Bring Your A Game, Mr

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 1

A Yokel New in Town

The story began in the Northwest, where a huge castle-like mansion stood on a vast stretch of grassland. It looked so much like a kind of Shangri-La that anybody who came here couldn’t help but sigh in wonder at its magnificence.

At this moment, a young lady’s clear and melodious voice was heard from the mansion. “What? No way! No way am I going to Athesea to get engaged!”

“It’s not up to you, Elise. Your engagement had been arranged by the Griffiths and me quite a few years ago. The five sons of the Griffith Family are all very fine gentlemen, and all you need to do is pick one of them to get engaged to. Don’t worry; you’ll certainly find one of them to your liking.”

Elise Sinclair leaned back on the sofa, her wavy hair hanging loosely behind her neck. Her features were delicate and enchanting, and every pore in her body exuded an air that set her apart from everyone else.

Having been raised by her grandfather since childhood, Elise knew the matter had been set in stone. After pondering for a moment, she replied with a meaningful smile, “Fine, but I have a few requests to make, Grandpa. The Griffith siblings mustn’t know who I am. Since you say they’re all very fine gentlemen, I should be free to leave if I don’t fall in love with any of them within a year. By then, I should get to decide on my own marriage.”

Robin Sinclair, Elise’s grandfather, responded with a smile, “No problem.”

…

A few days later, four men with delicate features could be faintly seen standing at the entrance to the railway station of Athesea. They were of different sorts; one was aloof, whereas another seemed bright and cheery with a sunny personality… The eyes of the passersby were glued to them. If it weren’t for the bodyguards keeping the crowd back, many would have come forward and asked for their contact information a long time ago.

Danny Griffith, the fifth and youngest son of the Griffith Family, complained, “It’s so hot today, yet Grandpa insisted that the four of us come and pick up this little girl. Does he really think we have nothing to do at all?!”

Wearing a face mask and a cap, Jack Griffith, the fourth son of the Griffith Family and a big celebrity who had recently come to prominence as the Prince Charming of every female in the country, chimed in, “That’s right. To think she would come by train—that girl must be a country bumpkin!”

“I thought Grandpa was joking when he told me yesterday that one of us five siblings would be chosen to be the fiancé of someone from the countryside!” Brendan Griffith, the third son of the Griffith Family, joined the conversation. “I’m so envious of Alexander; he copped out thanks to a company meeting he had to attend.”

Matthew Griffith, the second of the Griffith siblings, didn’t say a word, but one could tell from his expression that he wasn’t pleased with this either.

Just then, a young lady in red with flowers embroidered on her clothes emerged from the railway station’s exit. One might as well say she was dowdily dressed. Moreover, her long bob haircut made her look dreadfully ugly.

Danny patted Jack on the shoulder. “Would you look at that! I wasn’t aware that people still dress that way in this day and age! Tsk, tsk, I’ve only seen it in the movies. Haha…”

Then, to the four men’s great surprise, the young lady came out and stopped in front of them. “Hello. You guys must be the Griffith siblings, aren’t you? I’m Elise Sinclair.”

All the four men looked somewhat appalled, especially Jack, who asked in disbelief, “You’re Elise Sinclair?” Is she the beautiful little fairy Grandpa talked about? he thought to himself. Not only was Elise dowdily dressed before them, but she was dark-skinned with several moles on her face. Furthermore, the bright pink Barbie lipstick she wore was downright suffocating.

Elise nodded and even replied with a look of infatuation, “So Grandpa didn’t lie to me after all. You guys really are handsome.” All of you look rather plain. No matter how handsome you guys are, none of you are good enough to be a match for me, she thought.

Danny nearly broke out into curses. Even if she comes from the countryside, she shouldn’t be this ugly! he thought. “How about you go back instead, Miss Sinclair?”

“Huh?” Elise blinked her eyes in confusion.

At last, it was Matthew—the vice president of the Griffith Group—who said, “Let’s get in the car and go back first.”

The five of them thus left the railway station with Elise and Matthew seated in the middle row in the car. Elise glanced out of the window before saying with a sigh of admiration, “Wow! So that’s how tall the buildings in big cities are!”

The lips of the four other people in the car twitched at her words. What is she, a yokel new in town?

Just then, Elise inadvertently caught a glimpse of the watch on Matthew’s wrist from the corner of her eye. She exclaimed, “Wow! This watch looks so pretty! It must cost quite a few hundred, doesn’t it?”

Quite a few hundred? That watch of Matthew’s cost 30 million! All the four men were so speechless that they could only hope Elise wouldn’t take a fancy to any of them and ask them to be her fiancé.

Their car drove all the way to the Griffith Residence. At the sight of the Griffith Family’s mansion, Elise gave another look of surprise. “Wow! Your place sure is huge, isn’t it?” At the same time, though, she thought to herself, This mansion is not even one-tenth the size of my family’s estate.

Just then, she heard Danny’s voice, which sounded like he had reached the limit of his patience, beside her. “That’s enough, you bumpkin. Don’t act like you’re going out in the world for the first time. I can’t stand it anymore.”

None of the three men beside them spoke. After all, they couldn’t stand Elise’s behavior as well.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 2

She Has Never Been Afraid of Anything

Elise almost burst into giggles when she saw the looks on everyone’s faces. Still, she held it in and pretended to look hurt while following the siblings into the mansion. One of the servants took her to her bedroom, specially arranged for her by Jonah Griffith, the Griffith siblings’ grandfather. It was apparent from the room’s girlish blue decor and its closet full of designer handbags, clothes, and jewelry that a lot of care had been put into it.

As the four Griffith siblings sat downstairs, they heard Elise’s exclamations again. “Wow, this room is so huge and beautiful! Are these clothes, handbags, and pieces of jewelry all mine?”

……

All four of them looked devastated. Jack said, “She won’t take a fancy to me, right? I’m the most handsome among us, but it was only today that I felt it’s wrong to be handsome.”

“You’re the most handsome one? Have you no sense of shame?”

When it was time for dinner, Elise and the four Griffith siblings were still the only ones present. Jonah and the siblings’ parents had been on vacation abroad, while Alexander Griffith, the eldest son of the Griffith Family, was at the company; he was the Griffith Group’s president, as well as the person calling the shots in the Griffith Family. The siblings had their own places to stay, but they were forced to move back and stay here at Jonah’s request due to Elise’s arrival.

Everyone found it hard on their eyes when they saw Elise still wearing the red embroidered clothes as she came downstairs. A world-renowned fashion designer, Brendan couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Sinclair, there are plenty of clothes upstairs. Can’t you change into one of them?”

Elise glanced at her clothes before responding in puzzlement, “But I look pretty in this. My grandma made this for me by hand.”

The four men were rendered speechless. Who knew some people still make clothes by hand these days?

“That’s enough, you bumpkin! Let me tell you that the four of us would never get engaged to you, nor would Alexander ever like you. Be sensible and get out of here by yourself,” said Danny, who had the sharpest tongue in the Griffith Family.

Upon hearing his words, Elise bit her lip and replied, “But I’ll have trouble explaining this to my grandpa—”

“I think you’re just interested in our family’s money. I’m telling you, you’re going to be very sorry for dragging out your stay in our home.”

Elise looked aggrieved as she ate dinner with her head down. It didn’t help that her face was just too ugly, so the four Griffith siblings were totally not in the mood to eat. How can we get through to this lady?

After they left, Elise had a great time eating dinner. The food at the Griffith Residence was quite to her taste. Moreover, the effect she desired had been achieved. No one in the Griffith Family liked her, so she would be through with them after a year.

She retired to her bedroom after dinner. Just then, her cell phone beeped on the bed as it registered an incoming text message. It read, ‘Have you arrived in Athesea, Boss? How’s everything? Did the Griffiths bully you?’

Elise smirked while reading the text message. ‘The Griffiths have got nothing on me.’

The person quickly texted back, ‘You’re awesome, Boss! But the Griffiths aren’t to be trifled with, especially Alexander Griffith. That man’s a deep one. You should watch out for him.’

Elise was dumbfounded for a moment. Alexander? He must be the eldest son of the Griffith Family and the one who had a company meeting today! Well, I didn’t get to see him, but who cares? I’ve never been afraid of anything since I was born.

She went to sleep after turning off her cell phone. Perhaps it was because she had always had trouble sleeping in a strange bed, for her head felt muzzy throughout her sleep, and it wasn’t until about 4.00AM that she was awakened by thirst. She had removed her makeup at the time, and she went downstairs in her slippers, thinking that she wouldn’t run into somebody in the middle of the night. After drinking some water, she went upstairs and lay down in a sleepy daze.

She didn’t switch on the lights. For some reason, the bed felt different to her; it seemed to have become more comfortable to sleep on.

No one knew how much time had passed when the door opened and someone seemed to lift the quilt. Elise was a light sleeper, so she woke up groggily upon sensing someone’s presence.

However, before she could come to her senses, a deep and attractive male voice asked, “Who’s there?”

Elise was completely stunned. How dare one of the Griffiths break into my room in the middle of the night? She shot back, “That’s my question! Who are you? Don’t you know it’s rude to break into someone else’s room in the middle of the night!”

Since the lights were switched off, Elise didn’t get to see the man’s face clearly. Then, she heard him reply with a sneer, “You’re Elise Sinclair?”

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 3

Elise had a rough guess in mind. This man’s probably Alexander, the eldest son of the Griffith Family. Before she could speak, though, the man continued, “Open your eyes and see whose room this is.”

Elise was startled. Only then did she notice by the faint moonlight that this didn’t seem to be her room. No wonder I felt different from when I was sleeping earlier. I’ve actually gotten into the wrong room?! She got up from bed and apologized in embarrassment, “Uh, I’m sorry. I got into the wrong room. I didn’t mean it.”

“Get out,” replied the man in a deep voice.

And Elise left in embarrassment.

The next day, Elise was still feeling sleepy when she went downstairs and heard Danny say with a smile, “That woman is ugly, Alexander. I heard from the servants that she entered your room last night. She didn’t scare the hell out of you, did she?”

Elise frowned at Danny’s words. As she had expected, the man she met last night was Alexander.

Alexander didn’t say a word. Ugly? he pondered. He didn’t get to see Elise’s face clearly last night with the lights off, but he vaguely remembered the flawless fair skin of the woman who wore a nightgown with her hair hanging down loosely.

As they spoke, Alexander noticed Elise coming down the stairs. Even though she had changed her clothes, her skin was as black as charcoal, and the moles on her face made her look as ugly as sin. He pursed his lips, thinking his eyes must have deceived him last night.

Elise also looked at Alexander, who looked impeccably perfect in his black suit. His features were so delicate as though they had been elaborately carved by God himself, and he gave off a powerful aura that made him look awe-inspiring.

She heard him say in an attractively husky voice, “I’m off to my office.” With that, he left without taking another glance at her.

Danny shot a glance at Elise before mocking, “No wonder you acted ordinary in front of the four of us yesterday. Turns out you’re hitting on Alexander! Tsk, tsk, I didn’t expect you to be such a hard one to read, Elise!”

Elise’s lips twitched when she heard this. All I did was enter the wrong room; how does that make me such a person? she thought. However, rather than explaining herself, she seated herself in the dining room and ate breakfast on her own.

Exasperated at being ignored, Danny walked up to her. “I’m telling you, Elise—Alexander will never like you. He has someone he likes, so you’d better stop dreaming.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Why don’t you hit on me instead? If you please me enough, I may let you stay a few days longer in the Griffith Residence.”

Elise shot Danny an impassive glance with a frown of disgust. “You? You’re still a boy.” Danny was the youngest in the Griffith Family. Currently, he was only 18 years old, whereas Elise was already 19.

Danny flew into a rage upon hearing Elise’s words. “How dare you spurn me? Don’t you ever fall in love with me, I’m telling you. I’ll kill myself right away if you choose to get engaged to me!”

Matthew, who was seated beside the two, looked at them without saying a word. Then, he glanced at Elise as she was having breakfast. She’s from the countryside, yet she conducts herself with grace and has the air of a lady from a rich family. Could this be an illusion?

Jonah had already had everything arranged for Elise before her arrival. In public, she would be 18 years old, the age of a high school senior, just like Danny.

“Don’t tell anyone that we know each other when we get to school, you ugly monster!”

Elise threw Danny a disdainful glance.

She got into Matthew’s car after breakfast. Like Alexander, Matthew wasn’t much of a talker, so she couldn’t help asking, “Why not let the chauffeur take Danny and I together? He and I are going to the same school.” Why would Matthew be the one escorting me?

Matthew looked helpless upon hearing her question. “Grandpa wants us to bond with you, so the five of us will take turns to take you to and from school from Monday to Friday and spend time with you on weekends. It should’ve been Alexander who would take you to school this morning, but he has a meeting in the morning, so I took his place instead.”

The five Griffith siblings objected to the suggestion in the first place. None of them was willing to take Elise, the country bumpkin, to and from school on weekdays, not to mention hang out with her on weekends. However, this was Jonah’s suggestion, so no one could turn it down.

Upon hearing this, Elise realized how unwilling the five Griffith siblings were to get engaged to her. It’s not like I’m willing either…

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 4

How Come You’re Disfigured?

Matthew left after they arrived at school.

Elise looked at the glittering gold sign that read, ‘Springfield High School.’ This feels pretty nostalgic. I haven’t been to school for a long time, she thought. After reporting to school, she followed the teacher to her classroom.

As soon as she came in, the whole class was astir.

“So she’s the Griffith Family’s fiancée. Isn’t she too hideous? How can she be good enough for the five Griffith siblings?”

“Holy cow! The way she dresses is so uncool—as expected of a country bumpkin.”

“If she’s from the countryside, she must be poor in her studies. Why is she placed in our class?”

……

Seeing that everyone was talking about her, Elise realized at once that she had become famous. She clicked her tongue, knowing right off the top of her head who was behind this. Danny’s so childish, she thought.

No one in the class was willing to share a desk with Elise, but she didn’t mind that. Instead, she sat alone in a corner.

When it was time for recess, Elise went to the ladies’ room, only to be stopped outside by a few female students. Some of them had dyed hair, and some wore heavy makeup. In short, they looked delinquent.

Lydia Harper threatened in an overbearing manner, “You must be Elise Sinclair. Be sensible and get out of the Griffith Residence as well as away from Athesea, I’m telling you!”

Elise’s lips twitched. It seems I’m really unwelcome to the people of Athesea. But I’m here against my will as well, she thought.

“Did you hear what Lydia said, you ugly girl?”

Elise came to her senses and replied nonchalantly, “Yes, I did. But I’m not leaving. I’m staying here no matter what.”

……

Meanwhile, Danny was lying across his desk in Class 12A. He had just woken up from a nap when he heard some female classmates talking in front of him.

“I heard that Lydia of Class 12F had gone to teach Elise a lesson. Tsk, tsk, she’s finished.”

“She’ll be roughed up, I guess…”

Danny raised his eyes slightly. It was him who spread the rumors, but that was only because he wanted Elise to have a rough time at school. He didn’t want to get her killed, or Jonah would definitely kill him.

At the thought of this, he dashed out of the classroom.

Meanwhile, the ladies’ room was a complete mess. The four delinquent girls who had come to teach Elise a lesson got the hell beaten out of them, especially Lydia, who looked a sorry sight with her head held down in the sink.

“I, Elise Sinclair, hate being threatened more than anything else. Don’t ever mess with me again! Got it?”

“Yes, we got it! We were wrong! We’re sorry!”

Elise dusted her hands together and was about to leave when she saw Danny standing behind her with a look of astonishment.

“You…”

During the past few days at school, Danny learned that Lydia had learned kickboxing. Yet she and the other three ended up like this after ganging up on Elise… He had a sudden feeling that Elise might be no pushover.

“I trained myself by cutting trees and climbing mountains in the countryside. These people are so terrible at fighting.”

Upon listening to Elise’s explanation, Danny had an epiphany. So that’s it, he thought. Coming to his senses, he followed her out of the restroom.

“By the way, what are you doing in the ladies’ room?” Elise stared at Danny with a peculiar look in her eyes.

Danny’s face instantly flushed with embarrassment. “That’s none of your business! I’m here because I like it,” he replied, before quickening his pace toward his classroom.

Elise was rendered speechless. After she returned to her classroom, her cell phone beeped on the desk. It was a text message that read, ‘Help me, Boss!’

‘?’ Elise texted back. There would be no good coming out of this call for help, she thought.

‘Danny Griffith of the Griffith Family—my sworn enemy—challenged me to a race at the Nightwing Circuit tonight. Please help me out, Boss.’

‘No, I’m not.’ Elise lay across her desk, looking totally uninterested.

‘Did Danny not bully you at the Griffith Residence, Boss? He’s such a nuisance, after all. Just help me out, Boss. I’ll pay you 5 million once you win the race.’

The person kept pressing her to help him out, so Elise pondered for a moment. Indeed, Danny’s quite annoying. Five million isn’t much, but it’s decent enough, she thought. Therefore, she languidly texted back, ‘Okay. I’m at Springfield High. Come and pick me up after school this afternoon.’ After a moment’s thought, she sent Matthew a text message, telling him he didn’t have to pick her up after school as she had something to deal with and would be home late. They had added each other on WhatsApp this morning to make it convenient for him to pick her up in the afternoon.

Upon receiving Elise’s text message, Matthew merely replied ‘Okay’ without asking much. After all, he was not interested in her at all.

……

Nightwing Circuit was a well-known race track in Athesea, and those who hung out there were all rich dandies and scions of the upper class.

When ‌school was over, Elise got into a Lamborghini; the man in its driver’s seat was about the same age as Danny.

Jamie Keller frowned after shooting a glance at Elise. “Who are you? You’ve gotten in the wrong car.”

Elise curved her lips into a smile. “You don’t recognize me?”

Jamie’s jaw dropped in astonishment at the familiar voice. “Holy sh*t! How come you’re disfigured, Boss?” My boss is a cool and cute little fairy. Why did she become like this? I couldn’t recognize her at all! he thought.

Elise buckled up and said with a casual air, “Let’s go and find a place to remove my makeup before we have dinner.”

“Roger that, Boss,” Jamie replied before he started the car and drove off.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 5

Lost to a Woman

A lot of people gathered at the Nightwing Circuit at 8.00PM. Today’s race was organized by Danny and Jamie; the two rich dandies had been at odds in Athesea for a long time.

Alexander was sitting at the entrance to the clubhouse. He had changed into casual wear, but the elegant and distant air about him made him seem somewhat out of tune with Danny’s circle of friends. Glancing at the watch on his wrist, he asked with a frown, “Where’s he?”

Danny answered obsequiously at once, “He’s supposed to be here soon, Alexander.” God only knows how much trouble it took for me to bring the workaholic Alexander here. Jamie, that brat, is going to suffer a crushing defeat! he thought with a smile before seeing Jamie’s car arrive.

Jamie got out of the driver’s seat first. Then, the passenger door opened. Dressed in gray casual clothes, the lady slowly walked up to the two men with Jamie, her wavy, long hair hanging ‌loosely behind her neck.

Only then did everyone get to see the woman’s face. Her fair skin was flawless, and her almond eyes looked breathtakingly beautiful under the light, as if they could put somebody under their spell.

The lady was a stunner, but Danny didn’t forget the reason they were here. “Where’s the expert racer you brought with you, Jamie? I’ve brought my brother here today. Just wait till you lose, you brat.”

Jamie chuckled and patted Elise on the shoulder. “Well, I wouldn’t be so sure of that. This lady here is my boss, and she’ll race against your brother tonight.”

As soon as Jamie finished his sentence, Danny stared at Elise in disbelief. “You mean her? Your boss, you say? Are you kidding me, Jamie? I’ve brought Alexander here today. How dare you look down on us?!”

Even Jamie’s friends found him ridiculous. After all, Elise seemed like a delicate and weak young lady at first glance. They were having a sports car race here, not a toy car race! Besides, the Nightwing Circuit was famous for how difficult it was to race on it; even the slightest of mistakes could cost the racers their lives!

Jamie didn’t care what everyone said, though. They’ll have egg on their faces later, anyway.

Elise raised her eyes and looked at Danny, then at Alexander. Then, she deliberately lowered her voice and said, “Let’s start the race.” After tying up her long hair with a rubber band, she picked up the helmet on the table and put it on in swift and crisp movements. When she noticed that Alexander hadn’t moved yet, she asked with a smile, “What’s wrong? Are you looking down on me, Young Master Alexander?”

Alexander was indeed unwilling to race against a little girl because the outcome was already predetermined. However, Danny tugged at his sleeve and whispered to him, “I didn’t expect the expert Jamie brought with him would be a little girl, Alexander. Now that she’s already here, why don’t you race with her? Just don’t be too harsh on her. After all, she’s a young lady, and a gorgeous one at that…”

Alexander frowned a little and hesitated for a moment before picking up the helmet on the table.

When the pair got into their respective sports cars on the race track, everyone present felt that the outcome of the race had already been predetermined. After all, Alexander started racing at the age of eight.

The rules of the race were simple. The starting line of the track was also the finishing line, and the circuit was eight kilometers long. Whoever got back to the starting line first would win the race.

The two cars set out together before disappearing at the end of the hillside in just tens of seconds. Only then did Alexander realize that he had underestimated the lady. This lady’s really something; she’s risking her life for the race. It seems that I’ve met my match, he thought. His lips curved up in a smile, and the look in his eyes became serious.

About ten minutes later, a blue BMW reached the track’s starting line first. It even drifted in a stylish way before slowly coming to a stop.

Everyone was stunned—Elise was driving the blue sports car.

Jamie gave a loud cheer as he jumped up from his seat. “You’re unbelievable, Boss!”

His friends chimed in behind him, “Holy smokes! That little fairy is awesome!” We’ve won the bet! they thought.

It wasn’t until almost half a minute later that Alexander’s car came to a stop on the race track. Danny’s eyes were full of disbelief. To think that Alexander would lose the race! he thought.

Elise got out of the driver’s seat, and Alexander did the same.

She took off her helmet and said with a smile, “You’ve lost.” She had to admit that it was quite thrilling to beat Alexander.

Alexander looked quite displeased, though. He shot a glance at the woman before him, saying, “Let’s have another race.” He had never been defeated in a motor race. Not only was this the first time, but he even lost to a woman.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 6

A Lady From a Rich Family

Elise’s lips curved up in a smile, making her gorgeous face look especially charming. “Sorry, but I have no time for that,” she replied. Then, she dropped her helmet, turned around, and walked away.

Jamie looked at Danny with a gloating smirk. “Hehe, you’ve lost. How does it feel, huh? Look who’s eating their own words now?”

Danny’s face was livid with rage, but he was at a loss for a retort.

Just then, Elise walked up to them. “Take me back to my place.”

“Gotcha, Boss,” Jamie replied before leaving with Elise in a servile manner.

Seeing how displeased Alexander looked behind him, Danny asked in puzzlement, “Did you let her win the race because she’s pretty, Alexander?”

Alexander gave Danny a dirty look before glancing at Elise’s receding figure. He had a vague feeling that the figure seemed somewhat familiar to him, but for a moment, he couldn’t recall where he had seen it.

……

Elise went to sleep happily after getting the five million. The next morning, she put on her unfashionable makeup and her wig again. Meanwhile, the scene downstairs was rather lively, with all the Griffith siblings present except Alexander.

“Here’s a photo of her. She’s a real knockout, isn’t she? The way she raced last night was so cool! Now that I think about it, Alexander losing to her wasn’t all that bad after all.”

The other three glanced at the photo, which had been taken last night by one of Danny’s friends. They discussed with great interest how Alexander had lost the race.

“Hahaha! How rare it is to hear that the unbeaten Alexander has actually been defeated!”

“She’s a stunner indeed. How I wish I could get her to model for our company,” said Brendan, who owned a designer label.

“It’s a shame that she doesn’t enter show business with such good looks,” said Jack, a Best Actor winner, with a sigh.

“Sigh, I forgot to ask her name last night. But Alexander has sent someone to find it out, so there’ll probably be news very soon.”

It wasn’t until Elise came downstairs that the four men ended their discussion. They glanced at her, thinking, Her looks are so far from being a match for that lady’s.

Elise could only be thankful that her makeup skills were good enough. Otherwise, all of them will probably fall in love with me if they see through my cover, she thought narcissistically to herself.

After she finished breakfast, her cell phone rang on the table with three consecutive text messages from Jamie. The first read, ‘Boss, you know what? Danny’s so shameless; he actually paid me money to get your number!’ The second read, ‘I guess he’ll be pissed off if he finds out that the person he’s looking for is actually living under the same roof with him.’ The third read, ‘By the way, Alexander is also tracking you down, so be careful.’

Elise smiled in disdain. That depends on whether or not Alexander’s able to track me down, she thought.

Finally, it was Friday. It was Alexander’s turn to take Elise to and from school today after Brendan and Jack. However, neither of the two spoke on their way to school that morning.

To Elise’s surprise, when school was over, Danny followed her all the way out of the school compound.

“Why are you following me around?”

Danny pursed his lips and replied in disdain, “I’m not following you around! Ashlyn is back; she came with Alexander. I’m going to meet her.”

Ashlyn? Who? Elise thought.

Seeing how puzzled she was, Danny explained delightedly, “Ashlyn is the eldest daughter of the Lawson Family. She grew up with us, and we had a lot of fun together, but she’s been studying abroad for the past two years. Now she’s back at last!”

Elise could tell that Danny had a good impression of the lady, but she didn’t care about it. The eldest daughter of the Lawson Family? Never heard of her, she thought while walking leisurely out of the school gate with a lollipop dangling from her lips.

Ashlyn—the lady Danny spoke of—was in the passenger seat. Decked out in designer clothes, the woman wore her long, wavy hair down behind her back, and the makeup on her face was exquisite—typical of a lady from a rich family. After greeting Danny warmly, she turned to look at Elise and said with a smile, “You must be Elise. I’m Ashlyn Lawson. I grew up with Danny and the others since I was young. Let’s be friends from now on. Feel free to ask me out if you’re looking to have some fun in Athesea.”

Elise responded politely, “Okay.”

“What fun will you have hanging out with her, Ashlyn? I missed you terribly. You’re not leaving this time, are you?”

Ashlyn smiled. “No, I’m not leaving. I’ve graduated from college, so I’m planning to work at the Griffith Group as an intern.”

“Really? In that case, you have to look after Ashlyn, Alexander.”

Alexander didn’t say a word as he started the car and left the school.

A flicker of disappointment flashed across Ashlyn’s eyes before she glanced at Elise through the rearview mirror. How could I possibly leave again? she thought.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 7

Actually, Ashlyn didn’t complete her studies. It was just that the Lawsons spent a lot of money to get her a college degree.

The Lawsons and the Griffiths were old family friends. Not only did Ashlyn grow up loving Alexander, but she had been brought up by the Lawsons as the future Mrs. Griffith ever since she was a child. She didn’t expect Elise to pop up from nowhere. What entitles this ugly country bumpkin to choose one of the Griffith Family’s five sons to be her fiancé? Ashlyn’s face darkened slightly. She can lay a hand on any of them—but not Alexander!

……

The car slowly made it to the Griffith Residence. The other three Griffith siblings were at home, and they warmly greeted Ashlyn, whom they hadn’t seen for a long time.

Ashlyn took out the gifts she had prepared abroad and handed them to everyone. After a pause, she looked at Elise again and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Elise. I only got to know you’re visiting the Griffiths when I came back, so I didn’t prepare a gift for you…”

Elise thought this lady was quite a poser, but before she could speak, the talkative Danny cut in, “What are you apologizing for, Ashlyn? You two aren’t even close.” Then, as he opened his present, he exclaimed in awe, “Wow, it’s the latest game console—and a limited edition one at that! It’s too kind of you, Ashlyn.”

Elise felt alienated from everyone else, but she didn’t want to blend in either, so she went upstairs on her own. After a while, she heard a knock on her bedroom door; she opened the door and looked at Alexander before her in puzzlement.

“The Lawsons are throwing a dinner party tonight to welcome Ashlyn’s return. Grandpa asked me to attend the party with you,” explained Alexander. Since it was his turn to escort Elise around today, the rest of her affairs were handed over to him as well.

Elise didn’t feel like going at first when she heard this, but now that Jonah had asked Alexander to go with her, it would seem improper for her to not attend the party. After giving a sigh, she left for the boutique with Alexander, as well as Ashlyn.

After they arrived at the boutique, Alexander sat down on the couch and waited for the two ladies. Ashlyn took Elise’s hand like a big sister while saying to her, “Elise, don’t be too nervous at the party later. Don’t worry; just ask for me if there’s anything.”

Elise could hardly stand the sight of this woman’s affected manners. She replied with a smile, “It’s alright; Grandpa Griffith said Alexander will be my escort today. I’m relieved to have him around me.”

As Elise had expected, Ashlyn’s face froze visibly, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on Elise’s hand. However, she resumed her genial countenance soon afterward. “You’re right. Let’s choose our dresses, then. We’d better not keep Alexander waiting,” she said with a smile. Then, she continued, “How about I pick a dress for you? I often study these dresses.”

“Okay.”

“How about this one?”

Elise looked at the dress Ashlyn was holding. It was a strapless dark green evening dress totally unsuited for her age, for it was typically worn by women in their late 30s. As expected, this woman is a goody two shoes, she thought.

On the other hand, Ashlyn was certain that Elise, a country bumpkin, knew little about these things. “What’s wrong? You don’t like it?” she asked. Unsurprisingly, Elise nodded.

“Okay, I’ll take this one,” Elise replied. Like hell I’ll care about what I’m wearing when I’ve made my face look like this.

Ashlyn curved her lips in a smile. “Let’s go put on our makeup then.”

“No, I’m good. I’ve been having skin allergies lately.”

Ashlyn said nothing much in reply. After all, it pleased her the most if Elise looked ugly.

The two ladies came out of the dressing room when they were done. In striking contrast to Elise, Ashlyn seemed charmingly tender in her light blue evening dress.

Alexander knitted his brows slightly, but he said nothing.

The dinner party was held at the Lawson Residence, and those invited were Ashlyn’s friends and some of her relatives. After getting there, Ashlyn went to greet the guests.

“So that lady’s Elise Sinclair, huh? How’s such an ugly woman qualified to stand beside Alexander, Ashlyn?” said Katie Moss, Ashlyn’s cousin.

At Jonah’s request, Alexander stayed with Elise after arriving at the party, and the pair drew a lot of attention as they stood together.

Ashlyn looked somewhat displeased. She’s right. Not even I have ever attended a party with Alexander as his partner; what qualifies that woman to do so?

Just then, Katie said viciously, “Since she dares to attend the party, I must teach her a lesson, Ashlyn.”

Ashlyn warned with a slight frown, “Don’t do anything reckless, Katie.”

“Don’t worry, Ashlyn. I know my limits.”

……

At the party, Alexander ran into several of his friends in business circles, so he chatted a little with them.

On the other hand, Elise wandered alone around the swimming pool in the back garden. I’m bored to death. Why don’t I sneak away and go hang out with Jamie later? she thought. Before she realized what had happened, someone knocked into her with great force, causing her to lose her balance and fall into the swimming pool beside her.

She struggled in the swimming pool. She wasn’t afraid of anything—except open water!

As the dinner party was held in the back garden, everyone clamored at the sight of what had happened. Ashlyn curved her lips in a barely imperceptible smile, but the smile froze on her face when she saw Alexander diving into the water.

……

After being rescued from the swimming pool, Elise and Alexander were taken to separate rooms upstairs to get changed.

Elise looked as black as thunder as she stood in the room wrapped in a bath towel. That person will be dead meat for knocking me into the pool just now!

Just then, she heard a knock on the door, followed by Matthew’s voice. “I’m here to bring you some clothes, Elise. Are you alright?”

Coming to her senses, Elise opened the door, took the clothes from Matthew, and thanked him.

“You…” Matthew looked astounded before her. This face looks worlds apart from her previous looks! In fact, it looks just like the photo Danny showed us before…

Only then did Elise realize what had happened. Her makeup had run a little back when she was rescued, and she wiped it away with a towel just now because she wasn’t feeling well. Even though her wig was still intact, her face… Argh, I’ve let my anger get the better of me! How could I forget about this?!

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 8

What an Ugly Copycat

“I…” Elise felt as if a bomb had exploded in her head. She had imagined the scenario of someone discovering what she really looked like, but she didn’t expect it to happen so soon! What do I do now? she thought.

Matthew stared at Elise’s face thoughtfully as several possibilities crossed his mind. It’s her. Is she the real Elise? Did she change her appearance? Or is this what she looks like after doing so?

Elise was kind of creeped out by Matthew’s stare. Nevertheless, she tried to keep calm. “Why don’t we have a talk first, Young Master Matthew?”

“Okay.”

“Well, please come in first.” Elise opened the door with a soft sigh of relief.

Matthew put down the clothes in his hand while asking curiously, “Anyway, may I ask you a question before we talk?”

He doesn’t mince his words. Great. I can save some effort talking to the smarter ones, Elise thought. “You want to ask me why I changed my appearance, right?” she asked. Seeing that Matthew nodded, she curled her lips and said slowly, “Because I hate the idea of an arranged marriage, that’s why.”

“It seems you and I have the same goal, Miss Sinclair.”

“Oh?” Elise responded in confusion. Why would Matthew object to an arranged marriage that would do the Griffiths a lot of good? She didn’t understand what was on his mind. But who cares? It’s none of my business, she thought. Taking the opportunity, she said, “In that case, can you help me keep this a secret, Young Master Matthew? Don’t worry. I won’t let you do it for nothing. I’ll help you once in return.”

“You can’t help me. No one can help me with what I want to do,” Matthew replied in self-mockery. Nevertheless, he did her a favor, saying, “Okay, I promise you.”

“Thanks.”

Suddenly recalling that he was here to bring her clothes, Matthew pointed to the clothes on the table and said, “Be careful next time. There’d be no remedying the situation if someone else discovers what you really look like. For now, get changed. I’ll be waiting for you outside. We’ll be going downstairs together when you’re done.”

Elise thanked him again before taking the clothes into the room.

She looked at the clothes in her hand in utter disgust. Such a velvety dress wasn’t her style at all, but she couldn’t care less about this right now.

She put on the evening dress before looking smugly at herself in the mirror. Still, I look good in anything, she thought. Then, she opened the door lightly. When she saw no one else outside other than Matthew, she heaved a sigh of relief. “I have to go to the dressing room. Please wait for me a little longer.”

Matthew saw her hair loosely pulled up in a bun and the pinkness showing through her flawlessly fair skin. For some reason, his heart fluttered for a moment. “Okay.”

Elise speedily blackened her face in front of the mirror and then carefully drew a few moles on it. After that, she went downstairs with Matthew in satisfaction.

……

The room burst into roaring laughter as soon as the pair came downstairs.

“Geez, what does this ugly monster mean by doing this? How could she have the gall to imitate Miss Lawson?”

“Yeah, that’s right! The contrast makes her look even uglier than she was just now!”

Elise roughly figured out what had happened when she saw Ashlyn’s dress.

Ashlyn said in a false display of kindness, “No, it’s not like that. This is the first time Elise is attending such a grand party, so I picked her evening dress myself. She wasn’t imitating me on purpose.” Then, adding fuel to the fire, she said to Elise, “This is the best evening dress I’ve chosen for you. Too bad it doesn’t match your style, though. I’ll have one tailor-made for you next time.”

What a conniving b*tch! Who’s she putting up such a charade for? Who cares about this darn piece of clothing! Elise thought.

Seeing that Elise was silent, Katie felt like showing her who the boss was. “What an ugly copycat you are, Elise!”

Matthew frowned. He warned, “Please watch what you speak, Miss Moss.”

Upon hearing this, Katie was instantly overcome with jealousy. Sounding even more arrogant, she taunted, “Country bumpkins like you are in a league of your own, huh? Did you put Young Master Matthew on some kind of magic drug? The Griffith siblings are out of your league, though, so don’t get carried away by his kindness. Stop kidding yourself and hankering after something that’ll never be yours. Know your place!”

Elise shot back with a sneer, “I’ve always known my place. You, on the other hand, in what capacity are you saying that to me, Miss Moss?”

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 9

Just You Wait and See!

What Elise said prompted murmurs from the crowd around them.

“That’s right. Isn’t she a bit too full of herself?”

“Who does she think she is? She’s spoiled rotten by the Mosses, but the others aren’t obliged to do the same.”

This was the first time Katie was humiliated. In a fit of anger and resentment, she jumped on Elise and tried to shove the latter, only to fall to the ground with a loud thud when the latter dodged her.

Elise waved her hand in a helpless gesture. “Everyone saw that, right? I didn’t even lay a finger on her,” she said. Then, she bent down and threatened in a sweet voice, “I know it was you who knocked me into the pool just now, Katie. If you dare mess with me again, I promise you that your beloved Matthew will be the first to know that.” Then, she raised her voice and asked with a smile, “Want me to help you up, Miss Moss?”

When Katie heard this, her little face instantly turned as pale as a sheet, and she hastily stood up and fled.

Meanwhile, Alexander had been silently watching all this from a distance. He’d thought Elise would let herself be trampled on like a doormat, but it seemed that she wasn’t as stupid as he’d thought. Without him realizing it, his lips curved into a faint smile, as if he had found an interesting prey.

As the farce came to an end, Elise quickly lost her newfound interest. She threw a glance at Ashlyn, saying, “I’m sorry, Miss Lawson, but it’s almost time for me to leave.”

“Sorry for what happened just now,” Ashlyn replied in feigned friendliness. Inwardly, though, she was mad at Katie for making a fool of herself in trying to be clever.

Elise then turned around, only to hear a loud rip behind her. The zipper’s broken? Sh*t! So bad things do come in threes! She could only clutch the zipper tightly to keep her dress from falling down. Even though she had her back to Ashlyn, she could imagine the woman’s gloating sneer.

Seeing what had happened, Matthew, who was next to Elise, wanted to take off his suit jacket to give it to Elise. To his surprise, however, Alexander had put his suit jacket on her before he could do so. “What’s wrong with your dress?” asked the man in a deep voice.

“My back zipper popped open.”

Alexander seemed to have figured out who the culprit was after darting a look at Ashlyn. “Since that’s the case, we’ll be leaving first.”

Ashlyn restrained herself at once when she heard Alexander’s chilly voice. When did he get here? she thought. The corner of her lips twitched. Unwilling to resign herself to this, she asked, “Why don’t you let someone else escort Elise home instead, Alexander? I’ve just come back from overseas, and I haven’t danced with you today!”

“There’s no need for that,” Alexander replied flatly. Then, paying no more attention to Ashlyn, he turned to Elise and said, “I’ll send you home.”

“Uh, okay,” Elise responded. She didn’t expect that Alexander would stand up for her.

Seeing that Alexander was leaving the party early, Danny exclaimed in disbelief, “Are you leaving, Alexander?” When he lowered his gaze and saw Elise wearing Alexander’s suit jacket, he yelled, “Hey, you’d better know what’s good for you, you ugly woman! Don’t hit on Alexander!”

Elise rolled her eyes hard. How I wish I could leave alone! It’s really embarrassing to leave like this with so many people watching, she thought. Furthermore, she felt like Ashlyn was going to skin her alive with her eyes. However, Alexander kept a stern face and wouldn’t respond to her, so she could only cling onto his suit jacket in embarrassment.

……

Matthew gazed at Elise’s receding figure while holding the suit jacket that he didn’t get to hold out to her. An inexplicable feeling arose inside him. Why’s Alexander so kind to her? Just because of Grandpa’s requests?

……

Ashlyn felt abandoned as she watched Alexander leave with Elise. Filled with bitter jealousy, she trembled all over with rage. You’re nothing but an ugly and uneducated country bumpkin! What makes you think you can steal Alexander from me? You won’t get off so easily, Elise Sinclair! Just you wait and see!

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 10

Be Grateful When Someone Gives You an Out

After getting back to the Griffith Residence, Elise breathed a sigh of relief. So much had happened today, and she still had trouble making sense of it all.

While she was in the car just now, she studied Alexander’s face closely through the rearview mirror, but it was so dark in the car that she didn’t get to see his expression clearly. She had thought a lot about ‌it on their way home, but she still couldn’t figure out why he would step in all of a sudden. It would have been more in character for him to just stand by and look on. Maybe he’s not one to judge people by their looks? An actual good guy perhaps?

Without giving it much thought, she went back to her room and changed out of the evening dress. After deliberately putting on a pair of old-fashioned pajamas, she walked into Alexander’s study; placed on the desk were a tall stack of documents and several photos scattered here and there. “Here’s your suit jacket. Thanks for helping me out just now.”

Alexander shot a glance at the woman standing in front of his desk. Then, he replied expressionlessly, “You don’t need to give it back to me.”

Elise replied, “If you think it’s dirty, I can send it to the dry-cleaner’s.”

Alexander raised his head to look at her. “I don’t want it anymore,” he replied slowly.

Elise felt suffocated for a second before she replied with a sneer, “You’re leaving this to me? Then I’ll throw it away.” With that, she threw the suit jacket into the trash can.

After throwing away the suit jacket, she shifted her gaze to Alexander, who was sitting on the couch and reading the document he was holding without saying a word. Upon seeing this, she felt like she was being snubbed. At first, she had wanted to wash the suit jacket, return it, and express her thanks, but it seemed that she had read too much into his act of kindness. She turned around to leave, only to find Danny standing perfectly still at the door. “Excuse me,” she said snappishly.

Danny furiously shifted his gaze to Elise when he saw the suit jacket in the trash can. “Is this your doing?”

Confronted by his strange question, Elise replied with a straight face, “Yeah, why?”

The person before her blew his top all of a sudden. “As expected of a bumpkin from the countryside! Who are you to copy Ashlyn’s way of dressing? Hah! I almost laughed myself to death back there. Don’t you know yourself? Even the prettiest clothes wouldn’t make you look any better. Alexander saved you from embarrassment today, yet you threw his clothes into the trash can after coming back. Do you know how much the suit jacket cost? Pay for it, now!”

Having had an eventful day, Elise didn’t have the energy to quarrel with Danny at first, but she could no longer stand it when he kept calling her ‘bumpkin.’ She shoved Danny out of her way, took a checkbook out of her bedroom, and tore a check off it. Then, she handed the check to Danny, saying, “Here, take it. Is that enough?”

Danny took the check and examined it over and over. “This check’s not a counterfeit, right?”

Elise was utterly speechless.

Thinking that he had gotten something on her, Danny said with a mischievous grin, “Since you’re from the countryside, I won’t force you to fork out the money. How about this? We’ll drop the matter if you apologize to Alexander.”

Had anyone dared to speak to Elise like that at other times, she would’ve flung the check in their face right away. But now, she was only an ordinary person from the countryside. Shooting a disdainful glance at Danny, she retorted, “Why should I apologize when I’ve done nothing wrong?”

Danny bellowed, “Be grateful when someone gives you an out, Elise!”

……

Just then, Jonah walked out of his bedroom. He was startled by Danny’s shouts of anger. “Apologize? For what?”

Elise knew that Jonah and Robin had been friends for decades, so she didn’t want to make a fuss over it. “It’s nothing, Grandpa Griffith. It’s just a misunderstanding.”

Thinking that she was wussing out, Danny said, “Grandpa, this bumpkin threw the clothes Alexander lent her into the trash can. I wanted to spare her dignity, so I only asked her to make an apology. But I didn’t expect her to be so shameless.”

“Mind your language, you brat!” Jonah gave Danny a noogie.

“Ouch! It hurts!” Danny uttered before turning to glare at Elise.

Elise returned the glare. A clean hand wants no washing. I’ve done nothing wrong! she thought.

“What’s the matter exactly, Elise?” Jonah asked her affably.