Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bree’s POV

I didn’t sleep last night ,How could I

Everything around here was a reminder of how I was deceived, that I wasn’t welcomed here.

I sat curled on the edge of the bed, still in that cream dress, that felt like it was mocking me, my fingers toyed with the bracelet mum gave me years ago, the only piece of her I had left.

I replayed everything in my mind, Juliet’s warm smile felt like venom now, the blurry video would follow me for the rest of my life unless I find a way to delete it.

How could I be so stupid to trust her so easily , I forced myself to breathe, I would not let them break me like my aunt did.

Entering the kitchen, juliet was seated like some queen in silk pajamas, she had a cup of coffee in one hand and , may I say a very fake smile on her face that made me want to smash her head against the wall and wipe that smile of her face for putting me in this position,

“Morning, Mrs. Powell,” she cooed, like this was some fairytale I should be grateful for.

I froze in the doorway. “Don’t call me that.”

Her smile didn’t falter. “What? You don’t like the name? Most girls would kill for it.she says with a small chuckle”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from snapping at her.

She gestured to the barstool across from her. “Sit. Let’s talk.”

“I’m not some dog you know “ I wanted to say out loudly but I didn’t

I sat, mostly because I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me rattled.

She leaned forward, her elbows on the marble counter. “You’re in a delicate position right now, Bree. I need you to understand that this isn’t a game. The press is watching us. Investors are watching us. One wrong move, and everything falls apart.”

I stared at her, trying to interpret the meaning beneath her choice of words.

“Then why drag me into it at all?” I asked.

She tilted her head, her eyes glinting. “Because you’re perfect for this role. You don’t threaten Mike. You don’t demand attention. You’re… simple.”

The word stung more than I expected.

Juliet reached across the counter, to rest her hand above mine , I quickly pulled away causing her to smirk pulling her hand away, and striaghting her blouse. “You’ll be fine. Just stay quiet. Stay agreeable. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.” With that she stood up and walks away.

Mike’s POV

I poured myself another glass of wine

Bree wasn’t like Olivia. I knew that much already. Olivia had been smooth, confident, manipulative from the start. But Bree might be much more worse than her , hiding beneath that façade .

This girl Bree she was like raw glass. Fragile, sharp at the edges, but not polished enough to know how to cut. But I knew it was fake , that’s how they all are…

I didn’t trust her.

I wouldn’t

But there was something about the way she looked at me, wide-eyed but unflinching. She wasn’t playing scared. She was scared, but she wasn’t performing it.

I hated how that unsettled me.

Juliet’s voice echoed in my head: She needed saving. You needed a leash.

Maybe Juliet was right. Maybe Bree was just a pawn.

But a pawn in whose game?

Surely it wasn’t mine.

Bree’s POV

My day keeps getting worse, for the past hours, I have been trying to get an idea of how to get rid of that video they had on me , but to my misfortune nothing…..

Stepping out of my room I head over to the swimming pool, I need to cool off I was literally boiling hot from within, with all the mess going on in my life right now , my aunt would be so happy seeing me in this situation,

I let out a teary laugh as a huge ball forming in my throat, I won’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me break, gathering my emotions together I pull off my clothes changing into my swimming suit then head towards the pool,

stepping in ,the cool water submerged me as I feel my body begin to relax, this was my form of therapy when everything felt too much.

I always loved swimming, growing up I didn't have a lot of time to do that anymore, I was lost in thoughts until a loud voice echo’s startling me,” you’re here to seduce me again huh, the egoistic bastard spits out, but I didn’t give him the time of the day and continued my swimming as if I hadn’t heard him speak at all, after some minutes I Heard some splashes of water as he steps out.