes were like a cold weapon confrontation. The man held her shoulders, and after a few light dance steps, the two of them turned back to the center of the inner hall. The bright light reflected by the chandelier was reflected on Irene's white skirt.
Edward suddenly let go of Irene's waist, and the hypocritical smile on his face suddenly disappeared. "In that case, I won't hinder you from speaking out against injustice."
The ship shook slightly again, but the chandelier on the ceiling suddenly shook abnormally large, and many people's attention was attracted by the chandelier, and they were whispering something.
After saying this, Edward suddenly took several steps back, almost reaching the door, leaving Irene alone standing there.
Before Irene could react, several sharp and piercing screams suddenly rang out around her.
She looked up at the sound, and what she saw was a bright white.
She felt a pain in her lower back and was suddenly grabbed by Leo who had just rushed into the banquet hall and dragged away from where she was.
"--Bang"
The gorgeous chandelier fell from the ceiling without warning, landing directly on the spot where she had just stood, splashing sparkling glass fragments all over the ground.
There was chaos in the hall, with cries of pain, screams, and crying mixed together, as well as the staff's loud words of comfort.
The sounds in her ears gradually became blurred, as if only Leo's rapid breathing was left. Sweat was still dripping down the boy's forehead. One hand was tightly clasped around her waist, pulling her back from the brink of life and death.
The splashed glass fragments scraped Irene's forehead fiercely, and the wound slowly oozed blood. Blood beads ran along her skin and fell on her eyelashes. She blinked, and a layer of bright blood red covered her pupils.
She stared blankly at Leo's eyes full of anger through the thin red. The young man held her hand and trembled uncontrollably, as if he was extremely frightened.
He is so handsome. Irene's mind was completely focused on Leo's face, and she didn't care that she had just escaped from danger. How could someone be so handsome even when angry?
How could Leo not be angry? He was almost angry to death. God knew how scared he was when he saw Irene standing under the chandelier.
If he hadn't run fast, he couldn't even imagine what Irene would look like now—lying on the floor with a bloody head, her gorgeous white dress stained with blood.
His heart almost broke when he thought of this, and he even lost the energy to be angry with Irene.
Is this love? She loved that man so much that she was willing to sacrifice her life to gain wealth for him.
But he couldn't bear to watch her die. The moment he saw Irene standing under the chandelier, he was almost completely swallowed up by regret.
I regretted not shooting Edward - a man who deserves to go to hell.
He ran over like crazy, with the only thought in his mind of saving her, but he forgot one thing - this was part of her love game, and perhaps she was willing to sacrifice her life for it.
Just like him.
The salty smell of blood rose in his mouth, and Leo suppressed the sour jealousy coursing through his veins. He turned his head away, not daring to even look at Irene.
He didn't dare ask Irene what she was thinking, for fear of getting an answer that would scare him.
Edward stood outside the crowd, communicating with the captain in a familiar manner. He was wearing an expensive, well-fitting suit and a hat that conformed to the aesthetics of the upper class.
Leo suddenly felt a deep sense of inferiority. He was poor, lowly, thin, and even a murderer. What right did he have to be jealous? What right did he have to hug Irene in front of so many people?
He had nothing, he could give her nothing.
Leo's throat, heart and lungs were all dry and painful, and his back felt like it was on fire - when the chandelier fell, he was holding Irene and had no time to run away, so he reflexively turned his back to the chandelier and held Irene tightly in his arms.
It's normal to feel pain. With so many flying glass shards piercing into the flesh, it's natural to feel pain.
But when he is injured, he will bleed, and his blood is very dirty.
Leo froze holding onto Erin's arm.
He couldn't dirty Irene's pure and spotless dress, even if it was a dress she carefully chose for someone else.
The young man let go of Irene in embarrassment, not daring to even look at her. His chest felt heavy and stuffy as if a huge rock was pressing on it.
Just then, a large group of people gathered around, including the girl just now, the anxious crew members, and even Mrs. Edward, all ran over and expressed their concern for Irene.
The two people were surrounded by the crowd.
He was no longer needed now, so Leo let go of Irene's hand, and before Irene could say a word to him, the boy disappeared at the door.
After this incident, the party could not be held. The guests left, leaving only the waiters to clean the banquet hall.
Irene wanted to go back to her room to rest, but as soon as she reached the deck, she heard several men in crew uniforms discussing something by the railing.
"It can't be due to aging. How can such a strong steel chain break so easily?"
"I think so too. Someone must have loosened the steel chain of the chandelier while we were not paying attention. There was no one in the inner hall this afternoon."
"Hey, don't say that. How come there is no one here? Mrs. Colloreline has been guarding the gate for the whole afternoon. Could it be that poor Colloreline has been..."
As they spoke, several people burst into laughter.
Wasn't this accident an accident?
Irene's still confused brain calmed down.
The rose, the message brought by the little girl, and Edward's strange reaction when he danced, all pointed to only one possibility.
Irene pulled her clothes together tightly. The sea breeze was cold after the sun went down. She closed her eyes tightly and slowly exhaled.
There were people on this ship who wanted her life.
Mrs. Coraline...
The name seemed vaguely familiar, and Irene carefully recalled every face that had just spoken to her.
A round, gentle face with a smile flashed into her mind.
If she remembered correctly, Mrs. Coraline had left the inner hall before her. She was alone, looked panic-stricken and guilty.
What was she feeling guilty about? Was she feeling guilty about letting someone in who shouldn't have been in the inner hall?
Irene strode towards the direction where Mrs. Collolin had left. Just now during the conversation, someone happened to mention Mrs. Collolin's family. All of them worked on the ship. The husband was the deputy captain, and the wife was responsible for cleaning the rooms on the ship, and was considered the leader.
But the two have seven children. The older ones have already started working, and the younger ones are still in the cradle drinking milk. Even though they earn a lot, it is just enough to support the family. The dress that Mrs. Colleen wore to the banquet is said to be a style from five years ago.
Irene was impressed by her because Mrs. Colleen was the only one of them who asked her about the price of custom-made clothes and even asked if she could give her a discount if she bought more than one piece. She wanted to make a dress for herself and her two older daughters.
Irene quoted a price of twenty dollars per piece, which was almost enough for an average family to spend for three months if they bought three pieces.
But Mrs. Collolin still asked her for the address without hesitation.
She even remembered that the woman next to Mrs. Kololin, who had a similar family background as her, had teased her a few times, asking her if she had won the lottery and why she suddenly became generous, but Mrs. Kololin brushed her off.
Human nature cannot stand the test in the face of huge interests. Irene understood this when she was very young.
Not to mention that to Lady Coraline she was just an insignificant stranger, and whether she was dead or alive might not be as important as the embroidery on her skirt being scratched.
*
"Mrs. Coraline," Irene said loudly, lifting her skirt, "Please stay. I have something to ask you."
After hearing her voice, Mrs. Colleen's body visibly showed a posture of wanting to escape but not daring to run, as if reason was fighting against instinct.
After a stalemate of about half a minute, Mrs. Korolin turned around dryly. Her face was sallow and pale, and she looked six or seven years older, completely different from the proud and arrogant look she had just had in the inner hall.
Her tone was cold. “I’m sorry, I still have work to do. I may not have time to chat with you, Miss Irene.”
"It's only two minutes." Irene stepped in front of Mrs. Coraline with a gentle but powerful movement. She got straight to the point and asked, "Who did you open the door for this afternoon?"
"Or, how much did you charge him to open the door?"
Mrs. Coraline jumped up like a rabbit whose tail was stepped on. "Do you have any evidence? How can you say that to me without any evidence?"
"I don't have any evidence," Irene stared into her eyes, "but can you really escape responsibility for the chandelier incident? Now the crew are discussing whether you let someone in? The chandelier was not cheap, and there are so many injured people. Do you think you can afford the compensation?"
"Think about it from another angle. If the captain can't find the real person who destroyed the chandelier, who will he use to apologize to those angry ladies?"
Mrs. Colleen's face grew paler and paler. Of course, she could think of what Irene could think of. She was also afraid of what Irene said. She could not afford to pay for the expensive clothes worn by those rich ladies.
"But if you tell me who wants to murder me, I can help you cover up your mistake. After all, as long as the person who wants to murder me is caught, someone will help you take responsibility. We are teammates on the same front, aren't we, ma'am?"
Irene's tone was extremely gentle, as if she was communicating with her in a consultative manner. It seemed as if those sharp questions just now did not come from her mouth.
Mrs. Coraline's lips were trembling, and tears were streaming down her face, wetting her clothes. She wiped her face and said in a hoarse voice:
"It was a mute man. He gave me fifty dollars and a note saying he wanted to prepare a surprise for his wife. So I let him in. I didn't expect he would cause such a big disaster. I was blinded by money..."
Irene didn't hear a word Mrs. Coraline said afterwards. The only thing left in her mind was the phrase "dumb man" playing on repeat.
The sea breeze mixed with moisture was icy cold, making her eyelids dry and painful, as if they were about to crack.
She couldn't understand why Leo would do such a thing.
Why did you threaten her and then save her?
What was he going to do, suddenly have a change of heart, and rush back to save her?
"Miss? Are you listening?" Mrs. Collolin asked tentatively. It was not because she was cautious, but mainly because Irene looked very sad at this moment.
Her long eyelashes were wet and stuck in clumps, her lips were bitten white, and her chest was heaving violently, as if she was almost out of breath.
Irene blinked hard, trying to ease the soreness in her eyes. Her voice suddenly became hoarse, "I'm here. I know who it is. You don't have to worry about the rest."
Her soul seemed to have separated from her body and was floating in the air, watching her husband and Mrs. Coraline talking. She didn't know what they were saying, nor how she walked to the bow of the ship.
When Irene came to her senses, she was already standing on the slippery bow deck, and the ship's flag floating in the air was fluttering in the wind.
The deck was covered with slippery water stains. The iron railings were wrapped with circles of straw ropes to increase friction, extending all the way to her feet like a giant snake clinging to the hull. It was a heavy burden that could not be shaken off.
She couldn't help but ask herself, was she just a burden to Leo? She had never thought about this question before, nor had she ever considered why Leo chose to follow her.
The hatred in Leo's eyes when he looked at her didn't seem fake, but the dull and obedient look after she kissed him didn't seem fake either.
Irene's hands and feet were cold. The surging waves hit the hull of the boat. The splashing sea water stung her eyes and she couldn't help but hold the railing. Her vision went from clear to blurred. Tears fell from the corners of her eyes and merged with the sea water.
The sea breeze blew up the woman's hair hanging by her ears, and mottled tear marks dried on her face. Irene pursed her lips.
She still couldn't believe that Leo was such a person - a vicious person who would smash a chandelier in public.
But there was no need for Mrs. Coraline to lie to her.
Didn't he ever think that there might be someone else standing under the chandelier?
Irene rubbed her eyes vigorously, and the fragile skin at the end of her eyes hurt from being pulled by her.
No, Irene held on to the railing tightly.
She was going to find him and ask him clearly. She didn't believe that Leo would do such an irrational thing.
She didn't believe that Leo was seeking revenge against her. If he really hated her, why didn't he push her away when she kissed him?
She was going to find him now to ask for clarification.
*
"Miss Irene," Edward's voice sounded in her ears from afar. The man's tone was wet, cold and sticky, like some cold-blooded reptile wrapped around her ankles. "So your name is Irene."
There was a hint of amusement in Edward's voice.
Irene turned around and saw Edward standing less than five meters away from her.
"What do you mean?" Irene was too lazy to tell him the truth. She looked at Edward coldly, "What does my name have to do with you?"
"Of course your name is none of my business," Edward smiled. He took off the expensive watch from his wrist and put it in his pocket. "But who told you to be called Irene?"
Does this man want to beat her? Or does he want to molest her?
Irene clenched her fists unconsciously. She glanced around and saw that there was no one around.
Oh no, she thought to herself, this is not good.
Edward approached her step by step, with an almost perverted smile on his face.
"Why are you hiding? Weren't you very happy when we were dancing just now?"
You big-headed ghost, Irene cursed in her heart. Edward was strong and powerful. If he really wanted to attack her, she would definitely not be able to resist him head-on. She could only use her wits to defeat him.
The man was getting closer and closer, and suddenly a big wave hit, causing the bow to shake violently twice. Edward staggered, and Irene seized the opportunity and ran towards the cabin.
She will be safe if she runs to where there are many people.
"You bitch--" a curse came from behind.
Irene turned around and cursed, "You're a gigolo."
If I can’t beat him, does that mean I can’t run away? Irene ran as fast as she could.
Fortunately, the bow of the ship was not big, and when Irene quickly rushed back to the first-class cabin without looking back, Edward's figure was no longer visible.
Irene finally breathed a sigh of relief, her clothes sticking to her skin due to being wet.
Go back and change your clothes first and then go find Leo to ask clearly.
In the cabin, Hannah was packing their luggage. She was shocked to see Irene in such a disheveled state, so she quickly poured hot water for Irene to wash.
Erin had just changed her clothes when there was a knock on the door.
"who."
She picked up a steel kettle and carefully opened a gap in the cabin door.
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