Chapter 11: The Dreaded Question
The woman's apartment building was surprisingly extravagant given how young she looked. Is she actually an heiress, or is she that successful? I wonder what her job is…
I reached into her purse once again to find her keys and unlocked the door with her still on my back. It was a bit of a struggle but I finally managed to open the door after a minute or two. I stepped into the apartment, looking desperately for a couch or something to place her down on. Luckily for me, the door opened nearly right into a living area.
I hobbled over to a white couch and plopped her down onto it. I collapsed on the floor completely out of breath. Physical activity wasn't my strong suit, to be honest. I peered over at the unconscious woman in wonder. How was she still passed out after being dragged across town, up a set of stairs, and thrown onto a couch? Alcohol can do wonders, I guess. After a long while, she let out a groan and turned towards me with half-lidded eyes.
"How long was I out?" She looked around the apartment and then shot up off of the couch. "Why am I home?! How did you know where I live?!" I calmly waited for her to stop freaking out. Finally, she sat back down with a weary expression on her face.
I started to explain, "You've been out for maybe two or three hours. For how I knew where you lived, I checked your navigation app for your home address and got your keys from your bag. You should really put a password on your phone, by the way." She nodded and thanked me for taking her home. She asked what my name was and I asked the same of her.
"My name is Quinn Jones, the next CEO of Bliss Couture. Surely you've heard of me, right?" She looked hopeful. I nearly spat out blood at her words. Another Bliss Couture employee? And one that's in the position I need? I can't tell if life is going incredibly right for me or incredibly wrong.
Fleur, maybe I can get revenge for you after all.
I put on an angelic smile and sat on the couch next to her. "Oh, are you? I have to say that I don't think that's a good idea…" I trailed off, seeming to not want to say more out of respect. Everyone hates a white lotus, but sometimes it's necessary to get what you want.
Sure enough, she took the bait. "What do you mean?" I bit my lip and hesitated. "It's just that I've heard some rumours about Lis Sutcliffe, the head designer, but I'm not sure if you'd want to hear them." She nodded fervently and motioned for me to continue. "I overheard some of Lis's friends talking at a restaurant, saying that all her designs were actually from her sister. But ever since her sister was kicked out of the family she ran out of designs. All of the clothes being released now are her own work and that's why everybody hates it so much."
Quinn looked shocked at that revelation. It's not completely untrue, so the result won't change even if she investigated it. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me roughly. "Are you sure?!" She shouted and I had to dodge to avoid her spit. I nodded. "This makes so much sense now that I think about it… What should I do? Should I quit?" She turned to me and repeated that last question. I smiled delicately.
"I have another idea. How about you come work for me? I'm also a designer for a high-end brand. The problem is that I have no one to be the president for my company yet so I haven't been able to release any clothes or run a business." I looked into her eyes with the most sincere look I could manage. "Would you please help me?"
Without giving me an answer, she pulled out her phone. "Hey! Yeah, I know it's late but I have something important to tell you. I quit! Bye bye!" Then Quinn hung up with a victorious expression on her face. "Well, how did I do?" She looked like a puppy waiting to be praised.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked, astonished by her behaviour. "You really helped me out tonight, not just by taking me home. You set me on the right track in love and told me how much of a loser the founder of my company is. Truth be told, she was kinda a b*tch anyway. I'm glad to be leaving."
I shook my head with a breathy chuckle. Quinn's a complete idiot but I'm sure she can get the job done right for now. Keeping a small business afloat has got to be easier than a large one, right?
She tilted her head with a questioning look. "What's the name of your brand anyways?" I shrugged and said I didn't know. "I was hoping that we could all come up with it together once I have all the people I need on the team. Names aren't my strong suit and I would rather have one that everyone in our team can identify with."
Quinn nodded in understanding. Good, I have a stylist and a president, now all I need is a PR Manager. Let's hope I'll get lucky and not find another one from Bliss Couture. No matter how bad their recent stuff has been, they're still a powerful entity with quite a few fans. I don't want my rowboat to be sunk by a yacht at the very start of my business.
I left the apartment, debating on where to go. Should I go pick up Evander or go back home and pick him up in the morning? I pulled out my phone and checked the time: 11:16 p.m. Maybe I'll just let him sleep there…
However, thinking about how lonely the apartment would feel if I slept alone tonight, I quickly hailed a cab and headed off to Lucian's mansion. It was in Aegean Crest, the richest neighbourhood in all of Aureolin and its surrounding cities. It was on a long cliff over the sea. Only nine houses were ever built and three of them were owned by members of the Fentress family.
Each individual house was gated here unlike Vermillion Terrace but Lucian had already cleared me for his. The cab dropped me off and I showed the guard my I.D. badge. His expression changed immensely when he saw it. The guard bowed to me and said, "Welcome Ms. Clarielle, I will inform Master Fentress of your arrival immediately." I nodded for him to do so, not intending for this to be a surprise visit.
I walked the short road to the estate with a sense of hurry. I was anxious to see if Evander was doing fine without me and to take him back home if he wasn't. Very soon, the grand mansion broke through the trees and I could see the front door swinging open. It was Lucian looking concerned out of his mind.
He rushed up to meet me and asked, "What's wrong?! Is everything okay? I thought you would come to pick him up in the morning?" He looked like a frantic mother hen with his worrying. I laughed and responded, "Everything's fine, I've just come to check on Evander. Is he asleep?" Secretly, I was hoping he'd be whining for me.
But Lucian's response dashed my hopes. "Yup, he's out like a light. He's a good kid…" His voice trailed off as he stared at me. I raised an eyebrow and he looked away, rapidly blinking. In the dim lighting, I couldn't see the blush on his face.
"So, do you want to come inside?" He asked tentatively. I was about to say no before I realised that I had a question to really ask him. It had been bugging me for a while, but I've been too nervous to ask it in fear of the answer. So I just nodded and said, "Yes, please."
Lucian guided me into the giant house before taking me upstairs. When we had finally reached the third floor, he took me through a door. At this point, I was seriously suspicious of his intentions. Through the door was…
More stairs. Go figure. Just as I was about to ask where the hell we were going, we ended up on the roof. I could feel the cool night air brush past my cheek on its way to the ocean. Lucian guided me to a set of chairs to sit and chat on. When we sat down, I tentatively asked my question:
"Why do you want to marry me?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Cieli
Cieli Sorry not sorry for cutting it off there. I know that this has been a major plot hole for a few chapters, so I just wanted to address it now. Stay tuned for tomorrow's update to see the answer!
Hope you enjoyed!
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