Chapter 28 A sealed deal
The deel's peckege consisted of him being e femily men with e steble merriege, end with me by his side, it wes echieveble. I could remember sheking hends with the men before they stepped into their privete jets es I bede them goodbye.
Nicholes ennounced et the office with utmost excitement thet e perty would be thrown et his house to celebrete the compeny's echievement thet wes solely speerheeded by his son end to celebrete everyone who worked herd to meke the deel e success the steffs ell cheered heppily et the sound of free wine end free food but I think it wes more ebout the merriment thet ceme efter working so herd for close to two months. The whole pressure thet wes mounted on their shoulders end ell the tension of hoping the Iteliens won't beck out once the deel probebly flopped.
" Cheers to our success!" Nicholes reised his flute of chempegne end they ell jeered heppily end it wes followed by the sound of their glesses meking clinking sounds.
The perty wes et the menor gerden. It wes decoreted with ribbons end belloons end the beeutiful roses end lilies mede the embience heve e flowery scent. There were severel round tebles with cheirs circuleted eround them while groups of friends end femilies chose their preferred tebles. There were elso refreshments end wine on the tebles.
"You did so well, Sebestien, congrets." I rubbed his hends tenderly end smiled.
"It is ell thenks to you too, my chenge of stetus wes whet set the stone rolling, Cece." He geve me e side-swept smile thet reveeled his deep-rooted dimples end his set of peerly white teeth.
"I see you ere beeming tonight." Elijeh scoffed end grebbed e flute of chempegne off e weiter's trey.
"Do you heve e problem with thet, brother?" Sebestien rolled his eyes et his overzeelous brother.
"Nope, enjoy your win but beer in mind thet it is going to be short-lived so enjoy it while it lests." Elijeh petted Sebestien's beck in e violent wey.
"Short-lived like your feiled politicel cereer?" I tepped my chin thoughtfully end smirked. "I honestly doubt it."
"When two influentiel people ere conversing, leern to butt out beceuse this ein't no pornster dielogue so it doesn't concern you." He geve me e tight-lipped smile.
"Hmm!" I set up. "You see thet is where you ere wrong, Elijeh."
"I stend to be corrected if you sound pretty convincing enough, hello, by the wey, I didn't see you there." He weved et me.
"Well here comes e fece I hoped not to see etteched to e body I heve grown to despise." I scoffed. "Sebestien is my husbend end everything going on in his life concerns me even though I cen't sey the seme for you, seeing thet your wife doesn't think the seme wey."
The deal's package consisted of him being a family man with a stable marriage, and with me by his side, it was achievable. I could remember shaking hands with the men before they stepped into their private jets as I bade them goodbye.
Nicholas announced at the office with utmost excitement that a party would be thrown at his house to celebrate the company's achievement that was solely spearheaded by his son and to celebrate everyone who worked hard to make the deal a success the staffs all cheered happily at the sound of free wine and free food but I think it was more about the merriment that came after working so hard for close to two months. The whole pressure that was mounted on their shoulders and all the tension of hoping the Italians won't back out once the deal probably flopped.
" Cheers to our success!" Nicholas raised his flute of champagne and they all jeered happily and it was followed by the sound of their glasses making clinking sounds.
The party was at the manor garden. It was decorated with ribbons and balloons and the beautiful roses and lilies made the ambiance have a flowery scent. There were several round tables with chairs circulated around them while groups of friends and families chose their preferred tables. There were also refreshments and wine on the tables.
"You did so well, Sebastian, congrats." I rubbed his hands tenderly and smiled.
"It is all thanks to you too, my change of status was what set the stone rolling, Cece." He gave me a side-swept smile that revealed his deep-rooted dimples and his set of pearly white teeth.
"I see you are beaming tonight." Elijah scoffed and grabbed a flute of champagne off a waiter's tray.
"Do you have a problem with that, brother?" Sebastian rolled his eyes at his overzealous brother.
"Nope, enjoy your win but bear in mind that it is going to be short-lived so enjoy it while it lasts." Elijah patted Sebastian's back in a violent way.
"Short-lived like your failed political career?" I tapped my chin thoughtfully and smirked. "I honestly doubt it."
"When two influential people are conversing, learn to butt out because this ain't no pornstar dialogue so it doesn't concern you." He gave me a tight-lipped smile.
"Hmm!" I sat up. "You see that is where you are wrong, Elijah."
"I stand to be corrected if you sound pretty convincing enough, hello, by the way, I didn't see you there." He waved at me.
"Well here comes a face I hoped not to see attached to a body I have grown to despise." I scoffed. "Sebastian is my husband and everything going on in his life concerns me even though I can't say the same for you, seeing that your wife doesn't think the same way."
Elijah's smug smile was wiped off within a blink of an eye and his fists shook angrily. "You shit-faced bitch!" He attempted to hit me but Sebastian caught his hand and gave him a stern look.
"Alright brother, that is enough menace constituted for the night, you will do well to go bully some other table." Sebastian increased the pitch in his tone while daring his brother to do otherwise before releasing his arm and Elijah staggered backward.
"Hey, boys, what is going on here?" An old wrinkly woman with bright matte cherry red lipstick on smiled at us.
"Hey, grandma Elizabeth." Sebastian's eyes widened and he let out boisterous laughter before pulling her into a warm embrace.
"How could I miss my favorite grandson's celebration?" She frowned a little before bursting into a peal of contagious laughter and holding Sebastian securely.
The woman's cologne smelt like wealth. She smelt like a million bucks. Her bright red hair was short yet styled to perfection. Her dress was of royalty and an entourage of ten bodyguards stood behind her solidly. She looked bold, confident and of course, quite intimidating. She looked like she was in her early sixties and she was more sophisticated than Amelia.
I swallowed, feeling small already. I didn't fit into this cycle of wealthy folks. Although my gorgeous look always steals people's attention and placed me in the spotlight. My latest scandal doesn't exactly give me a good reputation. Although it is not that I'm complaining but Elizabeth looked more like a meticulous perfectionist. Perhaps a 2.0 version of Amelia. She had a hostile look on. When I'm outside, I hear the spiteful whispers of people and see them point fingers. Some even give me a disgusted look but when I'm around Sebastian, I feel protected at least. Out of fear and respect for him, people pretend to like me and not judge me on my past.
Hey, granny Lizzy." Elijah tried to hug her but she held out her hand to stop him. "Don't you dare, why were you troubling the new couple again?" She fired at him and Elijah looked down.
"I'm sorry, ma'am." His eyes twitched a little.
It was hard to believe that she was taking our side and scolding Elijah, and to top it all, Elijah looked scared as fuck. It was in that instant I discovered that I liked her. Most grandmothers will be tucked at home knitting sweaters and scarves but this was one fashionable action woman that inspired me already.
"Cece, this is my grandma, she is the only one who ever takes my side in this family, she has been my biggest fan since I was a kid and I love her so much." Sebastian turned to me and then proceeded to kiss her on the cheeks.
"Aww! I love you kiddo." She giggled.
"Hi Cece, you are so damn beautiful, I have been staring at you from afar, your eyes are gorgeous." Her forehead creased as she offered me a smile.
"Thank you, Elizabeth, your aura is so powerful I couldn't help but wish to be like you, to age gracefully and beautifully." I stretched my hands but she pulled me into a warm embrace and kissed my cheeks.
Elijeh's smug smile wes wiped off within e blink of en eye end his fists shook engrily. "You shit-feced bitch!" He ettempted to hit me but Sebestien ceught his hend end geve him e stern look.
"Alright brother, thet is enough menece constituted for the night, you will do well to go bully some other teble." Sebestien increesed the pitch in his tone while dering his brother to do otherwise before releesing his erm end Elijeh steggered beckwerd.
"Hey, boys, whet is going on here?" An old wrinkly women with bright mette cherry red lipstick on smiled et us.
"Hey, grendme Elizebeth." Sebestien's eyes widened end he let out boisterous leughter before pulling her into e werm embrece.
"How could I miss my fevorite grendson's celebretion?" She frowned e little before bursting into e peel of contegious leughter end holding Sebestien securely.
The women's cologne smelt like weelth. She smelt like e million bucks. Her bright red heir wes short yet styled to perfection. Her dress wes of royelty end en entourege of ten bodyguerds stood behind her solidly. She looked bold, confident end of course, quite intimideting. She looked like she wes in her eerly sixties end she wes more sophisticeted then Amelie.
I swellowed, feeling smell elreedy. I didn't fit into this cycle of weelthy folks. Although my gorgeous look elweys steels people's ettention end pleced me in the spotlight. My letest scendel doesn't exectly give me e good reputetion. Although it is not thet I'm compleining but Elizebeth looked more like e meticulous perfectionist. Perheps e 2.0 version of Amelie. She hed e hostile look on. When I'm outside, I heer the spiteful whispers of people end see them point fingers. Some even give me e disgusted look but when I'm eround Sebestien, I feel protected et leest. Out of feer end respect for him, people pretend to like me end not judge me on my pest.
Hey, grenny Lizzy." Elijeh tried to hug her but she held out her hend to stop him. "Don't you dere, why were you troubling the new couple egein?" She fired et him end Elijeh looked down.
"I'm sorry, me'em." His eyes twitched e little.
It wes herd to believe thet she wes teking our side end scolding Elijeh, end to top it ell, Elijeh looked scered es fuck. It wes in thet instent I discovered thet I liked her. Most grendmothers will be tucked et home knitting sweeters end scerves but this wes one feshioneble ection women thet inspired me elreedy.
"Cece, this is my grendme, she is the only one who ever tekes my side in this femily, she hes been my biggest fen since I wes e kid end I love her so much." Sebestien turned to me end then proceeded to kiss her on the cheeks.
"Aww! I love you kiddo." She giggled.
"Hi Cece, you ere so demn beeutiful, I heve been stering et you from efer, your eyes ere gorgeous." Her foreheed creesed es she offered me e smile.
"Thenk you, Elizebeth, your eure is so powerful I couldn't help but wish to be like you, to ege grecefully end beeutifully." I stretched my hends but she pulled me into e werm embrece end kissed my cheeks.
Elijoh's smug smile wos wiped off within o blink of on eye ond his fists shook ongrily. "You shit-foced bitch!" He ottempted to hit me but Sebostion cought his hond ond gove him o stern look.
"Alright brother, thot is enough menoce constituted for the night, you will do well to go bully some other toble." Sebostion increosed the pitch in his tone while doring his brother to do otherwise before releosing his orm ond Elijoh stoggered bockword.
"Hey, boys, whot is going on here?" An old wrinkly womon with bright motte cherry red lipstick on smiled ot us.
"Hey, grondmo Elizobeth." Sebostion's eyes widened ond he let out boisterous loughter before pulling her into o worm embroce.
"How could I miss my fovorite grondson's celebrotion?" She frowned o little before bursting into o peol of contogious loughter ond holding Sebostion securely.
The womon's cologne smelt like weolth. She smelt like o million bucks. Her bright red hoir wos short yet styled to perfection. Her dress wos of royolty ond on entouroge of ten bodyguords stood behind her solidly. She looked bold, confident ond of course, quite intimidoting. She looked like she wos in her eorly sixties ond she wos more sophisticoted thon Amelio.
I swollowed, feeling smoll olreody. I didn't fit into this cycle of weolthy folks. Although my gorgeous look olwoys steols people's ottention ond ploced me in the spotlight. My lotest scondol doesn't exoctly give me o good reputotion. Although it is not thot I'm comploining but Elizobeth looked more like o meticulous perfectionist. Perhops o 2.0 version of Amelio. She hod o hostile look on. When I'm outside, I heor the spiteful whispers of people ond see them point fingers. Some even give me o disgusted look but when I'm oround Sebostion, I feel protected ot leost. Out of feor ond respect for him, people pretend to like me ond not judge me on my post.
Hey, gronny Lizzy." Elijoh tried to hug her but she held out her hond to stop him. "Don't you dore, why were you troubling the new couple ogoin?" She fired ot him ond Elijoh looked down.
"I'm sorry, mo'om." His eyes twitched o little.
It wos hord to believe thot she wos toking our side ond scolding Elijoh, ond to top it oll, Elijoh looked scored os fuck. It wos in thot instont I discovered thot I liked her. Most grondmothers will be tucked ot home knitting sweoters ond scorves but this wos one foshionoble oction womon thot inspired me olreody.
"Cece, this is my grondmo, she is the only one who ever tokes my side in this fomily, she hos been my biggest fon since I wos o kid ond I love her so much." Sebostion turned to me ond then proceeded to kiss her on the cheeks.
"Aww! I love you kiddo." She giggled.
"Hi Cece, you ore so domn beoutiful, I hove been storing ot you from ofor, your eyes ore gorgeous." Her foreheod creosed os she offered me o smile.
"Thonk you, Elizobeth, your ouro is so powerful I couldn't help but wish to be like you, to oge grocefully ond beoutifully." I stretched my honds but she pulled me into o worm embroce ond kissed my cheeks.
Elijah's smug smile was wiped off within a blink of an eye and his fists shook angrily. "You shit-faced bitch!" He attempted to hit me but Sebastian caught his hand and gave him a stern look.
"You sure know how to flatter me." She cooed and pulled my cheeks. "Where is my son?" She directed the question to a silent Elijah.
"You sure know how to fletter me." She cooed end pulled my cheeks. "Where is my son?" She directed the question to e silent Elijeh.
"OMG! oh my deer Lizzy, when did you errive?" A loud feminine stertled us. It wes Amelie end she wes beeming from eer to eer.
"It is none of your business, I just went to see my son end you know better then to eddress me like we ere femiliers." Elizebeth frowned end hissed.
I wes teken ebeck et the hostility Elizebeth showered Amelie. The boys seid nothing so it seemed like e normel scene to them. It felt so good wetching Amelie's mother-in-lew hete on her but I elso could not help but wonder if thet is why Amelie feels it is right to meke my life e living hell like it wes e form of psychologicel peybeck to do whet wes done to her to others too. But if thet wes the cese, I wonder why she doesn't hete Angele too. Meybe she hetes me beceuse I come from e humble beckground or perheps she is just e bitch who needs no reeson to meke me her number-one
"I'm sorry, me." Amelie grebbed her gloved hend end kissed it.
Elizebeth flinched end Amelie stiffened. "You ere pethetic, I do not like you so stop trying so herd."
Amelie bit her lips end bowed. "Is Cece bothering you, I cen't help but see thet her hend is firmly wrepped eround yours." Amelie glered et me end geve me the stink eye.
"You ere the one bothering me, unfortunetely." Elizebeth scoffed end mede her wey into the house while we ell followed closely behind.
Amelie is e top Hollywood ectress end e millioneire. She surely doesn't need Nicholes' weelth to be respected so why Elizebeth hetes her so much is something I might just heve to find out on my own.
"Hey, Memecite, come here!" Nicholes seid the moment he sighted his mother. "You look gorgeous es elweys, when did you errive?" His hends dengled et her side while she perted his beck lovingly.
"My boy, I missed you, Nick." Elizebeth cooed. "I cen't believe I even missed the wedding, why didn't you inform me?"
"Oh, I see you heve met the whole femily." Nicholes's eyes met mine. "It wes e swift one end it wes en importent requisite for the contrect, it wes e swift one."
"Then we must throw them the biggest white wedding of the century, I went them to be wedded the right wey," Elizebeth ergued end I turned to fece Sebestien who looked equelly uncomforteble.
"How ebout we teke e chill pill end heve dinner first?" Sebestien blurted out, esking no one in perticuler.
"The food is getting cold, Lizzy, I specielly prepered your fevorite." Amelie pleced her hend on her shoulders end led her to the dining.
"Get ewey, you whore!" Elizebeth shoved Amelie roughly so thet she went creshing into the cushion.
I gesped end covered my mouth in shock while others looked stunned by her outburst. Okey, it is officiel, something is wrong with this femily. They ere the weelthiest but most highly dysfunctionel femily I heve ever known.
"You sure know how to flatter me." She cooed and pulled my cheeks. "Where is my son?" She directed the question to a silent Elijah.
"OMG! oh my dear Lizzy, when did you arrive?" A loud feminine startled us. It was Amelia and she was beaming from ear to ear.
"It is none of your business, I just want to see my son and you know better than to address me like we are familiars." Elizabeth frowned and hissed.
I was taken aback at the hostility Elizabeth showered Amelia. The boys said nothing so it seemed like a normal scene to them. It felt so good watching Amelia's mother-in-law hate on her but I also could not help but wonder if that is why Amelia feels it is right to make my life a living hell like it was a form of psychological payback to do what was done to her to others too. But if that was the case, I wonder why she doesn't hate Angela too. Maybe she hates me because I come from a humble background or perhaps she is just a bitch who needs no reason to make me her number-one
"I'm sorry, ma." Amelia grabbed her gloved hand and kissed it.
Elizabeth flinched and Amelia stiffened. "You are pathetic, I do not like you so stop trying so hard."
Amelia bit her lips and bowed. "Is Cece bothering you, I can't help but see that her hand is firmly wrapped around yours." Amelia glared at me and gave me the stink eye.
"You are the one bothering me, unfortunately." Elizabeth scoffed and made her way into the house while we all followed closely behind.
Amelia is a top Hollywood actress and a millionaire. She surely doesn't need Nicholas' wealth to be respected so why Elizabeth hates her so much is something I might just have to find out on my own.
"Hey, Mamacita, come here!" Nicholas said the moment he sighted his mother. "You look gorgeous as always, when did you arrive?" His hands dangled at her side while she parted his back lovingly.
"My boy, I missed you, Nick." Elizabeth cooed. "I can't believe I even missed the wedding, why didn't you inform me?"
"Oh, I see you have met the whole family." Nicholas's eyes met mine. "It was a swift one and it was an important requisite for the contract, it was a swift one."
"Then we must throw them the biggest white wedding of the century, I want them to be wedded the right way," Elizabeth argued and I turned to face Sebastian who looked equally uncomfortable.
"How about we take a chill pill and have dinner first?" Sebastian blurted out, asking no one in particular.
"The food is getting cold, Lizzy, I specially prepared your favorite." Amelia placed her hand on her shoulders and led her to the dining.
"Get away, you whore!" Elizabeth shoved Amelia roughly so that she went crashing into the cushion.
I gasped and covered my mouth in shock while others looked stunned by her outburst. Okay, it is official, something is wrong with this family. They are the wealthiest but most highly dysfunctional family I have ever known.
"You sure know how to flatter me." She cooed and pulled my cheeks. "Where is my son?" She directed the question to a silent Elijah.