"There is no use crying over spilled milk," she consoled herself as she went to take her bath.
"What is going on here?" she asked Claudia, shocked.
"Since Mister Thompson is going to spend the night here, then I rearranged the room, and I was instructed that you are meant to take a beauty bath every evening before you go to bed," Claudia said with a smile.
"You are disturbing and stressing yourself for no reason. He has gone back to where he came from," Claudia gasped. "Did you make Mister Thompson angry? You have to appease him when he comes next, or else you will be dead," Claudia said, scared.
Astrid was shocked about how scared Claudia was and how Claudia feared the cycle so much. "Why are you afraid?" Astrid asked.
Claudia replied, "Nothing, miss."
"Not wanting to leak out information for the sake of her life," Astrid thought.
"Talk to me and drop this formal behavior," Astrid said.
"I was instructed to say nothing regarding my past," Claudia said.
Astrid sighed because of that, because that cycle might have had some delays with her family too, and she is here to make up for the debt.
Please remove the petals on the bed. I will like to rest once I am done with my bath," Astrid said.
Astrid went inside the bathroom and was shocked to see that the bathtub was also with petals floating in the water. Astrid laughed aloud; she couldn't hold it anymore.
"Andrew loves petals this much," she decided not to say anything and just enjoy her bath.
While Astrid was enjoying her bath, Claudia came inside, saying, "Sorry I am late."
"Why are you here?" Astrid asked.
"I am here to help you take your bath," Claudia replied.
"I can do it myself," Astrid said.
"I am meant to ensure that your personal hygiene is up to one hundred and one percent," Claudia said.
"Go away," Astrid said.
"Unfortunately, I am under strict orders," Claudia replied. "I don't need your help. I can also give you a massage if you want," Claudia said
"I don't need this; I can do everything on my own," Astrid said. "Let's agree on something," Astrid requested.
"Okay, I will do some of my work, and I won't tell Mister Thompson that I did them myself. Is that okay?" Astrid asked.
"I'm sorry," Claudia said, apologizing as she picked up the sponge, and Astrid lay back, knowing that Claudia's loyalty was 100%.
After the bath, Claudia gave Astrid a nightwear, and she had dinner. "Where are my bags?" Astrid asked.
"Mister Thompson sent them, but he threw away your clothes. Why, I don't know," Astrid said. At least her laptop, important documents, and her mother's picture were still safe.
She decided to check on the vacancies available, so she would try her luck tomorrow. Astrid woke up and found out that she had fallen asleep on the dining table. She checked her email and found out that out of all the available companies she had applied to, only three had approved of her work and asked her to come for an interview. But luckily, the interview was scheduled at different times, so she would be able to make it.
She rushed to the shower because her next interview was in an hour and thirty minutes. After getting dressed, she faced the biggest problem: there was no mode of transportation. She didn't have any money on her. She saw her car parked neatly in the parking lot, but she wasn't with the key. She didn't even know where exactly the villa was located, so she would know how far she was from her next destination.
Time was already running out. She pondered on what to do and finally decided to call her friend Ashley to come and pick her up. "Where are you?" Ashley asked.
"I don't know... I'm at one of Mister Thompson's mansions," Astrid said.
"What are you doing there?" Ashley asked.
"It's a long story; please just hurry. I don't know where that is because I can't go looking for you in every mansion he owns. He owns...," Ashley replied.
"I'll send you my exact location. Please hurry up; I'm running late," Astrid said, ending the call.
Everywhere was quiet; Claudia and the rest were still sleeping. She checked the time, and it was 8:25. She barely had an hour left, and her ride wasn't there yet. The environment was empty; there was no one around aside from the guard, who kept grumpy faces. She couldn't imagine talking to them or telling them her movement, so she decided to wait for Ashley.
EDITTT!!...
Ashley arrived by 8:55, and Astrid was pissed. "What kept you so long?" Astrid asked.
"Number one, I was barely out of bed when you called. Plus, no one informed me that I had to do an early pickup this morning. Can't you see I'm still in my nightwear? I just rushed out to help you. Number two, finding this place wasn't easy, and there is tight security outside this gate. This gate is as if he bought everywhere...," Ashley said.
"Please Astrid interrupted because she was tired of listening to Ashley. But I mean, did he buy this whole...?" Ashley asked.
"What exactly are you doing here? I thought Mira was the one who was engaged to him. What are you doing here? What about George and Mira? Do you know this? We're friends, we're best friends, and you're keeping everything away from me."
"This was the exact reason we no longer became best friends. The main reason I became distant. Be
st friends won't sell you out for likes and comments on I*******m," Astrid said.
"I apologized already ,but there was nothing for me to post about for almost two months. There was nothing good happening in my life. I started losing followers, and it was really bad. Plus, that post made me gain the attention of the Brooks family. They love me now " "They don't love you; they're using you to get juicy gossip because that's what you're good at," Astrid said, offending Ashley with the last part"Excuse me?" Ashley said, feeling annoyed with the last sentence. I'm sorry, please just drive," Astrid apologized, even though she knew she had told the truth. She didn't want to be kicked out of the car because she was stranded."Fine, where am I going to go? Corporate society? Why do you want to go there?" Ashley asked."I'm going for an interview," Astrid replied."What?" Ashley exclaimed with a smile. "Astrid wished she hadn't told her that. It explains why you're dressed like this. The young daughter of the Waltons needs a job," Ashley said with mocking laughter."Wait,
When they got back, Claudia had already prepared lunch so Astrid showered and ate to her satisfaction while Andrew simply watched her. He waited until she was done before he spoke"You have three hours to rest,I have an event by seven so you'd better be up before then." Andrew informed her"How does it relate to me? I'm not your fiancé" Astrid said."You'd be my arm candy for the night ""What would people say,when I'm by your side instead of Mira" Astrid asked "That's not your problem is it?" Andrew asked "No but I can't make a public appearance when you have Mira ""I'm going to cancel my engagement with Mira"Andrew replied "She'd be really angry."Astrid said with a smile and Andrew shot her a glare"I mean she really wants to be Mrs Thompson and join the Elites club" Astrid replied "Someone would be here in three hours time to get you dressed. "He said as he stood up and was about to leave "Where am I going to? " Astrid asked "Is there a problem? "Andrew retorted"Don't I hav
At Mrs. Mills' birthday party, they arrived and their entrance made heads turn and mouths whisper, but the person who was mostly whispered about was Astrid. "Isn't that Mrs. Astrid of the Waltons?" someone asked. "Wow, she's so pretty. ""Yeah, but why is she with Mr. Thompson?" That was the question that left people wondering. Reporters rushed to them to interview, but they were pushed away by the guards. "So who is she? Where is Mira? What happened to your engagement? Why is she with you?" The reporters fired the questions.Astrid understood the fact that the reporters didn't know her; she wasn't popular anyway. She was always left to be at home while Mira attended the occasions. She looked at Andrew; he was so confident. His eyes were cold. There was no smile on his face. "Would you like to drink?" he asked in a cold voice when he noticed that Astrid was looking at him. "Yes, please," she said with a smile and watched Andrew grab a drink, but was stopped by someone suddenly.A
"Astrid woke up due to the piercing rays of the sun. She lay there for a while, trying to get her emotions intact. Andrew wasn't beside her. The room had been cleaned. She sat up, and her eyes went to the lamp stand. She saw a glass of water and contraceptive pills. She quickly took them to avoid any string that would draw her to Andrew Thompson.She went to the dining. The maids were ogling about something. 'What is so juicy?' Astrid asked. 'It's nothing, ma'am' They all chorused. Astrid knew that they were talking about her. They were talking about last night because she spotted Claudia eavesdropping last night.'Good morning, Miss' Claudia greeted. 'Morning' Astrid answered. 'Did you see the tablet I placed by...''I've taken them already,' Astrid cut her short. 'What time did Mr Thompson leave?' she asked.''He left last night, ma'am,' she replied courteously."Meanwhile, at the Walton's home, when Mira got home, she cried throughout the night, and her father kept consoling
When Andrew left Astrid, he was informed that his mother was around, which made him annoyed because he knew that Mira had told her everything and he doesn't have a good relationship with his mother so he avoids her every chance he gets.He sighed when e received the news and went to his office before deciding to return home. "Welcome," he said coldly, knowing what was next."You are back, go and shower, let's have a meal," Mrs Elena Thompson said. When Andrew went to the bathroom, he dialed John's number. "Hello,""Yes sir," John replied. "I want you to transfer Astrid and all of her belongings to a hotel. I don't want any traces of her belongings there, and you will tell Claudia to clean the whole house, pack her things, and go back to base. Is that understood?" "Yes, sir," John said, and Andrew ended the call, had his shower, and went down for breakfast.At dinner, Mrs Elena asked, "What's your relationship with Mira's younger sister?" "There is nothing going on between us," And
Astrid went to Mr Thompson's house and she was taken to the garden, where she waited for Mrs Thompson. When mrs Thompson arrived with Mira, Astrid wasn't surprised that Mira had gained Mrs Thompson's favor."Good afternoon, ma'am," Astrid said respectfully."I'd like to get straight to the point," Mrs Thompson said, ignoring Astrid's greeting."Okay then,why did you call me here.""Wait...." Mira said abruptly "is that a hickey on your neck?" Mira asked making Astrid touch her neck subconsciously"I hope I wasn't called here to answer questions about my personal life" Astrid replied with her eyes fixed on Mira."Who gave you the hickey?" Mrs Thompson asked."My lover" Astrid replied."I hope that lover isn't my son?" Mrs Thompson asked"Why would I be with an old man?" Astrid asked with the intention of provoking Mrs Thompson and it worked perfectly. Firstly she hates it when you answer her questions with a question, secondly Astrid called her son 'old'."What did you call him old?" M
"Andrew, where are you?" Mira asked, her voice sounding anxious. "What is it, Andrew?" Andrew sat up "Your mother suddenly fainted. Hurry and come over, Andrew," Mira ended the call.Andrew left, leaving Astrid to wonder what actually happened. Andrew rushed home to find out it was all a prank—a trick to bring him home. He saw his mother sipping tea in her room and smiling with Mira.He was about to leave, but Mrs. Thompson went ahead of him and stood in front of the door. "You're not going anywhere." "I still have unfinished work" Andrew replied."Well, you'll finish them tomorrow," Mrs Thompson said."What's the meaning of all this?" Andrew asked, annoyed. "Ever since Mira came in, you have been away. What's wrong with you? What's wrong with Mira? "She moved in. What am I supposed to do about it?" Andrew replied, "You're not even showing any form of interest in Mira. All you do is work, work, work. You just need to spare her a little attention, and you will know who she is. Yo
"Okay, we really need to be extra careful here," John said as he looked inside from the window, but there was no one. He tried opening the door, but it was locked."Do you know where Mr Thompson's room is?" John asked."No, I don't. I've never been here, aside from when I was called for that dumb interview." Astrid said."Look, you'd have to be as quiet as possible," he said as he opened the door and pulled Astrid inside.Astrid was amazed with the interior designs. The house looked glass-like and was really big. Her house wasn't compared to this. She was amazed, but you know she couldn't expect less from a billionaire.They were spotted by the family maid, Lydia, but John simply placed his finger on his lips, and she nodded because she understood what was going on.He snuck her until he got to the door to Andrew's room, but it was locked too. He quickly pulled out his keys, unlocked the door, and pushed Astrid inside, then locked the door.Just then, Mrs. Thompson appeared. "John, wh
"You are only permitted to assist your husband at work," Mrs Thompson said, her voice firm but controlled. "I didn't work; I only assisted my husband with work. When he died, I took over the family business and trained Andrew."Astrid's eyes narrowed. "Well, I'm not married yet, so I'm free to work."Mrs Thompson's expression turned stern, her eyes flashing with disapproval. "You're not going to any place called work. You're getting married next week, yet you don't know the basics."A pause hung in the air, heavy with tension."Do you plan to disgrace us on that day?" Mrs Thompson continued, her voice dripping with disdain. "That day is a big day for the Thompsons and the Waltons."Ashley felt a surge of defiance. "I know how to behave," she said, her voice steady.Mrs Thompson's gaze lingered on Astrid, as if searching for weakness. "I've assigned someone to teach you how to behave."The air seemed to thicken, the silence oppressive."I know how to walk properly in heels or my weddin
Mira's mind was racing. The thought of losing everything she'd ever dreamed of, becoming a laughingstock, and facing public ridicule was driving her to the brink of madness. "What did I do wrong?" she asked herself, frustration etched on her face.She couldn't bear to go online, where posts mocked her and her followers ridiculed her. Even her friends had turned against her. The engagement to Andrew, once the epitome of her success, was now crumbling. The embarrassing online tantrums, the tagged pictures – all for nothing.A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she thought about the cruel irony. Her sister, Astrid, was marrying Andrew next week, while Mira's own engagement was being called off this week.Desperate for answers, Mira dialed George's number. But he ended the call abruptly. She tried again, only to be met with the same dismissive response."What's going on?" Mira wondered, annoyance growing within her. George had always prioritized her calls and texts, responding promptly. Thi
She knocked on Mira's room.And Mira opened it.Mrs Thompson was shocked that Mira was already dressed for work.She was also happy to see Mira's devotion to her father's company, just like Andrew.A sense of pride swelled within her.She was sure Mira would make a good CEO."I want to talk to you briefly," Mrs Thompson said calmly.Her voice was measured."Oh, good morning, ma'am. Please come in and have a seat."The words hung in the air.When Mrs Thompson was seated, she invited Mira to sit beside her.Mira sat down.Her eyes locked onto Mrs Thompson's.Sensing what Mrs Thompson was about to say.Mrs Thompson's calm demeanor was unlike her usual self."I want to talk to you about something," Mrs Thompson began.Her words trailed off."I just hope you'll take it calmly, okay?"The silence stretched out."I'm listening," Mira replied.Her voice was steady.Mrs Thompson picked up Mira's hand and held it in hers."Look, I know this isn't what you wanted to hear," she said gently.Her e
Mira was happy regarding the news of George's wedding to Astrid. She knew within herself that she would finally get Andrew, and nothing would be in her way. Suddenly, she remembered the pregnancy - Astrid was still pregnant. How could she forget something so crucial, something so important like that? She really needed to find a way to cleanse Astrid of such impurities, she thought.She drove home feeling happy - although she had urgent work to continue. That didn't stop her, because she would be so powerful soon, and no one would dare mess with her. As expected, she was thoroughly searched before she was. She stepped out of the car and handed the keys to the doorman, instructing him to park it for her. As she gathered her belongings, her mind wandered to the events that had transpired earlier. The news of George's wedding to Astrid still lingered, fueling her determination.After being thoroughly searched, she entered the building, her heels clicking against the marble floor. The w
George barged in without knocking shocking Andrew and Astrid,he walked in and held Astrid's hand attempting to drag her away from Andrews' grip but Andrew's grip was stronger. George continued dragging not minding if it was hurting her or not, his goal was to take Astrid back to The Smiths mansion "Let her go" George said when he discovered that he wasn't winning at all Astrid gripped unto Andrews' neck for support as she was being pulled by George. Andrew stood up releasing Astrid because he understood it was hurtful."Why are you here" Andrew asked "I'm here to take what belongs to me""There's no ring on a finger that says she is yours and there's no tag on her which says she belongs to you."Andrew!!" Astrid screamed in tears as George squeezed her hand too tight."Let her go!" Andrew replied." This is none of your business. I'm tired of letting you use who belongs to me and you wants to get married to her while I wasn't even a single chance to do anything,do you know how that
(An hour later)Astrid woke up, feeling a huge load on her chest. She opened her eyes and saw that it was Andrew; he fell asleep on her.She smiled, gently patting his hair, reminiscing about what had happened earlier.Suddenly, it hit her: today was Friday; she had to be at work.Andrew wouldn't be bothered, though - he was the CEO; no one would question why he wasn't in the office.She stretched her hand and picked up her phone, which was on the bedside lamp.Fifty-three missed calls from Mrs Karen and other workers flashed on the screen; they also sent text messages.Astrid's stomach knotted with anxiety.Astrid stopped patting Andrew's head and reached for her phone to read the messages. But Andrew was quicker; he took the phone from her hand."What's that?" Astrid pleaded. "Please get off. I need to rush to work.""You will go tomorrow," Andrew replied, his voice calm and soothing. "Take the day off.""Please, you're different," Astrid said, frustration creeping into her voice. "
"And we also found this." The security personnel said as he brought out the stacks of cash given to the photographer by Mira.Andrew's smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression. The security personnel handed him the money found in the photographer's bag."Give the camera to the security personnel," Andrew ordered, his voice firm. "Wipe out everything in it and return it to him."Andrew understood the photographer's desire to make his family proud. But using illegal means was unacceptable.He walked to Mira's room, allocated by his mother. He knocked.Mira groaned from inside, hastily hiding the pictures under her pillow. She opened the door, attempting a smile."Good morning," she greeted.Andrew's expression remained stern."If you want to engage in illicit activities, don't do it here," he said. "This house belongs to my late grandfather. Show some respect. Take all your dirty affairs to your house or you get a hotel."Mira's eyes widened."I didn't do anything nasty," she prot
The photographer approached the gate, his footsteps echoing through the morning air. As he caught sight of the men in black, his heart skipped a beat. Their imposing figures seemed to loom over him.At first, he was scared. But Mira's assurance that everything was okay echoed in his mind, calming his nerves."Good morning," he greeted, trying to sound casual as he touched the gate, thinking he'd be able to open it.But instead of a friendly response, he felt a sudden jolt of electricity from the gates."What does this mean?" he asked, confusion etched on his face.One of the security personnel stepped forward, his voice firm."Where were you last night?" he asked.The photographer hesitated."Where exactly am I coming from? What sort of question is that?" he replied, trying to sound confident.The security personnel raised an eyebrow."Let me out!" the photographer demanded, touching the gate again without thinking.He yelped in pain as the electricity coursed through his body.The se
"I like you" Kimberly replied making Andrew a bit shocked,he pushed her slightly creating a gap between them,he didn't expect his secretary to like him"Why did you do that?" Andrew asked calmly."Do you like me or not?" Kimberly asked with red teary eyes because she already knew the answer,he didn't kiss her back which meant he didn't like her"I do not." Andrew's expression turned gentle, but firm."Kimberly, I appreciate your honesty, but I'm committed to Astrid."Kimberly's eyes welled up with tears."I understand," Kimberly replied feeling heartbroken Andrew continued, his voice soft. "You're an exceptional assistant, and I value our professional relationship. Let's keep our focus on work, shall we?"Kimberly nodded, her face flushed with embarrassment."I'm sorry, Mr Thompson," she whispered.Andrew smiled kindly."No need to apologize, Kimberly. Let's just forget this happened, okay?" Andrew replied as he dialed John to bring a car and drop her home because she can't find her