YOKED TO A BILLIONAIRE BY VENNEH LISAH

One of the trio complimented with a bright grin, "Miss Milan, Miss Laura is doing this for you! This gown is a piece from a globally renowned designer and it cost her a fortune to purchase it some time ago. I'm sure she has given this gown to you because she wants you to steal the limelight during the banquet!"

Violla replied with a self-deprecating smirk, "I guess you're right,she wants me to steal the limelight."

'She wants me to be the only different one in the banquet because she can't wait for me to embarrass myself in front of the guests from the upper echelon and the corporate world! Perhaps she wants them to deem me a filthy slu*t, unworthy of Davon, and force Davon into submission, leaving me due to peer pressure.'

Violla wasn't a fool,she figured the plan Laura had in her mind the moment she put on the evening gown.

She gritted her teeth due to the grudges she held against Laura deep down. However, when she gave it another thought, she thought it was a great opportunity for her to sever ties with Davon.

Hence, she decided to play along with Laura's evil scheme so she could regain her freedom.

One of the trio suggested, "Great! Let's try out the accessories we have brought along to go with the gown!"

They started matching the accessories they had with them and tried out several combinations to determine the best one.

Violla allowed them to carry out their duty and put on the pair of high heels they had prepared to go along with the gown.

After the trio completed dolling her up, Violla found herself odd and had a strange feeling about it because she seemed enchanting in an odd manner.

She wondered about the thoughts the men would have in their minds when they caught a glimpse of her sexy appearance.

"Violla, are you done yet?" Molly knocked on the door and walked into the room, but she was completely stunned when she saw the woman in front of her. "T-This gown…"

"It looks great on Miss. Milan, doesn't it?" The trio started complimenting the dress that seemed to be custom-made for Violla over and over again.

Molly was about to say something, but the bodyguards knocked on the door and stated, "It's about time to leave."

"I believe you should get yourself a shawl to go along with the dress," Molly suggested in an attempt to help Violla.

"The shawl will ruin the flawless look of hers." An arrogant voice could be heard from behind.

The trio moved aside as soon as they noticed the presence of Laura.

Violla looked in the direction of the entrance and noticed Laura had put on a beige color mermaid dress that could highlight her slender figure. Although she wasn't a sexy woman, she exuded a noble presence.

As compared to the sexy-looking Violla, Laura seemed to be an honorable princess of a modern-day fairy tale.

Laura made use of Violla's oddly enchanting look as a benchmark to portray the superiority of her noble and elegant look.

Laura sized Violla up over and over again. She responded with a satisfied look and denoted, "You're so gorgeous, Violla! The gown looks great on you, but your make-up is nowhere close to those of a man's liking. You should apply more make-up to highlight your look."

"Do you need us to work on that?" One of the stylists asked.

"Let's forget about it because I don't think we have time for that anymore. Oh! Bring along the make-up kit and apply some crimson lipstick to highlight her lips while we're on the way to the venue!" she chuckled and stated while she had her eyes glued to Violla.

"Sure!" The stylists took note of Laura's instruction and departed with their make-up kit.

Molly suggested cautiously, "Seriously? Isn't that slightly over the top? I think Violla looks great!"

"You know nothing, Molly! It's necessary to have crimson lips to go along with the look!" Laura turned around with a vicious smirk on her face after she explained the rationale behind her decision.

"I'll be waiting for all of you downstairs! Hurry up, okay?" Immediately after she announced her departure, she sashayed her way down the stairs.

Staring at Laura's departing figure, Violla sneered deep down and cursed her for being a pretentious woman.

"Why don't you get in touch with Mr. Roman and make something up to get yourself out of the tight spot?" Molly whispered with a frowned look.

"Nope! I have to be there to fulfill her wish! I can't possibly let her down, can I?" Violla gritted her teeth and responded with a rhetorical question.

"What?" Molly was clueless about Violla's actual goal.

"It's nothing! Let's go!" Violla dragged Molly down the stairs with her because she was determined to play along with Laura with one goal in her mind. She wanted to disgust Davon and get him to chase her away.

She was certain as long as he was the one who brought up the request to break up, he would forget about the compensation worthy of a hundred million.Instead, she might get him to compensate her for her loss.

"Violla , this gown is...." Halfway through Molly's sentence, Violla's long hair was caressed by a gentle breeze, exposing her busty figure that was covered by her charcoal black hair.

Coincidentally, Cruze was walking towards Violla. He had his eyes widened in disbelief while blood gushed out of his nostrils.

The dumbstruck Molly pointed at Cruze and said, "E-Err… Mr. Cruze, your nose…"

Laura giggled and teased, "Hahaha! Cruze, you have never behaved as such before! I guess you're a man after all, huh?"

Cruze panicked and covered his nose while turning around to touch up on his appearance. He was grateful Davon wasn't around.

Otherwise, he would be doomed. Perhaps Davon would scoop his eyes out of his sockets for desecrating Violla.

Meanwhile, Violla couldn't be bothered by Cruze's response at all. She glanced around and noticed Davon wasn't around.

"Where's Davon?" Laura queried with a smile.

"Mr. Roman has headed over the venue in advance. He has sent me to pick you guys up." Cruze looked elsewhere while replying.

"You should take Violla and her party with you. I'll head over with my own car." Laura beamed her instruction along with a smirk that indicated her plan to matchmake the duo.

"E-Er...." Laura had boarded her car and departed before Cruze could stop her.

As a result, Cruze invited Violla and Molly to board the Rolls-Royce Phantom that was parked nearby.

After they boarded the car, Cruze took a seat in the front passenger seat and avoided looking in the direction of Violla.

Molly was on pins and needles due to the awkward situation and the things that might be in store for Violla.

Violla was relatively calm, enjoying the scene as they were on their way to the venue,she couldn't wait for Laura to achieve her goal, so she could get Davon to leave her as soon as possible.

She could then proceed to leave Romans Corporation and start a new life in another city with Mrs. Blake and her children by her side.

Since she had the fortune that was left behind by her late father, she could easily live a carefree life with her children for the rest of their lives for now the contract with Davon restricted her.

Violla had everything sorted out in her mind, including a flawless plan to sustain their lifestyles. She would start a bakery with Mrs. Blake and allow her children to savor the cakes that were prepared because they were huge fans of cakes.

As a family of five, they would spend the rest of their life, living a blissful and simple life by one another's side.

While Violla's thoughts wandered everywhere, exploring the countless possibilities after leaving Davon, they finally reached the banquet hall of Garden golf course.

It was a breezy night,the moment Violla alighted from the car, the train of her gown started billowing due to the gentle breeze.

Immediately, she placed her hand on her gown to stop the dress. For a few seconds, she resembled the look of Marilyn Monroe in the classic movie.

Suddenly, a flash beamed.

Violla raised her head and looked in the direction of the flash and noticed a handsome foreign man had snapped the photos of her without her consent.

The man flushed embarrassedly because he was caught red-handed. He showed Violla the phone, indicating he had deleted the photos he took.

Since it wasn't a big deal, Violla paid no heed to the man and walked into the venue with Molly by her side.

Shortly, Laura showed up with a vicious grin and teased, "Violla, what do you think of the gown I have prepared for you? Look! You have stolen the limelight and attracted the attention of the men! I still think you should have applied heavier make-up. What's wrong with your lips? Didn't they bring along the lipstick?"

Along with Molly and Cruze, who were by Violla's side, the trio kept quiet at that score. However, Laura couldn't be bothered at all because she had achieved her goal.

The guests were led into the banquet hall that was flamboyantly decorated with countless chandeliers that acted as the sole source of illumination in the spacious hall.

Guests who had decked out in their most ostentatious finery each had a glass of champagne. They gathered around, engaging themselves in a conversation with their kinds in the hall, accompanied by classical pieces in the background.

As soon as Laura entered the hall, she grabbed the attention of the guests who had reached the venue ahead of her. A lot of them strode their way over to greet her, expressing their courtesy.

A few of the guests whispered, inquiring about Violla's identity when they spotted her because she made her way into the venue right after Laura's appearance.

Laura lunged Violla over and introduced her to everyone, "This is my friend, Violla. I have brought her along with me because she rarely gets to be part of such a grand event. Please take good care of her, guys!"

Violla started cursing Laura for being a hypocrite again.

'Excuse me? How dare she talk about me when I'm right by her side? She's indicating I'm an ignorant country bumpkin who has nothing but a gorgeous look!'

"She's such a gorgeous woman!" A few men surrounded Violla and invited her to join them for a dance.

"She doesn't know how to dance!" Violla was about to turn them down, but a man's voice could be heard, answering on her behalf before she could respond to their invitation.

Immediately after the man got her out of the tight spot, she could feel a pair of hands on her shoulders as the man placed his blazer over her.

Due to the presence of the man behind her, Violla's eyes widened in disbelief when she turned around.

"Martin !" Laura exclaimed in shock and queried, "What are you doing here?"

"What's with your reaction? Am I not allowed to be here?" Martin had put on a simple yet elegant-looking sage set of outfits for the banquet, but it couldn't conceal the fact he was a handsome man.

The man, who had an androgynous appearance, had acquired the attention of the women that were around.

"No! Of course not! Are you guys acquainted?" Laura asked with a peculiar smile, glancing at Martin and Violla.

Martin wrapped his arm around Violla's waist and declared, "She's a childhood friend of mine, and we used to be course mates back in our university days. I guess you can consider me her guardian!"

"I see! It's just like Davon and me!" Laura replied with a bright grin.

Laura would constantly remind Violla of her extraordinary relationship with Davon.

When Laura brought up Davon in front of the duo, Violla recalled the deal she had with Davon,she promised him she would stay away from Martin in the future.

'If the devil is conscious Martin's here, I think he's going to lose control over himself again.'

Violla inched away from Martin and shrugged his hand off her waist when she thought about it.

Martin was taken aback by her action,disappointment was written all over his face.

"Since you're here to keep Violla company, I will leave both of you alone." Laura smiled and sashayed in the direction of the crowd.

Cruze went after Laura because he would have to return to Davon's side.

Similarly, Molly went after the departing duo after she glanced at Violla.

Violla was about to leave, but Martin got ahead of her and stopped her. "Violla, we need to talk."

She shrugged him off and stated in a low voice, "Martin, have you forgotten your promise to stay away from me?"

"E-Er…" Martin's stiff hand was left hanging around in the middle of the air embarrassingly while his face turned gloomy in disappointment.

"I'm sorry…" Violla avoided his gaze and apologized.

After she walked away from Martin, she spotted Davon who was a few feet away from her. Davon peered at her in the eyes while he was surrounded by a few noble-looking corporate players.

They seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. Holding on to his glass of champagne, Davon would occasionally reply to them, yet he wouldn't move his eyes away from Violla.

As he was aware of her interaction with Martin a short while ago, he cast a stern gaze at her.

Violla lowered her head and avoided the man's gaze, bringing herself to the back of the banquet hall as soon as possible because she had enough of the guests' odd gazes.

Although she had her sight on the ground, she could feel the onlookers' attention on her as she marched through the spacious hall.

The guests had one thing in common. A scornful look on their faces. While sizing her up repetitively, they made fun of Violla and thought she was another gold digger, with an ulterior goal.

When Violla reached the back of the hall, she heard the conversation of a few maids.

"She doesn't belong here! Look at the ridiculous gown she has put on!"

"I think she's one of the micro-influencers who's willing to sacrifice everything and anything as long as she gets to become a member of the upper echelon."

"You're right! She must be showing her chest and her thigh to seduce the guests that are around! Otherwise, why would she put on such an exposing outfit?"

"I don't get it! How did such a country bumpkin manage to earn the right to be invited to such an exclusive banquet?"

"She doesn't belong to the upper echelon! I wonder who's the one behind her?"

"I saw her with Miss Laura a few minutes ago! We should mind our words because we can't afford to offend Miss Laura."

"Miss Laura is such a kind woman. I think she must have been deceived by the cunning and filthy woman!"

"Yes! I think that's the case!"

Violla couldn't take it anymore. She trod away from the hall as fast as she could. Her absence wouldn't impact the progress of the banquet at all.

All she needed was to kill her time in an isolated space. Once the banquet was over, she would leave with Molly.

There were only a few people at the back of the banquet hall, including a few servers and a few staff that were in charge of the flow of the banquet.

Violla found an empty lounge and was about to make her way in to take a breather from the cruel, harsh world. But when she reached the doorstep, she heard the voices of two women.

"What the hell is wrong with you? How could you hurt yourself right before the performance? Don't you know how important this banquet is? Are you trying to mess with me on purpose?"

"No! Madam! I didn't mean it!" The girl started weeping and explained herself, "W-When I passed by the banquet hall, I accidentally bumped into someone called Miss Laura. As a result, she became infuriated and pushed me away from her with all her might. I-I bumped into another server, causing the server to spill her tray of drink to the ground. After I fell to the ground, Miss Laura…"

"She stepped on my hand without a second thought! There were shattered pieces of glasses everywhere on the ground! I-I....." She couldn't finish her sentence as she started sniffling convulsively.

"Stop looking for excuses to justify your carelessness!" the madam reprimanded the woman and warned her, "No matter what, the show has to go on because the guests are the big shots from the upper echelon and the corporate world! If you can't think of something by then, you won't get to stay in the industry anymore."

"I-I…"

"I'll get the violinists to perform ahead of you! I want you to deal with it by hook or by crook!" Violla heard the clicking voice of the Madam's high heels. She knew the fierce woman would stride out of the lounge soon.

Immediately, she stepped aside and saw the woman with a black suit walking out of the room, heading towards the powder room that was diagonally opposite the lounge. The fierce-looking woman clapped her hands and announced, "Violinists! Please get yourself ready because you'll be performing on stage three minutes from now!"

Violla turned around and peered into the lounge, spotting the presence of a good-looking woman wailing as she stepped aside from the partition. She could barely pull herself together while her trembling hand bled excessively.

She had no choice but to tend to her wounds by herself. It was a heart-wrenching scene to watch.

After she took the first-aid kit, she tried to open it with her elbow since her palms were gravely injured. Unfortunately, her effort was to no avail,no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open it.

Violla entered the room and offered, "Allow me to help you."

The injured woman was confused by Violla's presence. Shortly, she nodded and expressed her gratitude, "Thank you!"

After Violla opened the first-aid kit, she reached for the iodine to sterilize the woman's injured palm before picking the shattered pieces of glasses out of her wounds using the tweezers.

The woman wouldn't stop trembling due to the racking sensation she felt, but she pursed her lips and resisted the urge to wail. Nevertheless, torrents of grief streamed down her cheeks continuously.

"You need to get a doctor to tend to your wounds!" Literally, Violla could feel the woman's pain when she saw her wounded palm. "No! We can't delay any further! I'll take you to the hospital at once! Otherwise, your hand will be crippled for the rest of your life!"

"No! I can't leave! If I mess up the show, it will be the end of my career!" The girl wailed and begged Violla, "Please bind my hand and see if you can stop the bleeding. I'll put on a pair of gloves and brace myself through the performance."

"Have you lost your mind? How are you going to play the piano when you're in such a pathetic state?" Violla was heartbroken and enraged because another innocent woman had fallen victim to Laura again. " Laura has gone overboard again!"

"It was merely an accident, but she pushed me with all her might when she barely budged. It wasn't even a serious knock. I don't mind being blamed, but how could she step on my hand when there were shattered glasses everywhere?" The woman started trembling in anger and wailed hysterically to vent her emotions.

"It hurt so much! I begged her to be merciful, but she had no intention to stop! Instead, she went all out and moved her foot around feverishly. If the woman beside her didn't stop her in the nick of time, my hand would be…"

"It's fine. Let's forget about it, okay?" Violla wiped the woman's tear dry and suggested, "Is it fine for me to take your role to perform on the stage?"

"Are you serious? Do you know how to play the piano?" The woman was dumbfounded by Violla's suggestion.

"Mmm… Can you hand over the sheet music to me? I'll perform on your behalf." Violla comforted the injured woman and asserted, "Don't worry. I used to win several globally renowned awards when I was abroad. I had experiences performing on several formal occasions as well. In my humble opinion, I think I'll make the cut for the job."

"Madam can tell us apart from one another, can't she?" The woman expressed her concerns.

"So what? She merely needs someone to perform on the stage and get the job done! As long as I don't embarrass her in front of others, I think she's going to turn a blind eye for once."

"You're right! Thank you so much! You have saved my day!" The woman found the sheet music and handed it over to Violla, expressing her utmost gratitude over and over again.

Staring at the woman's white-laced dress, Violla stated, "You're welcome. First things first, we need to get changed."

The woman nodded. "I'll change into my set of casual outfits because I don't think I can fit into this stunning piece of yours. I think it's a designer piece, isn't it? Allow me to hold on to it for you. I need you to return this to me once you're done performing on stage because I have to return it to my boss."

"Okay."