the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart Chapter 2: Being a Freelance Model is the Fastest Way

The torrential rain lashed down, knocking the kapok flowers from the branches, scattering crimson petals across the ground, their faint fragrance lingering in the air.

In the dim storage room, there was no light except for the soft glow of the corridor lamp outside the window. Scarlet lightning split through the thick black clouds in the distance as rain poured relentlessly.

"Do you like the gift I gave you, little Delphine?" The man's deep, alluring voice teased near her ear, accompanied by the muffled sound of thunder.

Her small hands nervously tugged at the man, and she spoke softly, "I'm scared."

"Good girl, don't be. I'll go get you a glass of milk." The man chuckled deeply, stroking her palm-sized delicate face before standing and leaving.

She waited for a long ti, growing increasingly uneasy. Just as she got up to put on her clothes, the storage room door was suddenly flung open, and bright light stread in.

Countless faces appeared before her, filled with shock, disdain, disgust, sha, and mockery.

"Isn't this the Leclair Family's stepdaughter? So young, yet so dissolute?"

"Stepdaughter? She's just so stray brought into the Leclair Family. Even her aunt doesn't have any legitimate status."

"Absolutely disgraceful."

"A scandal. Morals are utterly crumbling these days."

She trembled violently, clutching her body tightly, shaking her head desperately—it wasn't like this, it wasn't like this.

Her mother burst forward, delivering a flurry of slaps while crying, "I'll beat you to death, you wretched girl."

"Ms. Carter." A low and indifferent voice sounded. A man stepped out from the crowd, his noble, handso features impeccably perfect, like a sculpture.

The last glimr of hope ignited in her eyes as she looked at the man, pleading silently.

The man leaned forward, gazing into her eyes, a small, icy smile curled his lips as he spoke, word by word, with cruelty and detachnt: "In a family of prestige, there shall be no disgrace. Starting today, you are expelled from the Leclair residence and are never to return to Nanyang."

"Bang, bang, bang—" The sound of loud knocking echoed.

Delphine jolted awake, sitting up abruptly, hugging her arms as she trembled all over. She stood up, her fingers shaking as she fumbled for a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag. The dim flicker of fla chased away the darkness in the room.

Touching her pajamas, she finally exhaled in relief. In countless nightmares, she was exposed in the crowd, naked, swallowed by panic and despair.

At the end of the dream, the man always whispered in her ear, like a devil: "Do you like the coming-of-age gift I gave you, little Delphine?"

Her agent, Jason, had been knocking for ten minutes before he finally fished out the spare key from under the carpet and entered. He found Delphine sitting disheveled on the bedroom floor, smoking, and nearly fainted on the spot.

"Delphine Carter—" Jason ground his teeth as he yelled, "You're smoking again and have gone AWOL from work—think you're so sort of god now?"

Delphine raised her head, her expression sowhat blank. Her small, gorgeous face was astonishingly beautiful, but she said nothing as she stared at Jason.

Jason, a ticulous man, found himself unsettled under the gaze of this hauntingly lancholy beauty. He stopped scolding her and cautiously asked, "Delphine, are you under too much pressure recently?"

Delphine stared at Jason for a few seconds, then glanced up at the ceiling. It wasn't the Leclair residence, nor was it one of those seedy motels. She was back in Nanyang, the starting place of her nightmare.

She spoke coldly, "It's you."

"Of course it's . Who else could it be? Now hurry and take a shower and change your clothes." Jason huffed, glaring at her disheveled state with disdain. He gestured flamboyantly as he nagged, "Today's the first day of filming for *Splendor*. Even though you're just a minor supporting character, your face alone might make you famous."

Delphine let out a cold laugh, saying nothing as she stubbed out her cigarette. A naless extra with no lines becoming famous? What a joke. Still, she hadn't rehearsed in days, and earning a little money as an extra wasn't a bad idea.

Half a month ago, Brock Gray, with his far-reaching influence, had truly managed to have her extradited back to the country. He had then disappeared, leaving behind only a promise to contact her again. As for the employer behind Brock Gray, she knew nothing.

Returning to Nanyang, she hadn't gone back to the Leclair residence right away. She needed to earn money to survive, stay out of the Leclair family's sight, and find a way to approach young Zane.