THE DINNER PARTY I

Good morning, Miss Paris." A maid gently greeted Paris, but Paris did not find it pleasing in the slightest.

"Can't you see that I'm still asleep?" Paris snapped with no sense of compassion.

The maid bowed and walked away slowly, her head tucked away in embarrassment. All she wanted to do was call Paris down for breakfast.Paris hissed loudly, laying back into her bed, ready for her midmorning nap.

Paris is far from what you would describe as a coquette lady. Her personality does not, in any way, complement her charming features. How Stephan fell in love is not far-fetched, but how he stayed in love is highly questionable. He has endured hundreds of baseless insults from her but is stiff-necked. One cannot be sure if he is her younger brother or boyfriend. Speak of the devil, and the devil shows up is the case at the moment, as Stephan's call came right in. Twenty minutes into Paris's mid-morning nap.

"Hey," his morning buzzed coldly into the speakers of her phone.

"Hey, my love," she responded, still in heavy sleep.

"You are still asleep?" Stephan asked, trying to sound sexy and charming.

"Yeah!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was trying to make sure you were okay." He said this, clearly shocked by Paris's one-word response.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" She laughed.

"It's past 10 and you are still in bed, babe."

"What's wrong with that?" Paris began to get angry, already wide awake.

"Nothing. I just thought you would have other better things to do."

"Excuse you!! What the hell do you mean by that?" Her tone rose to something fiery and disrespectful.

Typical.

"No, I didn't mean that."

"Shut up, Stephan!" She ended the call immediately, throwing her phone across her bed. "Way to piss me off, Stephan!"

After hating on every living and non-living thing in sight, Paris dragged herself up to take a shower.

Picking out outfits has never been as easy for anyone as it is for Paris Zander. She walked straight into her closet, decided to overthink for a bit, then settled for her purple sweatpants and black crop top. After taking off her nightwear, she walked into the bathroom and let the hot water run freely over her.

A sea of thoughts flooded her mind. Today is the dinner party. With her kind of parents, it's always best to hope for the best yet expect the absolute worst because that's the deal more than half of the time.

She can remember so clearly when she walked in on her parents and the Leonards talking in some highly coded language, constantly mentioning two words, 'promise' and 'diamond'. Being fruitless in her efforts to decode the conversation, she left.

Today's dinner party makes itself even more hypertensive due to the so-called guests her parents are having over.

Their bratty little son never flashed Paris's good books, and it all worsened after their first in-person meeting a few years ago. Like a mother, like a son, Mrs. Jade had a blazing reputation for sheer bitterness. Nothing could impress her self-centered ego. Not until things go her way.

To think that Paris has an unpleasant aura sometimes, Mrs. Jade Leonard crowns herself with impeccable pride and menacing words. Her outrageous thirst for control is nothing close to her husband's.

Mr. James Leonard, the mastermind and evil genius who wields so much control over every breathing thing under him, found his way into the heart of his best friend, Mr. Orion Zander, after years of aimless striving.

The ordinary thought of them walking in through the front door and sitting down for three plus hours made Paris's stomach twist and turn.

The show must go on anyway, and lucky for her, a good distraction will be there to ease the pain and anxiety. Stephan. Yes, he is a good distraction.

Not sure where to scrub again, Paris rinsed off the soap lather and made her way into her bedroom. She dried her off with her towel and sat down for her skincare. The first step-her toner.

More like a dream to her, Paris still could not comprehend how three years flew by. Her only chance at a breath of fresh air is all gone. She did not make friends at college because everyone assumed she was stocky and rude just because she was the only child of strict billionaires. Yes, she is, but why would they assume that? Now she has to start figuring her life out for herself—something she has never done before.

Halfway into her skincare routine, her phone vibrates. She stood up and walked to her bed to pick up her phone.'Queen' was written on the screen when it lit up, and immediately, an entity came to mind.

"That's my mom." Paris smiled, answering the phone.

"Hey, my princess," Aurora greeted.

"Hey mommy. Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"I did my love. When would you like to have breakfast? It is sixteen minutes past eleven, and you are still upstairs. Remember, we have a dinner party to host, so the earlier you are prepared, the better."

"The diner party is not a big deal, mom, and we both know that. It is just us and three other annoying people coming to toast and act like angels."

"Don't say that! Come downstairs now! I give you thirty minutes!" Aurora ended the call without a response from Paris.

She hissed angrily, tossing her phone across her bed once again. The twenty-two-year-old is not a rookie at these games. Hell can be let loose; she will do what she wants to do.

Sitting back at the skincare table, she decided to pay careful attention to the details, like she doesn't already have flawless skin. Her sharp jaw line and pointed nose blended perfectly with her slim and curvy body. Her perfect white teeth and obsession with perfumes make her even more addicting.

A couple of minutes later, she got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast.

"Eleven minutes to twelve, and you are just coming down for breakfast?" Orion laughed, walking to the dining area from the kitchen in his large black robe wrapped around his oiled, muscular, and significantly sexy body. His long hair was carefully slicked back into a bun, leaving his forehead on display.

"Dad, I graduated yesterday; you guys should let me breathe around here!" Paris arrogantly voiced, sitting comfortably for breakfast.

"Don't forget, we have guests coming over today." Orion said before walking away.

Orion, 40, is the gentle parent often pushed to action by his wife.

Paris's breakfast did not hit the spot for her because her parents were making the house stuffy for her. She needs the dinner party to be done so she can think.

"Finally!" Aurora shouted from a distance, approaching Paris.

"Ugh! What is it now?" Paris murmured under her breath. She missed home while in college, and now she misses college while at home.

"Are you enjoying breakfast?"Aurora's presence does not need any upfront notice because her cologne can be perceived from yards away.

"Yes mom. It's a bit cold, but it's okay, I guess."

"What theme do you think we need to use for tonight?" Aurora's soft voice took over as she curled up beside her daughter. Her full lashes and pretty eyes make it easier for her to hold attention.

"It's just a dinner party, mom. Do we eat dinner together? You guys are talking about it so incessantly that I'm beginning to think it's more than just dinner." Paris said it with food in her mouth.

"You graduated college, baby! Of course it has to be grand!" Aurora said, sounding nervous and off track.

"A third party would think it's a marriage ceremony or something else like chill! Yes, I graduated college, but so did the rest of us in my set."

"Ugh! Don't be boring, Paris! Let's brainstorm themes." Aurora's endearing spirit tried to deceive Paris into a longer conversation.

"Brainstorm? Mommy, I am not brainstorming anything! I didn't graduate college yesterday to start thinking hard today."

"What do you mean?" Aurora asked, her eyes keenly trailing Paris, who slowly stood up, leaving her breakfast unfinished.

"What do I mean? I am going to take a stroll, right after which I am going back to bed. This weather is too soothing to miss." Paris concluded, walking away immediately.

If she stood any longer than that, her mother would talk her into brainstorming. The so-called party starts in seven hours and thirty minutes.

The air outside is calm, cold, and just wonderful. Memories of her younger years streamed through her consciousness, causing her to smile. She heard the birds again, and she saw the prettiest butterfly.

The wet grass and clear skies beamed so elegantly. In its full glory, she remembered her childhood. Although it was mostly lonely, she came to terms with it quickly.

The stroll in question is a full one-hour to-and-from journey within her compound, but there's nothing better to do, so Paris settled for it.

The stroll took its full toll on Paris's body. She returned to her room with a muscle pull and a headache. She planned to go to sleep anyway, so it didn't bother her much.

She collapsed on her bed after a quick shower and drifted to sleep in a split second.

Paris, a heavy sleeper, rolled awake after a plate broke next to her room. A few seconds of confusion passed before Paris realized the day had gone dark. She tapped her phone's screen.

'6:05'

In panic and every other tense emotion, Paris jumped off her bed. She scrambled to the bathroom for a shower. 'The dinner party is in two hours' was all she could think of.

Despite the fact that she had limited time to get ready, Paris paid undivided attention to her body, like she hadn't already showered earlier.

In haste, she left the bathroom thirty minutes later. Picking an outfit for such an occasion is not as random as a regular day, so she needed to put in effort.

She decided to go with a mini black dress with stones and long sleeves. A silver purse to match. The dinner party in question is held at their dining area, but she needs to dress for it regardless.

Doing her hair and make-up took up a full forty minutes because, in Paris, no one understands the essence of details like she does.

Her black heels matched the dress, and the silver purse complimented her wealthy self.

After applying half a bottle of perfume, Paris Zander concluded that she's ready for the party. Hopefully she's not undressed in the eyes of the Leonards.

She picked up her phone and walked out of her room.'7:48' She's twelve minutes early, and Stephan better be too.

Walking downstairs, she heard her father exchange words with a not-so-familiar voice.

"Hey dad," she greeted, standing calmly behind her father.

Orion sharply turned around, both startled and dazzled.

"You look stunning, my dear!" James Leonard beat Orion to the compliment.

So he's the not-so-familiar voice she heard.

"Thank you, sir." She said, bowing in courtesy.

"Well, I guess we are all set." Orion said, leading the two to the dining area where Aurora, Jade, and Ivan were seated.

With one glance at each other, Paris picked up more negative energy towards Ivan.

"Welcome back home, Paris, dear." Jade said. Her bright red lipstick is already speaking for her.

A maid came around, poured everyone's wine into their glasses, and left.

Orion cleared his throat and started,"To Paris!"

Let the hell begin.