3 Chapter 3

"Oh my gosh, she's so beautiful."

The soft music played in the background as she found her way down the huge hallway, her six inch Mary Janet heels making soft tap sounds as they came in contact with the ground. She loved the attention she was getting, she loved it when she walked into crowded places and happened to steal all the attention. That was the life she was used to, the life of being the center of attraction.

Paris Vurton had been the apple of a lot of people's eyes ever since she knew how to breathe and it got even better when her father ran for office and won. Being the daughter of the prime minister of Breton was one of the many qualifications she had under her belt and now she was about to add one more qualification and the greatest of them all as the fiancée of the crowned prince of Breton

Over the years, the Vurtons managed to hold a really incredible amount of power and affluence in the entire Breton, they were next in line after the royal family as far as power was concerned. They literally owned the entire kingdom and that was the privilege the seventeen year old had to enjoy for the rest of her life. If beautiful, smart, gutty, eloquent, Graceful, standard and extra beautiful was one word, it was Paris Vurton.

"Gosh, look at her skin, so flawless,"

"Look at her eyes."

"She has the latest Victoria Garden's handbag and with limited edition too, I'm so jealous."

Compliments like that were not so hard getting used to.

"Remind me why we are here again?"

Paris ignored the question the really light skinned girl behind her asked as they found their way to the VVIP section of the shopping hall.

"If you wanted to shop so badly Paris, we could have just done that from your house, with your laptop."

Paris pulled her sunglasses down her nose bridge as she came to a stop in front of the really wide show glass with all kinds of diamond chains you could find in them. She was finding it really hard to make up her mind with her friend steady complaining behind her.

"It's that time of the year again Noa, stop acting like we've not been through this for the past eight years."

"She gets him gifts every year and he ends up never even using them, trust me, it's okay for us to skip it this year."

"Instead of complaining, let's just help her get the perfect gift, I'm getting sick and tired of people staring at us like this and taking pictures."

"Trust me Aubrey, those people only care about Paris, not us. This is why I don't go out with her anymore, it's because when I do, everyone forgets I'm the daughter of a duke and you're the daughter of a lord, we become regular citizens anytime we get so close to her."

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice Noa?" Paris slowly turned to the skinny brunette  girl with green eyes beside her. Noa sneered.

Everyone in Breton knew the next names to call after Paris Vurton, they were her friends, Noa Lennox and the beautiful Aubrey Bolton, they were the power trio of Breton, or at least one of the bests. There was barely a time you saw one of them and didn't see the rest, they did everything and went everywhere together so much so that at a point in their lives, people started to recognize them as sisters and not as childhood friends.

"Get it off," Paris grinned a little bit, "It doesn't suit you." She turned back to the display glass.

"I'm super serious though," Noa continued. "We've been anniversary shopping for the prince now for the past eight years, you've bought him the best of gifts and still, he won't acknowledge you or all your efforts, don't you think it's time we just found another hobby? Or another target that would appreciate all of this? What about Vincent Castridge? The minister of war's son? I heard he's quite a catch and has a huge crush on you, plus he's single too."

"Come on Noa, you know that's not possible." Aubrey cut her off. "You keep talking like you don't know Paris has had an obsession with the prince and being queen for eleven years now plus you know what happens when our friend really wants something, she never stops until she gets it. She's never going to be able to get over her obsession with the prince, especially not when her father's alive."

The obsession for the throne was something the Vurton family had in common with one another. Oliver Vurton was a really greedy man who had worked his way up to the seat of  prime minister and now had a thirst for the royal throne. Getting to be a part of the royal family was all he ever talked about, it was all he ever dreamed about and so he encouraged his daughter to walk in his footsteps, he encouraged her and carved her into his own image and raised her all her life to know one thing and one thing only, the way to the prince's hear. In exactly three days, she was going to become the fiancée of the Prince of Breton and in a few years, the queen of Breton. The Prince's coronation anniversary was always the talk of the entire country, it was going to even be a greater talk that year since his engagement to Paris Vurton was going to be made public.

"I feel this year is going to be a really great year for us." Aubrey continued. "You know that fortune teller my mum and I always go to to read our palms? She saw something, although I'm not sure what that has to do with me or my fortune."

"Did she predict the year you were going to finally confess your feelings for Asher?"

"N-no, of course not." Aubrey said in her defense. "And besides, I thought we already talked about not talking about my feelings for Asher when we were in public Noa?"

"I can't help myself." Noa shrugged her shoulders, "especially when you keep hiding your feelings like that."

"I'm not hiding anything, I'm not just ready to talk to him about it yet. I don't think Asher is going to ever want to be with me."

"Maybe if you just took my advice and got rid of that nasty hair color you have on," Paris slowly turned to her, "he will."

Aubrey frowned a little bit, raising her hand slowly to her hair.

"W-what's wrong with the color of my hair?"

"You don't know?" Paris blinked twice. "Come on Bre, your hair is disgusting, I always tell you this."

"Paris," Noa tried to call her attention.

"It's ugly and no one would ever want to be with someone with such nappy curls and uninteresting choice of hair color."

Aubre scoffed softly. She couldn't believe her ears but she wasn't surprised either.

"But Paris, this is my natural hair,"

"Get rid of it. It disgusts me and is not in anyway attractive,"

"Paris-"

"And one more thing you should get rid of is your old annoying crush for Asher Coleman. We all know you're never going to have the courage to admit your feelings so just let it go, you're not his type, let's face it, you'd never be the type for a K3."

"What?"

Paris turned lowered her gaze back to the display glass pretending she hadn't just said all those words to Aubrey.

That was another really interesting quality Paris had, she was just too blunt for everyone's good and knew how to hurt people without even realizing it. She was the perfect definition of a mean and extremely selfish friend. That friend that just said what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say them without considering how the people around her were affected by it? Yes, but even when she was all those things, Aubrey and Noa never left her side, Aubrey especially. She was picked on more by Paris but she never brought herself to ever do anything about it.

Aubrey was the quiet one, the last and timid among the three. She was literally nothing if she wasn't identified as one of Paris Vurton's friends. That was an identity, a privilege that came with being a part of the group and if experiencing lashes like that was what she had to do to stay that way, she was just going to take it all. Aubrey sniffed and looked away, forcing herself to hold back the tears in her eyes. She was hurt a lot by the words Paris had said even though she knew she was supposed to get used to it by now, but how did you ever get used to someone treating you like that and constantly embarrassing you without even knowing it.

Noa could see. She could see how Aubrey was holding back. She exhaled and turned to Paris.

"Did you really have to say those things to her?"

"Say what?" Paris asked her. "That her obsession and cowardice for Asher Coleman was starting to get on my nerves? But it's the truth, I say it to her all the time. What am I supposed to do? Encourage her to waste her time? Lie to her?"

"You hurt her feelings, can't you see that?"

Paris took a deep breath and raised her gaze to meet Noa. Noa sighed. Was she really not going to apologize? She slowly turned to Aubrey who was fighting everything within her to avoid face contact. She couldn't let Paris see her like that. She was just too soft hearted.

Paris exhaled and turned to face her.

"Is it true?" She asked her. "Did I hurt your feelings?"

Aubrey needed a second, a second to get herself together. She sniffed and turned to Paris, forming a smile on her face.

"Not at all." Bre lied. "You were just being honest, I totally understand. Besides you're right, my hair is really nappy and blonde doesn't really compliment my face. My sister thought so too, I guess not all of us in our family has to look good in blonde right?"

Noa exhaled. Same old, same old.

"I'd get rid of it, I'd change it. I was getting sick and tired of my hair anyway."

"That's the spirit." Paris let out a wide smile. "Oh my gosh Bre, I have a lot of hair ideas that would fit you perfectly, we could go to the saloon from here."

Aubrey pursed her lip and nodded, letting out tiny sniffs.

"Sure."

Paris nodded. She couldn't have been any prouder.

"Cool."

Noa rolled her eyes, at this point, her hands were tied. She folded them on her chest.

"Good day ladies," she turned to the lady in a suit behind the counter with a huge smile spreading on her lips, the rest turned too. "Made up your minds yet?"

"Mnnn," Paris pretended to think for a short while, narrowing her gaze to the glass again and stretching her pointer finger until it rested on a part of it.

"I'd take this one." She made sure her choice was clear. She had chosen the diamond bracelets with tiny sapphire stones here and there.

"Carter Edwards," the lady's smile grew wider. "Amazing choice."

"I know right."

"I'd ring it up."