The girls arrived at the hotel and headed straight to the room, making sure no staff member saw Lennon.
Half an hour later, they were ready for bed.
"Let's push the beds together so the three of us can fit," Jade said, braiding her hair for the night. She looked at them, waiting for an answer.
"Great idea, Jade," Nerea replied as she finished braiding her own hair.
"I'll do whatever you say, I don't want to be a burden," Lennon murmured from the small armchair.
"Do you have something to sleep in?" Jade asked with a yawn. She was feeling very tired.
"Yes," Lennon answered, removing the hat that had been covering her hair. A cascade of long, fiery red curls spilled out, drawing the attention of both girls.
Lennon had milky white skin, even paler than Jade's. Her hair nearly touched her lower back. Her face was oval-shaped, and her eyes a deep, striking blue. She was undoubtedly a young and beautiful woman… though she looked like a frightened puppy, glancing around as if expecting someone to hurt her.
"Wow," Nerea exclaimed. "Your hair is beautiful." She frowned. "Why were you hiding it under that ugly hat... ouch!" She shot Jade a murderous glare after getting smacked.
"Lennon, don't listen to her. The hat..." she chuckled, "it's not ugly, just a little weird..."
"It is ugly," the girl admitted, standing up. "But it's the only thing I have left from my older brother. That's why I can't throw it away." She smiled sadly and walked into the bathroom with her small suitcase.
"Nerea, you're so insensitive," Jade scolded, feeling sorry for the girl.
"Me? Oh, come on! why? I didn't know the story behind the hat. I'm innocent…" Nerea stood up defensively.
"Let's drop it," Jade said as she got up. "I'll call Dad to let him know we got back safely…"
~•~
Wednesday, February 1st
2:35pm
The day was flying by. Lennon had stayed in the room, and they had brought her food. Jade promised to speak with Maximiliano as soon as he was free.
Nerea had to fill in for the receptionist, so she left Jade alone in the rooms. Jade headed to her next task but was intercepted by a smiling Christian.
"Jade, we have something pending," he reminded her, pulling her into a hug.
"Something pending?" the blonde tried to remember but only managed a confused expression, which made Christian laugh.
"Today we're going to pick out your dress. Seems like you forgot."
"Oh! The dress. I'm so sorry, it completely slipped my mind," she confessed, embarrassed. "I've had so much on my mind."
"Don't worry. Can we still go today? Tomorrow I've got a meeting and some work errands, and Friday is the gala," he said, hoping she'd say yes.
"Alright," she agreed, making Christian light up with a big smile.
"I just need a few minutes to speak with Maximiliano. I have to ask him for a favor. I'll get changed…" She pulled out her phone to check the time. "In twenty minutes, I'll text you so we can meet in the lobby."
"Perfect. I'll head to my room," he said, placing a kiss on her cheek before walking away, leaving her smiling.
Jade turned and went straight to Maximiliano's office. She took the elevator and soon found herself knocking on the door.
"Come in," she heard, and she entered.
"Hi, Maximiliano..." she cleared her throat, feeling a little awkward. "Sorry, I didn't know you were busy."
Dominick was staring at her without expression, seated on the left side of the desk. On the right sat a man she didn't recognize, though she had to admit, he was very handsome. He looked at her with curiosity.
"Don't worry," Maximiliano smiled. "I was just wrapping up. You already know Dominick..."
"You could say that," she replied, giving Dominick a disdainful look.
"And this is Gideon Lewis, a friend," he introduced.
"Nice to meet you, sir" she said politely. The man nodded in response. "I just came to tell you two quick things and I'll go. Nothing important." She closed the door behind her.
"Go ahead," Maximiliano invited. She looked at the two men.
"Just pretend they're not here," he added.
She sighed.
"I believe Christian already told you I'll be going out with him to take care of something…" Dominick stayed composed, though inside he was about to explode, he wanted to confront her and demand answers. "...and I need to know if you're looking to hire another employee."
That made Maximiliano raise an eyebrow.
"Another employee?" He leaned back in his chair. "Depends."
"Well, I'd like to discuss it with you later, when we're alone." She instinctively crossed her arms.
Gideon raised an eyebrow at the tone she used. Dominick couldn't stay quiet any longer.
"You're starting to take liberties that aren't yours to take, don't you think?" he challenged.
"And you're sticking your nose into conversations that aren't yours, don't you think?" she fired back with a mocking smile.
Dominick glared at her, furious. He was already upset about her going out with Christian, and now she had the nerve to be disrespectful and treat him that way.
"That's enough, both of you," Maximiliano ordered. He turned to Jade with a smile. "We'll talk about this when you get back. If you want, I can speak to the girl in question and see what I can do for her."
"Thank you. I'll talk to Nerea now so she can bring her over. See you later."
She turned and walked out of the office.
Dominick
"Such lovely manners," Gideon remarked the moment Jade was gone.
"Jade's not usually like that. She's very kind and respectful, except when it comes to Dominick," Maximiliano explained, noticing his friend clenching his jaw in anger.
He looked like he was going to explode any second.
"She's insolent. Always finds a way to get under my skin," Dominick defended himself, poorly.
Gideon scoffed.
Dominick wanted to stand up and go after her, but he knew he couldn't. Something extremely important had happened, something that was precisely the reason Gideon was there.
Even though they had discussed rekindling their friendship, Gideon hadn't exactly been cooperative. The man seemed exiled in his own world.
"Anyway, I didn't come here to sip tea and eat pastries," Gideon said, rolling his eyes as he sat up straighter in his chair. "There's a problem in the company."
"You've got our full attention," said Maximiliano, who was also a partner in Dominick's company, the same one Gideon had been running as president since Dom stepped away and left him in charge.
"We've got a traitor working inside the company," he stated, causing both Dominick and Maximiliano to frown.
"A traitor? What are you talking about?" Dominick asked in disbelief.
"You heard me. Or do I need to repeat myself?" Gideon snapped, clearly irritated. Dominick shot him a deadly look, which didn't faze him in the slightest. Gideon had adopted an insufferable personality. He'd turned into a world-class cynic, and his constant snide remarks had driven nearly everyone away…
Practically no one could stand him.
"I don't give a damn if it annoys you that I ask again. And if I want an answer, you will give it to me," Dominick snapped, already seething from the situation with Jade, now this, a traitor in the company, and Gideon's terrible attitude was the cherry on top.
"Cut the petty arguments, both of you. This is a serious matter. Or have you forgotten we've got a rat to remove from the company?" Maximiliano scolded them, but both men just rolled their eyes.
"Do you know who it is?" Dominick asked. "Or does that question bother you too?"
"Dominick," Maxi warned.
Gideon ignored him, took out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to Maximiliano, who then passed it to Dominick.
"Noah Kidman," Dominick whispered the name of the man in the photo. He was speaking with someone from a rival company in a café. "That son of a bitch is the traitor."
He couldn't believe it. For years, Noah had been a dedicated employee. He had even worked with Dominick's father at one point. He couldn't understand what had driven him to betray the company like that.
"I've got people looking into it," Gideon informed them, taking his phone back when Dom handed it over. He placed it on the chair beside him. "We're going to corner that rat, and he'll have no choice but to talk."
"Keep me posted, both of us," Maximiliano requested. "Whatever you need, you can call me. That bastard won't get away with this."
Gideon nodded and stood up.
He left the office without saying goodbye.
"Dominick, stop arguing with Gideon," Maximiliano asked, running his hands through his hair, messing it up in the process.
"And what do you expect me to do?" he shot back, crossing his arms. "Stay quiet like an idiot? Never. As long as I have something to say or a way to respond, I will. I'm not keeping anything in."
Maximiliano sighed. It was impossible with Dom. He was too stubborn to be reasoned with. Once he set his mind on something, no one could make him change it.
"At least promise me you'll try to fix things. You may not know it, but Gideon hasn't had it easy."
Dominick calmed down for a moment. He couldn't be so harsh either. Whatever happened to Gideon must've been painful enough to leave him in such a miserable state… he thought.
"Alright. When I get the chance, I'll go to his place and talk to him. I'm not comfortable with this situation either," he confessed as he stood up. "It's like I'm arguing with a stranger, not my lifelong friend."
"I'm glad you feel that way. Now get out of here, I need to work," Maximiliano smiled.
Dom flipped him off and left the office, determined to find out what the hell Jade was doing with Christian…
Jade
Jade had left the hotel with Christian. They had been on the road for about twenty minutes on their way to the boutique. Between laughs and light conversation, they arrived. Christian parked, and they both got out of the car.
"Please don't spend too much," she asked as they walked toward the store entrance.
"I can't promise anything," he grinned, opening the door for her.
"Christian, don't be stubborn, listen to me," she demanded. "My closet is already full of your expensive dresses."
"Don't exaggerate, it's only three," he replied. She smiled.
A woman approached them immediately, flashing a wide smile.
"How can I help you?" she asked. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, wearing a navy blue dress. Her blonde hair was down, and she was very tall, a beautiful woman.
"We're looking for an evening gown for a gala," Christian informed her, smiling.
"Something simple..."
"No way," he cut in. "Bring out your best dresses, the most beautiful ones."
"Of course," the woman nodded and turned. "Follow me."
Jade playfully nudged him and started walking after the saleswoman. Christian just smiled, watching her go. She looked stunning in that yellow dress, her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, simply gorgeous.
He followed her to another section of the store, where dresses hung from mannequins and racks. So many colors, sizes, and textures.
"Any particular style in mind?" the woman asked, looking at Jade. She didn't know much about this kind of thing, so she gave a nervous smile and turned to Christian.
"Could you… pick one?" she asked with a little laugh.
"Of course." He thought for a moment. "Let me look at a few first, then we'll decide."
The woman nodded again and called over a younger assistant. The two of them brought several dresses; white, black, blue, red… But it was the burgundy one that caught Jade's attention. Strapless, with a subtle yet sexy cutout at the chest, fitted down to the waist and then flowing freely with a life of its own.
"The burgundy one, the black, and the blue are all beautiful. Which one do you choose?" Christian asked.
"The burgundy one is gorgeous," she admitted, touching the fabric.
"Then try it on," the woman exclaimed, taking it off the hanger.
Jade took the dress, and the woman led her to the fitting rooms. She stepped inside, undressed, and struggled a little to get the gown on. Once she was done, she stepped out.
"Well? How does it look on me?" she asked.
Christian looked her up and down. The sparkle in his eyes went unnoticed by Jade, but not by the saleswoman, who smiled, thinking the girl was lucky to have a man who looked at her like that: completely in love.
"Perfect," the woman whispered, clapping her hands softly. Christian snapped out of his daze.
"You look… wow, you look stunning. You'll be the most beautiful woman there," he smiled. "You'll see. That's the dress we're taking. Or… do you want to try another?"
She shook her head and went back into the fitting room. A few minutes later, she came out and handed the dress to the woman to have it wrapped.
"Do you have shoes?" Christian asked. The woman nodded, and Jade pouted, knowing it was going to be a long afternoon, but a very pleasant one, thanks to the company…