The next morning, I woke in my grand, white haven, bathed in soft morning light. The distant hum of conversation pulled me from sleep.
Curious, I stepped onto my balcony to behold a sea of 50 black cars parked meticulously before the château. Elegant figures in black attire gathered on the grounds, laughter mingling in the air. Maria stood out in her casual white outfit amidst the crowd.
Confused by the unexpected gathering, I called Nina over phone, who was busy in the salon with her dresses.
"Why are there so many people outside?" I asked.
"Just Rita and Rya's family," Nina reassured me.
"No, there's a huge crowd in the courtyard," I insisted.
"Oh, those are just the guards," Nina clarified.
Despite Nina's explanation, unease lingered within me. After a comforting bath, I faced the challenge of choosing attire for breakfast. Memories of the previous day made me chuckle a bit. Rhys's frustration with his aunts' arrival and Royce's opposition to his sisters' presence echoed in my thoughts.
In the midst of my confusion, I reached out to Nina, hoping she could provide a suitable dress. She promised to send a dress once she found one that fit the formal meeting. Sitting in front of my opulent closet, wearing nothing but a robe and towel, I again giggled at the memory of Rhys's reaction to my vibrant, sexy red dress from the day before. Adhering to Maria's warning not to spill anything about our secret meeting, I simply told Nina that Maria had conducted a security background check on me, satisfying her curiosity as we chatted until the early hours in the salon.
A knock on my suite's door interrupted my thoughts. I hurried to answer it, finding Maria standing there, looking stunning in a white, loose shirt and black jeans.
"May I come in? We need to talk," Maria asked politely, and I ushered her inside. Following her was another female butler, who laid two dresses on the bed: a black, sparkling floor-length dress with a summer dress silhouette and a shirt neckline, and a bottle-green dress, with dragon scale sequences with full sleeves and a V-neckline, both flowing to the floor.
"Nina sent these dresses for you to choose from for tonight's dinner," Maria informed me, and I felt a surge of gratitude towards Nina.
"Thanks, but you didn't have to come all the way here for this dress issue," I replied modestly. Maria signaled to the butler, who then left the suite, closing the door behind her.
Maria took a deep breath.
"We have Rya and Rita here, along with their families and kids. They're all here to celebrate Ralf's birthday. Truth be told, they do not give a shit about either Royce's birthday or whatsoever, neither about me nor about Rhys. Rhys used to be close to Rita's kids, but some of his well-intentioned actions have turned him into the butt of their jokes among these people."
The last line ignited a fire within me, and I felt my anger flare up instantly.
"..... Rhys had mistakenly introduced many girls from his past to his aunts, and they all made fun of those girls so badly that it tarnished the relationship between Rhys and them. They already know about you; how? use your wildest guesses." she sighed with frustration.
"Their people had an eye on me too?" I asked.
"Exactly. They want me, Royce, and Rhys to fail with the business and in life as well," Maria declared.
"Why?" I asked. I sat down on the bed, and Maria walked to a sofa, resting her chin on her palm.
"They hate us because, Rya and Rita both harbored ambitions to lead the Volkner Corporation from the beginning, and they lacked the capability, having not undergone the grooming period with Ralf. Ralf, for his part, couldn't care less about whom he handed the company to. He began grooming Royce from a young age and appointed him as Chairman a few years ago when he retired. This decision infuriated the sisters and their multi-billionaire husbands, who always had an eye on our businesses. It was as though Ralf hadn't bestowed enough upon them already. The sisters run their own businesses, essentially gifts from Ralf."
YOU ARE READING
Two Villains
RomanceIn this modern fairy tale, Dr. Kaya has faced a tough life since she was eight, her innocence shattered in a home that resembles a hellish prison. She endures a tormented upbringing as her parents exploit her as bait to ensnare men of power and weal...
