chapter 32

"I could have my Gucci on

I could wear my Louis Vuitton

But even with nothin' on

Bet I made you look" sang Gigi while looking through the numerous shelves of clothings.

" Ma try this on" Emma said passing on a violet silk dress to their mother.

She wore it and came back outside and all the girls whistled and clapped their hands hyping their mother.

She truly looked beautiful. No one would believe that she is a mother of six. Her well maintained body, healthy hair and innocence on her face made her look so much younger.

"Dad's gon'faint bro" Mila hooted.

Juliana blushed and hit her playfully on the shoulder. Only Emma, Iris and their mother purchased dresses rest of them claimed to already have an outfit ready for tonight.

They paid and headed to the jewellery showroom next.

They all went inside and immediately the manager came out to attend them personally.

"Welcome Mrs Laurent and ladies" he said shaking her hand and nodding towards the girls.

"What type would you prefer?" he asked them politely.

" Umm we want something elegant you know but not too flashy" Gigi explained.

" Alright. Shall I show you the special collection?" he asked while leading them to the room for VIPs.

"Yes that would be great" replied Mila.

He left and brought catalogues with him. They went through them and selected a few. Iris couldn't find something for her wrist so she was recommended to design one for herself. They gave her a booklet for inspiration and she liked one very much.

"I want this" she immediately said.

"I'm sorry ma'am but we can't until we get the permission from the owner of the design"

"And who is that?" she whined.

The manager looked at Ailee and smiled.

"Ms Ailee"

Ailee paled hearing this and everyone turned to look at her.

She came here? When? With whom? She never goes out let alone shop - were the questions rising in everyone's mind.

"I-umm got one urgently because I had nothing suitable to wear for the party at Mr Romano's..." she trailed off.

Iris gasped looking at her wrist.

"It's so beautiful how come I never noticed this on you Lily?" she said holding her hand and inspecting the bracelet closely.

Ailee shrugged and released a sigh of relief.

"I don't know I've been wearing it everyday"

Iris nodded thoughtfully but then spoke,

" But why does it have an X engraved on it? Its customised so it can't be a mistake, can it?"

Her releif turned into an incoming panic attack. She wrecked her brain for a believable lie and finally found a lame one.

"Umm it's for kiss you know....for myself. It just came to my mind haha" she said laughing nervously.

No one thought of it much and moved on while Mila nudged her shoulder smirking like a mad woman.

"It's alright I guess. What's hers is mine and what's mine is well... mine i'mma wear it tonight Lily thanks" she said and smiled sweetly.

Ailee couldn't reply and just nodded at the end.

"How come the manager know me?" she whisper in Mila's ear.

" He brings the jewellery home and for years Lily. I guess he remembers you as the girl in the garden. You're literally always there sitting on the swing" she replied back quietly.

She hummed in return silently thanking the God that he didn't bring up the other bracelet.

Then they left for the appointment with their stylists.

___

Ailee entered her room after getting her makeup done and went inside her bathroom to wear her dress but before she could get on it her phone started ringing.

"Why am I receiving so many unknown calls these days?" she mumbled to herself and ignored the call while singing along to her ringtone.

A minute later it started ringing again and she hesitantly accepted the call.

"Hello"

Silence

"Is anyone there?" she whispered feeling scared.

"Yeah" came a reply making her freeze. It was the same man whose voice chilled her to the core.

"Wh-who is speaking?" she asked with as much courage as she could gather in that moment.

A deep chuckle echoed in the phone but that made her scared shitless.

"Why did you block me baby I just wanted to talk to you"

"I d-don't know you" she said lowly.

"Oh Ailee, my sweet it doesn't matter. I know you and I will meet you tonight" he said and Ailee wasted no second in ending the call.

She clutched her heart and tears welled up in her eyes and she squatted down on the floor.

She jumped in fright when her phone started ringing once again and she took deep breaths.

Shakily she picked up the phone ready to put him in his place.

"Stop calling me or I will report you to the police-" her voice wobbled but then she was cut off in the middle.

"Who?" Xavier asked in a dangerously calm way.

She froze and checked her phone and shut her eyes scolding herself realising it's not who she thought it was.

"N-nothing Zai I'm good"

"Lies will only make it worse Coco" he said seriously and the hardness in his voice proved it.

"Can I-Will you be there tonight?"

"Yes."

"Can I tell you then please?" she asked biting her bottom lip in nervousness.

He sighed and replied

" Alright. But I want to hear it today"

She smiled,

" Ofcourse I promise"

"So what are you wearing tonight?" he asked in hopes of making her feel better.

" You will see"

" Oh that I will. I will see you and I will keep seeing only you all night" he teased making her blush scarlet.

" I gotta go now bye take care" she said in one breath and ended the call.

Smiling she shook her head and looked at her flushed face then started getting dressed.

___

Xavier smiled a little looking at the now black screen of his phone but it dropped as soon as the car came to a hault.

"Welcome Romano" said Caleb Johnson, CEO of the Jelly Traders corporation. He was owner of the biggest import and export company in the whole of the USA and wanted to form an alliance with Xavier.

Xavier simply nodded and moved inside. Caleb suppressed the anger for the disrespect and followed him.

"I will cut to the chase since we both are busy men" he started and poured whiskey for Xavier.

"Let us take care of all your exports in return of thirty percent of the profits earned" he said.

Xavier didn't even blink and kept looking at him with a blank face.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

"I'm waiting for you to realise your absurdness" replied Xavier while crossing his arms.

He cleared his throat and said,

"Well I was saying that thirty-"

"I heard you the first time bastard. The answer is no" he said coolly.

"Listen Imagine us together, you and I will be invincible"

Luka cringed hard,

" That sounds like a fucking cringey dialogue from a desperate ass man to an out-of-his-league woman in some shitty two star movie"

Caleb clenched his jaws in anger and glared at Luka. No one disrespects him. He have a reputation in the underworld as well and Xavier was aware about that but he also knew that he wouldn't want to get on the bad side of the man sitting in front of him.

"Twenty five percent or nothing"

"Ten"

Caleb scoffed and said,

"Sure why not take it for free then?"

"Deal" he said and smirked.

"You're getting into hot water Romano"

" Ofcourse he doesn't prefer cold water I tell ya, just other cold drinks you know booze and stuff"

Caleb's guard almost pulled out his gun on him but he stopped them because he didn't want to face the wrath of Xavier. He might be strong and feared but Romano is a force to be reckoned with.

"You will bring me a guy that I will ask you about along with fifteen percent. Deal?" Xavier said being all serious.

" Deal" he said begrudgingly.

Xavier stood straight, shook hands with his new partner and left.

___

He got ready in a black Tom Ford tuxedo with his hair slicked back and Saint Laurent Black Wyatt Zip Boots shining as brightly as its owner and finally a Cartier watch to match his fit.

He went down and sat in his car.

"Missed me babygirl?" he would've been startled if not for the years of experience he had with this certain weirdo.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Xavier asked hitting him on the head and effectively ruining his hairstyle.

"Yooooo what the fuckkkk Romano" he said huffing and styling his hair with a bit of his saliva.

Xavier looked at him with disgust and pressed himself close to the door creating as much distance as possible between them.

"Asshole" he murmured closing his eyes while Luka scrolled through his tik tok and cackled loudly every 2 minutes like a damn hyena.

"We are here sir." the driver informed after a very painful thirty minutes ride and they got out together.

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