White Rose by Gao Yang (ink book reader .TXT) 📕

"If you keep coming in like this, I'll never be able to take that bath." She said, letting out a giggle.

Isabella, have you completely forgotten about Colin?!

"Oh! Sorry about that." He said as he released her. He turned around as she took off her undergarments and stepped into the tub.

He turned his head to look at her, she was washing her body with the bar of soap, then he saw how she was struggling to reach over her shoulders to wash her back.

Then without any hesitation, he walked up to her and offered his help.

"Here. Let me help you with that." She turned her head a bit at the sound of his voice; she handed him the bar of soap onto his hand. Then he gently scrubbed her back with it, it was awkward for a few seconds until Isabella broke the silence.

"What happened with you earlier?" He stopped at the question and she sat there, waiting for his response. "Bryce?" He flinched. "Is there something wrong?"

He slowly scrubbed her back again. "No. Nothing's wrong." She turned her head to look at him; he smiled.

It'd be hard for me to tell you. But I can't lie to you either. Ugh. Why does things have to be complicated with this secret of mine?

"Are you sure?" She asked as he stopped scrubbing her back. "Bryce?"

His temperature was rising and his breathing was getting heavier and heavier. Isabella tuned her head fully to look at Bryce, he looked like he was having a panic attack.

"Bryce?!" Isabella said as she grabbed Bryce by his arms and placing him on the ground next to the bathtub. She then grabbed her bath robe on the hangar next to the tub, wrapping it around her naked body.

She crouched down to him, he was breathing heavily and his heart beat was faster by the minute.

"Bryce?" She didn't know what to do. If she went to go find someone, leaving him here, he could die without her knowing. If she stayed, he really could die.

She had no choice but to bring him back onto the bed, so she grabbed his arm and carried him to her bed. She looked at the clock, 12:28, and the feast was in less than four hours.

Then Mia came in and she was interrupted by Isabella. "Milady-!"

"Mia, you have to go find someone who can help Bryce!" Isabella shouted as she dragged Mia over to Bryce. "He's breathing really heavily and his heartbeat is unsteady. And I don't know what to do." Isabella said as she paced back and forth in her room.

"Mistress, he's fine." Mia simply said as she looked Bryce.

"How can you-?" She said as she looked at Bryce, who was sleeping peacefully as he was before. "But he-!" She was lost in her words.

"He's fine. He was having a panic attack." Isabella looked at Mia and walked up to her.

How can he be fine the next minute? This is getting fishy . . . something doesn't seem right.

"But isn't that a serious matter?" Mia shook her head. "What the bloody hell is this then? Few minutes ago, I was panicking because I didn't know what to. Then I get told by you saying that it's nothing serious?"

Mia lowered her head, shaking it. "Other than that, did you take your bath?" Isabella's eyes widen as she realizes she didn't exactly take a bath, she only washed her body but she forgot to wash her hair. She then quickly dashed to the bathing room and washed her hair.

Bryce groaned as he woke up from the event. "What happened?" Mia looked at her half-brother, who doesn't know his half-sister yet. He sat up and saw Mia standing in the room. "I said what happened?" Bryce said with a firm voice.

Mia gulped as she heard his strong voice. "You had a panic attack." She said in a quiet voice. He looked at her as she said it with weak tone in her voice.

"What?" He said as if he didn't hear her.

"You had a panic attack, sir." She didn't like calling him 'sir' for a reason: he was her half-brother.

"A panic attack?" He said with a laugh. "Nonsense. For all my long years never have I ever had a panic attack." Mia looked at him, avoiding his naked body.

"Mistress was in a panic when she didn't know what to do, my lord." He looked at Mia who had her head down, not looking at him.

"Isabella? Where is she now?" He said while he scanned the room, looking for her. Mia looked over at the door to the side chamber. "Oh. Well, I best be going, tell her that I left to also get ready as well." Mia nodded as he left.

Then Isabella walked out soon after he left; Mia walked up to her mistress, helping her get ready. She looked around, looking for Bryce. Mia saw the look on her face and she assumed she was looking for Bryce.

"Oh, if you're looking for Bryce, he went to go ready for the feast as well." Isabella smiled and nodded as Mia dried her hair.

"What's this huge feast anyway?" Isabella asked as Mia helped drying her hair.

"Well, I heard that there's going to a masquerade ball after the feast." Isabella's eyes widened.

"A masquerade ball?" Mia nodded.

"You'll gonna love it. I promise you." Mia said as she started playing her mistress's hair.

* * *

"You look wonderful!" Mia exclaimed as she was in love with the sight of her mistress's beautiful look. The sequined top with a design on below her rib cage, then there's the long ruffled to top off the dress. Her hair was curled and pinned halfway down and the rest fell into place on her shoulders.

"And what's a masquerade ball without the mask?" Mia said as she handed Isabella a white and gold patterned mask. She looked at the mask and looked at Mia.

"What about you?" She asked as Mia shook her head.

"Oh no! Us servants are not allowed to dress up on occasions." Mia said quickly as she grabbed the mask and helped Isabella put it on. "Now you're ready to go." Mia escorted her mistress out the door and headed down to the main ballroom where the event was taking place.

The room was lit and festive just like the festival the night before. It had a chandelier shining bright above the ground. The floor was polished and shined. All the table filled with snacks and drinks were on the ends of the room.

Isabella looked around the room, looking for one particular person: Colin.

"I'll shall leave you here." Mia said as she left Isabella in the doorway of the ballroom.

A guard then came up to greet her. "Good evening, my lady." Isabella kindly smiled at the guard and looked around the room. "Are you looking for someone?" She looked back at the guard and shook her head.

"No. But have you seen Lord Bryce?" The guard looked around the ballroom as well, but shook his head.

"No. I believe he's not here yet." Her heart sinked. Isabella sighed and nodded as she walked into the ballroom by herself.

Looks like you're gonna be alone tonight, Isabella. Now where's Colin?

"Nate, I think you should find a fine lady tonight." Nate and Stephen were conversing in the ballroom as everyone was dancing.

Nate smirked as he was enjoying his drink. "For what?" He said with a deep laugh.

"For you to take to bed and make her yours tonight." Stephen smirked as Nate finishes off his drink, then his eyes laid onto a girl.

Stephen noticed his gaze was laid onto someone. He followed his gaze across the room, and he saw a mistress, standing alone across the room. He smirked as he looked at Nate.

"So I see you've got your eyes on a mistress there..." He said, talking to his friend who didn't pay attention. "Shall you bride her to your bed and make her yours? Or shall I do that for you while you stand there and watch me do it?"

Nate shot him a look. "Quit with your dirty words and comments, Stephen. I bet you can't even get a fair maiden in your bed before I could." Stpehen didn't respond.

Nate followed the mistress to the snacks and drinks tables; he decided to make the first move to talk to her.

I think I'll take a cup of grape wine. She grabbed the cup of wine and she was greeted by a stranger.

"Hello." She looked at the man, distinctively. "I don't believe we've met yet. My name is Nate. Nate Edwards."

"Be yourself. The world worships the original." ~ Ingrid Bergman 

Everyone in the room was dancing to a classical waltz music that was played by the orchestra band. Everyone was all dressed up; most of the men were wearing black suits, hardly any of them wore any other color other than black. Women wore long beautiful dress of all different kinds of colors, white, black, red, blue, green, all different shades of each of the colors.

Bryce stopped by Isabella's room, hoping she'd still be in her room and waiting for him to escort her down to the ballroom, and hoping dance with her.

"My lord, Miss Isabella was already been escorted down to the ballroom." Bryce looked at his guard and looked back at her door, about to open it.

The music was playing from a distance from the ballroom. Bryce decided to go down to the ballroom without looking into her room, but he was hoping she'd actually be down at the ballroom.

He walked down to the ballroom and the guard who was guarding the ballroom bowed as he walked past by.

He walked in and searched the room for Isabella, he hoped he can find her quick enough before a man got the chance to dance with her.

Then he saw Isabella, even though she had a mask on, he could spot her in a room filled with other women. He looked at her and he saw her talking to another man. His anger was boiling inside of him, his heart had turned black and cold like coal, just waiting to be lit up with fire. He'd kill anyone who got in his way into making Isabella his. He zoomed across the room and casually walked up to her.

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be here