Share

Chapter Two

Author: Adashe Rose
last update Last Updated: 2021-04-27 07:31:37

Elaine.

How did things turn out like this? This question spun around my mind as my grip on my sister’s hand tightened. Audrey was a bright and free spirited girl who loved skateboarding. She’d always tell me how her days at school went and clung to me so much that I wondered if she had made any friends. My sister was my world. Everything I did, I always made sure that she’d benefit too.

Seeing her lay here with machines connected to her broke my heart. It’s been almost a month since she was admitted and because I struggled to complete the bills, she gradually got worse and things got more expensive. We didn’t have insurance and the flower shop was the only place I currently worked at.

I reached out and brushed some loose, brown strands off her face. The more I saw her like this, the more helpless I felt. Pathetic even. If I had just gone to university and focused on my studies, I might’ve had a better job and would have provided for her easily. Or maybe I should’ve been more creative than joining a crew of con artists.

“You’re thinking about unnecessary stuff again,” Audrey said as she flicked my forehead with her finger.

I flinched and rubbed the spot. “My thoughts are quite necessary, mind you.”

She sighed. “I’m okay. I’ve been feeling better lately and I know that you’re also working pretty hard.”

Despite Audrey’s positivity being sometimes naïve, it helped to keep me positive too. “I’m glad that you’re feeling better. The due date of your surgery is approaching and I-“

“It’s okay if you can’t afford it,” she said, cutting me off. “You’re already working so hard whilst paying the hospital bills and buying me presents. I’ve had a great life-“ her words were cut off by me flicking her forehead.

“Who’s having unnecessary thoughts again?” I asked with a chuckle. “You’re just nineteen, Audrey. You’ve got a long life ahead. Just focus on getting better and leave the finances to me.”

She smiled. “How’s the flower shop?”

 “It’s alright. I added a new collection of flowers yesterday and put up advertisements online.” I hesitated. “I’ve got a good job on Friday. A big company hired me to decorate the venue for their party and it’s going to pay a lot.”

“Really!?” she exclaimed with a bright smile. “That’s amazing but… You don’t seem that excited about it.”

I smiled. “I am. I just can’t believe that it’s real.”

“You should do your best, Elaine. Shock them with your skills.”

I laughed. “I sure will.”

She then began to tell me about the new doctor who was assigned to her and I tried to keep my mind from wandering off. I still felt a little guilty about what the “job” really was but just like last time, I reminded myself that it was for a good cause. One where my sister’s life was literally on the line.

~

Friday came and David picked me up with an old truck. We decided to start off early because it would take a thirty minutes drive to arrive at the venue. Putting the boxes of flowers in the trunk, I got into the passenger seat and looked at David, who was getting in too.

“Are we the only ones?”

“What? You’re nervous?” He asked as he started the car and began to drive off.

“No. I just expected you to come with other people.”

“It’s better if we’re less and I have some trust in you. You won’t mess up and I won’t too. Easy.”

The drive was quiet with only music from the radio filling the silence. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as awkward as I expected and we briefly went over the plan. When we arrived, David parked at the back and we got out of the truck. We each prepared our fake IDs, which he got from lord knows who, and each grabbed a box before making our way to the entrance.

The first thing I noticed about this place was how heavily it was guarded. A security guard stood at the door and had a look at our IDs before we could walk in. We were guided to the room where the party would be and began to decorate the place along with a few other people from other companies.

The building was huge with tall, light yellow walls. A beautiful chandelier hang from the ceiling and tables were neatly arranged in a U formation, leaving space at the center and front. I chose red roses and Easter lilies to contrast with the event’s golden theme yet blend well with it. As the sun began to set, it was time for the second stage of our plan.

Some guests began to show up when we were done with the arrangements and we went into the kitchen to meet two of David’s friends, who were supposed to be waiters. We swapped outfits and each got a tray of champagne before making our way into the crowd. As expected, there were some jewelry on display so the security was mainly focusing on that. David and I separated to gather as much valuables as we could and since we already got this far, I pushed my nerves away.

Since everyone was busy chatting, it was easy to snag a few items. Given my position, I innocently walked around and handed out drinks while trying to snatch wrist jewelry or small accessories on men’s jackets or women’s purses. I looked down at my left hand that had a silver bracelet I got from some lady and gave myself a pat on the back. Although I only managed to get a few things because I was being as careful as I could, I believed that they’d get me a good amount unless the jewels were fake.

“Are you enjoying the party?” Someone behind me asked and I almost jumped out of my skin.

I turned to face a tall, handsome man. He had short, black curls on his head, light blue eyes and a neatly trimmed beard. “Uh, y-yeah. I’m having a blast.”

“Can I have a talk with you? In private,” he said with a calm smile and I instantly had a bad feeling.

“Sorry, but I’m in the middle of work.” I turned so that I could walk away but he grabbed my arm.

“I insist,” he whispered after he pulled me close. I looked over my shoulder at him and what he said next made me freeze. “I’m sure that you have some items that don’t belong to you.”

Some people began to stare and I wasn't willing to cause a scene. I agreed and as we made our way upstairs, he beckoned two security guards to come along with him. My stomach twisted into knots but I tried to keep my cool. We entered a room that looked like one where business meetings were held and I was told to take a seat.

“You’re quite bold,” he said as he turned to look at me and I swallowed nervously.

“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning innocence.

His friendly persona dropped and the cold look in his eyes scared me a little. “Aren’t you too old to be stealing?”

I glared at him. “Did you just call me old? I’ll have you know that I’m under thirty.”

“That should be the least of your worries. Who are you and why are you here?”

“I’m here on work.”

“The flowers, the catering or the stealing?”

“Don’t falsely accuse others of such things. I’m catering and that’s it.”

“Is it really?” He walked closer to me. “We received complaints that people’s jewelry have gone missing. Also, a lady lost one of her bracelets after having a chat with you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I saw you steal her bracelet.” He sighed then motioned at one of the guards. “Search her.”

“Wait,” I began, but before I could protest, the guards walked towards me and made me stand up before they started searching. I wept internally at the loss as I watched all my plans crumble to pieces when they collected everything.

“That’s a lot of stuff,” he said as I sat down and the guards put the jewelry on the table. “I’m calling the cops.”

“Wait!” I exclaimed. “I can’t go to jail.”

He gave me an incredulous look. “And why shouldn’t you? You came here and, invitation or not, you stole from my guests.”

My eyes widened in shock. He was the host!? I looked down nervously. “I did it to help my sister. Money is tough to come by so, I need to pay for a few things-"

He laughed. “Do you expect me to believe that?”

“I’m telling you the truth! I’m everything my sister has and me going to jail will wreck her.”

“You should’ve thought about that before coming here.” I frowned as guilt washed over me. Hearing the words I avoided from his mouth hurt my pride and I had no response to that. Before I could think of something, the man’s phone began to ring and he stared at it after pulling it out of his pocket.

“Guards, watch over this lady. I’ll be back in a minute.” He looked at me. “I won’t pity you so, take responsibility for your actions.”

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Latest chapter

  • Dealing With The Billionaire   Bonus Chapter

    Cassidy."Cut!" The director yelled and everyone on set let out a relieved sigh. "Well done. Take a 15 minutes break and let's get back to work."We were shooting a scene for a popular book that was adopted into a television series near central park. It was a hot day and the director was more intense than usual.Walking to my station, my assistant ran to me with an umbrella and she carried it over my head."That shot came out so cool!" She exclaimed. "It's great to see you back in action."I laughed. "Thank you, Sera. Although I would lose my job if I didn't do anything for a long time.""I doubt that. You're a star!""Thank you. Please get me some water before I lose any more energy.""Already got it." She handed a bottle of cool water to me."Thank you," I said as I got it from her and look a long gulp.She gave me a towel and I used it to wipe off the sweat from my neck and foreh

  • Dealing With The Billionaire   Chapter Forty-six

    Elaine.I sat in the bathtub with my back leaning on its now warm surface. Zack hadn't said anything since our conversation in the car and I was scared. What was he thinking? How did he feel about what David said?I wasn't proud of the things that I did in the past and now that Zack heard about it, I couldn't help but feel so dirty. It was one thing to be a lowlife and another thing completely when your loved ones find out about it.When I was going to meet David, I thought that I would just drop the money and leave, but to have him try to force himself on me... I was so stupid. I was thankful that I had jeans on but thinking of him touching me sexually made my skin crawl.Of course, we messed around in the past. We were a gang of criminals who went about swindling people. Having no one to trust I had no problem sleeping with him or anyone to blow off some steam. It was just sex. What harm could it bring?That's what I thought then bu

  • Dealing With The Billionaire   Chapter Forty-five

    Zack."That's all for today. If you have any additions later on, contact my assistant and she will let me know," I said as I leaned into my chair and stared at the people in front of me.Some nodded and we gathered all of our papers before standing up. Handshakes were exchanged and I smiled to myself as I thought of how this business deal would work in my favour.I walked out of the conference room and made my way to my office. Memories of this morning suddenly rushed into my head and my joy faltered.I didn't want things to turn out the way that they did but it all went out of my hands before I could notice it. The hurt in her voice was still loud in my ears and she failed to look me in the eye. Was I that incompetent to her?My anger rose and I stopped in my steps. I was so irritated! Why couldn't she see that I was worried about her? How could she get angry over me trying to help her? She made me feel like I was troubli

  • Dealing With The Billionaire   Chapter Forty-four

    Elaine. The bedroom was silent as Zack and I prepared for work. We had just taken a shower together and Zack was looking for what to wear in the walk-in closet while I stood in front of the mirror and admired my reflection. I was in a really good mood this morning. I wore a black turtleneck that was tucked into some jeans and a gold necklace hung around my neck. My hair was up in a neat bun and I put on some minimal make-up. Because of my job, I couldn't wear accessories on my hands. There were also times when I would have to remove my wedding ring just to be safe. My gaze dropped to my ring and I laughed at myself. I never imagined that I would ever value my marriage this much, especially with the circumstances that brought us together. My thoughts were interrupted by Zack walking into the bedroom. He had a black suit on and his hair was gorgeously ruffled up. He looked as amazing as always, but I could not help but notice that he had something on his mind. He's actually been lo

  • Dealing With The Billionaire   Chapter Forty-three

    Zack. I hummed a soft melody as I made my way towards Elaine's shop. She has been acting strange for a while now and despite our late night talk, she was even more out of it this morning. She didn't even talk to me much before leaving for work. But all that was going to end today. I prepared an evening date for us and I restocked her card with cash. I hoped my gifts would lift up her mood and the thank you text I got from her was really cute. I cleared my throat as I stood in front of the door. The last time I was here, I had an argument with Elaine and I was embarrassed by my jealousy towards her employee. I had to trust her. Also, I was much better than him in every aspect so, I let it not worry me. There was nothing to argue about now so, I pushed open the door and stepped in. The interior of this shop never ceased to impress me. I looked at the counter and saw Ethan staring at me. "Welcome, sir," he said nervously when

  • Dealing With The Billionaire   Chapter Forty-two

    Elaine.David and I entered a cafe a few blocks down and found seats by the window. Taking our seats, a waiter rushed to our table and took our orders. Another perk about being Zack's wife was that service came fast and easy. I didn't have to wait in line or wait for my turn.I couldn't talk to David in an empty ally or a totally private place because I did not trust him. A part of me felt like there was something up his sleeve and I was not willing to find out what it was. This cafe wasn't too crowded but it had enough people to stop him from doing anything stupid.The waiter came back with our coffees after a few minutes and I began to slowly sip mine. I looked up at David and he just stared at me while not bothering to touch his coffee. This man was threatening me a few minutes ago and now that we are alone he's quiet?"What do you want?" I asked. "Depending on how high your voice is, we are in a private place."He chuckled. "Of co

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status