Chapter 116 The sum of Control
The efficient hum of wealth quickly restored the mansion's tranquility, wiping out the brief disturbance of Carson's rage.
The cool controlled light of the late afternoon reflected off the gleaming marble floor in the kitchen.
The sterility and luxury of the silence enveloped Bridget in her opulent room upstairs.
It was her domain, a carefully designed haven of upscale minimalism complete with mirrors that provided endless attractive frames for her immaculate image of polished chrome and crisp whites.
The new Prada jacket was a makeshift pile of tissue paper and the pricey shopping bags were slackly spread out on a chaise lounge.
As she stood before the vanity her phone was already at her ear and she was performing a ritual of self-affirmation by putting a clear gloss on her lips.
In a low smooth purr with a hint of condescension, Bridget said “Yes I know, Tessa, he finally showed his face.”
After dropping the gloss onto a tray she picked up a heavy silver brush and used it to carefully and rhythmically work her perfectly coiled hair.
“Oh please sweetheart.” With a noticeable smile she went on “You know Victoria—she had to give him a few days to pout and think he was being dramatic… Really he is very predictable…I thought he could be like a lost puppy with a bruised ego and run off and come back to me with some big emotional apology, didn't he?”
Bridget's laughter was a faint tinkling sound that lacked real warmth.
“No no I didn't even try. I simply let him throw his little fit. If you can imagine the drama of it all, he broke a glass, Tessa ... .You see I told him that he was being weak and he was. After that he simply stormed out… Though he is merely inconvenient he is attempting to be rebellious.”
She paused adjusting a single stray hair as she leaned closer to the mirror to check the perfect line of her jaw.
“To be honest I like it this way. I need to finalize the merger party guest list and he should be concentrating on networking rather than his little heartbreak. The man lacks any sense of timing…” She said.
“...He ought to appreciate me diverting his attention from that pitiful Annabel situation. The family name was completely humiliated and he simply doesn’t understand the scope of this collaboration.”
The receiver barely picked up Tessa's excited tiny voice.
“I'm thrilled about the wedding of course!” Tessa said
“Are you serious? It's going to be the season’s biggest event and my mother will get her seat on the board. It's all very neat. Carson's signature appears on every contract darling and the venue alone is extremely expensive…Spending that kind of money makes me happy.”
She smiled “I've already paid for the three weeks of not having to see him by booking the honeymoon suite in Europe. It was practically a public service. You have no idea how much I saved this month on jewelry just by using his supplemental card.”
Bridget rose from the vanity with a deliberate and elegant motion.
She proceeded to her enormous walk-in closet and opened the cedar-lined door to find rows of high-end apparel arranged according to season and color.
“Tessa, the entire situation is a dream. He is funding every aspect of my lifestyle improvement…A lifetime of complete financial freedom is what I'm giving up for a few dull conversations. Love is much more sustainable when you have complete control over it.” She said.
She looked at an evening gown rack.
“For the pre-nuptial gala, I'm thinking of wearing the ruby dress. The way it looks in pictures however is surprisingly costly. precious….You have to make everything flawless Tessa. Just as crucial as the formal agreements are the weddings aesthetics. It is after all a public assertion of power.”
She went back to the vanity and took a small black velvet box from the marble top, the same one Carson had put back in his own drawer.
Earlier that morning she had just taken it out of the safe without waiting for him to give it to her or for a romantic proposal scene.
After she opened it, the massive solitaire diamond caught the light causing white sharp sparks to fly across the room and land on the ceiling.
“Tessa, and the ring. It is truly divine. It's weight alone is gratifying…We'll see but I'm considering resetting the main stone into a pavé band. To really set it off I might have a couple small stones added. This diamond is something I can rely on but it's perfect which is more than I can say for my future husband…” She said excitedly.
“It won’t break glasses like a kid or wander off to pout in a budget hotel.” She continued.
Bridget crossed to the tall window that ran from floor to ceiling.
She first glanced at the deserted driveway before turning her attention to the cityscape where the first of the bright lights was starting to come on.
As she observed the glow expanding she considered all the properties and land that would come under her mothers direct control as a result of her mother's merger with Carson's business.
She confessed her voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper that only Tessa could hear
“You know the funny thing is the more desperate and miserable he gets the more fun I have.He simply pays for everything, signs all the paperwork and keeps to himself…Heaven is here. There are only two weeks left in the last level and it feels like I'm playing an absurdly simple video game.” She said
She stopped and looked out at the city, a hard calculating look coming into her eyes.
“Tessa, just two weeks more. Two weeks remain until my wedding and the completion of the necessary paperwork. Do you understand what that means?” She asked
As the city lights reflected icily in her eyes she allowed a slow ruthless smile to spread across her face.
“I finally got what I came for so that's good.” She said
With an echoing sharp snap she shut the ring box.
“I am so excited to finally be together with Carson…for the benefits, of course.” She said with a sly smile.