ELLA'S P O V “I'm here Ella,” Penny said, rushing up to where I stood. The guards at the parking lot all stared at us with curious glances— glances roaming especially on Penny. She was still on her off-work uniform, her hair draping curls that framed the edges of her voice.Her hug was warm, her arms wrapping around me like a cocoon. Her scent was warm against my nostrils as I pulled from the hug. I had missed having Penny by my side, having her support. Our friendship was dearly to me.“Madame Browne, s… she—” I was about explaining but the shivers trudging through my veins wouldn't let me. Penny interrupted me, “Don’t worry. I'm here, we'll get it all sorted out.”Justqs I was about to talk, my eyes caught the sharp glint of sunlight. I winced from the pain, my head tilting upwards as I gazed at the familiar glistening figure of a lady.Speak of the devil and there she appears. Madame Browne was at the huge balcony of her room, her figure clad in a free silk gown that clung to her
ELLA'S POVWith a paper version of the lists of Madame Browne's sworn enemies, I chuckled darkly. It had been a long twenty minutes and I had already sent the invites to them via email. Penny, on the other side, had helped me placed a call over to the popular Glenda Bacci. We waited for several minutes before the call was answered by the familiar voice of a lady.She sounded just like she did the last time at the hospital. “This is Nurse Ella from New York city hospital.” I recited, fear bubbling in my veins. I really did hoped she remembered me and was able to help.“Yes. Wow! It's been a while. How are you doing.” She exclaimed. Her words sealed all of my doubts as I heaved out a sigh. “You still haven't used your favor, I thought I said you should do that.”“Yes— about that…” I dragged my words, anxiety steaming my blood. “I am calling to ask for a very dearly offer. One that might be hard to fulfill.” “Hard? Sure nothing is too hard and I understand clearly I told you to reach t
ELLA'S POV I walked out of the door with uncertainty reeling in my veins. The early morning air blew warm gusts against my flesh, sending some waves of my hair into the air.I tucked in the loose strands behind my ears as made it towards the parking lot. The sound of a propelling helicopter could be heard from a far distance. I tilted my head up and so did Penny.The helicopter was unlike any other I'd ever seen, it was sharp with glistening colors and a design that had Glenda Bacci boldly written on it.The hellicop lowered until it was now at the floor level, the propellers gusting sharp wind in my direction. The receding sound of the engine's coming off braced my ears as I try to maintain my composure despite feeling out in my head.I felt a pair of eyes on me as I adjusted my body, steeling myself. My hands clutched my waist as I stole a corner-side glance at Madame Browne. She was seated at the balcony as usual, but this time, framed in between her fingers wasn't a glistening bo
ELLA'S POV “We have to get ready before the president comes.” I said, my fingers tucking loose strands behind my ear.My heart fluttered in my chest, fear raging over all the other emotions I had reeling in my veins. What did Madame Browne mean by if she ever made it?Something at the pit of my stomach hinted that things weren't going to go as planned, at least not if Madame Browne was on the chase to ruin it.“That's Madame Browne for you. She says that because she wants you to lose hope and fall to her feet. There's no possible string she could pull at this last minute event preparation.” Ms. Glenda said before walking down the hallway.“I know all the tricks in her devious books.” She continued, urging Penny and I to follow. I adjusted, shrugging off the fear as I tried to set my mind on the task at hand. The president would be here any other minute from now.” “My workers will be here any minute from now.” Ms. Glenda remarked, her hands gripping the door to what she thought was
MADAME BROWNE'S POVI gripped the wine glass from the table in front of me, anger steaming in my blood. My fingers tapped on it, the soft tick it made fuel my anger even more. My mand flashed back to Ella. I gripped the glass harder as it shattered, sharp pricks of glass causing me to let out a cry. The bartender in front of me panicked seeing the flow of blood as he rushed in with a first aid box. I smirked sharply, my hands waving as I gripped a side of my gown. Following that, I ripped a part of the gown open and wrapped my hands with it to constrict the blood flow.Fuck!That was my best dress, I had it shipped specially from France by an original dress maker. I sucked in a breath, rage mixing with the impatience in my mind.“Are you okay ma'am?” The bartender said. The club's overhead lights flickered across his features. “I'm going to quickly call the cleaners to help clean the mess.”I watched him scurry, leaving me all alone at the mini bar in the club. I had stepped out o
MADAME BROWNE'S I thought I'd seen it all.Well, not until I saw Glenda Bacci stepping into the one bar I thought I could escape her god-damned presence. She stood by the door to the mini bar, the club's flickering lights highlighting her silhouette.A proud smile tugged at her cherry red lips, disgust burning in my breath. I tried to flash my eyes away, to hide the discomfort I faced.Anger steamed in my blood, hard and pungent. I gripped the shot glass on the table, my fingers wrapping against the hard glass as I gulped it all down. I tried to turn away, to not acknowledge Glenda's presence but the attraction was daring, like that of a moth to a flame.“Oh! Look who it is?” I said, sarcasm dripping in the base of my voice. “Little Miss messiah.” “Yes, Madame Browne it is but this time, I'm no little messiah, I am Glenda Bacci, the one woman you tried to ruin years ago.” Glenda remarked like she didn't give a damn about my presence.She’d really grown wings I must say. But, like al
Madame Browne's PerspectiveThere was only one sound filling the car: the smooth hum of the engine beneath me, as I sat in the backseat, my fingers idly tracing the rim of my wine glass. Outside, the city was a blur of lights and motion, a sea of faceless people who didn't matter to me. They were all just ants, scurrying around in a world that would never understand the power I held.The driver, a quiet man that had driven for me for years, looked back at me through the rearview mirror. "Ma'am, where to tonight?"I took another sip of my wine, let the rich flavor dance on my tongue. "To the mansion," I said coolly, my voice low, deliberate. "I need to speak with the staff, make sure everything is in order.The mansion had been mine, my domain where I could let my guard down, and relax in the knowledge I was in control. But tonight… tonight was different. The tension was palpable, an unhealthy knot threatening to tighten in my chest. It had not gone according to plan, and to say the le
ELLA'S POV I wasn't expecting to see Madame Browne at the event hall but there she was, claded in one of the most expensive dresses I've ever seen. Her eyes loomed with malice and an even darker emotion, the air shifting sharply.Smug smirks slipped through her lips as she strutted into the hall. Her presence daunted curious gazes, hushed whispers trudging through the air as she made her way into the hall.My bloodstreams tightened, the veins in my legs twitching as I maintained a straight stance. The air, if I remembered clearly, stood still with unspoken tension.I stood by the stage, the clipboard in my hands nearly snapping to the floor from the shock.The silence in the hall was thick with suspense, the whispers fading immediately as Madame Browne strutted into the hall. Her eyes wandered around sharply, inspecting each and every detail as if searching for a flaw to bicker on about.My heart raced in my chest, my gaze following Madame Browne. And just when I thought she wouldn't
XAVIER'S POV My breath hitched in my chest at the sight of the incoming figure. Who was that? I arched my brows in fear as I prepared myself for what I was about to see.I shifted my gaze slowly, dragging it with remorse in the direction of the figure standing beside the maid.I wasn't sure who it was yet but for the first time in forever, I was curious.From the shadow of her figure I could already project the figure's sex. She was a female, dressed in a flay gown. My heart raced in my chest as I felt droplets of sweats cling to my oily forehead. Some rolled down my forehead while some clung desperately to my forehead as I finally summoned up the courage to stare at the person's face.I started from the shoes at first.I dragged my gaze over to the shoes and I was met with the sight of a flat pair of patent shoes that could have only been worn by one person in the entire Mckinney mansion.Ella.A wrinkled smile tugged at my lips and my eyes lit up as I opened my lips to speak but n
XAVIER'S POVThe rest of the run from the meeting room to the mansion was long. I recalled running out of the elevator and sprinting into the reception like a loose madman with just one thing in my mind.Ella.I couldn't stand to loose her.In as much as I didn't want to sound helpless, she was all I had and neither Madame Brown's tricks nor Rochelle's acting could take her away from me. My family wasn't going to be split apart by their baseless act.I was going to get back at Madame Browne for what she did to me.That was a promise. I would keep it dear.I sprinted past the office of the receptionist and her voice beamed from behind as I halted to a stop. “Mr Xavier!” Her tone was high pitched with an edge of worry and concern flashing in it. I turned steely with my chest heaving heavily as I stared at her. “What is that?” I prowled through gnashed teeth as I paced towards her. I walked all the way to the counter and banged my fists on the counter. “Speak up!” My voice thundered a
MADAME BROWNE'S POV I sat down on the chair near the snack table with a gleam of satisfaction washing through my veins as I gripped a nearby glass of wine from the snack desk.This was going to be fun.I could already tell.I watched the shareholders all gather around Rochelle like moths to a flame, feeding desperately on the flickers of lies she distilled. They were fools but it felt good to finally make them all my fools.A dark grin tugged at my lips as I raised the wine glass to my lips. My eyes were fixed on the scene, watching the one drama I'd prepare myself for beforehand.To the shareholders, this was a shocking revelation that urged them to have a rethink but to me? To me, this was like a drama, a scene I'd orchestrated for days. Everything went right, Rochelle did extraordinarily well and I gotta stay under the spotlight and so did Lucas.The shareholders had all fallen into our traps and all I had to do right now was to sit back and relax. Thin strips of malice lit up in
XAVIER'S POV I decided to do one thing before I allowed the shareholders to jump to conclusions. I could beat them at their own games, it wasn't too late yet.I moved to the other side of the room where the shareholders were gathered around the pregnant lady that stood her ground that I was in a relationship with her.She was crying, soft fake sobs tearing through the air as I smirked. The gazes of the shareholders flickered sharply over to me and I felt waves of shock trudged down my spine as I felt my body freeze rapidly. “Before you all jump to conclusions I believe we first have to go over the basics first,” I beamed and caught a glimpse of shock and anger in Madame Browne's eyes. I could've sworn I heard her grunt before she cut me off, “Oh what basics Xavier? Can't you just own up to your mistakes already and stop trying to turn the tables when we all know that you did all she said you did!” The tension in the air rose alongside the voices but I ignored them all, focusing m
XAVIER'S POVOh, I get it all now.Madame Browne was doing it again but this time around, the trick she had up her sleeves could ruin everything I thought I had.My reputation was about to be dragged through the mud and the thought of being tied to the spot was irritating even for me. I wanted to do something but it would only get worse.Madame Browne's paid actress was acting so good that anything I said or did wouldn't be believed by the shareholders. They'd all snagged up her words as she delivered them, delivering her lines with an Oscar worthy performance.I stayed frozen on the spot, holding on desperately to the last fading threads of restraint I had left in me. My eyes were flushed with rage and my fists were balled up like I was about to start a fight.I couldn't afford to have them trample over me like that. I had to do something— anything!I paced towards the shareholders, snagging the pictures from their hands as I inspected everyone. As I glanced at them, I felt a flush o
ELLA'S POV THREE HOURS AGO.I was doing the chores in the kitchen when I heard the door pull open. I ignored the sound thinking it was another kitchen staff stepping into the kitchen but It wasn't.I fixed my gaze on the cabbage I was cutting when I felt her presence. Madame Browne. She was here.I raised my hand immediately like someone in a trance as I flashed my gaze at her. She was standing proudly at the other side of the kitchen counter where I was chopping the cabbage. Her eyes loomed over me like a laser and I just couldn't help but frown in shock and confusion. What did she mean by what she was doing?Why was she staring?Madame Browne was never the one to stare at one, especially when I was doing a chore. The only times she stared at me was either with jealousy or disgust.But this time, she had a suspicious smile plastered on her lips. It haunted me, sending jolts of fear and panic into my veins as I missed a spot and sliced my finger.It was a low cut but it hurt as I pu
XAVIER'S POV If you think you're just as shocked as me right now, I recommend you check again because things are going haywire right now.The air in the room was bridled with tension that seared endlessly, my thoughts went wild for a moment and so did my heartbeat. The receding beeps I used to feel in my chest now faded off and I could've sworn I had an out-of-body experience with the lady.The raging sounds of gasps from the shareholders faded off and I felt myself loosen into a void, one where I'm stuck with the pregnant lady standing nearby. She flashed me a seductive wink and I stepped back in shock, adrenaline pulsing through my veins as my breath hitched.She was standing dangerously close. I could sniff her cologne from where I stood, it had a cheap air to it that turned my stomach. I tried to step back, hoping she wouldn't take another step closer but before I could do that, she pulled her head closer as if aiming to whisper something.“You'll know me very soon Xavier,” her t
XAVIER'S POV I could feel it in my veins.The president was hiding something from me and I won't stop until I find out what exactly it is. I clenched my fists for a second, following him with a thin gaze. I traced his movements down to where he arrived at the door where a masculine figure stood. Lucas. A wave of disgust crashed in me and I sniffed softly, the intensity of his gaze brushing through my skin. His eyes loomed brighter than any light I'd ever seen. His stance was a perfect replica of a predator, dark green eyes that burned right through me.The cold wind in the room crashed into me as I felt my neck hair stiffen. The room was silent for a while save for the soft screeches of the president's wheelchair.He was about wheeling out of the room when I opened my lips and called for him. “I’ll help you with that.” My voice tore through the fog of unspoken tension and I walked over to to where he stood.I stretched my hands and gripped the handles of the wheelchair before pushi
XAVIER'S POV I strolled into the elevator feeling the weight of Alex's gaze on me. After stepping in, the doors pulled closed slowly and I caught the glimmers of fear that bubbled up in his eyes.I could sense his doubts and worry from where I stood but I ignored it either way. I had to get one last thing done, I had to get to the conference room and make sure my uncle was pulling any tricks.I hummed through the rest of the ride and as soon as the door chimed open, I paced into the hallway. My chest heaved lightly as I wiped off the droplets of sweats that clung to my forehead.From afar, I could already hear the soft chattering of distant voices. Some were thick like that of mens and the others were soft and sultry like that of the females.They were all mingling casually, greeting each other with warm voices and soft giggles. I was about taking the last step to towards the door when I heard it.A voice.A knot formed in my stomach as I paused in my tracks, listening closely.The v