Power Outage!

The once lively banquet hall plunged into pitch-black darkness in an instant.

A chorus of confused voices arose, but no one dared to move, afraid of bumping into something and losing face.

Mia Carlisle's vision turned completely black, and she couldn't see anything. Her outstretched hand, which was about to push Mila Carlisle, now flailed about aimlessly in the darkness...

"Where are you? Mila Carlisle... where are you?"

Mia Carlisle groped around and called out for her, thinking she might as well take advantage of the darkness to push Mila Carlisle down, thus saving herself the worry of being caught by security cameras!

But no matter how she searched, she couldn't find Mila Carlisle. Her eyes betrayed her anger and frustration.

Where did that bitch go?!

Mila Carlisle, on the other hand, was standing right beside Mia Carlisle. With her naturally strong night vision, she could see perfectly well in the darkness.

Mila Carlisle leisurely continued eating her mille-feuille cake, enjoying the sight of Mia Carlisle fumbling and panicking in the dark.

As Mia Carlisle drew near, Mila suddenly sidestepped to Mia's right with a graceful movement.

Mila Carlisle leaned close, her lips brushing against Mia's ear as she whispered, "Tsk tsk, why the furious expression? Are you trying to catch me?"

Mia Carlisle shivered violently and immediately reached towards the source of the voice—

In the next second, Mila Carlisle shifted to Mia Carlisle's left side. With delicate fingers, she flicked Mia's earlobe. "What are you trying to catch me for, hmm? Let me guess... You want to push me into the fountain pool?"

Mia Carlisle swiped to the left again, but this time, Mila's voice came from behind her: "Hmm, and then while I go change clothes, you'd have someone ambush me in the dressing room and try to kidnap me?"

Mila's soft voice carried a hint of laughter, but it was so cold that it made Mia Carlisle shiver uncontrollably. She stammered in anger, "You... come out here!"

"Aren't I right here?"

Mila Carlisle finally appeared in front of Mia, gripping her chin with two fingers. She leaned in close, her nose almost touching Mia's, and laughed quietly, "Do you know what? When I was sold to Sedon City in the Forbidden Zone by your family, I learned one thing over those three years... Revenge must be tooth for tooth."

"Mia Carlisle, listen carefully. Tell your parents that I have returned to reclaim what was once mine."

"What you owe me isn't just that one ice pearl, but every drop of blood I shed during your abuse... My blood is valuable; a hundred drops of yours are worth just one drop of mine."

"The real show is just beginning, don't rush. Tonight, consider this a small appetizer..."

Before she finished speaking, Mia Carlisle had already reached out to grab her. But how could her speed compare to Mila Carlisle's?

In an instant, Mila circled behind Mia, lifting the hem of Mia's dress with her pointed toe, hooking it onto the nearby fruit table's edge.

Mila glanced at the clock on the wall, silently counting down: 3, 2, 1... Then she patted Mia's shoulder.

Mia Carlisle, startled, turned around sharply, only to feel a strong pull on her dress. A crisp tearing sound echoed—

At almost the same moment, the lights in the banquet hall flickered back on.

What everyone saw first was Mia Carlisle in a bizarre posture, her dress torn from the hem up to her back, revealing... she wasn't wearing any underwear underneath!

The socialites gasped and covered their mouths in shock, while the young gentlemen burst into laughter.

"Oh my God, she's not wearing panties?!"

"How shameless!"

"Isn't she the Carlisle family's eldest daughter, Mia Carlisle? I never thought she'd be so wanton in private. Tsk tsk, she's probably going to end up in some man's bed by the end of the night..."

The harsh comments flew. Mia Carlisle had never been so humiliated in her life. She quickly covered her lower body with one hand and tried to pull her dress back with the other.

But in her haste, she lost her balance on her high heels and wobbled before falling with a splash into the fountain pool behind her!

"Help—help me! I'll drown—"

Another burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

Because Mia Carlisle had been boasting about knowing Lyser Mir to these women earlier, they were all extremely jealous of her and didn't lift a finger to help.

In the end, it was the hotel staff who fished Mia Carlisle out.

Mila Carlisle leisurely finished her cake, watching Mia Carlisle get dragged out looking like a drowned rat, her once exquisite makeup smeared all over her face, her hairstyle wet and clinging to her head, utterly wretched.

Mia Carlisle was so scared that her legs turned to jelly, her face pale as a ghost, and she didn't even dare to lift her head. Amidst the laughter and mockery, she was half-dragged away by the staff.

Mila Carlisle's icy blue eyes narrowed as she watched Mia's wet back being dragged away. Suddenly, a chaotic scene flashed through her mind...

A pitch-black night, thunder roaring, a large yacht capsizing on the sea, monstrous waves crashing in. She was in agony, about to be swallowed by the waves.

Suddenly, a pair of hands lifted her high, and a weak but determined voice whispered in her ear, "Mila, survive... you must survive!"

She struggled to turn her head, trying to see the face behind the voice, but it remained elusive...

"Little Fish!" A hand patted her shoulder, snapping Mila Carlisle back to reality, her eyes still showing a trace of struggle and confusion.

Was that memory really hers? But why was it so fragmented?

"Are you okay, Little Fish?" Cecil Barton rushed over from the elevator, his eyes scanning her up and down with concern. "The power outage just now, and then the commotion with someone falling into the water—I was scared to death, thinking something had happened to you."

"What could happen in a power outage?" Mila Carlisle said lazily, glancing at the time. "Alright, I attended your birthday party. I'm leaving now."

"Hey, wait, didn't I say I wanted to introduce you to an important business partner?" Cecil Barton quickly stopped her. "He's already waiting, and I've arranged a meeting. If you leave now, what am I supposed to do?"

"Have a nice dinner," she replied.

Cecil Barton was getting anxious. "Little Fish! Today is my birthday, and we haven't even talked for more than ten minutes... Can't you just stay with me for one more hour, for old times' sake when I handled the company's affairs alone?"

He did have a point. Over the past three years in the Forbidden Zone, Mila Carlisle couldn't frequently log into the internet, so Cecil Barton had been managing their joint investment company almost single-handedly, with her only making major decisions.

Considering it was his birthday, Mila Carlisle agreed.

Since there was still time, and she had about two hours before she needed to return to Lyser Manor, she decided to make the most of it.

The banquet hall on the first floor was for the birthday party, attended by the elite of Rongen City. The nineteenth floor was reserved for distinguished guests, hosting a masquerade ball.

Since she was here, she might as well enjoy herself. In the dressing room, Mila Carlisle found a mermaid costume among the women's outfits.

Her eyes, with the small black mole at the corner, sparkled with interest.

Hmm.

This will do.

When Mila Carlisle emerged, Cecil Barton was already waiting outside. His eyes widened in amazement as he saw her. "Little Fish, you look stunning..."

The mermaid costume suited her perfectly, a gradient from deep blue to light blue, accentuating her well-proportioned figure. The dress was adorned with lifelike iridescent blue scales. The tail-like hem flared out, revealing her slender white legs.

She looked like a mermaid transformed into human form, breathtakingly beautiful.

Cecil Barton was almost mesmerized until he caught Mila Carlisle's dangerous gaze and cleared his throat. "Let's go, Little Fish. The person is inside."

With the mermaid mask on, Mila Carlisle followed Cecil Barton into the masquerade ball hall.

Her appearance immediately drew everyone's attention, with gasps of astonishment echoing around.

Mila Carlisle was uninterested in these people, focusing on business. "Where's the important person you mentioned?"

"Over there."

Following Cecil Barton's gesture, Mila Carlisle looked over—

In the center of the hall, on a blue velvet chair, sat a strikingly handsome man in a royal knight's uniform, complete with red gemstone epaulets and flowing tassels on his shoulders. Knee-high boots hugged his legs, emphasizing his long legs.

The man lounged casually, one leg crossed over the other, leaning back in the chair with one hand supporting his head. His other hand played with a mask, spinning it with his long fingers.

The cool lighting highlighted his features, making his thin lips appear blood-red, like a vampire's descendant, exuding a dark allure.

Lyser Mir!

The important person was Lyser Mir?

Mila Carlisle never expected they would "run into" each other like this.

As if sensing her gaze, Lyser Mir suddenly turned his handsome face, his mesmerizing eyes looking straight at her...