Jessica stepped out of the president’s office, her heels echoing on the polished floors. She nodded once to the guards who straightened at her appearance waiting for her instructions.
With a calm, composed air that masked the storm brewing inside her, she glanced briefly at her wristwatch and spoke.
"Let’s go home. The time for the fashion show is just in an hour and a few minutes," she said.
She hadn’t expected that, by the end of the day, she would have spent a good amount of time in the Allen Group before heading over to the hotel.
Though, It hadn’t been her intention to linger so long at the Allen Group, but the last-minute meetings and a few surprise interjections from board members seeking final clarifications, time had slipped by like water through her fingers.
Taking a deep breath to calm her fraying nerves, she stepped forward to leave. With her checklist simple but essential, she made a few decisions:
Call Davis and ascertain the situation on his end, return home to prepare and like he promised—he would attend with her.
As they stepped into the elevator, her nose twitched slightly at the sterile scent of the elevator due to her high sensitivity to smell since her pregnancy.
Slowly, the door closed and the familiar hum of the elevator as it descended whined in her ears. Jessica dialed Richard’s number. He picked up on the first ring.
"Hello, Jess," his voice filtered through with a calm that reassured her.
Jessica paused briefly, her mind parsing the nuances in his tone; steady and unbothered. That meant no issues, no emergencies. Good.
"Just exited from a meeting. I’ll go home and get ready. I believe I’ll arrive in time to witness the red carpet," she explained calmly.
Richard acknowledged her plans, and after they exchanged a few updates before she ended the call just as the elevator dinged.
Calmly, she stepped out, sliding on her black sunglasses large enough to cover every inch of her eyes, yet stylish enough to give her a badass image that left the staff murmuring in awe and astonishment.
"Wahoo! She is beautiful."
"Don’t just look, that is your lady boss."
"Sure, she’s Davis Allen’s wife."
The comment sparked curiosity.
"You can’t be serious. How did he manage to marry someone like her?"
"He might be handsome, but a man in a wheelchair... It has its limitations."
"Does that include marrying a beautiful wife?" another asked.
"Not really...just kinda of..."she muttered searching for the best phrase to fit in.
Another snorted. "So beauty is only for the able-bodied now?"
Another shrugged. "I guess you shouldn’t talk too much and focus on your job so you won’t lose it."
"Then how do you explain Louis’s daughter leaving him?"
"Maybe she has eyes for worth, not appearance," someone quipped.
Then take it as an indication that she is blind in her choice of worth," a lady smirked, and they giggled.
"One of them pulled out her phone and discreetly took a picture of Jessica from behind, her wavy hair fluttering in the wind.
"Wahoo, so beautiful. Like a mermaid," she commented.
"Just pray you aren’t caught, otherwise I’ll definitely light a candlelight vigil for you."
"I’m so smart, I can’t be caught," she snickered with a wide grin plastered on her face.
Suddenly, Jessica paused in her step and turned back, her gaze settling on the young lady. The click of her heel was the only sound for a moment.
Her gaze, hidden behind dark lenses, locked onto the girl who froze as she noticed her gaze on her, her breath caught in her throat.
Jessica took a few steps forward. The young lady hastily dropped the phone, trying to appear innocent.
Jessica tilted her head, amused. "Not so smart," she said coolly and walked away.
The young lady blinked, astonished.
"Did she just speak to me?" she asked her colleague, who was equally stunned.
They hadn’t expected her to hear them from that distance with all the murmuring.
"She did," her colleague muttered, eyes wide. "I hope you learn your lesson."
Another stared at them for a while "I guess she said you’re not so smart," she murmured.
Ignoring whatever was said, the young lady patted her chest, thanking the heavens she wasn’t sent packing for offending her.
Ignoring the rising murmurs, Jessica continued through the lobby.
The soft hum of the revolving door echoed as she stepped out into the warm day light.
One of the guards from another car approached and opened the door for her. That’s when she noticed it—not just two, but a full team of guards stationed around her.
Her mouth twitched, her head throbbing at his action.
Stopping in her tracks, she dialed his number, and he picked up on the first ring.
""Babe, can we talk in a few minutes?" he asked, voice calm.
"Call off the guards around me," she said without preamble.
From his voice, she could almost see him reclining, a half-smile playing at his lips.
"Baby, they won’t disturb your life. Things aren’t simple right now, and we can’t take chances. Okay?"
His voice grew softer, more coaxing.
"Don’t worry. They won’t invade your space. I already instructed them."Davis concluded.
Jessica sighed. She didn’t expect so many of her rules to be broken, bit by bit.
Jessica exhaled and ended the call. She climbed into the car as it pulled away from the Allen Group, a few other vehicles falling in line keeping her in the middle.
The car sped through the highway. Her gaze lingered outside the window, taking in the sight of the city’s tall buildings, the bustling traffic, and the many people toiling hard to make ends meet. She sighed.
A wave of nostalgia for the countryside washed over her as she recalled its natural beauty: the rich horizon of tall trees, birds singing among the branches, clear and calm streams, wide gardens of green vegetation, and the fresh, undiluted fragrance of air.
A total contrast to the fast-paced, scheming, and plotting life of the city.
"It seems I need to visit my grandmother in the countryside," she mused. "It’s been a long time since I last visited." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
A penthouse stood tall, its floor-to-ceiling windows stretching across the vast open space, offering a breathtaking view of the city skyline.
The soft, lush grass glistened under the rays of sunlight. Tricia sat on a couch, her back arched in elegance, legs crossed like a queen holding court.
The slit of her red gown fluttered slightly from the breeze blowing through the open balcony doors. Her hair was pinned up in a messy ponytail, strands falling like whispers.
In one hand, a half-filled glass of deep red wine shimmered like blood, and in the other, her phone, as she gazed into space—her lips curled in a cold smirk.
Recalling the name of the man just mentioned over the phone, her fist tightened around the glass, nearly shattering it in her grip.
"Davis. Oh, Davis," she sighed.
"You still want to protect her at this moment? Yet you’ve treated me like trash. Years of friendship, years of silently loving you, waiting for the right time..." she muttered bitterly, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Yet you have her shoved in my face."
She took a deep breath and wiped away the stinging tears.
"I’ll let her taste what it means to lose—and be destroyed," she smirked.
Lifting the glass, she swirled its contents slowly and sensually, her eyes narrowing.
"I’ll settle the accounts with you later," she nodded lightly.
"Besides, you’ve already taken everything I had and tossed it to a dog—a piece of trash not worthy of the Watts family name."
She laughed hysterically.
"What a happy world it would be when she finds you in another woman’s arms?"
Shaking her head defiantly, she corrected herself.
"That’s wrong. I wouldn’t bear seeing him in another’s arms. I think it would be more fun seeing her suffer."
She smiled brightly as she stood and walked over to the tall windows overlooking the skylight.
Dialing out, she spoke smoothly,
"While you’re on it, arrange some escorts... I think two should be good." And with a click, she ended the call.
A slow applause sounded behind her. She turned around slowly.
"T, I hope you’re not planning on disrupting my plans. I’ve always dreamed of making this happen."
A blonde, elegant lady with an oval face that could easily be tagged as a baby face spoke.
"Sonia, am I that foolish? I’m just helping you... spicing things up." She clicked her fingers with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
Gracefully, she walked around the lounge, her imagination running wild.
Sonia sighed as she sat down on a couch. Pouring herself a drink, she took a sip and set the glass down.
"I was wondering... setting her up for plagiarism—wouldn’t that be better?"