Chapter 3

‘I used to wonder what my life would be like if situations were different than my current one. Will I still be a victim to this crude plague known as physical pain? ’

‘Six months after my encounter with my husband to be happened, the engagement was upon us. Many of the family members were ecstatic for us but I could tell it was a façade. ’

The party was in full swing, and the Reeves villa was crowded by people, coming from far and wide. All accomplished businesses men and women, they were there to congratulate Keenan for getting engaged.

“Keith!!!.” A voice yelled out amongst the people, Keenan turned around and smiled at the figure who was approaching him and Ella.

‘That time I think, was the only time I ever saw Keenan smile. He was never smiling or showing affections when he was with me.’

“ Titus!!!” Keenan replied, his eyes glinting with excitement as he and Titus shared a brotherly hug and a fist bump.

Ella sat there, drinking her cocktail in peace. She smiled to herself and scoffed at the display of emotions Keenan was showing to Titus. 

If he could be like this with me, but who am I kidding? It’s obvious he hates my guts. She thought to herself.

Her eyes slightly widened as she noticed Keenan and Titus walking towards her, laughing like long time friends. Perhaps they were?

“ Titus let me introduce you to my fiancée, Brittney Hughes, soon to be Brittney Reeves” Keenan declared in a happy tone, his face however, contradicting the tone of his own voice as he had a dark look cascading his features.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Brittney. ” Titus bowed to Ella, showing his chivalrous side and added a slight flirting tone to mix up his words portraying his casanova side.

“Brittney Hugh.. I mean Brittney Reeves” Ella reciprocated Titus’s greeting with her own however declaring her alias which she was forced to carry by her stepmother.

Titus smirked at her, and pulled Keenan into the crowd of people who were in the middle of the spacious villa dancing to the music, leaving Ella to pounder alone to her thoughts.

Rose, Brittney and Eva came up to Ella immediately after Keenan and Titus departure and all three looked at her sneering at the sight of Ella.

“ You think you are the big thing now that you are marrying the most richest man in all of London don’t you?” Brittney asked, a scowl gracing her beautiful face reducing its beauty, she wasn’t fond of the idea her mother suggested but she couldn’t do anything.

Ella noticing the ethic in human behavior due to her being a psychology student, smiled a taunting smile which she knew would infuriate Brittney and her family much more. “ To Per rispondere alla tua domanda, no, non lo sono e non penso di rlo. Ora mi stai disturbando, per favore lascia subitoe. (To answer your question, no I’m not and I don’t think I am. Now you are bothering me, please leave at once) ” She said in italian, affixing her tone to show who had sovereign over who in that situation.

“Why you… little b*tch.” Rose clicked her tongue, and raised her hand high aiming to slap Ella across the face, she was beyond angry, she was humiliated by this little witch as she calls her. But the look on Ella’s face told her otherwise and she froze on the spot.

“ Mother let’s go, no need to waste your energy with this little piece of sh*t, she’s only good at one thing and that’s selling herself and her body” Brittney said, grabbing her mother’s raised hand to deter a scene from occurring. The trio turned on their heel and marched away from Ella.

Ella smirked and tipped the glass on her lips emptying the content inside down her throat. She scoffed again standing up to her feet. 

The human mind is easy to toy with and decipher, pitiful. She thought walking away from the party to the balcony wanting fresh air.

Her steps were light like a cats, inaudible giving her a quick and sneaky way out of the ballroom and into the hallway, for six months she had been there. She memorized the entire villa layout, from the one she was staying at to the one least used.

Hushed voices made themselves clear to her ears, Ella hid just before the opening leading outside on the wall eavesdropping on the conversation.

“ Good job Keenan, Elimination of the vice president of the oil company went as planned. Sixty eight million has been transferred to your families account, looking forward to working with you again.” an unfamiliar voice, made its way to Ella who was attentively listening to the conversation between Keenan and the mystery man.

Elimination of a vice president? Is Keenan an assassin? She thought to herself drowning the voices momentarily, amidst her train of thoughts, she subconsciously stepped out from her hiding spot and into the light of the moon directly before Keenan and the man.

The duo’s conversation ceased instantly upon noticing the intruder, Keenan scowled when he saw Ella standing there before them. “ What are you doing here you worthless junk? Aren’t you happy that you have your little party?” Keenan asked walking towards Ella.

Ella’s mind came to be and she took a step back from Keenan, increasing the space between them. “ I came here to get some fresh air” She said, composing herself looking at Keenan. But her main focus being the short, fat man behind him.

The man who was speaking with Keenan, wore his hat and walked passed the duo and out the door but he stopped halfway. “ We will continue our talk some other time. ” He said, and vanished into the hallway leaving the two there.

Keenan didn’t spare a glance towards Ella, he roughly walked passed her bumping his shoulder into hers, his body pushing her to the side and he too followed the fat man who disappeared before.

Alone, Ella walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned on the railing observing the lights that decorated London.

 So, something is going on between Keenan and that man, but the question I’ve yet to encrypt an answer to is who is that man? She thought pursing her lips, a glint of determination lit her eyes and she came to a resolution. She was going to find out