Chapter 564 The Dirty Game
Anya was tongue-tied when she looked at the Award Recognition Ceremony invitation card. The event was for her, organized at Imperial University on the next day but it was arranged without her consent.
Shouldn't Casper or the university dean contact her first?
Was she the last one being invited?
Anya was more or less baffled at the situation while checking the time mentioned on the card. Her seminar will be starting at ten in the morning and the event will be at half past one. Meticulously planned to keep her for lunch, followed by the ceremony.
Anya wanted to think of Casper's motive behind his actions but she was clueless about the business field and Alvin was keeping her in the dark about whatever was happening between them.
So she looked at Alvin who was running his fingers through strands of her hair. On the exterior, he looked like a charming husband who was smitten by his wife.
Nonetheless, she knew he was analyzing the same thing she was wondering about. So she asked directly, "What are the consequences if I don't attend this event?"
She displayed the list of some high-profile guests who will be attending the event. Below that was the list of the major media companies who were sponsoring the event. She was mind-blown at the scale of the event.
Alvin felt like he underestimated Casper. He was looking forward to witnessing Casper falling miserably in his own eyes and refusing to get out of the mansion. But Casper was making use of the same high wind, and Anya's reputation to his advantage.
He reluctantly revealed the possible effects, "There will be numerous negative stories on us." They were on the news continuously for over two months. More negative news adversely affects them, irrespective of whether those are facts or not.
"While it will impact Skylark and my reputation in the business field of Narnia, it will probably affect your seminars too."
Anya's negative news will influence the other countries' universities to refuse the seminar and Anya wouldn't be able to disguise herself as a guest lecturer while meeting the officials of the different countries.
Although Alvin wanted to change the wind and let Anya do what she wanted, Casper didn't give them time to pull any plan against the event. A night wasn't enough to keep those news-hungry media companies away.
Casper had invited highly opinionated guests who wouldn't mind blaming Anya for wasting their time because they wouldn't know Casper's scheme.
Now they are in a position where they will have to follow Casper, help him stand, and restore a bit of his reputation. Or else, both Casper and they will face the unrepairable damage.
Anya: "…"
Yeah, right. She had forgotten about the effects of it on her mission. She truly expected Casper to become silent after she had seen him in their mansion last week.
She felt her head throb realizing how cunning every Matthews member is, including her handsome husband.
She whined in a low voice, "You devious men, how do you get to sleep with all these in mind? Ahhh… I will die before my hoary."
Elder Collins was worried about what Alvin might end up doing to Casper. He breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Anya obliquely accept the invite and making Alvin smile at her antics.
Alvin who sensed Elder Collins leave their side, wrapped his arm around Anya's waist and pulled her close to lean on him. He pressed his lips on her forehead but he was lost in the thoughts of how he could ruin Casper to no return. He wanted Casper to feel ashamed to even look at his reflection.
Whereas Anya was imagining… Yes, she was just imagining how she could ruin the Award Recognition event by malfunctioning the lights, microphones, and electricity, or starting the fake fire alarm.
After they comforted each other in silence, Anya put up her request, "Cuddle me to sleep today." The whole week he was late to bed.
Alvin hummed in response at first. Suddenly his eyes glinted and pulled her away from his arms. He doubted at first, "Little Donut, you are drunk." She had two glasses of champagne at the party and a glass of wine at the president's mansion.
Anya confidently shook her head, "No, I'm not."
She was in clear senses. Wasn't she?
Alvin turned her around and reminded her that there were more than fifty guests and many were looking at them.
"Err… No more drinks for me." Anya muttered, unable to believe she was cuddling her husband in front of so many people.
Alvin strongly believed she was drunk but still a bit sober. He instructed the passing maid to quickly open the buffet to feed his wife before she could turn into a superwoman.
However, he overestimated drunk Anya. After grabbing a few bites of food, she drowned three glasses of champagne.
Alvin caught her hand in time when Anya was about to grab another glass from the tray. He signaled the maid to leave quickly. "Scram." He grunted.
Anya struggled to shrug his hand from her arm. "Uhh… Alvin, I like that drink."
On a small note, Alvin got to know she loves champagne more than wine. However, he regretted moving away from the table to get her dessert, seeing her face flushed into a delicious pinkness and the three empty flutes on the table.
It was still early to end the party but she wasn't in a condition to stay in the party. He cued Rob to reach him while lying to Anya, "I have asked them to bring a bottle to our bedroom. Let's go."
Anya obediently stood up and started tugging him towards the stairs, "Let's go…." She sounded like a desperate but adorable teenager.
Alvin shook off his thought and turned to Rob. He instructed in a low voice to avoid it falling on Anya's ear, "We'll be off from the party. Take time to wind up."
"Yes, Boss." Rob was responding to Alvin when the latter suddenly felt something amiss.
Why wasn't Anya tugging him? He jerked around and was baffled.
Anya was hugging a champagne bottle in her hand and grinning at the confused maid, "Thank you." She tilted her head and sweetly added, flashing her deep dimples.
Alvin was sane-minded to know he shouldn't take the bottle away in front of everyone. She will call him a thief or attack him in front of all.
Catalina, who was laughing with Krystle, offered to help Alvin, "Alvin, enjoy the party. I will bring Anya upstairs."
However, Anya was horrified at those words. She went to Alvin's embrace, away from Catalina's arm's length. She shook her head, making a crying face, "Mom will smack me. She won't let me drink." She whimpered.
Catalina: "…"
Alvin wasn't anyway interested in the party without her presence so he refused Catalina, "It's alright, Mom. I will take care of Little Donut."
So he took her upstairs ignoring all the shocked and amused eyes and also Anya who was drinking champagne like a fruit juice.
He knew Anya hardly drank any kind of alcohol in the past years to take care of Zane. Thus he was truly happy to see her dropping her guard after marrying him.
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The next day at Imperial University,
"You good?" Krystle concernedly asked Anya who seemed to be in a hangover.
Zane, who was sitting on the couch next to Anya, passed her warm water, looking more worried.
Anya's head was throbbing. It wasn't because of a hangover but Casper. The latter played dirty with them.
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