Chapter2
1432 Words
Victoria woke up the next morning disoriented. She remembered the events that took place the previous night in a blurry haze, the restaurant, the contract, and Edrick's unexpected tenderness towards her. She signed, realizing she was officially bound to a man that doesn't love her. The weight of it settled heavily on her.
She got out of bed to prepare for the day and screamed out loud when she realized she was late for the investors’ meeting. She rushed to the bathroom, and after forty-five minutes, she was finally ready. She hurried out of her apartment, stopped a cab, and got in.
“Good morning,” she said to the cab driver.
The cab driver responded and drove off to Victoria’s office.
Her phone rang. The caller ID showed it was her friend Lily. She hurriedly picked it up.
“Hello, Vicky, where the hell are you? The investors are waiting for you!” Lily said, half screaming into the phone.
“I am on my way, Lily. I overslept. Please stall them a little. I’m almost there.”
“Fine! You’ve got five minutes.”
“Thanks, Lily, you’re a sweetheart.”
Victoria’s apartment is not far from her baking studio. Five minutes later, the cab stopped in front of her studio. Victoria got out, paid the driver, and rushed into the meeting room.
When she got there, she saw that all the investors were present including Edrick which surprised her because he could have sent a representative instead of coming in person which made Victoria feel he had a mission to accomplish by coming in person.
“Good morning everyone, I am sorry for coming late,” she said with a sorry face.
A few minutes later, the meeting ended and everyone left except Edrick and Victoria.
“Come with me, we are going out together,” Edrick said, his face showing no emotion.
Victoria was taken aback. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“You will find out soon enough.”
They arrived at an exclusive boutique that sold only women’s clothes. Victoria got out of the car not waiting for Edrick to open the car door for her, wondering why they were there. Edrick took her hand, and they walked in together, they were greeted by the boutique’s manager.
“Welcome, Mr. Sylvester,” the manager said, leading them to a very beautiful room. “Please have a seat.”
“Bring out the best dinner gowns you have here,” Edrick commanded.
“Give me a moment, sir,” the manager replied. She left the room and returned two minutes later with a rack holding more than ten beautiful gowns.
“These are the best dinner gowns we have here. I hope you like them,” the manager said, waiting for a response but didn’t get one. Instead, Edrick instructed Victoria to change into the gowns.
Victoria stood up, and the manager showed her the changing room. She came out wearing a lovely, long, fitted red gown with a front slit. Edrick stared at her lustfully but quickly changed to his regular cold stare.
“Next,” he said. After an hour, Victoria had tried on all the gowns. Edrick was pleased with each one, Victoria looked good in anything she wore, but he didn’t say that out loud. “We’ll take everything,” he said. Victoria was shocked. He paid for it, and the manager packed everything.
As they were about to leave, a female figure entered the boutique. She smiled at Edrick but didn’t seem to notice Victoria.
“Edrick, what are you doing here?” she asked. Edrick didn’t reply immediately but instead said, “Kelly, meet Victoria, my wife-to-be. You are invited to our wedding if you’re interested in attending.”
Kelly looked puzzled and surprised at the same time, but before she could process what she had just heard, Edrick and Victoria left the boutique.
The ride back to the office was silent until Victoria’s stomach grumbled, breaking the silence. She was embarrassed. Thankfully, it was only her and Edrick in the car. Edrick stopped at a restaurant near her studio. They got in, took a seat, and a waiter came to take their order. They both ordered sandwiches but different juices. A few minutes later, they were served. Immediately, Edrick’s phone rang. He stood up and went outside to answer it. The call took several minutes, and when he returned, his cold look had turned into an angry one, which terrified Victoria. She wondered who had called him.
“Let’s go,” he commanded. He left money for the food on the table, and Victoria stood up and followed him, thankfully Victoria had finished her meal. He dropped Victoria at her studio with the clothes he had bought for her and drove off before she could say thank you.
Victoria got into her office and was surprised to see her friend Lily waiting for her.
“You better start gisting me now!” Lily exclaimed.
Victoria smiled and told her everything, including how she met Kelly. Before she could finish, she received a message on her phone from Edrick: “Be prepared by 6 PM. We are going to my family's dinner party. I’m sending a professional stylist to do your hair and makeup.”
Victoria was not surprised, by now she was already used to Edrick’s unexpected behavior. She wondered if all billionaires behaved this way, he didn’t even ask if she was free or not. She felt like she didn’t own her life anymore. Before she could tell her friend about the dinner party, there was a knock on her door, and lo and behold, it was the professional stylist that Edrick had sent.
“Who is he?” Lily asked quietly.
“He is here to do my hair and makeup. I’m going to the Sylvester dinner party with Edrick.”
“Welcome to the billionaire world, my friend,” Lily said with a smile.
Victoria could not say anything but sighed. She wasn’t used to this lifestyle, but she had no choice now.
It took 2 hours for her hair and makeup to be done. Kelly helped her with her dress, her shoes, and accessories. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.
“You, my friend, are a beauty,” Lily said
It was already six pm and Edrick was waiting for her outside. When she came outside, Edrick stared at her for more than a minute and couldn't help but mutter “You look gorgeous”
Victoria smiled and said “Thank you”
He stretched out his hand to her, which she took, and helped her into the car, and got in too.
After a short drive, they got to their destination, it was a very big mansion, the most beautiful one Victoria had seen in her life. Edrick took her hand and they walked inside.
The inside of the mansion looked more breathtaking.
A beautiful woman in her mid-fifties, who looked so much like Edrick, smiled as she hugged and pecked Edrick on the cheek and did the same to Victoria.
“Hi Mum, this is Victoria, the woman I am getting married to,” Edrick said to his mum. Edrick looked much different around his mum than his usual cold appearance. “Welcome to the family, my dear,” Edrick’s mother said to Victoria, “you can call me Elizabeth.”
Victoria met the rest of the Sylvester family too, Edrick’s father Mr George Sylvester, and his Elder Sister Margaret. They all seemed happy for Edrick.
Edrick’s mother was fond of Victoria. She spent the most time with her and introduced her as her daughter-in-law to all her friends. The party ended after five hours, and Edrick and Victoria said their goodbyes and left.
The car ride was quiet as always, but then Victoria noticed that this was not the way to her apartment. She looked at Edrick, worried.”
“ This is not the way to my place. Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“We will be getting married in the next couple of weeks, and you expect us to live separately?” he asked.
“But my belongings?”
“That won’t be a problem. Everything will be delivered to our new home,” he cut her off before she could finish her statement.
“We will live together as a couple starting from today.”
The sound of his voice made Victoria shiver.
Then she realized she was stuck with this cold billionaire.
- Writer
