You have become even more marvelous, Sweetheart.

"Ouch!"

Annika was pushed back from the impact; her blue eyes turned watery, and her white nose was cherry red from the collision. She looked like a pitiful puppy who had just been scolded for stealing candy. Her naturally red lips formed a pout as she gently rubbed her sore nose.

That hurt.

What was it? An iron wall?!

Annika looked up to see who had bumped into her, ready to give them a piece of her mind. But when she caught sight of the tall man with the silver mask, she was stunned into speechlessness. The man standing before her wasn't just good-looking. No, he was the epitome of divine beauty, reminiscent of ancient Greek sculptures! He was in a league of his own, making A-list actors, models, and celebrities seem like mere mortals by comparison.

A cherry hue spread across Annika's dainty face, and she averted her eyes to the ground. However, her blue eyes sneakily took in the man's appearance from head to toe, and the blush deepened as she realized how handsome he truly was.

Dressed in a tailored black suit that accentuated his long legs and broad shoulders, he exuded an air of nobility and arrogance. His styled, wavy hair cascaded down his neck like a midnight waterfall, framing his stormy gray eyes and high cheekbones. He looked like an otherworldly man who had fallen from the heavens. However, the dark and thick presence surrounding him, which seemed to suck the air from around her, betrayed his heavenly appearance, making him seem like a villainous king with an invisible crown adorning his prideful head.

As Annika's blue eyes met his stormy gray gaze, she unconsciously stepped back. It wasn't out of fear, but because of the intensity his eyes held. They seemed to pierce through her soul, making her feel exposed and vulnerable. It was as if he could see the deepest, most hidden parts of her.

Annika felt chills down her spine. This type of man was the deadliest—not because of intimidation, but because of his ability to see through someone and use their weaknesses against them. Such men possessed the most dangerous weapon in their arsenal. However, Annika didn't let his overwhelming presence consume her. Instead, she stepped forward and bravely stared back at him. Her blue eyes narrowed beautifully, appearing both stunning and lethal. Coupled with her striking appearance, she looked like a princess from a powerful kingdom.

A flash of light flickered through the man's stormy eyes, and his thin, sexy lips curled into a wicked smirk before he walked past her, leaving her in a daze. His assistant, with his own handsome features and calculating aura, followed closely behind.

For a moment, Annika felt a sense of déjà vu. The way his lips curled into a smirk and his gray eyes swirled with storms and thunder seemed familiar. But who? Annika fell into deep thought, but even after racking her brain, she couldn't connect the dots. She shook her head and went to the balcony, thinking it was just her imagination.

However, unknown to her, it wasn't an illusion but the remnant of one alluring night engraved in her soul.

As she breathed in through the fresh, earthy smell after a downpour, away from the strong scent of perfumes and colognes inside, she felt a deep sense of calm wash over her.

"How should I find Xavier Castillo among the crowds?" she asked herself. "Not even the internet has pictures of him to hint at what he looks like." She sighed and slumped against the railings, her black hair gently flowing under the breeze's caress. "Why does this man have to be so mysterious? It's not like he's a prince from a hidden kingdom." Annika grumbled unhappily. "If I can't find him, how will I interview him? The task given by the editor-in-chief is as tough as climbing Mount Everest."

Annika held her face between her palms. She closed her eyes and let the cold wind caress her face. However, a loud crash followed by a pained cry made her instantly stand up and turn around.

'Crash!'

'AAHH!'

She saw a beautiful girl in a gorgeous royal blue dress, pushed and thrown onto the hard marble floor, followed by the shatter of a crystal glass filled with blood-red wine. The glass was clearly aimed at the girl's face, which was bare among the masked crowd. The smooth skin on her arms ripped open, blood oozing out as she tried to protect her face from getting disfigured.

"You evil whore! How dare you try to seduce my boyfriend with that bewitching face?!" A tall woman in a tight black dress, showcasing her cleavage, shrieked like a madwoman. "You dirty slut of a peasant, you think you can come here and steal my man with your cheap tricks and lowly status?!" The woman accused her, her voice dripping with venom as she grabbed the girl's hair in a fist.

"P-Please l-let me g-go." The girl whimpered, salty tears streaming down her small face as she pleaded for mercy, feeling the woman's nails digging into her scalp. "Please..."

The tall woman's eyes narrowed in rage, a cruel smile playing on her lips as she leaned in closer, relishing the girl's fear. "Let you go? Ha. Why not?" She picked up a shard of broken glass and traced its sharp edges along the girl's soft skin. "After I ruin this face of yours." She smiled twistedly before pressing the glass against the girl's cheek, drawing a trail of blood.

"Ahhh! Please, no! Please!" The girl thrashed around, trying her best to escape. But the tall woman's grip on her hair tightened like a vice, causing even more pain. "You should have thought of that before crossing me," the woman whispered, her voice dripping with malice. She then swung the glass downward, but before she could...

Thud!

Annika wrenched the woman's hand away from the girl's face and threw her hard onto the floor.

The crowd around them gasped sharply. Never in a million years did they expect to see this tyrant thrown on the floor like a rag doll. After all, who would dare touch a hair on New York's prime minister's pampered daughter?

Caroline Davis, aka the tall woman, lay stunned and motionless on the ground. She clearly didn't expect anyone to throw her down. However, she quickly snapped back and scrambled to her feet, her eyes spitting fire at Annika, who stood nonchalantly, playing with a shard of glass.

"How dare you, bitch?!" she barked, spit flying from her mouth. "Do you even know who I am?" From childhood until now, no one had dared to touch her, let alone throw her on the floor. She was the princess of the prestigious Davis family, who controlled New York's political scene! And this wretched girl, who didn't even reach her eyes, dared to lay a finger on her? How dare she?! That was a crime that could only be atoned for by death!

Annika lazily twirled the shard of glass between her slender fingers, a sinister smile akin to a demon from hell spreading across her fair face. "Am I supposed to know a clown like you?" she sneered, her sweet voice dripping with contempt. "Clowns are meant to entertain guests at parties, not ruin them with their pitiful existence." With a flick of her wrist, the glass shard flew at lightning speed, grazing Caroline's cheek, drawing a trail of blood, and shattering against the wall behind her.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" Caroline screamed as the glass shard grazed her cheek, leaving behind a searing pain. She broke out in a cold sweat as the dark aura of death lingered around her, suffocating her and making her heart pound with fear and dread. Who is this dangerous woman? she thought shakily.

Meanwhile, the hall fell into a choking silence as Annika stepped forward, her pink lips curling into a cruel smirk as she looked down at the trembling Caroline, who clutched her bleeding cheek, her blue eyes full of arrogance and pride. "Clowns like you should know how to behave; otherwise, you might end up with a cut throat in the dumps," Annika's voice was cold and menacing, like the icy winds of winter.

The crowd's blood instinctively ran cold as they visibly shivered through the layers of clothing adorning them. They couldn't help but gulp in fear when Annika's gaze swept past them.

When did such a cold-blooded woman enter New York?!

Who is she?!

When everyone was shocked, either gulping in fear or stunned into silence, a charming man in the corner was casually sipping blood-red wine, watching the drama unfold with a lazy smile on his thin, sexy lips. His gray eyes twinkled as his gaze lingered on Annika, and he chuckled fondly, "The kitten has grown up and become a fierce lioness, huh."

Feeling an intense gaze on her, Annika looked up, meeting a pair of stormy eyes that made her soul shudder and pulled her into their depths. The man's sexy lips, fully visible beneath the silver mask, sensually parted as he mouthed, 'You have become even more marvelous, Sweetheart.'