Filed to story: The Hidden Queen: My Husband’s Mistress Ruined My Empire (Serena & Christian) Book PDF Free
“Miss Serena?” the man behind the bouquet asked in a gruff voice.
“That’s me,” I said slowly, staring wide-eyed at the flowers, struck silent by their beauty and the delicate perfume coming from them.
A hand shoved the flowers towards my face. I hastily put my hand out and grasped them. “Special delivery.”
The man turned and walked away, while I brought the flowers inside and shut the door. Rachel squealed and came over as I looked the gorgeous bouquet of rainbow roses over with a smile. Rachel plucked the card out as I protested and began to read.
“To Serena
Your smile reminds me of a brilliant rainbow.
I look forward to our date tomorrow. I will pick you up at 6:30
Grayson”
Wow. Rachel looked awestruck. I fetched a vase from the kitchen and carefully placed some water and the roses inside it, admiring the flowers on the bench.
“He went to a lot of effort to send you these at such short notice,” Rachel said, handing me the card so I could put it carefully away. “It must have cost a small fortune for this bouquet” she added, giving me a sidelong glance.
I smiled, tilting my head. “He has good taste” I allowed, stroking the petals and feeling my heart racing slightly.
“Good taste? Serena you’ve loved rainbow roses since we were in high school. They’re your favorite flower. How do you think he found that out?” Rachel pressed, looking impressed.
“I don’t know,” I said slowly, and then giving Rachel a slow smile “but this already gives him bonus points. Even Christian couldn’t remember my love for these despite being married to me for three years. Not once, did he ever buy me any. Grayson is a very determined man” I said with consideration “if he’s looked this far into my false background. I suppose I’m going to have to be careful” I added, “not just with my identity, but with my heart as well. Such a simple gesture has the ability to break down my defenses and leave me open to being vulnerable.”
I would have to safeguard my heart around Grayson Oakes. But I could never have anticipated how determined he was to have me and what he proposed at dinner would leave me speechless and even shock me to my very core.
Christian POV
It was one of those mornings, where I wished that I had gone to work today. Being in Lexi’s presence was giving me a huge headache, even as I forced myself to smile and nod agreeably to everything she said, in hopes of getting her to quieten down. Thank goodness her crotchety grandfather was nowhere to be seen, but to be honest even he would have been preferable right about now.
“Mother” Lexi whined, “the stupid maid got one of my dresses creased when she hung it up.”
“Oh no,” Karen said in dismay “Which dress? I’ll organize to have it dried cleaned again. Your beautiful clothes, ruined” she said dramatically “all because of the bumbling actions of a stupid servant girl.”
There were worse things in the world to worry about I thought nonchalantly. Creases in my clothes were not one of them. But Lexi looked devastated, wildly gesturing with her hands as she continued to complain to her mother about every little thing she could think of. “My Gucci bag has a tiny tear in it as well,” Lexi said examining it and then throwing it onto the bench with a pout “I need to buy a new one,” she said with a sulkly expression on her face.
“My love,” I said with as much patience as I could possibly muster “it is but a tiny tear. Could we not just have it repaired?”
She stared at me open-mouthed. “Christian, you must be joking,” she said “We don’t repair anything. Once it’s torn it’s unsalvageable. You should know that,” she said with her nose in the air “It’s Gucci for heaven’s sake.”
“Really Christian, how uncouth of you to suggest such a thing” chimed in Karen, looking scandalized “We don’t act like poor people because we don’t have need to. Really dear, you must remember you are with a wealthy heiress now and not a yoga instructor” she admonished me.
“It was just a suggestion” I mumbled, one I wouldn’t be making again if I valued my life.
Karen just shook her head “Well next time, keep it to yourself” she said kindly “Poor Lexi almost had a heart attack at the suggestion.”
Lexi nodded vigorously. I thought Lexi looked perfectly fine, but then, what was I supposed to know? Lexi began flipping through a bridal magazine she had been eyeing on the dining table. “Oh mother, look at this wedding dress,” she said, showing it to Karen, who made the appropriate ooh and aah noises “It’s a one of a kind by that special designer that no ones ever seen before,” she said excitedly.
She turned and showed it to me. I glanced at it. It wasn’t anything special, it looked like any other wedding dress, but Karen and Lexi were gawking over it.
“I have to have it” Lexi moaned “Wouldn’t that look perfect on me Mother? It’s designed just for my figure,” she said pointing at it hard with her fingernails and almost putting a hole through the paper.
“It’s gorgeous Lexi” her mother agreed “but it says right here that the designer wishes to keep this dress for themselves. They are merely showing it to the public as an incentive to purchase her other designs. This one is not to be sold. I’m sorry honey.”
Lexi looked irritated. “But I want it. No other wedding dress is going to compare to this one” she said, “it has real diamonds on the hem mother, real diamonds” she repeated in awe “And besides everything is for sale in this world, if you just offer the right price for it.”
Her mother nodded, her eyes lighting up “I suppose if we were to offer an obscene amount of money for it then Miss F whoever she is might be obliged to sell it” she said pondering out loud “But a dress like this goes for a lot of money. She might be wanting it for her own wedding.”
“She can make another one,” Lexi said dismissively “Maybe even a nicer one for herself but I have to have that dress,” she said with a hand on her chest, her eyes misty-eyed.
“Well it says that the designer is having a pop-up shop in the city next week,” Karen said, reading the article with interest “We can go and make our offer then. I’m certain that she’ll take it.”
Lexi’s eyes brightened “I’m going to be the envy of every woman when I walk down that aisle in the dress” she waxed poetically as I listened with a sigh “Everyone is going to want to come to our wedding Christian” she added.
Everyone. My spirits lifted. It meant a lot of wealthy billionaires and heiresses would attend, which meant business and investment for the law firm. Important connections to be made. I smiled at my fiancee. “Honey perhaps we should worry about the engagement party first” I suggested tentatively.
