CHAPTER 181: CHAPTER 181: REAR-END COLLISION

On the day of the fashion show, it was a bright, sunny early autumn day, neither too hot nor too cold, with a comfortable breeze.

Shannon Quinn hadn’t slept much since last night and arrived early in the morning to prepare at the site.

After all, it was hosted by her company, and she was the design director. Even though the show wouldn’t start until the evening, she couldn’t rest for a moment.

"Where’s Skylar Vance? Why isn’t she here yet? All the models have arrived," Shannon asked her assistant while organizing the clothes for the exhibition.

"I just called Susan Wilde. She said there’s traffic congestion and it’ll take a while to get here."

Susan Wilde was the makeup artist hired by the company. Although she was not yet twenty-two, she was quite well-known in the makeup field.

The company typically invited her for large events like this. Shannon got along quite well with her; she was a modest and generous girl.

Susan co-owned a chain wedding planning company with friends. Compared to her peers, she was considered quite successful.

Later, Shannon also heard from Erin Bishop that Susan Wilde came from a prominent background, being the daughter of the Wilde Group. However, her mother passed away when she was young, and her father remarried, having a son and a daughter with his new wife.

Despite being a stepdaughter, and even if her father loved her, he had to consider his new family more, so Susan wasn’t quite favored at home.

Hotel.

"President Rhodes, the car is ready. We can leave anytime."

Simon Rhodes glanced at his wristwatch and asked, "What time is the evening event?"

"It starts at seven sharp. Arriving around six is fine."

"Okay, let’s go to the branch office first."

The black Bentley cruised smoothly on the road, with Simon Rhodes inside, looking down at his tablet, handling business matters.

Halfway there, the car turned onto the main road, and traffic slowed down.

"What happened?" Simon looked up at the green traffic light ahead, yet the vehicles barely moved.

"There might have been an accident at the intersection."

Simon glanced out the window, not in a rush, and continued to focus on his tablet.

The driver, having nothing to do, also took out his phone to browse.

The cars ahead slowly moved forward. The driver, holding the steering wheel with one hand, followed suit. As he glanced ahead, a new message appeared on his phone, and he took a look.

The front car suddenly braked, and the rear car couldn’t stop in time, crashing into it...

Both cars jolted slightly. The driver quickly braked and put down his phone, quietly lamenting.

Luckily, the speed was low, and the collision wasn’t severe.

The front car was a white BMW. The passenger door opened, and a woman stepped out.

The woman frowned, glanced at them briefly, muttered something, and then looked at the tail of her car, visibly annoyed.

The Bentley’s driver glanced at Simon Rhodes nervously, but Simon didn’t scold him. He simply put down his belongings and stepped out of the car.

"I’m really sorry; are you alright?" Simon’s voice was gentle and soothing, as if it could calm anyone’s nerves. Susan Wilde felt her anger subside.

Or rather, when someone approached with such an attitude, she couldn’t find a reason to stay angry.

Simultaneously, she noticed Simon Rhodes’ attire and the expensive car he got out of, suspecting he was someone significant.

"We’re fine..."

"I’ll have someone fix your car. If you don’t mind, please wait here a moment, and I’ll send someone over."

Susan hesitated for two seconds, thinking how Shannon Quinn had been urging her and realizing she didn’t have much time to delay.

Seeing the police were already beginning to clear the road ahead and that the scrape didn’t affect driving, she decided to consider it bad luck.

"Never mind; I’m in a rush. Be more careful next time while driving."

She turned to go back to her car, but Simon called out to her: "Miss, please wait."

He took two steps forward, withdrew a business card from his pocket, held it between his fingers, and handed it to Susan Wilde, saying, "When you go to the 4S shop for repairs, use this card. It’s free. Also, my phone number is on it, so you can contact me anytime if something arises."

Susan glanced at the card, then at her car, which was already moving. She hurriedly reached out to take the card and rushed back to her car, instructing her driver to start and leave.

When Simon returned to the car, even the driver was a bit surprised: "She just left like that?"

"Or else you’d want to be stuck here?"

"That girl is something. If it were someone else, seeing you drive this car and your status, they wouldn’t let you go without demanding some money."

"Just focus on driving."

"That girl is quite pretty."

Simon didn’t respond, turning to look out the window. At the street corner, he caught a glimpse of Susan Wilde’s car driving past.

Pretty? Yes, he thought so too.

Not just her appearance, but there was a unique quality about her that attracted him.

But in the end, she’s just a passerby.

At the fashion show site, backstage in the workroom.

Susan Wilde rushed in carrying a heavy makeup case, out of breath, saying, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry. The traffic held me up, and I arrived late."

Shannon went over to help her with the case, smiled, and said, "Take a break first."

Susan sat down, took the water handed by Shannon’s assistant, and drank a sip, saying, "I feel like I shouldn’t have left the house these past two days. Yesterday I twisted my ankle going downstairs to get a package and today, besides the traffic jam, I got rear-ended."

"Was it serious?"

"It’s alright, just some scrapes on the car body. The Bentley hit me. Fortunately, it wasn’t my fault; otherwise, the repair costs would take me days to earn."

"As long as you’re okay."

"Yes, money is a minor issue. Let’s start working; we need to hurry."

Susan was the head stylist, and after arriving, she worked non-stop until the evening.

Shannon Quinn was about the same, only taking a break to call home to check on her child, so busy she didn’t even have lunch.

Guests started to arrive gradually after five, and around six, Susan’s boyfriend brought in a box of fruits and some snacks.

Shannon took a quick bite and then went out front to double-check every detail of the show venue to ensure everything was perfect.

Susan stayed in the back lounge, chatting and eating with her boyfriend.

In the corridor of the hall, connected to a restroom on one side, Simon Rhodes, led by a staff member towards the bathroom, spotted Susan Wilde and the man sitting next to her, helping her wipe the corner of her mouth with a tissue.

A flicker of sadness passed through his eyes, unnoticed even by himself.

He thought to himself, of course, a girl like that surely has someone by her side.