ELLA'S POV “I need you to host the president's 87th birthday.”My heart skipped a beat as I felt my pulse go into a frantic race, one that intensified my bloodstreams. A breath caught in my throat as I paused, the fork in my fingers sliding down.The soft metallic clank it made jerked me back to reality. Madame Browne stared back at me, her eyes sparkling with a glint of joy, happiness and was that…. Malice?Her lips pulled effortlessly into a smile, the lines of her face slithering into a flawless facade of make-up. Her gaze was chilling, sharp against my uncertainty.I felt my bloodstreams tighten, shock and anxiety mixing into something nerving. Her fingers traced their way to the table as she gripped a wine glass before racing it up to take a slow nerving sip. The lightscape which I had previously found soft and inviting now seemed to tighten on me. How could she have chosen me to take the role of hosting the president's 87th birthday.Why? Was it to sabotage me? If yes, then s
MADAME BROWNE “I accept the role.” Ella’s voice chimed.I felt like loosing it at that moment. The audacity of that whore to think she could ever host an event that could ever amount the ones I've been throwing for years till know. For decades, I've been hosting all of the family's events. Birthdays, business meetings, anniversaries and even funerals. My events were flawless, the decorations elite and the guests were of highly distinguished personalities.But something wicked in me couldn't get over the urge to watch her suffer? Malice was an easy option seeing the courage gleaming in her ocean blue eyes. I resisted the urge to let out a laugh, a cackle perhaps. “Sure, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.” I said and rose from the table. I was done with breakfast today, I had gained all the satisfaction there was from Ella.She didn't cease to amaze me. Oh well, she's going to regret every crossing path with me. I strutted purposefully, my heels clicking against the mar
ELLA'S POVThe soft sound of giggles rushed into my ears as I stepped out from the elevator. The warm air of the hallway greeted me, the decor gripping me in it's inviting solace.I strutted towards the door to Ivy's room with uncertainty reeling in my veins. I still couldn't get over Madame Browne's proposal and what was at stake. The proposal was cornering, like a two edged sword with no way out. Hosting events was never my thing but I was determined to make it work, at least this time. I couldn't afford having Xavier see me create a mess, also, I saw this as an opportunity to prove to everyone that I could take on the task and still deliver.Madame Browne had obviously given me the role to see me fail, I could tell she was certain I would fail when cornered with such a huge job. But I would try my best and actually give it my all.But first, I needed to meet Ivy, I'd missed her nagging voice over the days. As I gripped the knob, the soft smell of sandalwood flustered into my nostr
ELLA'S POV “Alright, tell Ivy I'll be back.” I said and flashed a glance back at Mrs. Winters, the housekeeper. She was a petite blonde lady who obviously in her mid 60s, I could tell from the soft tinge of gray at the base of the strands of her hair.She offered me a soft smile and I flashed a quick glance at Ivy. Anxiety rushed in my veins, why had the president requested my presence? I had a million questions bubbling in my veins at that instant.He rarely called for anyone's presence so I was worried. Who wouldn't be? He was my father-in-law, and I couldn't help but wonder why he had called for my presence.Did he find out I was the one hosting his birthday party? If yes, then how? I thought the event was supposed to be a surprise to him and a celebration of a life well lived. My palms grew wet as I clenched my fists until my fingers bit into the flesh of my palms. A wave trudged down my spine as I inhaled softly. I could do this, of course I could. I turn on my heel and took p
ELLA'S POV The president's cold voice jerked me out of my interlude as I swiveled to see my once smiling father-in-law now frowning. He looked nerved, clear lines of worry laced in his electrifying green eyes. It was almost as if my question had striked a chord. But I wasn't going to press on.“Let's focus on why we're here,” he said, gesturing sharply to the work table situated at the middle of the room. I followed him as I traced my steps to the high neck swivel chair opposite his.“Sit,” he prompted softly and I took a seat. The soft lush texture of the chair crumbled beneath my back as I felt myself drifting into the comfiness.“You requested my presence,” I said sharply cutting through the silence as I tried to get some emotions but his eyes remaind cold, evident as if hiding a secret.Who were the people in the picture? And why did he feel offended when I asked who they were?I was still going to do my research later on but now I had to focus on the president. I watched as he
ELLA'S POV “So what's your say?” I held by breath after asking. I couldn't directly read the look on the president's face but from the little info I could get, I could as well say the expression on his face was a bland mixture of shock of and comtempt. I waited for his response anxiously, my palms turning wet as I bit my tongue.Just before I could finish my little prediction, his face twisted sharply into a frown, his eyes gleaming with a dark glint of anger. The leafy green color of his eyes burned with the golden red color from the chandelier. My heartbeat thumped hard in my chest as my pulse raced. The anxiety in me was filling to the bream with each passing second, waves rolling up my spine.“I… I am so sorry father in law—” I was saying when he interrupted me with a raise of his index finger. Pausing, I pursed my lips as I watched his finger fall. Fear seeped into my veins. What had I done? He looked so angry, like I had provoked him. It seemed my apology didn't work but the
MADAME BROWNE’S POVHow dare her? That bitch! She even had the audacity to confront the president and have him agree to her stupid excuse of an event. The rage in my veins was hot and blazing, my fingers biting into my palm until I felt little patches of blood seeping out.I clenched my jaw tightly as I watched the president yell, “You may leave Madame Browne!”My jaw fell slightly as I stared back at the president, his eyes were blazing with fire, his tone sharp and unquestionable. I felt my once felt courage melting into a pool of regrets. The president had never opposed my words before, even though we weren't exactly close, he always allowed me have my way not untill she came into the picture.Ella.I wanted to tear into her, that bitch, for what she did. I tried to resist the sharp pungent anger in my veins as my pulse raced. My breath came in muffled puffs, the tendsion in the room rising with each passing second. Smirking, I turned in the direction of the exit and traced my wa
ELLA'S POV As I stepped into the hallway, the chillingly familiar smell of Madame Browne's cologne flared my nostrils. The haughty smell of cedarwood sent shivers down my spine. The thought of Madame Browne haunted me, filling my insides with loads upon loads of fear. The way she stared at me back in there was haunting, her gaze flickering with malice. Her eyes, as I recalled, burned with a flicker of rage and contempt like a threat orchestrated just for me.Her jaw had dropped slightly when she found out that the president chose to support me over her. It was obvious he hadn't went against her words in years. She was used to having her way and it felt good to finally stand up to her.But the consequences of it struck at a corner in my mind. Consequences? The president had warned me about her, of how conniving she could be if things didn't go her way. I had to be careful with everything — the decorations, the guests and hosting the event.I traced my steps down the hallway, the fami