Chapter 23 THE FIRST EXPOSURE
NIRELLE
"Lucien told me that you agreed," Theo commented once we were in the car. I look around us and nod. There were two guys in front, one driving and the other probably the security guard. We had two cars following with at least five people inside, making them a handful of bodyguards. I chose not to dwell on the fact that I was uncomfortable with it. "Thank you." his words catch me off guard as I stare at him.
"You, Lucien, do not just hate your father..."
"He must have done something to him," I say with a nod. Lucien was stalling to tell me what it was, and I felt like it would be nice to go behind him and ask Theo, but how can we begin our alliance on that note? "I know him quite well; he is a manipulative..." The word lingers in my mouth but never makes it out. I sniffle and turn my face to the side at once.
"I am happy that you decided to give it a try, but at any time you can pull the plug on it." I look at Theo, wondering if he was acting in the best interest of his friend or if he wanted to sabotage him.
"Lucien would want that too," he says, clearing my doubt. "Yes, this is a revenge mission, but we must be careful enough not to try and generate more enemies for ourselves," he adds, and I nod. He is right.
"If we do, then we'd be doing the same thing he did." I look at Theo, the temptation to ask lingering on my lips, but I push all of the feeling back and smile.
"Don't worry, I had enough time to think about it before agreeing to it," I say, and he raises his eyebrow at me as if I had not finished whatever it was I was saying. "And I would be careful; I won't try and act out or do my own thing. I will pull the plug if it feels unsafe."
He seems content because he stops talking, and the rest of the journey is silent. When we've driven for close to ten minutes, I clear my throat, and he turns to me.
"Do I have to stay in touch with my family?" They had not even cared about me once since I got there. My mom did not even want to check in and see how I was faring.
"Only if you want to; if you think that's the best thing to do to make sure that they do not suspect a thing, then you can." he stops and presses his lips before adding. "It's your call, really." Hearing him say that sits weird with me because I have never thought of having the choice to make my decision by myself.
"So why am I getting this phone?"
"Because you are Mrs Vexley and you should have one", he seemed surprised I would even ask him such a question. "It's good also for you to make an appearance once in a while."
"So that's why you both planned this stunt so I could come out in public?" I asked, and he does not seem too shocked that I had picked up on their poorly executed play. "If you wanted me to come, then you should just have said so instead of playing pranks like this," I add.
"It's the first time for us having a woman at the house; we are both on edge so we don't offend you, and we wanted this to feel like your choice, not as if we forced you into it."
"Of course," I say in a low voice, ensuring that my sarcasm is felt. He looks at me and I can see that he is on the verge of rolling his eyes. "You know, for a trip to the mall, this seems a bit excessive."
"You'd get used to it with time." I nod, not because I agree, but because I am sure it is one of the things not negotiable. I have no choice; if I wanted to leave, then I have to have this kind of team with me? It sounds tiring and might be one of the reasons I do not leave the house in the end.
The cars finally stop in front of a shop. I look out and see that it is an Apple store. Theo does not hurt to get down but only does when the bodyguard sitting in front comes down after murmuring something into the earpiece and then opens the door for us.
We walk side by side as we make our way in. "Everyone fears Lucien Vexley but they are all curious about the hidden woman who dared to marry him."
"I am the one," I reply in a fake happy voice. "Why do they care so much?"
"It's just people's way of living", his reply is not what I expect, but I accept it anyway. We step into the store and it's almost as if it was purposely emptied for us. There is not a single soul in sight.
"Was the store emptied?" I asked, and his response was a nod as if it was a normal thing. Many questions ran through my mind, but only two came out on top: why and how. "It shouldn't have..."
"And risk exposing you?"
"I thought this was to expose me to the world?"
"Yes but in our way."
"What are you trying to say?" I ask, realising that there was more to that trip.
"I am sorry, and I should have told you beforehand." I narrow my eyes and nod in agreement to whatever it was that he was saying. "But we thought your first public appearance should be in a place owned by Lucien; that way it does not seem out of place for you."
"So you are using me as a marketing stunt, and without my knowledge? So manipulation?" I am about to tell him how this goes against what I told Lucien yesterday, but he beat me to it.
"Would you have done it if we told you about it?" I see his point now but still I don't like the feeling it gave me.
"I will only let you both off this once; anything more and you are both getting cut," I say, waving my finger in his face and he nods aggressively. "Where am I going?"
"A restaurant chain"