Chapter 142 Everyone Was Stunned


    Everyone was speechless.


    The media people present looked at Nina in astonishment. They were so taken aback that they


    even forgot to take photos.


    They were confused. Why did Nina say that John was ugly? Everyone knew that John was one of


    the most handsome men in the city.


    "Give those back to me." John took back the marriage licenses with an annoyed face.


    He had not forgiven Sam for choosing the ugliest photo of him and having it edited onto the


    wedding photo.


    And now that Nina had seen the photo, his anger boiled over. He wanted to hurt somebody just to


    make himself feel better.


    He was ashamed and displeased.


    "Let me have another look at the photo," Nina insisted, reaching for the licenses in John''s hand.


    This was the first time that Nina had seen John embarrassed.


    "No way!" John replied, holding the licenses in the air out of Nina''s reach.


    "Come on! Let me just see it one more time!"


    Under the watchful eyes of the people around, John grabbed Nina''s head with his free hand and


    leaned in.


    Then, he kissed Nina.


    One second passed. Then two. And then three.


    The media people snapped back to their senses and began taking photos. They were so excited


    that the hall instantly looked like an open field being struck by lightning because of the camera


    shes.


    It was the scoop of the century and would definitely break the headlines tomorrow.


    With blinding pain in her heart, Vivian watched the man she loved kiss another woman in front of


    everybody who had expected him to propose to her tonight. She clenched her fists so tightly that


    her nails started digging into her palms.


    She could do nothing but just watch helplessly.


    ''It''s my birthday party, yet all the focus is on you, Nina.


    You have stolen Brother John as well as everybody''s attention from me.


    You won''t get away with this. Someday, I will take back everything I lost tonight.''


    The banquet hall was filled with the sound of everyone''s collective gasp and cameras clicking wildly.


    Nina wanted to struggle, but her knees had turned to jelly the instant John''s lips made contact with


    hers. The elders quietly left the function while the young ones stuck around to watch as if they were


    in a live drama.


    Nina spoke as soon as John let go to take a breath. "John, can you let go of me, please?"


    Instead of answering, John kissed her once again. Nina''s heart almost stopped when he started


    tracing her bottom lip with his tongue. Sparks flew inside of her like a short circuiting power station.


    John kissed her several times. He alternated between soft and passionate kisses. It almost drove


    Nina out of her wits.


    At the moment, she felt like she had always been a treasure to John.


    Her heart started pounding against her chest.


    ''John is my husband. I didn''t cheat on him. So I don''t have to pay for twenty million dors!'' she


    thought to herself.


    She let herself sink in John''s sweet kisses. She sunk so deeply that she forgot about the photo


    completely.


    John smiled slightly against Nina''s soft lips, feeling pleased that she was now under his spell.


    When the kiss was about to end and John was about to let go of her, Nina suddenly opened her


    eyes and pushed him away.


    What the hell was she doing just now?


    How could she enjoy John''s kiss in front of so many people?


    ncing around at the crowd and the media, Nina felt her face grow hot with shame. Her lips still


    felt swollen after spending some time pressing and moving against John''s.


    She turned to look at John who was smiling down at her.


    Nina immediately averted her gaze, turned around, and ran away. John had guessed that she would


    attempt to escape, but he was not worried at all because it was impossible for her to run away from


    him. He put his hands in his pockets andzily watched Nina flee.


    Nina kept running and did not look back. She just needed to get out of the banquet hall. She did not


    need this many eyes on her.


    John dipped his chin at Henry who got his message right away.


    Henry calmly followed after Nina. On her way out, Nina was partly covering her face with her hands


    because of the shing cameras. With her sight hindered, she failed to notice that she was about to


    bump into a person. She heard a howl.


    Before she could see who it was she bumped into, she started apologizing profusely. After all, it was


    her fault. She was not looking where she was going.


    "I''m sorry." She wanted to escape so badly that she did not really get a good look at the person she


    bumped into.


    Nina could not think straight. All she knew was that she wanted to get out of the banquet hall as


    soon as possible. She did not want to face John after what just happened. Liking him was different


    from being married to him. Her brother had once told her that she should only marry the man she


    deeply loved and who loved her the same way. John was neither of those things. Not yet at least.


    "Hey! Stop!" Isabe yelled after Nina who was now on her way out. Isabe did not recognize Nina


    at first because her overcoat was gone. She was now wearing a purple, straplessce dress. "Do


    you know you''ve just torn my painting? I got this to give to Miss Ye as a birthday present."


    As soon as Isabe finished speaking, everyone looked at Nina again. The lifelike ink wash painting


    held by Isabe was really damaged where Nina bumped on it.


    "I''m really sorry. I..." When Nina raised her head and was about to offerpensation for the


    damage, she saw Isabe standing in front of her. She frowned slightly.


    "Nina?" Isabe muttered in surprise. The arrogance in her voice just now plummeted. Nina was


    very much favored by Kristina. If Isabe offended the Ye family, she would be in trouble.


    "Tonight is Miss Ye''s birthday party. People willugh at me if I don''t present her with a gift," Isabe


    said, panic slowly seeping into her voice. She looked at the broken wash painting, her hands


    shaking slightly.


    Then, she looked at Nina and said, "What am I supposed to do now? I spent eight million dors on


    this painting for Miss Ye. It''s thetest work of Master Elk."


    Suddenly, someone eximed, "Thetest work of Master Elk? Thisdy is liberal with money."


    "She''s not only liberal with money but also has a vastwork. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been


    able to buy Master Elk''stest painting. Elk became famous at a young age and only produces a


    painting every few years. People scramble for Elk''s work, and thisdy easily bought one."


    "Miss Ye likes the paintings of Master Elk."


    Hearing the discussion of people nearby, Nina nced at the painting. Was it not the work she had


    just sold?


    Nina felt a little sorry for Isabe and guilty for what she had done, but she also was in a hurry to


    escape. She could not stay here any longer. She also did not want to go back to North Yard with


    John. She was still having difficulty epting that she and John were really a married couple and


    that she had to perform her duty as a wife.


    The first time they made love, her body almost fell apart. She struggled to run back to her apartment


    at that time.


    The marks on her body did not disappear until half a monthter, which really affected her beauty.


    She could not let such a thing happen again. She had to run away.


    "I''m sorry. I have something urgent to deal with. I''llpensate you for this painting. I have to go.


    I''m really, really sorry."


    "But I don''t care about the money, Nina. This painting is the only piece of work produced by Master


    Elk in recent years. Your money will be useless as I can''t just rece it right away. It''s the only one."


    Isabe wanted to say more but stopped. She looked so pathetic in front of everyone.


    Nina didn''t want to waste time on her and said honestly, "I''m Elk. I''ll paint another one for you


    another day. No, I''ll paint two for you as my way of apology. Now I really have to go. I''m sorry."


    As soon as Nina finished speaking, she ran away.


    Isabe stood there shocked. The others were also left with their mouths hanging open.


    Did Nina just say she was Master Elk?


    "Who is she?"


    "Professor Gu''s disciple."


    "She is also the famous young painting master, Elk."


    "And she is also Mr. Shi''s wife."


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    For a moment, the room stood still.


    And then whispers erupted. The new information about Nina just spread across the banquet hall like


    wildfire. Isabe was still frozen on her spot. She still could not believe what she just heard.


    ''Nina is Mr. Shi''s wife? She''s also Master Elk?''


    Vivian''s face turnedpletely pale. She had just heard from the crowd that Nina was the famous


    young painter, Master Elk, whose paintings sold for a fortune.


    Truth be told, Vivian never liked Master Elk''s wash paintings. Sam liked them, and she just wanted


    to please him, so she pretended to like them as well.


    But now, Nina was Elk. And if Sam found out...


    Vivian fainted and fell.