Two days later, Yuan and Jill had to say goodbye to Adrienne. As much as they loved their week in Paris, they had to go back to reality. They still had jobs that required them to go back to New York.
Adrienne decided to do what’s right. She sent Jada her resignation letter. She figured, she’d spent years working her ass off because she didn’t want to be a failure in her mother’s eyes. But she was never really her mother. She’s her stepmother. And her real mother would prefer she stayed in Paris, if not for good, then for a while longer.
Although he partied like a kid at night time, Jin actually wore the Starck heir coat pretty well. He made a lot of progress managing their business. Little by little, her stepfather trusted him to take the reins of their empire.
A week after Yuan and Jill left, Adrienne’s mother told her she would meet her at a coffee shop in one of their hotels and she will introduce her to some of her friends
JosnicRomanian for Despicable.“What?” Adrienne blinked back. The name still makes her heart beat a thousand times faster.“My name is Justin. I’m Christine’s son. My mother said I should meet her friend Ariana’s daughter, Andy. Are you the daughter? Because I know the Starcks. And…well…you don’t look half as posh as your brother.”Seriously? His name is also Justin? God, kill me now!Bile rose to Adrienne’s throat and she balled her hands in front of her. She would have hit the guy and she bet the waiter and the other patrons around them would love to help her gang up on this asshole. But she cannot embarrass her mother.“Okay. It’s nice to meet you, Justin, and now I must go.” She started to stand up.But she felt a hand on her wrist, grasping it tightly.“Sit down, will you?” he asked in a low firm voice that Adrienne
Chịu được.Tolerance in Vietnamese.Her mother was ecstatic when she got back. “So, how did it go?” Adrienne just smiled. She wanted to be honest, but she didn’t really want to quash her mother’s hopes. Yes, her stepmom still had that effect on her that she couldn’t help. She just couldn’t stop pleasing people.“It’s…interesting. I haven’t met a guy like Justin before.” She tried to sound enthusiastic. But it is true. That guy was one of a kind.Her mother’s eyes widened. “Oh, sweetheart, I know. He is adorable. His parents are so proud of him. Handsome lad, too. I take it you would be having a date tonight again?”“Mom, it’s not a date,” she said.“But he asked you?”
MaskaradëAlbanian for Masquerade.Adrienne kept herself busy by helping to organize her mother’s victory party, aka, ‘Adrienne’s Introduction to Society’. She didn’t like that bit, but her mother thought she deserved it. Her mother promised to do it subtly. No speeches, special mentions or any form of acknowledgement whatsoever.Adrienne insisted on taking care of the venue, the decorations, the catering and the program. Her mother’s assistant, Maryse took care of all the invitations and RSVPs. Most of the people on the guest list were French and Adrienne couldn’t speak French to save her life.Adrienne actually enjoyed what she did. For days, she was busy ensuring that every detail was in place, everything would be spotless and perfect.“I could actually make you Head of Banquet Reservations and Events,” her stepfather said to her, finding her in the ballroom, choosing diffe
Sufletul perecheRomanian for Soul MateAdrienne quickly spun around and found herself staring at a pair of crystal blue eyes. She blinked back at him, all the muscles and bones in her body froze, including her voice.He looked as handsome as ever, dressed in a black tux. His hair was still a little disheveled but it only added to the charm of his devilishly handsome face. His eyes though, weren’t dancing, like they used to. They had a shadow of circles under them, as if he hadn’t been sleeping properly in days.Adrienne realized that she hadn’t been breathing in a long time. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking for sure that he would disappear once she opened her eyes. But when she did, he was still there, looking back at her curiously.“Justin…” she whispered.He didn’t speak. He looked as dumbfounded as she was. Then he took a deep breath and instead of uttering a word, he rea
Rhedeg i ffwrdd.Welsh for Running AwayTwo hours later, Adrienne was at the airport with Justin. She wasn’t thinking. She didn’t care. She knew it was wrong in some way. But she felt tired of doing everything that everybody around her expected of her. She lived with a stepmother who never saw anything good in what she did, a father who didn’t know how to stand up for her, and now she had a mother who mapped out her future without even telling her. Maybe the time had come for her to think about herself. Time to follow her heart and go after what she wanted. And that’s Justin.Jin walked in to the lobby of the airport, carrying a small bag with him. She texted him that she left the party and she needed him to bring some of her stuff to the airport.He looked at her with a sober expression on his face.“I hope you know what you’re doing, Adrienne,” he said to her.“I don’t,&rd
Upendo ni nuru ya maisha.Swahili for “love is the light of life”Justin and Adrienne arrived at a luxury hotel in Florence. It was more like a luxurious, sophisticated home than a hotel with its elegant townhouse façade, neo-classical furniture and centuries worth of art collections in a four-story structure.They were greeted warmly by all the staff dressed in expensive suits and uniforms.Adrienne blinked back at Justin, obviously in awe of the VIP treatment they received. Justin smiled and whispered to her. “I rented the whole place for the whole week. So we are their only guests.”Adrienne’s eyes widened. “Justin!” she hissed. “That’s too much!”“What’s the point of eloping if you cannot have some sort of privacy, right?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.A couple approached them. Justin smiled at the sight of his cousin. Mason. The onl
RohanásHungarian for RushThe next day became hectic for Adrienne. Abigail may have looked shy and quiet at first, but hell! She ran a military rule when it came to organizing stuff. She got on the phone, putting pressure on the photographers, videographers and other suppliers. She seemed so meticulous and so strict. Adrienne no longer wondered how she managed to straighten out the old Mason.Abigail turned to her, taking deep breaths. “Okay, I sorted out the cake! Now, let’s get you to the couture house so you can pick out a dress.”Adrienne nodded. She almost got scared of her future cousin-in-law. While Abi’s driver transported them to a shop, she spoke over the phone in Italian. She was almost raising her voice. Adrienne found it a little amusing now.When she hung up the phone, she turned to Adrienne and smiled. “Sorry. That was Justin.” She turned to her driver to give out instru
VznešenýCzech for SublimeAdrienne didn’t want to feel emotional, but feeling Justin’s tight embrace on her, and seeing the tears in his eyes also made her want to cry. At first, she thought it could be something that she ate. It could be fatigue catching up with her. It could even be Abi. But looking at Justin’s teary eyes and hearing him say that his insurance just came through… Adrienne remembered that amidst all the chaos that happened to her in the last few weeks, she forgot that she didn’t have her period at all. And that night when Justin first told her that he loved her…he made love to her without protection…without reservation. And the following nights after that, they were both caught up in his problem with his parents, and the thought that their days tog