The Manipulated Villainess

It was 10 a.m. and Nicole was sitting in her office when she received a call from Aston. 

"Are you busy?" She heard his question as soon as she picked up the call.

"Not for now. What about you?"

"I'm attending a press conference for my new drama. I'm in the waiting room." Aston paused, recalling his meeting with Leon last night. "I met with Leon Jung. He wants me to tell you that he is fine. He doesn't want you to worry."

Nicole blinked at the unexpected information. "You met him?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think he is telling the truth? Did he seem fine? He won't even talk to me." Nicole let out a sigh. The potter was truly a master in making her worry!

"It will be hard for him but don't worry. He is fine than I thought. He is with the woman he mentioned, Shara Lee." Aston assured Nicole.

Hearing this, Nicole was at ease. Leon took the blame alone but she was in no position to help him. She felt too bad for him!

"Don't blame yourself too much. Leon Jung said that even if he didn't cut ties now, it will happen sooner or later anyway. So, just wait and he will show up when he's ready. I think he needs time." Aston calmly said. Then he hears the sound of his waiting room door being knocked.

"I have to go. Do you have time in the evening? My friend found a house that would suit your needs. I will take you there and see if you like it or not." He promptly said.

"Okay. I will make time. Have a good day." Nicole ended the call and put down her phone.

Will she finally move to a new house? She can't wait to see what kind of house Aston was talking about! Secret passage and rooms; she needs these to prepare for war.

* * *

When Nicole reached the address Aston gave her, the sun was about to set. She stood in front of a large mansion with a campus. Wasn't this too big while she will be living alone?

Nevertheless, she opened the gate and walked inside. A small ground with grass, trees and a little pond was on the left. There was also a small fountain in front of the mansion.

As a whole, the mansion was a mesmerizing one with glasses and marble stones adding to its decoration. However, the Chairwoman wasn't much interested in the exterior or the beauty. She really didn't care much!

She made her way to the inside of the mansion. A breathtakingly vast and enchanting interior design was revealed. Somehow, it intrigued her a little bit but when she saw Aston, all her attention were shifted to him.

"You're here?" Aston flashed a smile and walked to her.

"Did you wait long? I was planning to leave early but the meeting was longer than I expected."

"It's fine. I just reach too." Aston said as he holds her hand. "Come. I will show you the secret of this house."

He let her upstairs and to a study room. He pressed one part of the wall which was next to the bookshelves. Then the bookshelves slide to the left and right, revealing a door in the middle. "The door has no lock for now, but we can use your fingerprint if you like this mansion." He explained and the couple walked inside the secret room.

Now, Nicole was in awe! A separate room which was almost the same size as her apartment was hidden here. A couch, a bed, a drawer and a bookshelf, a table and chairs and a bathroom, there was also a separate empty room which wasn't as big as the other one.

"What do you think? We can use the empty room for your training. I offered to teach you some combat skills, remember?" He smiled, pointing his chin at the empty room. "There's more." He said and walked towards one corner.

Just like before, he pressed one part of the wall and a sound that resembled a safe being opened was heard. Aston bend down and pushed the floor a bit. Then a few parts of the floor rolled to one corner, revealing a step to go downstairs. "Follow me."

He walked down the steps and Nicole walked behind him. Then there was a plain way which was only about 15ft long. At the end of the way, there was a door which the actor opened. "If you buy this house, you can use your fingerprint to open this too," Aston said to her.

As soon as Nicole walked past the door, a cold breeze blew in her face, proving that she was outdoors. This was the secret passage!

"We are behind the house," Aston said and walked straight forward which resembled a forest. After walking for around five minutes, they find themselves on a road and when they looked back, they noticed that the house was completely covered by trees.

"It's good, right?" Aston promptly said. "It's not easy to find a house like this. Besides, it is up for sale."

"It's great." Nicole glanced at Aston and smiled. "Thanks, Aston. You must be busy but you still find this house for me in such a short time."

"It's not a big deal. Besides, my friend did most of the work." He slightly chuckled and holds her hand. "Let's go back."

"Who is this friend? I don't know any of your friends." Nicole asked him while they were on their way back.

"He's a police officer, the one who tracked you down when you're in a cemetery."

"Does that mean he knows about us?" Nicole was a bit flustered. Well, she didn't even have friends to talk to.

"Yeah. When you coldly reject me, I was so heartbroken. I have a drink with my two friends and ends up telling them that I fell for you." Aston replied with a light chuckle.

Nicole suddenly became very curious. "What did they say?" She promptly asked.

"They looked at me as if I had gone insane. 'She has a fiance and they are so in love.' 'They are famous as the perfect couple.' 'Why would you waste your time on her?' They gave me an earful." Aston laughed, reciting his two friends words.

"Your friends are right. If I was in their position, I would do the same." That's how the world think of her and Nicole was well aware of that. "I want to meet this detective friend of yours. He seems like a great friend."

"He is. While I was young, Liam's family used to live next to us. Oh! Did I tell you that his name is Liam? Liam Ryu. His father is also a police officer just like my father. Our fathers worked together, so we are childhood friends. But after I fell from the mountains, we lost touch and only met up again several years ago. His father is now the current police chief." Aston told Nicole.

"I will tell him that you want to meet him. He will be thrilled to meet you. Besides, he is a detective and you can ask him for help if you need it." He added.

"I'm glad that you have such a friend. You won't be too alone and you can rely on him at times." Nicole remarked.

"Sometimes, I used to worry about Liam. He's a promising and elite police officer. Just like his father, he might even get the chance to be the chief if things went well for him but... he befriends someone like me. I'm afraid that I would be a hindrance for him in the future." Aston uttered, pulling a long face.

"You think too much, Mr. Min. You should look at the positive side and try your best for your friend." Nicole glanced at the door in front of them. "We're back."

Nicole was about to enter the door but Aston was still staring at her without a movement. "Is something wrong?" She asked, a hint of worry on her face.

"No." He shook his head. All at once, his lips curved into a smile. "You've changed, Miss Yang. You were always a pessimist until a few days ago but now, you even look at things in a positive way."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Nicole mused. At least, she would be no longer be distancing herself from him, fearing that she would cause him harm. She would hope for the best rather than assuming the worst!

"Yes." Aston nodded. "That's why I'm really happy now. I want you to remain this way. Bright, positive and determined. I love this version of you more."

"Don't you know that you're the one who brought out this version of me? This is the result of your persistence." Nicole took a step towards him, leaning forward, her lips next to his ear. "As long as you remain this way, I will be like this." She whispered and smiled. "Let's get inside. It's quite cold here."