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
MADAME BROWNE'S POVThe elevator door in front of me chimed open sharply, a soft metallic swoosh brushing my ears. I stepped out of the elevator into the long hallway to my room. As expected, my maids were lined up by the walls like figurines dressed in uniforms I'd designed myself. The elevator's soft gloom layered over the purple linen of the uniform, catching my gaze from the side.The silence in the hallway was soft, almost unbearable but somehow, it felt okay. The discomfort in my veins rolled easily, my face fixed into one of those things oldsters call a warrior's mask.The president would be here anytime from now and he was going to come back to her— Ella, and that bitch, Glenda. He would witness their event and would probably give her some accolades— accolades that should've been mine.I bit my lower lips furiously, the impatience in me was cold— chilling cold. I clenched my fists trying to think of something else, something other than her.Ella.Her name was like fucking tat
ELLA'S POV “My mistake…was thinking the size of the event mattered more than the heart behind it. For years, I was impressed by noise. But this year, Ella reminded me that silence…can steal the show.”It would be an understatement to say my heart skipped a beat when those words escaped the president's lips. I felt the world beneath me crumble, the shock causing me to nearly lose my stance.A tear slid down my cheek. My heart was still racing from the shock. I had been so afraid of the president not acknowledging my efforts. For a split second, I'd thought I lost it all to Madame Browne and that she'd won but I was wrong.I had won.Madame Browne's efforts to ruin the event didn't work, I scaled through. The president had walked over to me and for the first time, had offered me a hug.He seemed very happy, probably the happiest he'd ever been. Once the hug ended, he turned in Ms. Glenda's direction. I hesitated for a second before I spoke, “This is Ms. Glenda she helped me design the
MADAME BROWNE'S POV I stayed awake all through the night. I couldn't sleep. The heavy sound of the footsteps grew closer and closer until I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't even winked all through the night— I mean not literally but I'm sure you got what I meant. This was the scariest version of myself that I'd ever seen. I couldn't deny it. The only thing that was just as scary as having someone toying with me was the sight of David, my unrequited love, leaving me and marrying another lady.My nails dug into my flesh and nearly dragged out blood from my palm as I stepped out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. I pushed the door open and searched it with a swift gaze. It was still early. Probably too early to take a bath but I was sure it was needed. I walked over to the other end of the bathroom where the sink was and as I walked towards it, I stared at myself in the mirror. The version of myself that stared back at me as haunting.Black eye bags. Red eyes. Red face. Palse s
MR MCKINNEY'S POV When I woke up that morning, a surge of adrenaline raced down my veins as I got up on my seat and raced towards the other end of the room where the guard I ordered to make her life a living hell stood. A yawn rolled out of my lips as I got out of bed and winced as I stepped into a slipper and walked over to where he was.It was obvious he had been waiting there for a long minute now. I rubbed my knuckles against my sore eyes as I flickered my lids open and this time, the view I had of the world was more clearer and sharper than before. I stared at the guard and scanned him for any emotions but found none.He was as rigid as a stone.Just the right man for the job. He knew exactly what to do now. I walked over to where he was and as I grew closer, I noticed a bright red hue in his eyes. It was obvious he had stayed there all night. “I remembered telling you to leave once she stepped into the room.” I muttered as he turned his gaze to me and shook his head. “I left w
MADAME BROWNE'S POV My heart nearly jumped in my chest when the president called me back. I was halfway through walking up the stairs knowing I had him on a leash with that picture but my assumptions were wrong. He didn't believe the lies I made on a whim just to get out of the tight situation he placed me in. “Did you really think I was tagg dumb, Madame Browne?”Those were the words he used. Yes. I could've sworn I nearly lost my footing when he uttered them. My legs quivered almost immediately as I grabbed the railing for support.My head dropped low and I felt my chest rise and fall as breathless pumps of air rolled out of my nostrils. A cloud of perspiration clung to my forehead as I wiped it off with my thumb and was about to move on when I heard a sound.Footsteps.My heart raced in my chest as I quickly straightened my back and turned to meet his gaze. I swerved sharply as our eyes met almost immediately. My breath caught in my throat as I took two steps backwards as she wal
MR MCKINNEY'S POV Madame Browne's voice rolled out in a low hushed whisper but I was able to catch it in its full glory. My eyes darkened as my fingers drummed against the table before sliding into my pockets and brought out the one evidence I needed in making her confess to all her crimes.My fingers wrap around it's edges as I pulled it out and with a stern frown on my face, I placed it on the table and scoffed. My fingers drummed on the table again but this time, I noticed different emotions surging up in her eyes. Rage. Irritation. Fury.The emotions in her eyes were far more than that but after a scrutinizing search, I could tell there laid darker emotions behind the heavy outer layer she had on. A pressing urge to tease her even more clogged my airways as a breath caught in my throat.“That's it.”With a soft flick of my fingers, I balled them into tight fists and awaited her response silently. Her gaze raked over me as the heat in it burned hard on my flesh but I ignored the
MADAME BROWNE'S POV He was there.Right there.Seated on the chair and cladded in all black outfits. His eyes sparkled under the soft hues of lighting from the chandelier. As I strolled towards the dining area, my heart thumped violently in my chest. My fingers clenched into hardened fists that were pressed to my sides. Sweats.Cold sweats clung to my forehead as I walked towards the table where he sat. I moved towards the table and once I was close enough, I took a seat on the chair and fixed my eyes on him. He had on a hat that shaded over his face and allowed dark shadows cast across his features.His eyes sparkled nonetheless. His gaze is as heavy as carrying rocks but in my case, the rocks were being dragged against my body. My chest fell as I heaved out a sigh and tapped on the table.“Hello?” I muttered and his fingers which I now noticed were cloaked in dark gloves pulled off his hat. A sense of fear washed into my veins as my lungs tightened and I choked on a breath.A low
MADAME BROWNE'S POVWhile in my unconscious state, I felt darkness wrap around me. I saw, felt and even heard nothing. Nothing other than that ding. With each time it came, I writhed, twisted and strived to get it to stop. I was sick and tired of it and to make matters worse, I was beginning to get scared to my wits as questions pulsed through my mind. Did I die? Was this all another version of hell? I was expecting an erupting volcano, heat and a little bit of fire but all I saw was darkness. Thick, dark darkness. I was about to ponder on a question when I heard a ding. I tried to move but my body wouldn't budge.I tried again and then again but with each trial, I drew closer to the realization that maybe I had died. I mean my body wasn't going to move anymore and the signs were beginning to police together.I was about to accept the finalisation of my current dilemma when all of a sudden, I felt the elevator shake. Panic surged through me and in a fit of fear and confusion, I trie
MR MCKINNEY'S POV If you are reading this now, you must've thought Madame Browne had died. Well, I wished she was dead too but not all of our wishes came true and the acceptance of the fact was the beginning of maturity.Don't be discouraged yet. There was still a lot of things coming for her that she just didn't know yet. You see, when I planned on getting someone to do something, I made sure to leave no stones untouched. Right now, I was seated on my chair with my arm crossed and my eyes fixed on the tablet in front of me. Right there on the screen was Madame Browne, fallen and weak with sharp fearful gasps rolling out of her lips.She was afraid.Don't get me wrong this was the only time I'd seen her this shaken to fear. Her hair which you'd expect tostull be tied up in some fancy bun was now let down in rough, messy strands that draped down to her back. She was currently trying to block the dings I was letting off stop but little did she know that I, Mr McKinney, was the one beh
MADAME BROWNE'S POVThe entire walk from my room down to the elevator was long because most of the minutes were spent pondering on the invite. I bit my fingers slowly as fear pulsed throughout me in sharp jolts. The guard who was sent to call me over there led the way since I was too shaken with suspicion and fear to go alone. As I followed his lead, I still couldn't let out the gleams of suspicion that clawed at my chest.Something was in the hallway. Something was watching over me, judging maybe even cackling as I made my way to the elevator with my steps as soft as feathers. The guards' back figure filled me with relief as I rubbed my chest and sighed.Several droplets of sweat trickled down my forehead as I paused and watched as he jabbed his fingers against the controls. The buttons by the elevator beeped countlessly for a long period of seconds but the doors didn't open.It was as if someone was in it but if that were to be the case at hand, the indicator had to be flashing red
MADAME BROWNE'S POV As I stepped out of the car, the cold wind justled several strands of my hair into the air as I struggled to keep my strands down. My fingers brushed off some blocking strands as I paced towards the door leading into the mansion. Two guards stood by it with firm frowns on their faces. “Thank you.” I muttered out loud to the driver who was probably engulfed in something else to respond. I made my way to the door and as I approached it, the drivers standing by it, pulled it open as I stepped into the mansion. I walked into the mansion and walked directly to the staircase. I made sure no one was watching before I placed silent steps up the stairs. The overhead lights in the room flickered brightly as I traced my steps up it. It didn't take long for me to arrive at the hallway leading into the elevator. I tapped on the buttons and as the door chimed open, I locked my arms and inhaled deeply as I waited for the ride to come to an end. My body was aching so much I n