Chapter 79: Your Love Is My Drug Part 6
***One month after the kidnapping.***
"The one-year contract has closed, and just as Jebediah instructed me under oath, I am here today to do the full and full validation of all the assets inherited by Marilyn Ella Monroe and John Frederick Hills Kross." Patrick begins to read the new inheritance validation agreement for John and I.
Who could say that in one year so much could change?
From secretary, I became the heiress of a super profitable and expanding empire, the best part, without a doubt, was to have conquered the other heir of that empire. I look at my fiancé and smile, I know he's thinking the same as me, we were very lucky.
" At the beginning of this contract, the value of the inheritance was valued at 50 billion dollars, a value that was separate from the total value of the companies and net assets of the Empire Kross business group, which had an estimated value of 99 billion dollars. " Patrick pauses before looking at the paper in front of him. "The updated values of each party's inheritance are totaling $32 billion, with the current value of the inherited company being $105 billion. By signing this contract, you will receive all that has been left to you.
John is the first to sign, then me, so we received our copies of the final will and now we own the company for good.
" How does it feel to be one of the richest women in the world? " John asks wrapping his arms around me.
"I ask you the same, how does it feel to be one of the bigwigs on the Forbes list?" I ask placing my bag over my shoulder as we walk out of the building.
"Well, I was already on that list just like you, we just moved up the ranks." I laugh at what he says, remembering that this is true.
"It just makes me think about how our future son will be rotten rich." I say the moment we stop in front of John's car, where the security guards are already waiting for us. "Do we really need security guards?
"After Doug kidnapped you, I don't want to and won't put you at risk anymore." John opens the door for me before stepping into my side in the back seat. "I'm not going to make silly mistakes like that anymore.
" Love, no one will want to kidnap me, but I understand and accept, all for our sake. " I say giving him a little stamp before he caresss my face.
" About our son, I am sure that he is not only the most beautiful child in the world, but will also be a great heir. " He speaks before kissing me. "But that's our future, today you should look beautiful for our big party.
"So now let's go to India?
"Yes, let's enjoy all the Indian flavors.
" Kama Sutra?
" Kama Sutra.
John kisses me passionately as we make our way through New York traffic.
***
I look at myself once more in the mirror and straighten the red dress with shoulder-to-shoulder neckline that Debbie had made for her new collection, the dress had gone down nicely, as had the jewelry John had given me, an emerald necklace with small diamonds around it, the necklace matched the earring and bracelet. I pass some more perfume before heading into the living room holding my heels. I find John facing the window, looking at the view of the city at his feet, he's listening to Maps of Maroon 5 while drinking what appears to be whiskey. I put the heels on the floor before standing there reviewing that scene, about a year ago I was in that same apartment looking at that same scene, but at the time it was Jebe who was waiting for me.
" Are you going to stand there looking at me or are you going to come here and give me a kiss? " John asks, looking at me through the glass.
"To smudge my lipstick? Are you going crazy? " I say approaching him, John turns around and looks at me smiling. " What were you thinking about?
" How lucky I am. " John looks fantastic in his black three-piece suit, my beloved looks gorgeous, looks like a movie heartthrob, his blue eyes stand out in the darkness of the outfit. "You'll see it's because of this that fate has brought you to me.
" It wasn't fate, it was one Jebediah Kross, that wise old man really had everything in mind. " John smiles taking a sip of his drink before placing the glass on the sideboard in the room.
" My father knew what he was doing, he put you on my path because he knew he would fall in love with me. " He smiles as I roll my eyes. "I finally understand my father, he knew that you would be the best for me and that I would be the best for you.
"On that I have to agree." I kiss my fiancé once more, before walking away smiling. "The old man was really right.
" The old ones always have. " Smiling, I grab my shoe and put it on before we leave the apartment, heading to the Empire Kross India launch party.
The party is beautiful, Lizzie has excelled in organizing. Everything is perfect and harmonious, the vibrant colors blend with the intensity of the music and the softness of the smells. As soon as we enter, we have young women and boys offering pebbles to decorate the foreheads of women and ornate turbans for men, in addition, we also have people who make henna drawings on people, I don't think twice before releasing John and going to one of the reserved ones to paint my hand with the wonderful henna.
As soon as I leave the reserve, Tessa shows up, passing me a report on everything that's going on at the party, tells me about the Indian businessmen who were singing Lizzie and her, even details of John's speech. Speaking of speech, she leads me to the stage set up in the grand hall of the Hilton hotel.
As soon as I get on stage, a spotlight is set in my direction, I grab the microphone and take a deep breath before I start talking.
" Namaste. " I speak in the gesture that I have been learning in recent weeks. "We are here today to celebrate a big step for the entire Empire Kross family. About a year ago, I was at a party like this, a celebration of the magazine, Jebediah Kross was the speaker of the night, and he said very beautiful words on a stage like this. " I pause to ward off the tears. " Recently I went through things I could never imagine going through, I was kidnapped, I ran away, I went through a transcendental experience that, according to my guru, was necessary to close one cycle and open another. " I smile looking at everyone. " This other cycle begins today with the expansion of Empire Kross to a new continent, and we are here to announce the launch of the new Empire Kross India and the opening of the color cycle! An explosion of colored ribbons falls from the ceiling as soon as I finish speaking, soon an Indian band starts playing an engaging song and the party takes on a new life.
The evening seemed like it would never end, after my speech, John and others spoke, everyone talked about the happiness of the magazine's expansion and how it was a brilliant feat in the digital age. Between the dances, the wonderful dinner and the congratulations, John and I decided to take a break from all that confusion that still bubbled up in the hotel lounge.
It's already past four in the morning when John and I stagger out of the place, I stop for a moment to take off my shoes before we walk through the half-lit streets of the city, after all New York never sleeps, and that's true. Nearby, we see some young people coming back probably from some party, we dodge them, making our way to our apartment.
" I think we should have taken a taxi or called an Uber. " I speak stopping on the sidewalk, my feet were sore.
"I agree with you, but the idea of escaping from the party seemed so good that I thought we'd make it." John speaks in a slightly curled voice. "But I forgot that my wife is a slacker.
"You said I'm what, John Kross?
" A lazy one. " John says laughing.
"Come on, it's not long before we get home." I speak, preparing to cross the street, as soon as I take a step towards the street, the love of my life holds me and pulls me in for a slightly lingering kiss.
"No hurry, my lazy, it's too long before dawn, we can go slow.
We walked around talking about the future, about what we still have to live, what we can plan, talked drunken and exchanged passionate statements, I could even swear that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys were following us through the streets, humming Empire State Of Mind.
When we come home tired and with traces of a hangover, I don't think twice about kissing the love of my life in front of the window of the tallest building in town. That morning would already be born broken and reinvented, who could say that the girl would be fat and out of the standard of beauty? Or rather, who knew the catching playboy would end up with what was supposed to be just a secret?
I could tell, because patterns were meant to be broken. In fact, fuck the standard, fuck the dictatorship of thinness. Accept yourself, love yourself, and just let others love you for who you are.
When John takes off my dress and spreads kisses over my shoulder, I feel like I'm in the right place, and the best, with the man in my life, who has learned to accept me the way I am.