"Please Casey," Kira's voice resounded in my head like a broken record. "I need you in my room! Now!"
Now, I clutched my phone tightly in my hands as I hurried into the elevator. My legs felt shaky as I wondered what could get Kira so riled up. Was it the wedding jitters? Or was she feeling under the weather? With Kira, it could be hard to tell what was going on with her. Maybe she was finally getting cold feet and reconsidering the marriage to Jace. It would be such a great thing if...
My thoughts trailed off as I stared at my reflection in the elevator, I couldn't believe my thoughts. I was wishing for Kira to quit the marriage after everything that she had put into it. I felt dirty and corrupt. I was such a horrible friend, choosing to do this to my friend.
With a slight ding, the elevator doors slid open and I walked out. Kira's floor was the last one before the penthouse, one of the most expensive suites after the penthouse. It was tastefully furnished and the cost of a single night here could feed an entire street for a month. That was how much money was being poured into this marriage.
It was a marriage as much as it was one big-ass PR stunt, everything they were doing was to make sure that they ended up in the tabloids and for all the right reasons. Jace and Kira were willing to be seen as the celebrity power couple even though they had no feelings for each other, it was all in a bid for more money and more power. Typical rich-folk business.
I pushed her door open but cursed when the door didn't budge. Then I knocked rapidly, it was opened almost imdiately, taking by surprise. The minute I stepped in, Kira grabbed by the hand and pulled in, slamming the door shut behind . I turned to look at her, she looked worried, her make-up was a ss and her mascara had a ssy trail on her cheeks.
"My God... are you okay?" I asked, concerned that sothing had happened.
She stared at for a few seconds, then nodded, "Of course I'm fine." She took a napkin from her vanity and wiped the makeup off her face, "I just had a not-so-pleasant conversation with Uncle Leo."
I sucked in a breath as I gently lowered myself into the couch, allowing the soft folds to envelop and swallow . I loved that about the seat.
Kira's relationship with her uncle had always been shaky. Beacon Studios was hers by birthright, however, her parents had died in a helicopter crash years ago, and Uncle Leo had stepped in to take control of the company until she ca of age. Now that Kira was of age and ready to take over, Leo had taken it upon himself to expand the company by rging it with another one. He kept insisting that he couldn't give her the company the sa way he had taken it from her father. There had to be so improvent.
Sadly, she was the one paying dearly for the improvent because it was his idea for her to get married to Jace. Once the two companies rged, he would be comfortable enough to leave it all to her. Although, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than he was letting on.
Now, she was staring at the mirror before her as she dabbed furiously at her cheeks, wiping off the mascara.
"What did he say this ti?" I asked.
"Just the usual..." she mumbled. "I have to make the family proud, I have to do what I can to push this family to the very top. He knows how I feel about Jace and he's telling to stomach it, he's sure that with ti Jace and I would learn to love each other."
At that, Kira gave a light laugh, however, it was without humor.
"Girlfriend, how on earth would I ever love Jace? He's too arrogant for my liking."
I coughed lightly as I shifted in my seat, "you don't know that for sure, do you? That's only just what you think. Maybe if you take the ti to know him..."
"Oh please," Kira began to apply a fresh set of makeup. This was sothing she loved to do when she needed to clear her head. She would make herself up, clean it, and do it all over again. "I can't even begin to imagine what my days with him would be like. It's terrifying."
"Well..." I took a deep breath, "have you considered talking to Uncle Leo about so other plans? You know, plans that don't involve marriage? Maybe if you didn't have to marry Jace, you would be a little happier."
Yeah, I know. I was evil. I was looking for ways to end my best friend's marriage even before it began. But what else could I do? She clearly didn't love him and if they ended up getting married, they would be miserable together. It wasn't fair to either of them. It wasn't fair to !
"You think I've not tried that? The only way we can be at the top right now is by joining the streaming market. However, if we open a platform now, the hassle of getting our first custors, all the PR and stuff that would go into it is just money that my uncle is not willing to spend. That's why he wants to rge with Chillz. With Jace's streaming platform, we get all their custors without having to do all that work or spend all that money. It's a win-win. Co on, even I can't fault the wisdom in that."
"And the opposite?" I pushed further, "There has to be a way for Chillz and Beacon Studios to rge without you and Jace getting married."
"It's back to the sa thing, Casey. Jace would either have to buy a really large chunk of Beacon Studios, or Uncle Leo would have to buy out a large chunk of Chillz, that way we'd get the rging. However, neither of them is willing to spend that money or even give up such an amount of power altogether. Hence the marriage."
"And if this doesn't work?"
"Steve..." Kira said the na with venom in her words. "I don't know why but Uncle Leo is pretty serious about rging with him if Jace and I don't work out." She turned to face , "I can't allow that, Casey. Beacon Studios was built by my parents, I can't allow my uncle just hand it over to Steve."
I said nothing as I stared at her, I wasn't surprised. This was who she was, despite her feelings, she believed in legacy and loyalty to her family. Even though the price she paid for it wasn't a comfortable one.
"Casey, I have to make this work. Once Jace and I get married, I gain control of Beacon Studios and I'm sure that this rger will work great for us. So, whether I like it or not, this marriage must work. Besides, the whole world already knows that Jace and I are getting married, calling it off now would be like shooting ourselves in the foot. Can you imagine the blowback from this?"
"The price of shares will plumt?" I guessed.
"Of course, our investors will pull out even at the re ntion of bad press. So, you see? There is just too much riding on this wedding. For , it's all that matters. So, you better make it count."
I shifted in my couch, "Co on Kira, I'm only planning the wedding which will hold for a few days. You'll be married to him, that's not a happy thought for you."
"No darling, it's not. Because apparently, Jace is already making plans for his own happiness."
I stopped as I stared at her, it felt like a stone was wedged in my throat as I tried to speak, "what do you an?"
"My fake fiancé is cheating on , Casey." She smiled dryly as she applied an eye pencil to her brow. "Can you imagine that?"
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