MISS GENEVIEVE 'S P O VTWO HOURS A GO.When I received a call from Madame Browne from Browne, I knew it wasn't going be good news. It never was and would evidently never be. She always reached out just when she needed you the most and she spared no freaking' excuses.She had a way of having her way. She'd remind you of your most vulnerable moments and slam her expectations at you to make your insecurities boil. People like Madame Browne were inevitable, unable to not come across in one's lifetime.And people like me were mostly their prey. As I stepped out from the elevator to her floor, I saw her assistant shuffling behind me. “Good morning Mis Genevieve.”"How's Mr Allen and—" He was about continuing when in interrupted, "We're divorced." I interrupted firmly, my feet strutting deeper into the almost endless hallways."I'm sorry fot your—" He bickered and was about finishing when I interrupted again, but this time with a firm authority laced in my tone, "I'm not here for this littl
ELLA'S POV "Yes," I said, my voice laced with anxiety. I felt a tinge of happiness somewhere in between the previous storms of uncertainty brewing in my veins. I bit softly into my lower lip sucking in a deep breath that hitched in my lungs.The weight of the situation layered above my shoulders. This offer, this help— I needed it. I could really use the help of a professional. Together, I believe we could achieve a better output with the decors and the event planning.The event would be more than it already was with the help of Miss Genevieve, the award winning event host. I surveyed her swiftly with a quick glance, her features held my gaze longer than I planned.She was dressed in a french two piece suit, her hair rolled in a bun of waves. The red hue of lipstick on her lips highlighted the soft contours of her face. She looked effortlessly graceful, with a thick air of tension surrounded her like mists to an hilltop."Perfect," Madame Browne exclaimed, her fingers playing with th
MADAME BROWNE'S POV "I have to go, it was nice meeting you Miss Genevieve." I heard her say as I rubbed my fingers against the furs of my robe. The sight of Ella giving in so easily was delightful— just the way I had planned it. I resisted the urge of letting out a dark chuckle, to cackle at the scene in front of me. Ella, as supposed, had fallen for the plan like a baby enticed with a lollipop. But the only thing different was this wasn't a lollipop, it was an alliance that would be the drastic end of her.The thought of watching Ella fail in front of everyone was surely going to be enjoyable. I want to watch her fail so badly, to watch her little plan crumble beneath my hold and have the president see that through her idea for a small event and realize it was just another recipe for disaster.That I, Madame Browne, was right all along. Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse, the news would pick it up and the headlines would fly. My plan was to secretly invite the m
ELLA'S POV I closed the door behind me; the soft click sounded loudest in the silence of my room. Leaning against the cool wood, I exhaled, dragging my fingers through my hair. My mind was in a swirl with thoughts of Madame Browne's offer, the invitation still fresh and suspicious in my mind.Miss Genevieve.An award-winning event planner known for orchestrating the most extravagant and talked-about celebrations. People paid fortunes for her touch of magic-part showwoman, part perfectionist. And now she was being offered to assist me. It wasn't even framed as a polite suggestion. No, Madame Browne had looked at me with a smug curl on her lips, as if she had played her winning hand.I knew better. Nothing Madame Browne did was ever without strings attached. Accepting her offer was like walking into a trap with open eyes, while refusing it would only make things worse. She was a powerful woman, more than I wanted to admit. She would make my life miserable if I opposed her openly. I did
MADAME BROWNE'S POV I swirled the wine in my glass, watching as the liquid caught the last rays of the evening sun. The balcony looked out over the estate gardens—perfectly manicured, each hedge and blossom precisely where it was supposed to be, a testament to my taste and control. There was something soothing about sitting here high above the chaos that I so ably cultivated. The world looked small from up here, manageable. Just like people.A gentle rap sounded from the double doors behind me. I didn't turn around. "Come in," I called lazily, enjoying my sip of wine as the cool breeze kissed my skin.The door creaked open and the sound of heels clicking announced Genevieve's entrance."Madame Browne," she said, her voice silky polite, just like I had trained her.I gave a faint smile to her reflection in the glass. "Ah, Genevieve. Finally. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten how to walk."She laughed softly, as if my insult were a compliment, and practically glided further into
MISS GENEVIEVE'S POVThere's a little kick in it, watching things come undone-especially when the person who's keeping it all together has no idea you're the one tugging at the seams. That was the just kind of satisfaction I was after this morning. Madame Browne had given me my orders and, as always, I intended to follow through with precision.I sank into the leather seat of my car, the soft drone of the motor dulled by my mind as I sped in the direction of the McKinney mansion. Deliciousness played in my mind, knowing Ella Rocci was out there in ignorant bliss with a storm heading her way. The fact that she actually thought she had the reins was humorous. I could almost taste the humiliation.The mansion's gates rattled open mechanically, and I pulled into the circular driveway. The air around the estate was pristine, too perfect-the kind of atmosphere that would smother rather than soothe. Roses in bloom wafted up toward me as I stepped out of the car, heels clicking sharply agains
ELLA'S POV "I'll check in with you shortly Ella," Miss Genevieve's voice echoed against the soft silence in the room. She flashed a smile at me before heading in the direction of the door. I watched her figure slip out of the room, the soft yet hazy sound of her footsteps beaming into my ears.The warmth air in the room felt chilling, the tension of her absence settling into my bones. My fingers traveled across the list she gave me, I traced the letters obsessively. My eyes scanned the lists of vendors categorized by their area of expertise and ratings I'd guessed was from Madame Browne herself.My fingers tightened on the corners of the lists as I collided into the bed, the plush texture of the bed engulfing me in it's inviting hold. Having such help when you needed it felt nice especially at this very daring moment.The president's birthday was pulling closer and if things weren't planned beforehand, everything could go haywire. The vendor's contact information were written on the
ELLA'S POVAfter discovering the truth behind Madame Browne's sudden simplicity and her 'kind' gestures, I had formulated my own plan to override theirs. I was lucky to have figured out their plan before the event launched, if I hadn't, I would have found myself in a tight corner with no where to turn to.The next time I met Madame Browne, I was ready to finally face her and her sinister plans. Her figure sat at the other end of the table, her hair curled up in a chignon, she smelled of lavender, oudwood and something darker. Her face twisted into a frown as she met my gaze, the disdain in her eyes were clear, almost unnoticeable. But as quickly as I'd catch the disdain in her eyes, she masked them with some glints of feigned sweetness."How are you doing Ella?" The sickeningly sweet sound in her voice was sharp against my uncertainty. I sniffed, my fingers brushing through my hair. The glints in Madame Browne's eyes were comical, feigned but somewhere beneath the layers of feigned
ELLA'S POV Something wasn't right.I could feel it in my bones. At first, it came as a simple feeling of uncertainty but now, I was certain. Something about the information didn't add up. The names, her back stories, the stutters, you can find it weird but those are hints.I had to take note of those.The slick dampness that clung to my palms grazed the edges of the paper as I exhaled. There had to be a clue here— something must be out of place. Humans are liable to mistakes but this time, the information was perfectly aligned, yet something still felt off. I inspected the paper in my hands for a moment, my eyes moving frantically as I tried to get out a detail from it that stood against what Caroline had told me.Speaking of the devil, where was she? I jerked out of thoughts and darted my gaze across the room as I searched for her thin figure but to my shock, she was nowhere to be found. “Where did she go?” I asked, tilting my head as I faced Madame Browne.Madame Browne's smirk
POISON’S POV If Madame Browne hadn't stepped in, my entire cover would've been blown. It would have all gone down the drain and I'd get spotted out for being suspicious and once suspicious steams in, the entire plan gets ripped apart.I released a low gasp the instant Ella's gaze left my body. She turned her gaze in the direction of the other end of the room where Madame Browne stood. “What is that about?” She asked Madame Browne so calmly as she stood up from the chair and paced towards the door's frame. “It is regarding the interview, I heard you needed information to give you clarity on her background?” Madame Browne said the words, strolling into the room with the soft sound of her heels clicking against the marbled tile seeping into the air.At the sound of her voice, I felt a gaze lingering on me. It was from her, Ella. She tilted her gaze swiftly in my direction and held my gaze for what felt like forever, suspicion glistening in her eyes.I froze, anticipation creeping into
POISON'S POV Never in my life had I expected to be met by Ella's question. It crashed into me like a ton of bricks, the haunting sound of her voice filling my insides with dark, poignant fear.I felt the air passing through my lungs hitch as I clenched my fists to my sides. The silence that followed her question stretched endlessly as little beads of desperation clung to my forehead.“What is your name, really?” She repeated the question again but this time, it didn't seem as if I had the luxury of picking whether I was going to answer or not, it was a command. Her tone was driven by an authority that seemed unquestionable even for someone like myself.I fixed my face into a frown, my eyes darting over to hers as I clenched my jaw. I wasn't going to leave any gaps for suspicion, I had to act as clean as possible. Considering the low amount of time I was given to go over the role as Caroline, a poor caretaker to the president. I took a long breath and opened my lips to speak, “Caroli
ELLA'S POV I woke up to the soft sounds of Xavier pulling out of the bed. His soft footsteps pulled me out of sleep as I flustered my lids open. I was welcomed by the sight of him getting dressed and checking out his outfit in the mirror of the dressing room. I still hadn't made It up to him about what happened last night.His silence and the absence of his early morning hums hinted that he was mad at me. I stood up from the bed, putting on the robe as I walked in his direction. From where I stood, I could see him standing by a side of the dressing room. He was adjusting his tie while staring at his own reflection in the mirror. Xavier's jaw was well clenched as I made my way into the dressing room.I walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder from behind. “Hello handsome.” I said, laughing as I teased. Xavier was able to hold himself from laughing but I had other plans to make him laugh.I reached forward and hugged from behind feeling the soft texture of his shirt. The soft s
CAROLINE'S POVWhen that lady, Ella walked towards me back then in the room, my heart skipped a beat. I had to do something, anything. I tried to mask my anxiety and I used that bitch fell for it.I was expecting her to walk out of the room and never show her face again but she stood her ground, her gaze holding mine. She really did have some courage from what Madame Browne told me. I thought I'd meet a feeble, easily manipulated lady but she was different.Ella Rocci really did have an eye for catching details, an hard nut to crack if you asked me but like all the others, I'd get over her. She smiled softly at me for what felt like a minute before she spoke about giving me an interview. My heart skipped a beat as fear lit up in my eyes but I immediately hid it.I followed her with a soft gaze until she was back to the door before I said, “That'll be fine by me. When is going to take place?” She spun around, a daring look into her eyes. “I'll let you know when the time comes Carolin
ELLA'S POV Who was that?I was pulled back into the elevator and I felt my back run into the hard chest of a man. I immediately tried to move away from it— whoever he was. I had to get out of here.Just then, the elevator’s lights flickered on.My heart shook in my chest as I was met by the figure. Xavier, in his sleeping attire with a restless look on his face. “Ella, I thought I told you not to worry.” His tone was soft as his hand slid around my neck.“I'm sorry, I just—” I tried to build up words but he interrupted me halfway, “I get you're worried about the president, I am also as worried as you. Together, we'll make it work.”Following his words were the comfort of receiving reassurance from the one person I loved the most. A sexy smile made it's way to his face, the dim lights in the elevator bracing his face. I pulled closer to him as his hand gripped my waist as he pulled closer to him, his lips pausing before my ear lobe. “the president will be fine only if we can give him
ELLA'S POV I paced backwards, a chill running through my veins. Sweat trickled down my forehead as I glared hard at the prominent figure of Caroline.Just before I could take another step backward, she stopped walking and stared at me. She glared hard at me for what felt like a minute before I saw recognition glisten in her eyes.“Ma'am, what are you doing at this odd hour, I was afraid the president was getting attacked.” My heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice.I still didn't believe her words, a few seconds ago her eyes were bloodshot, contempt rolling freely in them and now, she was acting like she'd just seen me? I calmed my heavy breathing to reply her, “I… I ac.. I.” I struggled to build the words as I stuttere making a fool of myself. Just as she'd spoken, I watched two other figures pull out from behind her.They were prominent, like that of well built men. The shadows in the hallway draped over their figures so I couldn't get a clear sight of them.I wasn't sure
ELLA' POVCaroline.Even the sound of her name made me feel anxious. I ran a finger into my hair, staring helplessly at Xavier as he guided me into our bedroom. My body was sore and the relief I felt to lay on the soft cushions was great.“I don't feel the president is safe around her, Xavier?” I mumbled, struggling to stay awake. My eyelids were already closed and it was almost midnight.Xavier, who was in the bathroom, strutted out. He was just as tired as I was and seeing him like that, I decided not to press on. I rubbed my knuckles lazily on my eyes as I bit back a yawn.I had to stay awake.Something in me still couldn't relax knowing fully well the president was left under the supervision of a total stranger. Xavier walked over to the bed and before he got on it, he patted my head softly.“The president will be just fine, the security at the hallways are guiding the room just Incase.” Xavier’s voice faltered into a yawn just after he finished.I tried to relax— to let off the t
ELLA'S POV AT THE MCKINNEY MANSIONI watched the president sleep peacefully. Xavier was by the other end of the room, he was also watching the president like I was. The silence in the room was soft unlike any other. I couldn't take my eyes of the president so quick.What if uncle Lucas came back?The thought of that alone was enough to keep my awake. My body was sore with pain as I adjusted my seat. As the time pulled by I began feeling sleepy. I tilted my head in Xavier's eyes to check up on Xavier.He was already asleep. I had to stay awake, atleast since Xavier was asleep. Someone had to stay awake in order to alert the others in case anything happened.I stayed awake for a while until I was pulling into sleep. My eyelids were struggling to stay up and my weak body was already pulling into the charm of sleep. My back arched instinctively as I settled deeper into the chair I was seating and before I knew it, I was already falling asleep.The silence in the room eased the sleep that