Walking hand in hand to the car, Julian and Leslie conversed quietly. The sun was up, and Leslie adjusted the straw hat on her head and peered up at Julian, pouting."Why are you always stuck at meetings? I wanted you to join Betty and me for lunch."Julian smiled and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You know I'd love to, but this meeting is with a senator, and I don't want to keep him waiting, you know."Leslie sighed. "I know, I know, but I—""Leslie! Hi!" a voice squeaked. With a whoosh, Leslie felt herself being squeezed tightly in a hug. Okay, maybe too tightly. “I—can't—breathe," she struggled until she felt the body pull away. Julian was holding Vanessa by the shoulder to stop her from crushing Leslie. Leslie rubbed the side of her arm muttering to herself. "God, it feels like my rib was about to be cracked.""Oh my God, are you okay? I was just so excited to see you! You're just so weak and pale. I'm sorry," Vanessa said innocently."It's oka—" Leslie's words d
The restaurant Vanessa chose was an upbeat, trendy place in town known for their famous crème brûlée and overly priced “chow meins.” Typical Vanessa, Leslie thought as she and Betty walked into the restaurant."Woah, this place smells rich and annoying," Betty said, scrunching her nose."I know, but put on your best fake smiley face, okay?" Leslie soothed, giggling.They spotted Vanessa and Alexander right away—well, maybe because Vanessa's dress was shining like a freaking chandelier. She literally stood out like a sore thumb. She’d changed her dress; that was the first thing Leslie noticed as her brows briefly tightened before they relaxed.Betty nudged her shoulder and whispered to her as they neared, "Sheesh,s that her over there? why is she dressed like she’s out for a gala? Or am I missing something here?"That made Leslie giggle. "I think this is her own way of dressing. Don’t think too much.""What would you call this 'style' though? 'Lay me on the table and fuck me?'" Leslie
Leslie smoothed her hand over the black fabric that clung softly to her curves, smoothing out the nonexistent creases. She smiled to herself in the mirror, the black A-line gown highlighting her ample chest with its deep V-neckline and beautiful flowy bottom. Her hair wasn’t in an updo this time; instead, it was pinned masterfully at the back by the stylist Lady P brought along with her when she brought the dress, her makeup was flawless enunciating her features and giving her an angelic glow. Leslie remembered her reaction to the dress and giggled. It was the most beautiful dress she’d ever seen. She felt like Cinderella, only this time she knew her Prince Charming was with her 24/7.Lady P had even secretly mentioned that Julian had handpicked it himself for her. No wonder he didn’t let her wear any of her numerous dresses. She adjusted her stilettos and winked at her reflection.“You’ve got this, girl. Dad may not be here, but his blessings sure are.”Speaking of her dad, her mind
Stepping out of the limo with Leslie's hand in his, Julian smiled politely at the cameras and watched as Arthur came forward and enveloped Leslie in a hug. Her aura was glistening."My wife... I'm sure she doesn't understand how radiant she is," Julian thought. As if hearing his thoughts, Leslie looked at him, a smile blushing up her cheeks."Are you ready, little girl?" Arthur asked, concerned. He had quite a reputable reputation in Chelsea, and many art critics and some famous judges around New York would be present today. He was feeling anxious for Leslie.Leslie's confident smile bloomed. "Calm down, Arthur, it'll be fine. I'll be fine.""Oh, how beautiful you are, Leslie, my dear," a woman in a faint yellow empire dress said as they entered further into the gallery. Arthur smiled at her."Come over here, honey, come say hello." The woman reached and drew Leslie into a hug."Oh, my dear, it's so nice to finally meet you.""Thank you, ma'am, it's nice to meet you too," Leslie smil
The voice that had rung out through the hall and stopped Leslie belonged to Alexander. He walked to the podium as all eyes turned to him curiously."Sorry, sister-in-law, I just have a few words to say," he stated innocently, making Leslie frown in confusion. “He is never this nice, what's going on?”The feeling of unease grew, and her eyes subconsciously trailed to Julian, who was seated in the front row. They shared a look. Julian, too, was dumbfounded as to why Alexander decided to come up to the podium all of a sudden. “I hope this brat isn't about to do anything stupid”, he thought with a frown of his own.Leslie gave Alexander a polite, "Sure, sure," and stepped away from the podium a little bit, but didn't go off stage."What's up, everyone?" Alexander spoke informally, getting some raised brows from the crowd. He flushed a little, but being a Blackwood and having the innate ability to draw attention, he straightened up. "I just want to say a big thank you to everyone for comin
Julian had to be injected with a sedative as they rushed back home. Calls repeatedly came in on both Julian's and Leslie's phones, so she switched both of them off. The weight on her heart deepened even more as she looked over at Julian on their matrimonial bed, looking pale and haggard. The sedative had taken a long time to take effect. He clenched her wrist tightly leaving red marks because of the intensity of his grip as she sat down beside him, tears streaming down her face.The dull lighting of the magnificent bedroom casting dim shades on Julian's face. "Oh, Julian, I can't bear to see you in this pain. How could Alexander deliberately trigger you like this?" Her hatred was bone-deep. But what she found confusing were Vanessa's words: *This is only the beginning.* *What did she mean by that?* She knew Vanessa could be bratty, but that level of hatred?, and for what reason? Her mind reeled. Her dad was on his deathbed, her art exhibit failed, the Blackwood name is in the mud, an
**Flashback**A young boy dressed in a well-groomed hairstyle and a comfy shirt and long pants, roughly eleven years old, skipped happily along a hallway in Blackwood Manor, a sealed report sheet in hand. He found his father's office and remembered the instructions drilled into him. He straightened, adjusted his hair and clothes, and walked carefully to the door.He knocked twice.A deep, gruff voice that sounded irritated bellowed from the inside, "Who's disturbing me at this time of the day?"The boy quickly looked at his tiny watch—it was still noon. He gulped. "Father, it's me, Julian."After a while, he heard a response, "Come in."He pushed open the door. The urge to say "Daddy" overwhelmed him, but he bit his tongue and bowed his head, maintaining the manners his dad had instilled in him."Good afternoon, Father.""What do you want, Julian?" The man with a head full of dark brown hair and black eyes stared at Julian with a bored expression.Julian's face took on an excited expr
After two days of absence, Julian finally returned to the company. He sat at the head of the table in the conference room. The room was packed with tension as the weakness and vulnerability he displayed with Leslie were all gone. His hardened gaze sized up everyone in the room, and they held their breaths. Mr. Ashluxe sat up straighter, wiping the sweat from his forehead and setting his lips in a thin line."S-so, Master Blackwood, we've all gathered here to—" Julian chuckled, cutting him off, his eyes calculating the man."So that's why you came for the exhibit," he chuckled some more, and the board of directors gave each other confused looks."Look here, young man!" A pudgy man with thick blond beards stood up and slammed his fists on the table. "We all saw the news yesterday! The Blackwood name is in the mud! You have disgraced all of us! The phones have been ringing all morning in the HR department, deals are being retracted and canceled, and you sit down there acting like the lea