RITUAL 2

The jeweler woman led me into her shop, it looked different from what I expected it to be. It was beautiful and plush.

There were more than four glass shelf's filled with different jewelry of different type and shapes. It looked more like a museum for jewelries alone.

Aside the shelf's, there were mannequins lined up from one part of the store to another with expensive jewelries on them.

The woman on the counter bowed the moment we stepped in. "Faith, bring our guest something to drink, we'll be in the special room." The girl called faith bowed again before walking away.

"This place is quite different." I said and she nodded.

"The place we came from is the back door so that I can participate in the black market. And the front is for normal people." She explained and I nodded in understanding.

But isn't the black market a place to sell illegal and rare things?

"How long will this take?" Agnes asked the jeweler who led us to a room. The moment she stepped in, she gestured her hands for us to seat on a white sofa while she went to a corner to get the equipment ready to start making the jewel with the red stones.

"It won't take long, I'm a professional at what I do." She said walking to another corner as she searched for what she needed.

She didn't bother measuring my neck like I thought she would, rather used a mannequin. She picked a paper from her table and came to stand in front of me, shoving the paper in my hands and I took hold of it.

"Pick the design you want." She said and I started looking at the photos on the paper. They were beautiful designs. I never thought beautiful designs like this one existed. It was hard to choose what I wanted.

"When is the ritual?" She asked and I looked up at her.

"Tonight." I said.

"You're the bride?" I pushed my glasses from the bridge of my nose and nodded.

"Yes,"

"Strange." Gina remarked staring at me.

"Why strange?" I asked.

"It's so unlike the lady to pick someone..."

"Not up to their status and standard?" I completed.

"Too young and... simple." She said.

"But I thought she wanted a Langford and the Langford girl looks nothing like you?" She asked.

"I'm a Langford."

"Hmm." She hummed. It wasn't surprising she had no idea, I was the misfortune of the family. Or is it the curse? Or rogue? Scally? Scoundrel? or Scarlett's favorite name, a Bastard. There isn't any name I have not been called before, maybe if I mentioned those names it would have been easier to identify me.

But one thing I am yet to understand is why the bastard child is the one given out and not the legitimate child. Why the Bancroft's decided to pick the bastard child.

Faith stepped in with a tray in her hands containing a glass of juice. She placed the juice on the table and handed the filled glass to me.

"Have you chosen your design dear?" Gina asked and I nodded, pointing at the V-neck design.

"I want this." The V-neck were the most common of all the jewels and I loved it.

"I think the round neck will suit her better." Faith said and Gina nodded too. "I think so too." She turned to me.

"I should have never asked you to choose any design, it is clear you have no idea what style you want." She smiled and started working on the Jewel and faith went back to her position which is standing at the entrance of the stall.

Once we were done buying everything we needed we returned to the mansion to prepare for the ritual.

Once we arrived, Agnes didn't wait for me and rushed to my room to drop the jewel. As I walked into the mansion my breath cut in my throat the moment my eyes feel on him. Evren was walking down the ground stairs, not in his usual black hair but now in a silver hair which matched his eyes.

This time rather than his assistant he was walking with a girl who clinged on to him like a leach.

She was beautiful. She looked just like Scarlett, or is it Scarlett. She smiled as she spoke to him, swaying her blonde hair and hips. Though Evren didn't smile as much as he did with me, he still gave her his attention.

I felt a sudden prick in my heart which I had no idea why. He wasn't important to me, so I had no idea why I was feeling this strange.

Was I jealous because another woman was with him? Or was I mad because the Scarlett was once again picked over me by the only man that has shown slight interest in me?

"Adara you're back." Scarlett called like we were even close. Evren shifted his gaze to me and my heart skipped. I haven't seen him this past few days and he already sprayed his hair.

"Meet Evren, do you know he is also a Bancroft?" She asked but I said nothing to her. I just stared at both of them and walked away. I knew he was still staring at me cause I could feel his gaze on my back. I was so upset and I had no idea why.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Scarlett said but I didn't turn to look at them or even care.

I had been wrong to even let Evren into my life or come close to me. I walked through the stairs and stepped into my room to see Agnes in there.

"What took you so long madam. I need to prepare you for bed." My confused gaze met hers.

"Why do I need to go to bed, it's afternoon?"

"The lady has asked you to. It's the ritual tonight, you might not sleep through out the night." She said.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'll go to bed myself." She bowed and stepped out. I took in deep breath when I shut the door, the image of Evren and Scarlett didn't leave my memory and each time I thought about an anger rose in me. An anger I was yet to understand...