"Good morning, dear." Auntie Sophie greeted, sitting on the breakfast table wearing a white lace dress.
"You look extra beautiful today, Auntie." I replied, earning a giggle from her.
"Sit, dear. Let's have some breakfast. I especially told the cook to prepare your favorite sandwich, cheesecakes, sausage rolls, and chicken drumsticks." She said, biting my lips and smiling at her.
"Wow. Thank you, Auntie." I replied, softly dragging the chair and sitting on it.
"Anything for my Lisa." She said, "So did you and Jackson have fun choosing what to wear tonight?" She asked.
Nodding my head, wiping my mouth with a napkin, "My feet were sore walking around trying every dress and heels. I don't want to experience that ever again." I answered, earning a laugh from her.
Placing a hand on mine, looking at her as our eyes met, "Are you okay? I've heard that Jackson returned home with you unconscious." She asked, worriedly, "I'm sorry I didn't get to take care of you. I was on a meeting at that time and I got home pretty late." She added.
Placing my other hand on top of hers, giving her a reassuring smile, "No need to worry, Auntie. I'm okay. Jackson was there to watch over me." I replied, nodding her head.
"Let's continue eating, shall we?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
"We shall." I replied, earning a giggle from her.
"Oh, by the way. I've already hired someone to do your makeup and hair, so no need to worry, okay?" She asked, shaking my head, "No buts young lady. They will arrive later in the afternoon." She added.
"Yes, ma'am." I replied, earning a chuckle from her.
"Good girl." She said as we both laughed.
⚜
The vibrating sounds of knuckles softly pounding against the wooden door of my room resonated through the walls. Opening my eyes, rubbing the sleep off, standing up as I reached for the door and opened it.
Two women and one man standing behind Auntie, "Oh, dear. Sorry for disturbing you but it's already time to prepare for the party." Auntie said, nodding my head, widening the door letting them inside my room.
"I'll let you take over. Make her the most beautiful woman out there." Auntie said to them, shaking my head.
"Of course, madam." The woman replied.
"I'll go then." Auntie said, the three of them nodded.
As Auntie left, the three of them faced me, "Hi, I'm Cristine." She said, reaching my hand out to her as she accepted it.
"Pleasure meeting you, Cristine." I answered.
"She's EL and he's Arvin." She muttered, pointing at the other two.
Slightly bowing my head to them, "Hi, I'll be under your care." I said, earning a smile from them.
"Shall we start?" Cristine asked, nodding my head.
"We shall." I replied, EL ushered me to sit in front of the vanity.
"Can I see the dress?" Arvin asked.
"Sure. Excuse me." EL nodded, standing up as I took the dress placing it on my bed, Arvin nodded, rubbing his chin.
"Nice choice." He commented, smiling at him as I sat back down on the chair.
Hours passed, feeling a little bit drowsy, jolting from the voice of Cristine, "Excuse me, Lisa. You need to wear the dress now." She said, nodding my head as I stood up.
Arvin handed me the dress, entering the bathroom as I quickly changed, careful enough not to smudge any of my make up.
Walking out, Cristine clapped while EL and Arvin nodded their heads, triumphantly looking at me, furrowing my eyebrows, slightly tilting my head to the side, Cristine laughed, gently grabbing my arm dragging me towards the floor-length mirror and my eyes widened seeing my reflection.
"Holy shit." I whispered, a series of laughter from them, "Is that me?" I asked, pointing at the reflection.
"Of course, dear." EL replied.
Arvin cleared his throat, "May I?" He asked, holding a pair of black pumps in his hands, nodding my head as he kneeled, slipping the heels as it perfectly fits my feet.
Saying my thanks to him as he nodded his head, "Mr. Jackson is waiting downstairs." Cristine informed Arvin reached out his hand.
Smiling at him, looking back at them, "Thank you, really." I muttered, earning smiles from them.
"You're welcome, dear. Now, go, someone is waiting for you." EL answered, placing my hand on Arvin's as he escorted me to the stairs.
"You look beautiful, Ms. Lisa." He said.
"Thank you, Arvin." I replied, nodding his head.
Am I inside the fairytale right now?
Giggling at my thought, Jackson looked up, his eyes widened, noticing his frozen state as I approached him, "Hello, Jackson to world." I said, teasingly, snapping my fingers in front of him.
Blinking his eyes, clearing his throat, "U-um. You look stunning." He said, avoiding his gaze, giggling at him as he looked at me.
"You look like a starstruck puppy." I commented, earning a flicker on my forehead, clicking my tongue rubbing my forehead, "What was that for?" I asked, Jackson chuckled, shaking his head.
⚜
Exhaling a breath as we arrived, "Hey, smile. You look like I kidnapped you to be my date." Jackson said, nudging my shoulders, facing him.
"Can we go home?" I asked, earning a chuckle from him, brushing my hair.
"Just an hour, Lis. I promise we'll go home after." He replied, nodding my head.
Just an hour.
Sighing as we climbed out of the car, Jackson offered his arm, snaking my hands in his arms, flashes of camera greeted us as Jackson and I smiled at them.
Entering the hotel, exhaling a sigh, "Remind me not to say yes next time." I mumbled, earning a chuckle from Jackson.
"Come on, there's food inside." He replied, looking back at him, a laugh escaped from him, "Seeing how your eyes sparkled, I know food is what you're looking forward to in this party." He added.
"Of course, free food. I won't say no to that. We shouldn't say no to blessings." I replied, playfully scolding him, Jackson laughed shaking his head, "Besides I'll just eat until we go home." I added, earning another laugh from him.
"Come on, piglet." He said, gasping at what he said.
"Excuse me, Mr. Jackson Stevens. What you said there is a major fallacy." I replied, Jackson snaked his hands on my waist, furrowing my eyebrows, looking at him as our eyes met.
"Okay, okay. Let's go, gourmand." He said, whispering the last word, lightly smacking his chest.
"I heard you, boy." I muttered, Jackson raised his eyebrow, leaning forward, my eyes widened, pushing him away, "Too close, dude." I said, Jackson smirked as we continued our way to the main room.
"Smile, Lis." Jackson mumbled, lightly squeezing my waist, forcing a small smile as we entered where the party is currently happening, receiving looks from some people mainly from the girls, smirking noticing them giving me a malicious and envious glare.
"Looks like your fans are not happy, J." I whispered, earning a scoff from him.
"Ignore them. They just want attention they'll never get." He replied.
"Cold." I replied, Jackson smirked.
"Mrs. Wright, you look amazing as always." Jackson greeted, approaching a woman around in her early forties wearing a platinum floor-length lace gown, she looked at him, smiling widely upon noticing Jackson.
"Oh, please, dear. You're exaggerating." Mrs. Wright replied, a giggle escaped from her, "Who's this beautiful lady with you?" She asked, smiling at her.
"She's Lisa. My date." Jackson replied.
"You look gorgeous, dear. I'm Florence Wright." She said.
"The color suits you, ma'am. I'm Lisa, you can call me Lis." I responded, earning a laugh from her.
"I like you." She said.
Sitting in one table with Mrs. Wright, both of them engaged in a conversation not particularly listening to it as they talked about business, noticing a girl walking towards our direction, smirking averting my eyes and taking a sip on my champagne.
"Hi, Jackson." She said, interrupting them.
Rude.
"Hi. Do I know you?" Jackson asked, earning a chuckle from me, both of them looked at me with the girl giving me side-eye scowl, clearing my throat the girl looked back at Jackson.
"I'm Mia Hughes. Daughter of Mr. Hughes, CEO of Beroly." She answered.
Looking at Mrs. Wright sipping her wine, she rolled her eyes causing my smirk to widen, our eyes met, winking at me as I silently giggled at her.
"I just want to say thank you for helping my father in his business." She said, Jackson nodded, smiling at her.
"Mr. Hughes and I are business partners, it's natural for me to help him." He replied, biting my lips stifling a laugh.
"As my thanks, can I ask you to have some dinner with me? Tomorrow night?" She inquired.
Oh, brave one.
Jackson looked at me, our eyes met, raising my eyebrow at him as I shrugged, averting my gaze away from him, hearing him sigh, smirking as I continued to sip my champagne.
Feeling a tingling sensation from my arm, my smirk instantly disappears.
Not again.
Discreetly roaming my eyes around, observing everyone inside the room, placing down the champagne, tightly clenching my fist now feeling a burning sensation on my arms.
Shit, shit, shit.
As I nervously wander my eyes, I notice a man and a woman holding their nape.
You've got to be fucking kidding me.
Bowing my head, biting my lips hard, noticing a blue current on my hands, my eyes widened covering my hand with my left hand.
Fucking hell.
Looking up at Jackson, the girl was still there, Jackson noticed my stare as he looked back at me, signaling my eyes down as he followed it, his eyes widened, clearing his throat.
"I'm sorry, but I'm always busy. I can't have dinner with you. Maybe ask another guy, I'm sure they'll agree right away without a thought." He replied, grabbing my hand dragging me with him.
Jackson looked at Mrs. Wright, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Wright. But we have to go now, something urgent happened." He said.
"It's okay, sweetie. Say hi to Sophie for me." She replied.
"Will do, Mrs. Wright." He muttered.
Jackson maneuvered through the crowd with me behind him, grasping my hand, my breath begin to strained, looking back at the man who's still holding his nape, our eyes met, his eyes widened shocked written in his face, quickly averting my eyes as I fasten my walk.
"Hurry." I said, Jackson obeyed as we fled from the party.
"What happened?" He asked.
"Not now, not here." I replied, Jackson nodded.
"Where is she?" hearing a man's voice.
"Are you sure you saw her, Tony?" A voice of a woman asked.
"Yes. I'm sure, Natasha." He replied, not hearing further their conversation as Jackson dragged me at the backdoor, a black car waiting for us, quickly getting inside as he started the engine and drove away.