The Manipulated Villainess

"Peaceful?" Leon muttered and smiled to himself. For someone like him, leading a peaceful life was impossible.

The first time he landed his foot on the base of Blackhood, he already gives up on the normal and peaceful life. Though it\'s always his wish to lead a simple life, it was so far for him. If only Nicole knew this! She wouldn\'t say such things to him.

"Life is not always what it seems, Nicole. You know that better than anyone else." He forced a little smile when he glanced at his ex-fiancee. "My life is more complicated than you thought."

"I have a feeling about that." Nicole promptly said which made him slightly raised a brow. "But do you know this, Leon? If the way we live our life is not how we wanted, it\'s our responsibility to attempt to create the life and world we dreamt of. Don\'t you think so?"

Leon remained quiet for a while and suddenly said, "How come you changed this much in just a few weeks? Are you still the same Nicole Yang which I used to know?"

Nicole chuckled at his words. "People change due to many different reasons but believe me. My reasons are pure. I won\'t be evil just to create a life I wanted."

Leon wondered what Nicole was up to. It made him worried. Of course, he already gives up on her and chose Shara. But after looking at her for two whole years, he knew how suffocating her life was. It\'s a miracle that she was still fine. That\'s why he wanted her to stop suffer and live for herself. That\'s all.

After Nicole finished having dinner with Leon and Shara, she was all set to go home.

"Come by often. It would be great to meet up from time to time." Shara\'s voice was very friendly and it somehow amazed Leon.

"Very well. I\'m quite a lonely person. I would love to have a companion at times." Nicole said and briefly glanced at Leon. "I\'ll get going. Good night." She bid them goodbye and left the house.

After Nicole was gone, Shara walked back to the couch and quietly started working again while Leon glanced at her from the side with a confused face.

"Do you have something to say?" Shara put down her pen and finally glanced at him. She could feel his gaze and it was quite troubling.

"I think I don\'t know you well enough." He said as he sat next to her.

"When did you ever know me well?" Shara mused. Putting aside her work, she turned to him and focused her attention on him.

Leon frowned at her words. "Are you kidding me? If I don\'t know you well, then who will?"

Shara smiled and gently patted him on the back. "You have a point." She said nothing more but started working again.

By now, Leon felt more frustrating than ever. "Don\'t you think it\'s too much? I sit right beside you yet you only think of work. Besides, you make me sit for days without doing anything. It\'s very boring."

As if she didn\'t hear him, Shara quietly concentrated on working. "Don\'t you hear me? Am I invisible in your eyes?" He huffed like a little child.

After what seemed to be forever, Shara finally turned to him and slowly said, "If you\'re that bored of sitting, why won\'t you just sleep? I have no problem with that."

Leon wasn\'t entertained by her response but when he noticed her slightly chuckling, he sighed in defeat. "Work then. I will sit here. It\'s still early." He bluntly said and turned his head away from her.

Shara quietly glanced at Leon and her lips curved into a smile. He seemed to be carefree and she was glad for that. The child and teenage Leon was also free-spirited and free of worry. But now, such a sight became so rare and she only witnessed it often again after they left the main mansion.

She only had one wish. For him to live happily. That\'s all she ever wanted and she was willing to do anything to make that happen.

"I think she is a good person. That\'s why I don\'t mind being close to her no matter what your past with her was." Shara paused and a small smile appeared on her face. "You know, I\'m not the type to be stuck in past. I never let myself be held back by such useless things." Then she quietly started concentrating on work again.

\'Liar.\' That\'s the first thing that crossed Leon\'s mind. She won\'t be able to fool him. Was she trying to fool herself? He knows how much her past still haunted and tormented her. Her countless nightmares were the perfect example.

* * *

When Aston went home after a long day and night of filming, it was almost 11 in the night. He entered his apartment and sat on the couch. He put the back of his head on the back support of the couch and closed his eyes. This was his habit. It\'s his way of resting and closing his eyes made him felt relaxed.

However, his rest was cut short when he received a call. When he looked at the caller ID, he promptly answered the call.

"Nathan." He greeted his former friend, the leader of the Reyon Gang.

"Hi, dude! I got some information we are waiting for." Nathan\'s voice which was full of enthusiasm echoed in his ear.

Aston who was very sleepy just a few seconds ago, now widely opened his eyes, paying full attention to the call. "When?"

"The day after tomorrow at 10 p.m. in the current base of the Moyans," Nathan informed him.

"I don\'t know where the base is. Do you have any idea?" Aston promptly asked.

"Don\'t worry. I have my ways, so just trust me." Nathan had a menacing smile on his face. The Red Tigers were trying to turn their back on him? He would make sure to crush them before that happens!

"If I don\'t trust you, I won\'t ask you for help." Aston\'s voice was very calm.

"I never know that you are capable of saying that but I like it." Nathan chuckled. While Aston was still in the Red Tiger Gang, he was a great friend and of course, a competitor. However, the competition between the two friends was always pure. As such, they had a deep respect for each other.

"Is there anything I could do to help?" Aston asked, ignoring Nathan\'s playful attitude which made the latter frowned a little.

"No. If you have time, why don\'t you come over tomorrow night? We can discuss the details." Nathan said but his displeasure was still evident in his voice.

"Fine then. I think I\'ll be free tomorrow night. Text me the time." Before Nathan could say anything, he said, "Good night." Then he ended the call right away.

Nathan frowned and shook his head as he narrowed his eyes at the phone. He\'s still heartless as ever!

* * *

The Next Day 

Nicole rushed to her stepmother\'s residence as soon as she received a call from the latter saying that she wanted to have a chat with her. She was already dressed up for work and she planned to go straight to work after meeting Garcia Han.

When she entered the house, Garcia Han was in the dining room, waiting for her to have breakfast together. Then she walked straight to the dining room. "Did you wait long, Mother? I rushed here as soon as you tell me to come." She said as she slightly bowed.

"It\'s still early. Have a seat." Garcia Han said to her with a smile and she quickly sat down.

At first, the dining room was very quiet as the step-mother and step-daughter ate breakfast without saying anything. Nicole wasn\'t feeling at ease. Why was she suddenly summoned here? Was the devil up to something again? While she was busy trying to figure out what the reason might be, Garcia Han suddenly spoke up.

"The same rumour still covered the whole country, Nicole. Each day, people will talk about how the Prime Minister and I forced our children into an engagement. The rumour is far from dying." Garcia Han finally broke the silence, which instantly stopped Nicole from continuing with her breakfast. It\'s breakfast with Garcia Han, so she didn\'t have an appetite anyway.

"I\'m sorry, Mother. I should have been more careful." She promptly said, withdrawing her hands from the table and put it in her thighs.

Garcia Han put her hands on the table and glanced at Nicole. "Do you still remember what you said? You told me that you will do anything to solve this mess."

Nicole suddenly felt very nervous. What did the devil want her to do again?! But still, she forced a little smile. "I remember. Please tell me if there is something I could do."

Garcia Han narrowed her eyes and briefly recalled what she discussed with Carson Jun last night. Though the solution they came up with will harm her reputation a bit, it will be effective in the future. Right now, she didn\'t have another way. She\'s a politician and she just can\'t sit and watch while her reputation was going down each day.

Then she turned back to Nicole, meeting her gaze. "You said that the famous actor, Aston Kang like you, right? I want you to develop a relationship with him."