The Storm Came Before You

Yara stood a short distance away and listened quietly. She did not say a word.

Quiana proudly sauntered over and looked at her with obvious disdain.

“You did a good job with the banquet. But there’s a small problem. There was no carpet in the hall. My dress got dirty. To make up for it, I want you to hold it for me.”

Yara kept her head down and said calmly, “Please wait. There’s a carpet backstage. I’ll have someone lay it out right away.”

Quiana’s face turned dark. She could not believe Yara had refused her.

Just then, Marcus walked over. He saw Quiana looking upset and rushed over.

“What’s wrong?”

“Marcus, I don’t want my dress to get dirty. I asked your secretary to hold it for me, but she wouldn’t. Is she still upset about what happened last time?”

Seeing Quiana feeling upset, Marcus quickly pulled her into his arms. He glared at Yara.

“It’s just a matter of holding some garment up. That’s your job. You’ve been a secretary for a long time. You can’t handle such a small task?”

The guests nearby whispered and laughed.

“A secretary dares to give Ms. Xanthe attitude? Does she even know her place?”

“Different people have different luck. The rich heiress is born to be pampered. Letting you hold her dress is already generous. Be grateful.”

Yara’s eyes fell as she heard their mockery.

She pushed down her feelings, bent down, and picked up the dress.

Quiana dragged Marcus around the house, upstairs and downstairs, just to make Yara suffer.

The hem of the dress was covered in pearls. Yara’s arms ached from holding it. She clenched her teeth and kept going.

Quiana was not satisfied. She had more wine poured and waved at Yara.

“I don’t want to drink tonight, but my friends came to the banquet. I can’t refuse. Drink all this for me.”

“I’m allergic to alcohol.”

“Marcus, look at her!”

Yara tried to explain herself, but Quiana started whining and acting cute.

Marcus was aware of Yara’s allergies. Still, he wanted to make Quiana happy, so he agreed.

“Don’t you carry allergy medicine? Take it first, then drink. You should be fine.”

There was no room for her to refuse. Yara felt her heart sink.

Her face turned pale. She stayed silent, took out her medicine, and swallowed a few pills.

Soon, people came over with glasses of wine, talking and laughing. Yara raised a glass and forced it down her throat.

One glass after another, her stomach churned. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Her head felt heavy. Her vision blurred.

The hall spun around her. She heard Quiana scream.

“Marcus, the necklace you gave me is gone! The only person who came near me was your secretary. She must have stolen it!”

Hearing the false accusation, Yara regained her clarity for a moment.

“Mr. Quinn, it wasn’t me.”

Marcus looked at Quiana’s teary eyes and then at Yara, who was drunk and unsteady. His face grew serious.

“There were a lot of people around. Maybe you dropped it somewhere. Let’s look for it first.”

Quiana would not let it go. She shook his hand away. “If it wasn’t her, then who else? I only care so much because it was a gift from you. Yet you’re protecting her. If you won’t search her, then don’t come near me again!”

With that, she turned to storm off. Marcus quickly held her and called the bodyguards over.

The next moment, a few bodyguards forced Yara to the floor and tore at her clothes.

Her mind went blank. She struggled, but she was completely overpowered.

Her shirt was ripped into strips. Her dress was ruined. Her skin was bruised and scratched, and some areas were bleeding.

A wave of humiliation hit her. She could not help crying and screaming for help.

“It’s not me! I didn’t do it!”

Her cries only brought more violence.

The bodyguards reached for her undergarments.

Marcus could not bear to watch. He tried to stop them when several servers ran over.

“Found it! The necklace fell on the stairs!”

Everyone in the hall immediately turned to look at the sparkling diamond necklace in their hands.

Marcus’ tense brow relaxed. He waved for the bodyguards to step back.

He picked up the necklace and put it around Quiana’s neck himself. His voice was calmer.

“The necklace is back. Stop being angry, okay?”

Quiana finally smiled.

She looked down at Yara, who was lying on the floor in a mess. She held Marcus’ arm and acted cute again.

“Good thing it was found. If not, I would have been upset for a long time. But your secretary suffered so much because of this. Should I apologize to her?”

All eyes in the hall turned to Yara, whose clothes were torn and disheveled.

She could only curl up and hug herself tightly under the hostile stares.

Through the pain, she heard Marcus’ cold voice.

“No need to apologize. She’s just a secretary. A little suffering is nothing.”