The Divorced Heiress’s Revenge

"It's fine." Roza squinted her eyes and flicked the ash from her cigarette with her slender, pale fingers. "I have no family. I make
my home wherever I go."
"What are you talking about? If you have no family, what am I?" Bella affectionately linked arms with her. "Once a teacher,
always a... you know."
"Taking advantage of me, huh?" Roza teased, hooking Bella's chin with the hand holding the cigarette.
Roza was taller and had a bigger frame than Bella. Combined with her bold and sassy gestures, their close interaction invoked a
strange chemistry between them.
Axel sat among the crowd, but his gaze was fixed solely on Roza's every move. He did not like people who smoked. Every time
Ralph had a cigarette, he would find a way to snatch it from him.
Yet, for some reason, seeing Roza's slender fingers holding a cigarette captivated him. The smoke softly obscured her cool,
delicate features and the lazy elegance in her half-closed eyes as she exhaled. At this moment, even though she was doing
something he disliked, she looked like a mesmerizing sketch imprinted on his soul.
Axel's breath quickened. He hurriedly looked away and downed a glass of ice water. They had not seen each other for a while
and had not been in touch. Yet he found himself checking her Instagram almost daily, silently following and keeping up with her
updates.
Seeing her tonight, he had thought that their previous encounter would naturally bring them closer. However, Roza had not
spoken a word to him or even spared him a glance up until now.
He felt uneasy. The more Axel thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. On an impulse, he grabbed another glass without
checking its contents and downed it in one go, regardless of what it was. "Holy crap! Ax, you've really outdone yourself!" Ralph
exclaimed, slapping his back excitedly. "A full glass of absinthe, and you chugged it in one go?! Even I need to sip on that.
You've got potential!"
Axel froze. 'Absinthe?!'
The next second, he felt like his entire digestive tract was on fire. He dropped everything and sprinted toward the restroom.
Roza glanced casually at Axel's retreating figure, her eyes trembling slightly.

"You should drink less and quit smoking. My man gave up smoking! Why can't you?" Bella slipped back into her mentor role,
taking the cigarette from Roza's fingers and extinguishing it. "I know you need inspiration for your designs, but there are many
ways to find it. Ruining your health is the worst choice. Besides, smoking will turn your teeth, fingers, and face yellow. You'll look
terrible."
"So what if I look terrible? I don't need a man. As long as my designs look good, that's all that matters," Roza replied with a
dismissive smile, though it carried a hint of resignation.
"You might not need a man, but some men won't enjoy their meals without you." Bella squinted her eyes playfully, glancing
toward where Axel had been sitting, only to find the spot empty. "Hey, where's my second brother?"
"He looked a bit unwell just now. Maybe he drank too much and went to throw up," Roza said lightly, though her heart tightened.
"Oh? Then go check on him." Bella urged, gently nudging her. "After all, Axel helped you last time. Go see how he is."