In Love, Never Say Never (Ashton Fuller and Scarlett Stovall)

He stopped and gazed at me with sadness and vexation. "Letty, no matter what you plan on doing, I'll support you all the way. I just hope that you don't end up with regrets. Life is too short and you should write your own story. It's not wrong to seek revenge, but I hope that you can spend your remaining days happily. I hope to see you carefree and enjoying the sights of this beautiful world. You should also treasure the people you love, and who love you!"

I was momentarily stupefied. I never would have expected such words to have come from him. I stared at him and wondered if he was still the same John that I knew and loved.

I mulled over his words and understood where he was coming from. He had been trapped by hatred and only managed to escape after hurting many people.

I initially thought that I would never see him again. I was extremely surprised when I bumped into him at A City.

He was different now. I don't know what he went through the last few years, but I had a sense that he had learned to let go. He was a more accepting person now.

When I didn't respond, he smiled and said, "Don't look at me like that. I might assume that you've fallen in love with me."

I was speechless and rolled my eyes at him. "I just can't let this go. If I don't do it at the banquet, I might never have the chance to do it again."

I needed to wait for the White family for at least a year. If Marcus was gone, my chances of taking advantage of the White Corporation were practically zero. The banquet seemed like my only chance. He looked at me for a second before nodding. "Fine. I'll help you with whatever you need!"

As I looked at him, warmth crept into my heart. I beamed and exclaimed, "Thank you, John!"

It seemed as though he had been selflessly helping me from the beginning. Without him, I would never be able to lay a hand on Cameron.

He pulled a face and sneered, "Those are just words. How about you thank me with something tangible?"

I laughed and said, "Can I treat you to a meal?"

"Just one meal?"

"As many as you want!"

"Deal!"

At the style company, we glanced through some gowns and custom jewelry. I didn't know much about fashion. Thus, I could only rely on the stylist's expertise.

"Your dark eye circles are too serious!" John announced as he instructed the makeup artist to apply a thicker layer of product on my face.

The makeup artist studied my face and said, "Ms. Stovall is naturally beautiful. It's a pity that she seems rather sickly. A regular makeup look will be fine. She has a high nose bridge and large eyes. If I apply too thick a layer of makeup, she will look too cold and unapproachable."

John scanned my face, pursed his lips, and replied, "Fine. Do as you see fit. All that matters is that she looks beautiful at the end."

"At this rate, people might mistake me for your partner rather than your sister," I muttered with a hint of annoyance.

He shrugged casually and said, "I don't care about what they think."

He took out his phone and looked like he was about to make a call. I couldn't move while the makeup was being applied. After sitting still for some time, I felt myself getting sleepy.

The makeup was not thick. A sparingly thin layer or powder obscured my feeble pallor, and I looked rather charming.

The stylist fitted me into a green tight-fitting dress lined with a gold slit. I looked elegant and feminine.

John came back into the room after his call. He noticed that it was almost time and said, "The banquet starts at 7 p.m. and it's almost time. Are you done?"

When he noticed I was done, he froze momentarily. He coughed and barked, "Change into something else!"

The stylist and makeup artist thought that his expression had been one of approval. They were shocked to hear his response.

They voiced their protests, "Ms. Stovall looks good in this dress. She has an old-world kind of beauty. This tight-fitting dress suits her well!"

John peered at me with his lips tightly pressed together. "Can't you see how bony she is? Tight-fitting dresses should be worn by voluptuous women. She's clearly ill-suited."

Me?

"We were happy with this decision so let's stick with it. Besides, we're going to be late."

It's such a pain to change in and out!

He frowned as his gaze landed on my leg. "Your entire leg is about to fall out of that slit. It's inappropriate! Change!" he snapped.

I...

I lowered my head to look at the slit. It was not as he had made it out to be. Although it was rather revealing, it was not in bad taste.

"Stop being so persnickety, John. This tight-fitting dress is fine. If we drag this out any longer, we'll be late."

He paused and stared at my face. "Additionally, you don't have to dress her up in such a sexy manner just because she has movie-star features.”