FULL NOVELXO Chapter 54
Chapter 54
-MILLIE-
If Sonja hadn’t gone missing under police protection, I would’ve fought Damian’s insistence on having Riggs follow me everywhere. He refused to let me see him, for crying out loud! And he wanted me to follow his request like an unbreakable rule? I want to make things difficult for him, too, but then I understand it’s for my safety.
While I was meeting with the catering service for Constance’s wedding, Riggs sat a few tables away, nursing a cup of coffee. Riggs easily blended in with the crowd, dressed in a simple vintage gray tee and fitted jeans. I’m glad he doesn’t carry a gun with him. He said it was Damian’s instruction to make me feel less agitated about having a b*dyguard. It gave me a sense of normalcy.
When Ce spent a weekend here in Roslin City, she enjoyed the food at Crave Boulevard, owned by Felicity Adams.
Setting my dislike for Felicity aside, I sat across from her, tasting the food she cooked for this meeting,
We just finished tasting the classic shrimp coc ktail, hot artichoke & red pepper dip, and deviled eggs. While waiting for the salads, I scribbled my suggestions in my notebook.
“So, how are you doing?” Making small conversations with Felicity about my personal life wasn’t part of my plan. I still remember how my lies exploded into chaos the night of the reunion. She kept pushing and pushing until all I could do was spit lies to save myself from public humiliation.
“I’m fine.” I answered, eyes laser-focused at my notes.
“I wouldn’t if I were in your shoes, Imagine Damian and Sonja? I get that she’s pretty and all, but she’s married!” Scandalized, she pressed a hand on her chest.
I know she was delving for a reaction, and I should keep my cool. But her tone turned my frown to a glower. I focused on my notes, trying to remember what I was writing again. “Don’t believe everything you read online, Felicity. None of those people spoke to Damian or Sonja. Their accusations are based on hearsay, and their personal assumption doesn’t count.”
She leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table. “Did you know about it, though?” She pressed, hunting for more
information.
Lifting my head from my notebook, I met Felicity’s prying eyes. She had her hair in big curls today, her l*ps coated with red l*p gloss, and huge gold bangles dangling from her ears. Dressed in gold glittering tulle, I recognize it from Chanel’s latest runway collection. It costs more than my monthly salary, and I just wish that Felicity would ask sophisticated questions like how she dresses up.
“Whatever his past with Sonja might or might not have been is none of my concern. He never cheated on me, Felicity,” I said nonchalantly. “All I know is that Damian is being accused of something he didn’t do.”
Felicity nibbled her lower l*p, wanting to press more on the matter, but the servers came with two plates of salads.
“Constance loved your green garden salads,” I said, swerving from our current topic and continuing to jot down my notes. “Can we proceed with the entrees?” I smiled sweetly at Felicity.
“Sure.” She instructed the server to bring out the entrees.
“Thanks.” I said, then a familiar face caught my attention as the servers left.
Natalie. She was at the bar, not as a customer but wiping the counters. I looked away when she turned in my direction. I hadn’t seen Natalie since the reunion. I’ve also unfollowed her social media accounts, but the drastic physical change in her appearance surprised me. She lost weight, and I could see the trouble in her eyes even at this distance.
“Natalie?” Felicity followed my line of sight, waving at her friend She’s struggling with money again.”
“I don’t wanna hear it, Felicity,” I said bluntly..
Felicity raised her hand. “Alright… geez, you don’t have to be so pr ickly. I’m just trying to make a conversation.”
09:30 Sat, Feb 10 M.
Chapter 54
I sighed, guilty of Felicity’s accusation. Just a pinch, though. She goes with the same tactics she did at the reunion. She knows how to push my buttons.
“Sorry.” I said and rubbed my temple, allowing Felicity to glimpse what I felt. “I’m just trying to focus on work right now.”
my
fiance is
Felicity reached over the table for my soda water and handed it to me. “You’re stressed out; I would be too if being accused of attempting to murder his ex-lover.” No matter the situation, I would always be cagey around Felicity.
~Thanks. Accepting the water, I took a small sip, looking back at Natalie. She was speaking to a customer and started tending to his order. “Why is Natalie working in your restaurant?”
I was both curious and concerned about Natalie. Her mom died when we were in junior year, and her dad wasn’t really fond of her. She was alone, and hearing her struggle financially again made me less antagonistic toward her. She was in this same situation when she came to me for help.
“She’s not doing well,” Felicity mumbled. “She hadn’t had any endorsement offers for the last two months, been living in her car when I saw her two weeks ago, so I offered her a job. She’s staying in one of the quarters upstairs.”
“What? What about Hunter?”
Felicity shrugged. “Don’t know. She’s still wearing your engagement ring, so maybe they’re just fighting.” My b*dy went stiff, “Don’t look so surprised. I know about the ring. I saw it in one of your posts before. I’m surprised you didn’t call her out at the reunion, actually.”
“There’s no use in making a scene about a ring I throw on my ex-fiance’s face. I threw it away for a reason. There was no need to hide that from Felicity now. Was she really that obsessed with me, or just a keen observer? I guess I’ll never know.
Shaking her head, Felicity’s l*ps pursed. If I were in Natalie’s shoes, I wouldn’t accept someone else’s ring. My G od,” she lowered her voice, her eyes sweeping on the tables next to ours for eavesdroppers. “What kind of life would a man offer you if he couldn’t even buy you a ring?”
She had a point. The price doesn’t matter, but the intention does
When the server brought the entrees, roasted prime rib, and grilled chicken, Felicity quickly shifted to business mode. “What you have is bone-in prime rib. If Constance wants it boneless, we could also do that, though this one will be better. It’s our most requested wedding entrée.”
I cut through the meat and took a small bite; the flavors exploded in my pallet, making me moan. “I get why,” I said, jotting down what Felicity had said.
“Thanks,” she said and moved to the grilled chicken. “This is fireman chicken. The secret is in the marinate,” s as I cut through my chicken. It was moist inside, and the flavors of the marinate stuck through the meat.
“This is really good, Felicity” Although we don’t see eye to eye on things. I am not shy about giving compliments they’re due.
“Thank you, I’m very hands-on with our menu, so don’t hate me if I’m soaking in your compliment,” she murmured proudly. She deserved it.
Our meeting went smoothly after that. At the end of my note, I put down a reminder to tell Candice about Felicity cateri for Georgina’s wedding anniversary. I’d say this was a dull, typical day at work until I went to the ladies’ room to freshen u before leaving
After doing my business in the cubicle, I was stunned to see Natalie standing by the counter, washing her hands. Shutting her presence out of my head had proven to be impossible. She was watching me the entire time I was washing my hands.
I met her eyes in the mirror. She looked thinner up close, her black Crave Boulevard uniform made her pale skin stand out. Her eyes lost their sparkle, and her frown lines were more profound. When the ring on her finger caught the overhead lights, I was reminded why I cut all my connections with her.
Like a butterfly effect, it all came rushing back to me. The sympathy I felt quickly vanished. I sucked back to the day I found her f ucking Hunter. The anger, the pain, and the humiliation.
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09:30 Sat, Feb 10 M.
Chapter 54
Wordlessly, I plucked a paper towel from the rack, dried my hands, and tossed it in the bin. I took out my l*p gloss and slid it over my l*ps. Natalie stood beside me as though waiting for me to talk to her first. I had no heart to speak to her ever again. Her betrayal still stings, so I continued my business and gathered my things.
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” Natalie spoke when I reached for the door handle.
“What?” Then I felt it, the painful flow of current on my b*dy, until I dropped to the floor. My b*dy went numb. I couldn’t feel anything, even the floor against my face. My last memory was of a guy looming over me before everything went dark.
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