Not this woman again.
Her eagle like eyes locked onto me the moment I stepped into the living room.
"This is quite... interesting." She muttered almost to herself.
I felt Mayelle stiffen beside me as her hold on my arm tightened.
I guided her to one of the sofa before taking my seat next to her.
"What's the meaning of the news that has been spreading about you?" My father questioned, dropping a newspaper on the centre table.
I stared at the newspaper.
I was so going to ruin whomever was behind this.
"I expected more from a man with a level of discipline as yours Vincent." Aunt Tiffany berated.
I retorted.
"Funny, I also expected guests of your caliber to know how to mind their business."
The air in the room thickened.
"Vincent!" My father called out my name as a warning.
But the woman's smile only widened.
"Let him be." She said.
"That statement shouldn't be for me Vincent, after all, if my niece is going to marry into this family your business becomes mine." She said to me.
I let out a scoff.
"Very convenient." I thought to myself.
Mayelle spoke up for me.
"Aunty, Vincent is handling it."
"There's a clear difference between handling something and having it under control May, you need to understand that." Her aunt said to her.
"It's not Vincent's fault, he was set up." Mayelle replied.
"Of course he was." Aunt Tiffany rolled her eyes. "That's what he wants you to believe."
"You've said enough Tif, I have faith in Vincent, he can't do such a thing." Gigi finally intervened.
"If my brother was such a person this wouldn't be his first scandal." Adrian backed me up.
I leaned back into the sofa.
"One of the women involved has an history with me."
"See, he's finally coming out clean." Aunt Tiffany sneered.
Mayelle pleaded.
"Aunt let him land."
"Fine." Aunt Tiffany finally relented.
"The one on my right, her name is Blaire Chandler." I started.
"She was supposed to be my assistant but I chose Scout."
"Are you sure that's all there is to you and her?" Belle asked.
Adrian answered before I could speak.
"I was with Vincent when it happened mom, he is saying the truth."
Who asked him to speak of for me.
Foolish kid.
"That's not reason enough for her to want to tarnish your image like that." My father said.
"But it is enough for her to hold a grudge." I stated calmly. "If she holds a grudge it makes her easier to use."
Gigi sighed.
"This is a tough one."
"A press conference will be held tomorrow, Dan has already contacted the media." I informed.
"Without consulting me?" My father questioned.
"There was no time."
My father rightly accused me. "Or you didn't see the need to do so."
"Both actually."
A brief silence stretched between us before he finally sighed. "Just make sure you get this over with, and fast."
"Sure."
I stood.
Mayelle tried to stand too but she ended up faltering.
Thankfully, I caught her before she fell.
Aunt Tiffany's eyes narrowed.
"What did you do to her?" She questioned.
"What's wrong with my daughter." Gigi asked, with a more gentle tone.
"It was my fault." She said.
"She mistakenly dropped a glass bowl and a shard made a cut on her feet." I explained.
Adrian asked Mayelle.
"Wait, do you mean the bowl you used to take the soup to him?"
"Yh. The one you gave me." Mayelle nodded at Adrian.
""And he didn't yell at you?" Adrian asked further.
""And why would he yell at my daughter over a bowl." Gigi's expression turned dark.
"That was aunt Paige's favourite bowl." Adrian revealed.
I felt Mayelle stiffen once again beside me.
She turned to me looking all apologetic.
"I'm sorry, I really didn't know. I'll get you another one, I promise."
I managed to say.
"It's okay. It can't be replaced anyway."
My eyes fell on my father and I saw him clench and unclench his fists.
Great.
So now he was pretending to be affected by the destruction of his dead wife's favourite bowl.
How interesting.
"I have work to do, I'll leave now." I finally broke the silence.
"I'll walk you out." Mayelle immediately volunteered.
Walk me out? Of my own house?
She really had nerves.
"There's no need, your legs aren't in good shape." I had to pretend to care, at least in front of her mother and aunt.
She tried to guilt trip me.
"Do you look down on me just because injured?"
I sighed.
"Fine."
"If you're being honest Vincent."
Gigi paused.
"Then don't lose to them."
Gigi and her daughter were really alike when it came to their choice of words.
Mayelle's words earlier in the room replayed in my head.
"So don't let them win. Don't lose to them."
"I won't." I said. "I'll get going now."
"Vincent, how about you announce your impending engagement with May at the press conference." Aunt Tiffany suggested.
"Not a bad idea. What do you think?" I asked Mayelle.
"I don't mind."
"That means you'll have to be present at the press conference tomorrow." I informed.
She nodded.
"Fine by me."
" Where's grandma?" I asked, finally noticing the old woman's absence.
"She's still asleep." Adrian was the one who responded.
"Hmm."
I nodded slightly at Gigi before I left the living room with Mayelle.
I stopped when I finally got to my car, parked in front of the entrance.
"See you tomorrow then?" I needed to be sure she would be present.
"Yh."
The driver opened the door to the back seat and I stepped into the car.
We were already about to leave when I wound down the car window. "By the way, thanks for the soup."
She smiled.
"You never even got to taste it and I only ended up breaking the bowl."
"About the taste, I'm sure it would have been nice." I praised.
A pause.
"But if we are talking about to the broken bowl, I'm a little mad about it." I said honestly.
She apologized again.
"You deserve to be, I'm sorry."
"Hmm. You should go back inside less your wound reopens." I advised.
"Okay. I'll get your room cleaned up."
"Just tell uncle Vance about it, he'll get the maids to clean it up." I said.
"Hmm." She hummed in response. "I like uncle Vance, he assisted me when I was making the soup, he told me it was your favourite."
"He's a rare one. Bye." I said, signaling the driver to step on the gas.
Why did he have to tell her about my mother's recipe.
Mayelle was starting to intrude my life way too much.
From knowing my favourite drink,to making my favourite soup, to breaking my mother's favourite bowl, to sleeping in my room, on my bed.
This was all too much.
Too suffocating.
About a month ago I didn't even pay attention to her existence.
But now, here she was, becoming a part of my life.
Becoming my future wife.
I tried to calm down, reminding myself that she was also being forced into all this.
It wasn't voluntary.
I shook my head in attempts to forget her and focus on the matter at hand.
My expression turned grave as I started planning internally.
Deep down, I was sure the team wouldn't be able to find Blaire. She didn't seem ordinary.
My phone lit up with a message all of a sudden.
It was from Daniel.
The message was written in our usual code.
*23.5/6.15.21.14.4/20.8.5/15.20.8.5.28/23.15.13.1.14/2.22.20/14.15.20/2.12.1.9.18.5*
The message translated to: 'We found the other woman but not Blaire'
I smirked.
As expected.
When the driver pulled over at my villa I saw Daniel already waiting for me.
"She's inside." He said.
I didn't respond or say anything as we walked inside.
When we got to my study I saw a frail looking woman tied to a chair in the middle of the room.
"Morning sir." The team leader greeted me.
"Morning Mike." I answered.
Fear coated her eyes when it met mine and I knew instantly that I was going to get all she knew out of her.
The problem was, would what she knew about this be useful.
Would it provide the needed answers?
I instructed.
"Remove the tape, she'll speak."