Leanna

[Z O'nier]

"I'm using my own money," Zoe said, still not sparing them a glance.

With just her words, the mother-daughter pair couldn't say anything more.

"Zoe, where did you get the money?! Did you sell yourself?!" Sophia said, eyes wide with fake curiosity.

A series of gasped echoed in the lobby.

Sophia covered her mouth, looking at Zoe with an apologetic face as if she didn't mean to say those words out loud.

Zoe's eyes slid to Sophia with silent mockery before shifting her gaze to Nicholas with a smirk on her face.

"Where indeed?" she said with a knowing smile.

Nicholas yanked his collar and cleared his throat. "Sophie, it must be because Zoe sold her paintings."

Sophia feigned a sigh of relief. "Oh, maybe you're right. But you can't blame me. I worry about her. Nick, look at her," she said, pointing at Zoe. "Seeing her like this. I can't help but think she became like this because she is hanging out with dangerous, uneducated people. It makes me worry."

I rolled my eyes.

"Sophie, you are too nice." Nicholas patted Sophia's shoulder, consoling her.

The simple action was like a gesture of lovers. Sophia smugly held her chin as if conveying that the man Zoe loves had already fallen for her.

"Miss Collin, the room is ready for you to try on your dress," said one of the staff.

Sophia's eyes glint as her smile brightened the whole room. She took off, totally forgotten all about us as she followed the staff to one of the fitting rooms together with Emma and Nicholas.

But not before the man gave us a malicious smirked.

"How on earth did you even fall for a guy like that?" I asked the moment the three left.

"I don't know. Maybe because I was blind? Naive? Idiotic? Desperate?"

I took a long looked at Zoe, trying to discern her expression. She was calm about it, which surprised me a little. There was not a trace of unhappiness, hatred, nor jealousy on her face.

It must be tough living in that kind of family, surrounded by enemies all the time. I guess her heart must be hard as steel by now.

"What?" Zoe asked when I was just staring at her.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"Miss Lee, Miss Collin, sorry for the wait. Mr. Z will see you now," the reception lady announced.

Zoe and I glanced at each other and stood to our feet. We followed the lady into the room where Ana went into earlier.

Inside, the interior was spacious, pastel silver-colored with only a working table, a chair, a full-length mirror, and a princess couch. At the center of it all stood Ana and a dark-skinned bald guy with glasses and piercings in one ear. He had a tribal tattoo on his head up to his eyes. He was tall and slim, and at one glance, he didn't look like a man but a bald lady.

This is Z O'nier?

----

[Body]

"My flooweeerss~! I'm sorry, I'm late! I was in Italy before Luke called me!"

I was just glad he didn't say Uncle Luke's full name.

Z O'nier zoomed to us, but instead of going straight to Zoe, he stopped in front of me.

"Oh! Oh! What's this?! What's this?!"

Blurred images of him flashed before my eyes as he skillfully examined all of me in the span of mere seconds.

"Oh~! Pretty face with just the right contours. Long neck. Thin waist. Wide Hips. Full and firm butt. Long shapely legs and . . ."

He paused and stared at my breasts. "Just the right elasticity, softness, and size to compliment the whole appeal. Size D, maybe? No . . ."

He looked me in the eyes and screamed, "An E!"

He placed his hands on my shoulders and leaned closer, our faces almost touching, and I was forced to back my head a little.

He looked me with determined eyes, but I was too focused on the large hole of his nose as it moved with his heavy breathing.

"Pretty lady, how about you become my model? I promise you, it will be worth your while. With a body like this, my designs will reach new heights––!"

Ahem!

He was stopped by Ana, who was raising an eyebrow at him. "Mr. Z, this is Zoe Collin. The one you should be designing a dress."

Z O'nier paused, staring at Zoe with scrutinizing gaze.

"Oh," was all he said, which made Zoe frowned.

He then quickly shifted his eyes on me. "Think about it."

He gave me a winked before he sashayed towards Zoe, leaving me stunned, thinking of what happened. The guy was like a hurricane, leaving everything disheveled in its path!

Z O'nier tapped his fingers on his chin as he stared at Zoe. "Hmm . . . A good balance size. Not too skinny nor fat. A small face with big eyes, but lacking contours. Short but slim neck. Thin waist, yet unnoticeable hips. Firm butt, but lacks that extra flesh. Short, but slender legs. And . . ."

Z O'nier's eyes flicked to Zoe's breasts and lingered there for seconds.

". . . Lacking," was all he said.

I pulled Zoe's shoulders, stopping her from storming the man. Her trembling body burned red under my hold, and I knew she was holding her anger.

"Well, sorry that my breasts are just B's," she spat.

Z O'nier twinkly smiled as if he didn't say anything wrong. "Don't worry honey, with my designs, you'll look like a Fairy Queen in the tropics."

Zoe and I paused, then the former exclaimed in amazement, "You know that I'm going to attend a debut with 'fairy in the tropics' theme?!"

Z O'nier rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, tilted his head to the side, and raised his long shapely eyebrow at us.

"Who do you think I 'am? These past few months, I was tormented by so many people begging me to design them dresses for Sophia Collin's debut."

He peered at his nails as he said with a smug tone, "I refused them all since their body doesn't interest me, but I was forced to accept Mrs. Collin's pleading after she promised me a hefty amount of money and worldwide publicity."

Zoe gaped at him. "T-then why did you agree to design for m––"

"Mr. O'nier," I cut in, "we are grateful for you designing a dress for my friend here. I should say thank you as well to Uncle Luke."

Z O'nier beamed. "Of course, Luke is an entirely different matter altogether."

Zoe stared at me with a serious face. "Leanna, I didn't know that your Uncle is so powerful. I have a whole new level of respect for you."

I avoided her gaze.. You have no idea.