Chapter 89 The strange man
"You seem happy," the man next to me noted with a smile. "Was this your reason for coming over?"
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"Yeah." I turned, recalling something. "I will be back." Smiling at the man, I went over to pay off the items and wrote my address so they would deliver the parcel to Dashiell's house. I would have added my address, but I wanted Dashiell to see it.
After swiping the card to pay for it, and getting complimented by the auctioneer who kept on trying to hook me with offers I wasn't interested in, I stepped towards the exit with my head held high. As I left the auction room, I felt my mother-in-law's eyes on me, burning with a mixture of anger and resentment. I smiled to myself, knowing I'd won this round. She looked like she was barely keeping herself back from lunging at me.
Ignoring her, I walked out, fishing my phone from my handbag, so I could order a ride.
But as I made our way to the car park she caught her heels clicking on the pavement "You think you're clever don't you?" she said her voice low and even "This is far from getting over
The strange man
you to be a worthy opponent." I turned to face her, a small smile on my lips as I did.
"You're going to regret this," she said, her eyes flashing with anger. "I'll find something even better, and I'll make sure you can't have it," she threatened, her voice laced with venom.
I laughed, feeling a thrill of excitement. "I'm shaking in my boots," I said, loving how infuriated she was.
"You"
A taxi stopped in front of me and the driver looked out, his gaze going to me. "Are you the one that ordered the ride?"
"I did." Flashing a smile at my mother-in-law, I entered the taxi.
As he drove away, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. I'd outdone my mother-in-law, and I'd won the prize. But I knew this game was far from over. She'd be back, and next time, she wouldn't be so easy to beat. Smiling to myself, I leaned on the car seat and called Brion.
"Did you succeed?" He asked the moment he answered.
"I did. You need to have seen her expression. Amaya Esmeralda James has never been as mad as she looked today. I thought she would melt me with her gaze!" I gasped dramatically, placing my palm over my mouth. "I can't wait to see her expression when she realizes I used her son's money for it." It would be the highlight of my plans.
"You are a devil!" Brion teased. "Remind me never to piss you off."
"You know that. How are the kids?"
"They are good. Don't worry about them. You need to think of how to deal with your husband and his mum."
"I don't need to think about them. They are not worthy of that."
"I trust you."
We discussed the car incident before I disconnected. "Take me to James' Ventures," I said to the taxi driver, who nodded, changing the route from the office to James' Ventures. Dashiell was opening a new line and asked me to escort him, but I refused. However, going there now didn't sound so bad. Walking in style, and having all the attention on me, sounded better than going with Dashiell.
I applied lip gloss to my lips and repacked my hair to look presentable. Since there would be reporters there, I needed to step in with style so they would know Nova Anderson was in the building. "We are here, ma'am," the driver said, driving into the car park of the nearest restaurant as that was the only space I could see.
"Give me a minute." I swiped my card, paying him before I stepped out of the taxi and onto the bustling pavement. My phone instantly rang in my hand and I frowned when I noticed the caller's ID. I delayed a bit before I answered, hearing my husband Dashiell's voice on the other end.
"Hey, how's it going?" he asked, sounding distracted. "Where are you? Did you succeed in what you wanted to do?"
I lifted a brow at that, wondering why he wasn't asking why I used such a huge amount of money. Was he waiting for when we met? Or could it be that he didn't care? What exactly was he playing at, acting like he didn't care I spent such a huge amount of money?
"Yes, I did. I bought the items I needed," I said, feeling a bit tired from the call. Running my fingers through my hair, I started for the place.
"Wow!" Dashiell gushed, and his voice lit up with excitement. "That's amazing! I hope you got everything you wanted. If not, you can get as much as you want. Don't worry about the money, okay?" "Yeah, I did. I won the prize. It wasn't easy, but I did it."
Dashiell chuckled at that. "I'm proud of you. You deserve it. Listen, I'm running behind. Can you meet me at the venue? I'll see you soon?" He made it sound like a question, hoping I would answer positively.
I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "I can see what I can do. I don't even know if I will make it on time." Walking forward, I noticed a figure emerging from the shadows. He was tall, dressed in a black suit, half of his face obscured by a fedora and sunglasses. His presence seemed to command the space around him, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.
I couldn't explain why I felt that way, but I did, almost as if I could feel a dark aura around him.
"That's okay. You don't have to bother if you can't make it. Though I would have loved it, I can't fault you." He sighed loudly, sounding tired.
"I will -"
The man looked towards me, and for a moment, time froze. I sensed an unnerving intensity emanating from him, but the strange man's expression remained impassive. Suddenly, he stepped closer, his hand reaching into his jacket. I felt a surge of adrenaline as he pulled out a small, sleek gun.
"Dashiell..." I whispered, but my voice was cut off by a searing pain in my chest. Everything went dark.