The mont the warmth of the liquor settled in his chest, Brad knew sothing was wrong. He was too good at this ga not to notice. He lowered his eyes in disappointnt but didn’t let anything show to the onlookers.
His vision shimred slightly, sound dulled for a second like he was subrged under water, and the laughter around him turned from friendly to off. It all felt too smooth and rehearsed.
He blinked hard.
"You alright, man?" Luis asked, a smile in his voice, while reaching for his arm with a disturbing faux concern.
"Yeah," Brad said slowly, setting the glass down with calm precision. "Just need so air."
Behind the scenes, Erik had been watching – from the bar in the private room and the shadows. He’d been told,
"If I run my finger down the rim of my glass twice, we’re done. No questions. Get out."
And so, when that signal was given monts ago, Erik had already sprung into motion.
The club lights dimd slightly — either by coincidence or design, it didn’t matter — and in that mont of distraction, two n in sleek black stepped forward, motioning discreetly.
"Master Brad, your car is ready."
The three so-called friends blinked. "What? Already? You just got here."
Brad stood slowly, holding still and keeping a cool head, so as not to flare up the drug more, "Yeah," he said coolly. "But there’s an issue that I must attend to at the company before the wedding tomorrow. We don’t want the company to go sour, do we?"
Before they could utter another word, Brad was gone — ushered through a different hallway. They would have probably tried to stall, but the presence of two guards was intimidating and spelt danger in itself.
They used a back exit that only VIPs and owners knew existed. A valet stood waiting with the passenger door already open.
In the room that Brad had just exited, the mini stage lit up and the won, his ’friends’, showed up not two minutes later, strutting in tight dresses, so almost naked, and practising seduction. But their audience had vanished. Whatever play had been orchestrated was long foiled.
Brad sat in the car, window half-down, letting the breeze clear his head. Once upon a ti, this would have been Brad’s go-to pleasure, but he had changed. These things no longer excited him. After all, after seeing what Aliya really was, why would he chase a random beauty sowhere when he had no way of knowing what that person could be?
"Idiots," he muttered. "You thought I’d forget who you are."
By the ti the car pulled up at the Thornston mansion, he was half-asleep, his face all flushed and half pulling open his clothes even in his state. His forehead was against the cool glass of the window. Erik stepped out first, opened his door, and helped him into the gates and towards the West wing.
Brad staggered slightly but waved off the support.
"I’m fine. Just —" He paused mid-sentence, squinting. "Deal with them."
Erik raised a brow. "Master Brad?"
"Those three idiots! Make them regret it." He pushed his door with tired fingers. "Bleed their companies. I want to see headlines by morning."
There was no drunken slur in his voice at this ti, only exhaustion. Erik nodded once,
"Should I get you a doctor or anything?"
"It’s okay .... I’ll sleep it off."
Erik nodded again and then turned to make the call that would unleash hell on the three. It goes to say that this ti, the three lived to regret it. But Brad’s night was just beginning as he had another thing in place for him, but because of his already drugged state, he missed it entirely.
He didn’t even change. He collapsed onto the bed, still dressed, shoes kicked to one side, jacket half-off. His eyes fluttered shut with a groan.
That’s when the lock on the balcony door clicked. It was soft - almost imperceptible. But he was too far gone to notice.
A figure stepped inside, holding a small thermos.
The figure stood still, watching Brad sleep, chest rising and falling in that unguarded rhythm. Then, slowly and silently, they approached the bed.
***
Earlier that day, in what was now referred to as Shelby’s sunroom, Alicia and Shelby lounged on a cushioned daybed, their feet soaked in warm herbal water, as two maids dutifully attended to them — one massaging calves with fragrant oils, the other preparing fresh fruit platters and pouring rose-tinted tea into dainty porcelain cups.
Upon closer look, one could see that Alicia was a little stiff in Shelby’s presence. She had tried to no avail, unsure of what else she could do to help the forr governess relax, hence this.
Shelby leaned back with a hum of contentnt.
"Now this," she sighed, "is exactly life!"
Alicia laughed, a genuine, unbridled laugh this ti — not the nervous laugh she had when they first t, but a warm, growing one.
"Sis-in-l", Alicia started, and Shelby glared at her....
"I an, Shelby, think I’m now hooked."
It was Shelby’s turn to give her a mock gasp.
"Hooked? Alicia, you’ve chard Mum, Dad, got the children adoring you, and sohow — sowhere gotten that hard-headed man, Brad, actually to smile when you’re not looking. I’d say that is a great feat!"
They both burst out laughing, and one of the maids tried and failed to hide a smile as she arranged tiny pastries on a plate. Suzie stood aside, watching to ensure that everything went as planned. She had been extra careful after Shelby’s return and the baby, too.
Alicia covered her face, blushing. In the few days, she had co to like the striking beauty, who was her sister-in-law, so much.
More girly talks ensued, as Alicia loosened up and they continued chatting. Unknowingly, the sun set, and the evening ca, but these two were not done. During this ti, a flurry of activities had taken place. The room was crowded with a multitude of people coming in for bridal fittings, makeup testing, and many other purposes.
Each group was given the green light by Suzie and whisked away after they were done, for the next group to co in with their product till one was selected, and the whole day had been dedicated to this. Shelby was still lounging, getting a massage along her spa session, while Alicia would try things on and the two would share opinions on them.
Shelby loved this whole bonding session. Obviously, there was one person who was unhappy not to have his wife by his side, but what could Ian do? He had only compromised when the whole arrangent was brought to the estate, where his wife could relax and be a part of it.
Another burst of giggles echoed around the sunroom.
Shelby was helped up, and she bit into a butter cookie that lted into warmth.
"Mmmmmmmm!"
"You know," Alicia said more gently, finally getting a break after all the fittings and sipping her tea, "I was nervous too when I first ca here."
"But you’re a Carmichaels.... Shouldn’t you be used to all of this?"
Alicia smiled,
"It’ll surprise you to know that even among our circles, the Thornstons are a cut above all!"
The two shared a knowing look, and Shelby interjected,
"... if there’s one thing this family does well — besides wine and business, I’d say, it’s loyalty. Once you’re in... they don’t let you fall... and this is from my experience!"
Alicia looked over at her, touched.
"Thank you. It ans a lot coming from you."
Shelby clinked her cup lightly against hers. It was still hard for Alicia to view Shelby as an equal, though Shelby was younger. The woman was dead beautiful, and a certain coercion to submit radiated from her from ti to ti.
"Welco to the family. So, tell , have you two kisse-"
"Co on, Shelby!" The maids giggled again — and this ti, neither woman bothered to pretend they hadn’t heard.
Shelby giggled playfully. She had changed in a way and was more upfront about sexual stuff, so Shelby did not find anything wrong with such talk, but just as suddenly, she stopped short,
"You should check on him...."
"Who?"
"Brad!"
It was the way that Shelby said this that made Alicia’s heart skip a beat. The playful smile remained on Shelby, and she called out,
"Suzie?"
But there was no response.
***
At this ti, Suzie had excused herself, briefly to check on the kids. As she stood quietly in the arched corridor just beyond their playroom, arms folded loosely, she observed mostly Gabriel playing under the supervision of Mike, his designated servant.
Ingrid was writing in her little journal, while Samatha had her headphones on. Two junior maids stood in one corner of the room. Gabriel’s laughter echoed down the hall, soft and innocent — a rare mont of peace in a house that had seen more than its share of chaos.
Suzie allowed herself a small smile. All was well.
Just as she turned to leave and return, sothing shifted. It was like a flicker of energy. A silence that felt too heavy, too deliberate.
Her spine tingled, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign.
Without moving her body, her eyes darted to a gilded mirror on the opposite wall. There, barely visible, a shadow — still, unmistakably watching her. Slowly, she turned.
Her breath caught.
"You...?"
The figure stepped forward from the dim hallway, calm and composed, but carrying an aura of quiet authority. Her eyes widened — not in fear, but in recognition.
Then Suzie did the unthinkable, she rushed forward, barely controlling herself as she lurched into his arms, wrapping herself tightly and not letting go!
Only one na kept repeating in her mind, ’MURRAY!’
___
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