Annabelle's POV:
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbj9DNO8jz
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4dxvbbwVE
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroQCHXanHp
"Okay, Patrick, I'll call you later." He comes back from the corner of the building and stands next to me.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyi41Kj34J8
"Why didn't you get inside? Oh, waiting for me... How sweet my darling is."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHA8ZCP3og
"Jackson, I swear if you call me darling once again I'll kick your balls," I say while folding my arms and shivering lightly.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3MtOspitY
"Balls? Well, it won't be better for our future, baby," he says simply.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCKEtpHQvF
I would have probably put the words into action, but unfortunately, his sister Leena comes between with a huge smirk.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsyoPtgnU4
"Oh, little brother, so you went to get these roses, huh?" She asks mischievously, to which he replies with an eye roll.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEqiM2iWiH
"Leena, I'm not in the mood for a fight."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaluZCHmUk4
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFONCAiaaN
"Hi, Leena."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yhGNqJ8bo
"Anna dear... It's been a while..."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7uQeuHUpa
"Two years, to be precise," I say with a broad smile.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1B0WA4LLm9
"Aw... You look more beautiful, Anna... Just not perfect to some idiots," she says while eyeing Jackson, who looks offended.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzJ4CCKZ90
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9TA59IL1x
"Let him have his own company for a while... Anna, let's have some talk... How is it goin-"
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbGdxNqJrF
"Anna, we need to discuss something important with mom now," Jackson gets in between, literally grabs my hands, and separates both of us.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xnLsCBMNN
"But what?"
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzjcubMT8H
"Business... See you at the party, Leena," he says plainly while holding my left hand strongly and striding inside the mansion, making Leena dumbfounded.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGtpfjcdhy
We push past the people and reach the great ballroom crowded with guests. The whole room is in royal blue and gold.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtD3scrupN6
He leaves my arms and snakes his left hand over my waist.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡods8xh8YoQ
"Excuse me!"
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAjWcx63mw
"You are excused, love." He adds more pressure.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNsPbE9E84
"Take off your hands, Jackson."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNbAyTKm9Y
"Nope."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyModr3Esf
"This is so irritating!"
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWYj6hyr5i
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJONxxXh6XY
"They are your—"
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtPQ8ZF1cV
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINeLRto3zE
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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2e8JJPxcuK
"Jacky, why didn't you pick my calls? I... I miss you so much... I'm so—"
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkAyWoa63f
"Miss Augustine, I think we have settled everything between us long back," he says sternly, making her look offended.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mTVpTPf75
Her gaze shifts from his face to his left hand now circling around my waist like a snake. Her facial features darken.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoiWE8zutm8
"I need to talk to you...in person," she says while shooting daggers in my direction.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7rhj21Mha
"No secrets between me and my girlfriend, and sorry, I have already closed your chapter, and we are DONE," he says coldly.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQFudeckHD
Wait a minute... Girlfriend?!
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4OYUibz5s
Amber snaps her head with pure anger and shakes in disbelief.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdxCLpPL5q
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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcvZaG6kfP
He releases my hands and fixes his tie while glancing at the mirror on the left.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtQp2Ny88W
"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."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9q9MWW0Lfw
"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."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2E2uOqvtdy
"And you chose me for that?"
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCB1EVRcVL
"Ummm, it just happened, Anna. I am sorry," he says nonchalantly and continues his touch-up.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50msnkP2Il
"Really? But it seems like you aren't sorry for anything," I am so pissed by his neutral response.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrSj46GxQ9
"Jackson... Anna... Over here, couple..." Aunty Aleena waves her hands and gestures for us to climb the stairs.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBCLsPvU02
"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
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrKz2raQvL
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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DNRcI8qUp
"Happy Anniversary, Aunty." I approach her with a warm smile and extend the gift box Mom handed to me before leaving the apartment.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsglBgg5s0Q
"Aw... Thank you, Anna... It's so sweet of you," she says happily and peers through the crowd and frowns.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlz1oEM0fm
"Umm Anny? Where is she?" She asks me with a confused look.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4LYLrBuk6
"I'm really sorry, Aunty, Mom left to attend something important."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgRNPOQJGT
"Important? More important than my anniversary?" She huffs and turns to her husband.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACdIpMXq6u
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yGmIWBFq0
"Why is she here?" He asks coldly while eyeing Amber, now having a conversation with some of the guests.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKibWC8ROLg
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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH83mi4hH3i
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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00Byxwz9TA
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYtiIHPVGQ
"Jake... Do you have any explanation for it?" Joseph inquires.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOyzC3UVa0
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrJ4irI7F0
Joseph just nods and whispers something in his ear.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1beXJFchY
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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡes9r9aj0DZ
"Wow, it's so cool!" Jackson mutters and takes one from her.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BZvkLZ04G
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5M7uctMfZ
L brothers?? Is she f***ing serious? It's impossible for us to get a single piece of ornament from those globally recognized brands.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Mkwkhj0qT
"Wait, let me check... Yes, mom, you are right, it's from the L Brothers.... Damn it's one of their limited editions..."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0VXvzoQZd
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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8hf6GVp50
"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."
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkaLOVolX4
And expensive.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelfNBSUlag
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2zCkiqJOO
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uKpT2GusY
"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.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRM4Pd5O1J
We all settle down and wait for him to begin.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoktr0E9hI
Johnny takes the microphone, clears his throat, and begins his welcome speech.
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWSsxapW6z
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, family, and most importantly, the two incredible souls we're gathered here to honor today – my beloved parents....
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzOw7C0teY
And here we go again...
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuuPDYkPhx
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3ZUU6oZgW
255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLW0KBFl1Jc
Author's Note: lovely reader, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter ❤️
ns160.79.111.142da2
and then Add to home screen.