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"I will have her go over the list again. You can stop by my room after you've eaten. I have something to discuss with you." Madame Browne's voice sliced with an edge of finality, as sharp as a knife clicking home.I nodded, an action more out of habit than respect, as my mind began to spiral into a knot of dread. I turned to the array of the generous breakfast spread in front of me, the flaky pastry laid on fine china, fresh fruits glistening under the morning rays of sun, pots of steaming coffee were managed to catch the picture. Obviously, none of that was too tempting. The intent of making this meal was evident-too perfect, it were, as though perfection were set out to blind me from something underneath.The chef stood stiff beside the table, his eyes smiling hopefully for approval. I forced a polite nod in his direction, though the tight knot in my stomach made it impossible to even consider eating. I wasn't hungry-just restless. There was something about Madame Browne
ELLA'S POV I froze at the doorstep to Madame Browne's room, the cold air in the room bracing my ears for what they were about to ear. I overhead Madame Browne on a call with someone, her voice was high pitched which meant she was venting out her anger to the person on the other end.Just before I gripped the doorknob to step in, I overhead her saying, “You promised.” Madame Browne continued, her voice dropping into a low, dangerous register. “You swore you’d ruin her.”I stiffened at the sound of her voice, the air shifted as ai bit my lower lip. What had just happened? My jaw had fallen and I was still in shock. Madame Browne's words hit me like a punch, a tidal wave that settled for my bones.So it was true after all? Her hated and resentment towards me. I knew her plan was obviously another try at ruining the event for me and having everyone watch me fail so she could say she was right after all. To say I told you so and pounce on my shame, her plan was to ruin it all for me and
ELLA'S POVAs the elevator door chimed open, my heart leaped with anxiety. A glance at the hallway to my room did nothing to ease me of the cruel anxiety I had storming in my veins. My body was still revolving from the shock of overhearing Madame Browne's plan.I could still remember her exact words, the way she cackled darkly after ending the call, the way she vented her anger at the person on the other end clearly. I never expected Madame Browne to be this power hungry, it was now beginning to look like the more you look, the less you see.The less I saw. A swift glance at Madame Browne would give you the impression she was a nice member of the McKinney family who wanted nothing but the good and betterment of the event I was hosting.But from my eyes, you'll find out that beneath the feigned giggles and smiles lays a dark twisted hatred boiling and waiting for the right time to spill. The fear in my veins echoed in sync with the fear instilling silence in the hallway. The walk from
MADAME BROWNE'S POV I sat at the balcony sipping wine from the tall wine glass framed in between my fingers. The soft berry like tinge in the wine stung my tongue as I tasted it. Everything was going smoothly, my plan was working perfectly now and nothing could stop me from reigning over the forthcoming event Ella was going to host.I'd told Genevieve to leave whatever she was doing at her office to come address the issue of the list. I didn't expect Ella to be smart enough to crosscheck the information given on the list, I had expected things her to wait for the event to pull closer before placing the booking like the fool she was.But either ways, I still had everything in control and that was all that mattered. The sunlight from the sun poured down from the open heavens basking my figure in in the golden brown hue of the evening sun. I tapped the glass before raising it to catch the glow of the setting sun. I was enjoying this, the cold air blowing gently against my flesh, the wi
MISS GENEVIEVE'S POV "I give you 24 hours to have the event under my control or else!" Her breath fanned my face. My body revolved in harsh pain as I was pressed against the hard wall by Madame Browne's cold grip. Her hands gripped my neck and pressed it hard enough to squeeze the living day light out of me. I tried to fight it, to pull her hands off but her grip was just too hard and my breath was coming out in muffled puffs.I choked on a breath as I coughed. "Or else I'll have your firm close and make you go back to being the penniless grocery worker you once were 3 years ago." She threatened before yanking off her hand from my neck.The world stood still for a split second as I watched her swivel before stepping out of the room. Before stepping out, she flashed a side way glance at me and with that she stepped out of the room.I gripped my chest as I heaved a relieved sigh, the heat from the sudden collision of my body sent me into a frantic state of panick. I panted, my heart b
Miss Genevieve's POVThe voice of Madame Browne still echoed in my head, like some ringing bell that would never stop. "You've got 24 hours, Genevieve. If this event isn't back in our hands, I'll make sure you regret ever owing me." It sent shivers down my spine, but not because of fear-because of rage. How dare Ella think she could relieve me? Me, Miss Genevieve, from that assistant role she was so desperately unfit for in the first place? The audacity. I gritted my teeth and clutched the steering wheel tighter, the leather creaking with the pressure of my hands.I hated Ella Rocci. That little nurse didn't know who she was dealing with. She thought that firing me would get rid of me? Oh, sweetheart, you just threw the first punch. Now it's my turn.I pulled my car into the parking lot of a small, grimy coffee shop that sat on the corner of a street most people would avoid. It was just the place for the kind of conversation I needed to have. Sliding my sunglasses on, I stepped out, t
ELLA'S POVMadame Browne lingered in my mind— like some unwanted guest. If she was plotting-and, really, she was plotting-could I honestly hope to get away with this event? What was intended to be a subdued celebration of the president's birthday had now, within Madame Browne's realm, even simplicity wearing the robes of a trap.I ran my fingers through my hair, pacing in the room as unease gnawed at me. I'd already caught her meddling once. What else did she plan?The third time that morning, the thought crossed my mind to call Xavier. He was still on his trip, but I hoped maybe-hearing his voice-would steady me. I leaned over and reached for my phone on the nightstand, dialing his number as my pulse sped up. It rang once, twice, and then beeped, going straight to his assistant.I swore under my breath. "Of course," I muttered to myself, trying not to let the frustration bleed into my voice. Xavier was busy. But still, it kinda stung a little. Left to battle this storm alone, a ship
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
MR MCKINNEY'S POV I stayed at alert all through the time the guards informed me she had stepped out of the mansion down till the car that drove her out veered into the mansion. My eyes widened almost immediately as my fingers roved over to the window panes as I adjusted to me to get a clearer view of the car.Just as it parked safely in the parking lot, the door to the room pulled open and as the cracks it made slashed through the silence in the air, I paused then flashed my gaze in the direction. I tilted my head and I met the blank faces of the two security guards I gave the task of relaying every update on Madame Browne's movements to me. The golden brown lighting in the room buzzed over their cold features as one of them stepped forward. “She's here, sir.” he mumbled coldly and just then, I heard a sound. It wasn't from the room but from the parking lot.If I heard it correctly, it was the sound of her driver's voice. I wasn't able to catch the exact line of words he used but I
LUCAS'S POV The moment Madame Browne stepped foot out into the restaurant, I felt my heart thump heavily in my chest. A cold shiver trudged down my spine as a sensation sprouted within me. I didn't know how to explain it but it was there. Blossoming. Growing. With my gaze fixed on her figure, I carelessly grabbed a bottle of wine and raised it to my lips. The sour taste of grapes washed down my throat as I stared back at her. She was pacing towards the table in a black dinner gown that wasn't too flashy but still blended in with the people in the bar.They all seemed discreet enough to not even flash a glance at us. Everyone had their attention fixed on the people they came to meet and nothing else. No stolen glances, no glaring eyes… nothing. It felt like we were all alone.I had to give accolades to my assistant. She really did know what her job entailed and delivered effortlessly. My fingers curled around the wine glass as I placed it back on the table and for a split second, sho
MADAME BROWNE'S POV AN HOUR EARLIERAfter the call with Lucas, he passed the phone over to his assistant who I surprisingly caught up well with and as he did, her voice blared out. “You can come over. I've fixed a dinner reservation for you and him to talk it all out and figure out the next step to take.”I nodded softly as I asked, “What time is that going to be in?”Her reply came in quicker than I was expecting. “In about twenty minutes from now, I'll send you the address.”Just as she said that, my phone buzzed in my grip and as I paused talking just to glance at my screen, a pop-up message from her number came up. I read the letters on the card slowly and after reading it, I replied her softly. “Okay. I'll be out in a bit, it actually isn't that far from the mansion.” I uttered the words and as I finished, I ended the call and raced over to my wardrobe where I picked the first dress I saw and zipped it down as I stepped into it. Pulling the gown back up, I ran my fingers over t
MR MCKINNEY'S POVI shouldn't have chased him away. He wasn't wrong but I just couldn't stand seeing him like that. For the first time in the entire decades I'd spent raising him, my little boy was making his stand and as much as I wanted to let him flap his wings I couldn't let him go out there and lose his life to Lucas.I knew who he really was and how dangerous he was and having him contend with Xavier would crush me. Lucas could have him killed within the blink of an eye and I'd lose the one thing I promised myself I'd watch over. Just if you weren't aware, I made a promise to myself after the death of his parents to take care of him and shield him from any form of harm and now…I guess he'd outgrown my tactics buti just couldn't let him out of my grasp. At least not now. Not when everything was a standstill and each and every move we made was being closely watched by him. Lucas.My heart palpited in my chest as I watched him turn his back and leave. A part of me wanted to hold h