Annabelle's POV:
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTD60ZATCp
"It's fine, Miss Walker. You don't have to go through the security procedure," Sam, the security head of the front gate, says politely and opens the door for me.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfBMMCEJ1Y
"Thank you, Sam..." I make a broad smile and step to the side of the gate. Jackson has left to attend an emergency call with one of our marketing agents. It's already 8; he has taken almost ten minutes to get out of the thick forest consisting of wild animals.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5X8LWY1pcH
"Okay, Patrick, I'll call you later." He comes back from the corner of the building and stands next to me.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveFhjbrauK
"Why didn't you get inside? Oh, waiting for me... How sweet my darling is."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFeHclaPxb
"Jackson, I swear if you call me darling once again I'll kick your balls," I say while folding my arms and shivering lightly.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooyFl57XiY
"Balls? Well, it won't be better for our future, baby," he says simply.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVeJhdOHZJ
I would have probably put the words into action, but unfortunately, his sister Leena comes between with a huge smirk.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnZLCXw9P0
"Oh, little brother, so you went to get these roses, huh?" She asks mischievously, to which he replies with an eye roll.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLzk0XE4sB
"Leena, I'm not in the mood for a fight."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FHpffd6aD
"And who needs to speak to your asswipe?" She says boringly, making me chuckle. He swiftly turns his head and gives me a glare for supporting.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5a0WIyj6kr
"Hi, Leena."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJ0eikJarD
"Anna dear... It's been a while..."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWOB9i16hi
"Two years, to be precise," I say with a broad smile.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6htRrUA8X
"Aw... You look more beautiful, Anna... Just not perfect to some idiots," she says while eyeing Jackson, who looks offended.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLFh7sV7Oc
"Look... there is your dear husband Jerry looking lost and lonely. Go... And give him company," he says with pure annoyance, making her roll her eyes.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEE9TyIsH6u
"Let him have his own company for a while... Anna, let's have some talk... How is it goin-"
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbQR8uhsFc
"Anna, we need to discuss something important with mom now," Jackson gets in between, literally grabs my hands, and separates both of us.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpFFX9CEAS
"But what?"
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjqVhxhCKW
"Business... See you at the party, Leena," he says plainly while holding my left hand strongly and striding inside the mansion, making Leena dumbfounded.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTMFFmri3Y
We push past the people and reach the great ballroom crowded with guests. The whole room is in royal blue and gold.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWw4nGHrhfs
He leaves my arms and snakes his left hand over my waist.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1H4qvcpRGh
"Excuse me!"
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmyTotRqdX
"You are excused, love." He adds more pressure.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZNmvBvIlX
"Take off your hands, Jackson."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMF60GqMUuv
"Nope."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjpVdL60ku
"This is so irritating!"
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuj9VKTJMMi
"Well, if you forget you are my DATE for tonight... So as my date, you should be lovable and kind to me like them." His gesture to the lovely couple on the stage is set up.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jH5tY19eY
"They are your—"
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSb4gQxcN2y
"Baby!" I was cut off by a sharp feminine voice, making me turn back. Amber Augustine, his chick and latest ex, is standing a few meters away from us in a tight mid-thigh-length black dress.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDQ4yS2prC
A few days back, he broke up with this supermodel after finding her little affair with her first cousin in London. Okay, this is never gonna be a normal night... I tried to remove his hand from my waist, which was in vain.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvIXWFIU3k
"Jacky, why didn't you pick my calls? I... I miss you so much... I'm so—"
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJFpkR2OgK
"Miss Augustine, I think we have settled everything between us long back," he says sternly, making her look offended.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxr6YlC8hb
Her gaze shifts from his face to his left hand now circling around my waist like a snake. Her facial features darken.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcm3zj8dqB
"I need to talk to you...in person," she says while shooting daggers in my direction.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrH2BeNLoGi
"No secrets between me and my girlfriend, and sorry, I have already closed your chapter, and we are DONE," he says coldly.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUhx8g8hC1
Wait a minute... Girlfriend?!
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqHItV0ach
Amber snaps her head with pure anger and shakes in disbelief.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbRWoC0KRs
Before me or Amber could respond to his statement, he leaves my waist and takes hold of my left hand and merges into the crowd. After a few stumbles, we pass the crowd and reach the bottom of the stage.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmr6kjmCH7
He releases my hands and fixes his tie while glancing at the mirror on the left.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zI9CS7BnA
"Jackson, what the actual heck did you say to Amber? Girlfriend?! We have just gotten into the bet less than an hour, and you already started to show your true colors."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4uzhGdwC7
"Anna, listen, okay, first of all, I'm sorry for being a jerk... The only thing I could do to get rid of her was by saying I am already committed to someone else."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0iVD452cP
"And you chose me for that?"
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzznAuPS2e
"Ummm, it just happened, Anna. I am sorry," he says nonchalantly and continues his touch-up.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTApxe8f1b
"Really? But it seems like you aren't sorry for anything," I am so pissed by his neutral response.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGxXO3OvIu
"Jackson... Anna... Over here, couple..." Aunty Aleena waves her hands and gestures for us to climb the stairs.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1xX1OKflm
"Oh Mom..." Jackson claims the little stair excitedly, followed by me. The stage is decorated with royal blue and pure gold, which kind of matches with mine and Jackson's outfit
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ553bfIlgzr
She gives him a warm hug and kisses his cheeks. Next to her stands Joseph Blake, her lovely husband, and the chairperson of the Blakes Enterprise. He just has a nonchalant expression while speaking to his son Johnny, who has just got discharged from the hospital.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuB6Q4EfnW
"Happy Anniversary, Aunty." I approach her with a warm smile and extend the gift box Mom handed to me before leaving the apartment.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03rDQHyBRW
"Aw... Thank you, Anna... It's so sweet of you," she says happily and peers through the crowd and frowns.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmduhBACiE
"Umm Anny? Where is she?" She asks me with a confused look.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAbQrfASUF
"I'm really sorry, Aunty, Mom left to attend something important."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUMGUdfnyl
"Important? More important than my anniversary?" She huffs and turns to her husband.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCY85mb16A
"Joseph, like I expected, she skips the party... I don't know why, but she is trying to avoid me for no reason," she complains to Joseph, who just nods and gestures for Jackson to come close to him.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhS4KdsV4h
"Why is she here?" He asks coldly while eyeing Amber, now having a conversation with some of the guests.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSUrdQVe6W
After finding the affair of hers, Jackson broke up with her and canceled all of the contracts with her in the Blakes Enterprise. In a fist of rage, she dashed to the head office of Blakes and demanded to speak with Joseph Blake for a compromise resulting in destroying her whole modeling career. She was thrown out by her agency for no reason, and many of the ad companies canceled their contracts with her.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvTgD7Ii24
That's how it works, never mess with a Blake, no matter who the wrongdoer is. They have a huge network and connection throughout the country in every industry. Now she needs to get patched up with the Blakes and get into a compromise, which would be better for her almost broken career.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq7JsXGoUW
"How could I know? I was stuck for a moment when I saw her here," he grumbles and shifts to his mom and gifts her a small rose box, probably containing the limited edition of Rolex Daytona.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgydq5uXlZK
"Jake... Do you have any explanation for it?" Joseph inquires.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg48KirI8gd
"Yes, Sir... Actually, she is one of the members of Madam's charity trust. We have sent invitations to every member without making a detailed background check," Jake says professionally.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgZNaXb1PZ
Joseph just nods and whispers something in his ear.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb74sudokIf
Aleena by now unwraps the gift box I have given and takes out two emerald green couple rings, which quickly grab everyone's attention on the stage.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjFAOwzyUc
"Wow, it's so cool!" Jackson mutters and takes one from her.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfrMDm4YG5
"It's quite familiar.... Mmm Oh My God... It's from L Brothers... The Italian brothers," she literally cries out, making me pop my eyes like a soccer.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnylimV8Up
L brothers?? Is she f***ing serious? It's impossible for us to get a single piece of ornament from those globally recognized brands.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDe2kaavks
"Wait, let me check... Yes, mom, you are right, it's from the L Brothers.... Damn it's one of their limited editions..."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MVLcDzXuF
My head starts to spin... How did mom ever manage to get these limited editions? Last time when I checked her bank balance, it was below 400 NOK, which is saved up for God knows what. No wonder the shipping cost almost cost half of my income from the bakery.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmknZk4yZI
"Aw... Last time I tried to get one of their ethnic collections, which was on exhibition last month, but was already taken by someone.... Anny saw how worried I was after that... She is such a sweet friend."
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstG5iGSE1W
And expensive.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSJAZfBgRz
"Mom, don't underestimate the power of Walkers; they are so capable of making us crazy like hell," Jackson says with a grin, which his mom responds to with a knowing smile.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlT7TIivF2
"Ahem... Can you all please clear off from the stage, will you?" Johnny now looks frustrated and anxious, saying annoyingly. Usually, he is the host of most of the Blakes' parties.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQLm7ykJfq
"Sure, Mr. Handy," Jackson jokes and climbs down the stairs. His Dad and secretary leave the stage just after him. Aunty and I climb down the stairs carefully without stumbling.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVc41aMbQl
We all settle down and wait for him to begin.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRapuRzPS6Z
Johnny takes the microphone, clears his throat, and begins his welcome speech.
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvkpUN3msU
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, family, and most importantly, the two incredible souls we're gathered here to honor today – my beloved parents....
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAjdIPc9U6
And here we go again...
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkl0iW0Kn2n
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVRwu5b6fX
219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXDNHmL9eS
Author's Note: lovely reader, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter ❤️
ns3.128.94.150da2
