As she stood in front of the mirror, Elena smoothed the navy blue pencil skirt, ensuring it fell perfectly just above her knees. The crisp white blouse, tucked in and starched to perfection, complemented the outfit flawlessly. She had chosen this ensemble carefully, wanting to make a flawless impression on the wealthy businessman, Mr. Lucien.
She slipped into her black stilettos, the heels clicking on the floor as she moved. The shoes added a touch of sophistication, elongating her legs and boosting her confidence. Simple yet elegant pearl earrings adorned her ears, and a classic watch on her wrist completed the look.
Elena's hair was pulled back into a neat, elegant bun, accentuating her features. Her makeup was natural, with a subtle glow that highlighted her eyes and a bold lip color that added a pop of confidence.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her purse and gave herself a final once-over. She looked poised, confident, and sophisticated – exactly the impression she wanted to make. With a nod to her reflection, Elenw headed out of her room, ready to meet the man who would soon be her father-in-law.
Just then, she received a call from Edward, he called to inform her that she would have to go meet them outside their family mall, because they had just finished shopping and decided to head straight to lucien's house instead of going home first, even though Juliet had whinned that she needed a fresh set of clothes, which had made the man to allow her change into something else from the mall.
Elena quickly drove off to meet them, when she arrived she quietly got into her father's car, she sat down on the backseat without greeting or saying a word to her father and his wife. Juliet frowned at her with displeasure.
She glared at her husband as if to say "can you see the way your beloved daughter behaves?"
But Edward didn't mind, he was satisfied with the fact that she had willingly agreed to the marriage, or else she wouldn't have bothered to go meet them at the mall, even if he forced her, she was very strong willed, she reminded him so much of her mother. Her had being a very stubborn woman, that was the reason she had managed to escape from him, no matter how strong and powerful he was back then. With a sad smile, he got into the car beside the driver who was waiting for them, after he loaded all the gifts they bought that day into the car's booth .
Juliet sat down beside Elena, she
scowled at the girl, Elena raised her eyebrows nonchalantly at her childish behaviour, wondering where the always prim woman had vanished off to.
********
Half an hour later, they pulled up before a villa which stood majestically atop the hill,
The villa's outer view was breathtaking, its cream-colored facade gleaming in the sunlight like a masterpiece of architecture. The sprawling estate boasted sweeping arches, intricately carved stone columns, and gleaming marble floors that seemed to stretch on forever.
The villa's exterior exuded luxury, sophistication, and exclusivity, setting the tone for the opulent interior and the intriguing story that unfolded within its walls.
Elena looked at the Villa, dazed. She looked at the others in the car to find that they looked even more dazed than she was. She cleared her throat, earning another glare from her stepmother who was annoyed that she had caught her in an embarrassing situation. She highlighted from the car without waiting for anyone to open the door for her, as if they would, most of her father's workers disregarded her just like he did, not that she cared.
Edward and Juliet swiftly got down from the car. Juliet looked at Elena, she noticed that the girl had dressed up perfectly for the occasion, she wondered what was going on in the little girl's head, just the fact that she could be happy with the marriage made her consider if she hadn't made a mistake by allowing her instead of her daughter to marry lucien's son, she shook her head, rebuking that thought, her daughter had a very handsome and rich young man who would be delighted to settle down with her , why would she become jealous of Elena who was getting married to an unknown guy? She remembered the first time Lucien came up with the idea, Edward had asked the man for a picture of his son, but the cunning man had waved off the idea with a silly excuse, one she couldn't bother herself to remember, this was the best choice they had made, for the family and for her daughter.