The Blackmail Bride

Chapter 16

Well, yes. I probably love Isla more than Scarlett. So... *shrug*

Weights

It was the Wednesday after our appointment with the designer and as per our last conversation over the phone, I could do the final fitting of the gown this coming Friday—two days short of the actual event that was on Sunday.

Engagement.

It was a fact that I had made peace with on my own. I was getting married. To Jace Black. The person who was going to become part of my daily routine for fifty years or so. Throw in two kids into the equation. I still found it weird.

There were no more scuffles since the fitting. My mother, in not so many terms, seemed to be very satisfied with Jace's apology.

"I think he's good enough. We chose the right man for you."

To which I blankly nodded during our dinner. My father had asked how the dress-fitting went. I had avoided eye-contact and instead, turned to my mother.

And like the last week, I was again in the Nero Headquarters, waiting for Jace to join me for lunch. I peered at my leather-strapped Rolex and frowned, seeing two-thirty.

Where was Jace?

The door to his office burst open immediately catching my full attention. It was Sierra, Jace's executive secretary, and she was sporting an annoyed expression on her face. Her arms were full of folders and she was muttering to herself.

"The meeting isn't over yet?"

She jumped at my voice and whipped in my direction, "Miss Porter!" Two folders fell from the pile. She glared at them on the floor, not able to stoop down to pick them up.

I headed to her side, kneeling to slip the folders into my own arms and standing beside her.

She smiled at me, wisps of the brown hair escaping her neat bun. She raised a shoulder, indicating the pile she was holding. "You can put them on top of—"

"Where does this go?" I took three more of the folders from her to which the secretary pouted.

Reluctantly, she replied, "On the Vice President's table. He's been asking for all the data available for Sand Castle El Nido... again."

I nodded, going to his desk and promptly dropping the things in front of his computer monitor. I flipped the first folder open to see the latest audited FS of the company mentioned.

Sand Castle..? I pushed back my black hair, scanning through the next pages, why did that ring a bell? Right. I'd seen these numbers before.

"They'd been at it since seven am this morning. I don't think I had seen people come out of that boardroom yet."

I raised my eyes to the secretary. Sierra had her chin pinched between her thumb and index finger and was looking at the same page I was looking through.

My eyes went back to the papers

"That bad?" I asked.

Sierra groaned, her hands patting her hair back in place. "It wouldn't be if not for Sir Zeke Garcia."

I looked up, fully turning all my attention on her "Zeke... Garcia?" That name too. Why do I feel like I've heard that name before?

"That guy has been after the Vice President since forever. He's nothing but a nuisance. Criticizing all the proposals from Sir Jace. He would go to lengths just to make sure none of Sir Jace's ideas would make it to the market. But if the topic is the Sand Castle El Nido, it gets even worse. I heard his uncle is the current general manager of that specific resort branch but still..."