The Manipulated Villainess

"Uncle Aston!" A small girl with a blonde hair which was tied in a ponytail ran out from her house to welcome her late father's best friend.

The house was built in the style of the bungalow and was light blue in colour. It consists of two-storey and was surrounded by trees and flowers with a small ground. It was very enough for a family member of three.

Aston carried the small girl who ran to him and raised her in the air. "I miss you so much. How long has it been since we last see each other?" He lowered her and continued to carry her with his right arm. "I think you have become taller." His face lit up with amusement.

"Really? But uncle, my mom keeps on saying that I cannot grow taller because I always pick at food." Little Jenny said with her voice loud like always. She was small but she had a loud voice.

"Do you pick at your food again? I always tell you that you won't be healthy if you do that. If you're not healthy, then you won't be -"

"I won't be able to become a celebrity like you." The little girl finished the words for her and burst out into a laughter. "You tell me each time and I already memorized it all."

Aston looked at her and shook his head. "This is bad. You memorized all but you have no intention to comply. I think I have spoiled you too much."

Little Jenny doesn't say anything but she keeps on staring at Aston with an innocent smile. Ah! She was so cunning! She always does that to appease him.

He can't help but laugh at the smart brain of the five years old girl. "Let's go inside first." He muttered and walked inside the house with Little Jenny on his arms.

The atmosphere on the small house was lively as always. Leah Park, her mother Karin Lim and her daughter Jennifer Lee; three women but all they needed was each other.

After spending time with the family for five years, Aston had become one of them and they also considered him as a family. They were the one who taught him the value and meaning of a happy family.

The 50-year-old Karin Lim who was knitting a sweater for her only granddaughter, Leah who was busy preparing meal in the kitchen and Little Jenny who ran around everywhere; Aston can't stop staring at them.

He used to have this type of happy family until he was 10. Him playing happily with his twin sister, their mother who was cooking for them and told them not to fight once in a while and their father, a brilliant police officer who would come home after a busy and tiring day.

Each day, they would wait for their father who comes home late each time. They were not rich but they were happy. Being a police officer was tiring and exhausting both mentally and physically, but their father always showed them a happy face. He was the best father a child would ever ask for.

The father was the pillar who binds the family together. As such, their family crumbled and broke apart when he passed away.

Recalling about his father's death and his broken family made Aston's smile slipped. His pleasant face turned gloomy at once. He sat still on the couch, hanging his head low. His past only gave him one thing each time.

Pain.

"Aston." The warm voice of Leah snapped him out his thoughts and he lifted his head to look at her.

"Let's have breakfast."

Aston smiled at the thought of having breakfast with the warm family. They always made him realized the pleasure of having meals with a family which he had forgotten long ago.

"Okay." He nodded and join his 'family' to have a warm breakfast which he always longed for.

* * *

Nicole never thought that throwing away a single coat would cost her this much. But it really was and it happened.

Simply booking the whole department store for an hour already cost her a hundred folds compared to the price of that coat she disposed of. She shook her head, thinking to herself again that debts should be repaid soon and to be honest, the money she spends doesn't really matter to her.

She might never be happy but she was never short in cash ever since she was born. But if she would choose either one of them, she will choose happiness without thinking twice.

Thinking about money, she suddenly realized that she still needs to pay Leon for the porcelain. Yesterday was such a busy day for her and she had completely forgotten about it.

She sighed, inwardly scolding herself for being so absent-minded. She glanced at the porcelain which she bought and called her fiance who was always quick to answer her calls.

"Leon, Can you text me your account number?" She asked as soon as the man answered her call.

"For what?" Leon dumbfoundedly asked from the other line. His tone was never gentle like always.

"I want to pay you for the porcelain. I also want you to name the price." She simply said without much thought. The fact that her words displeased the man didn't even cross her mind!

"Why won't you just accept as a gift?" Do you know how much trouble I went through to let you have that? He wished to say these words too much he decided to not talk much. He scowled, feeling hopeless in his fiancee.

Fortunately, the First Lady was a kind and elegant woman. So, she understood Leon's situation and agreed to give up on the porcelain.

"It seems to be a pricey one and I don't want to take it just for free," Nicole said; still having no clues about how the man felt.

"I'm your fiance, your soon-to-be husband. Can't I give you a gift for even once?" Leon retorted, his voice colder than ever. He never talked to her in a gentle way but he never treated her coldly either.

Nicole raised a brow when she heard the coldness in his voice. But what amazed her the most was that Leon saying 'I'm your fiance.' It's the first time he ever said that.

She was about to speak up but Leon beat her at that.

"If you want to pay me so badly, how about meeting up today after work? I will tell you some way to pay me." He suggested.

"But I have plans today." Why did her plans with the actor always coincide with Leon's suggestion? Nicole suddenly realized that she already owed Leon so much in the past couple of days. Feeling indebted always made her feel uneasy.

"What plans? Dinner meeting again?"

Leon didn't even know that he already surprised Nicole for three times during this short phone call! Just like before, it was his first time questioning her about her plans.

"No, it's a personal one. I simply need to repay some debt." She reluctantly responded. As always, she was never good at lying.

Little did she know her response made the man on the other line more curious, much more like anxious. Personal plans? She was never acquainted with anyone besides business.

He never said anything but he knew everything about her. This time, he finally comes to his sense and decided not to question her further.

"Fine then. Let's do it next time." He ended the call, but his nervous heart doesn't seem to end easily!

What's with him? He behaved so strangely these days. Nicole put down her phone with a confused face. Her fiance had become more and more unpredictable each day!

She shook her head, decided to not think too much about it. Then she texted Aston, informing him of the place for their meeting.....

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