Chapter 6
1997 Words
Gabriella lied to her son about going to see Selina as a family. The moment Peter left in his Precious Audi R8 they boarded the Rolls Royce together with Cole. They also lied to Kristen they were going shopping when she requested to tag along. She didn't like shopping. Partly because she was a fashion designer herself working at the Richards fashion center with Scott as its interim CEO. He had hired an elite team including the likes of Tina, Ronald’s daughter. It was the best in fort canon, anything that a Richard touched turned into gold. A few months after its launch it was attracting islanders from all over canon islands who were looking to satisfy their thirst for exquisite fashion.
"What are we going to say to them really?" Cole asked.
"You know the drill"
"Crammed it like the pledge of allegiance, I stay back and you do the talking?"
"Exactly!"
"Not good hunnie" argued Cole, "It makes me look weak in front of other people, you make me look like I don’t care about us. I need to take the lead in this as the head of the family"
"Since when do we care about what other people say about us? You have it, take a lead on this and I will be waiting to chip in immediately you fail" she said staring away.
"It doesn't mean you shouldn't help me when I need it"
"Hell no, you brought this one on yourself, go embarrass us in front of the angry whites!"
Cole zipped it. As a man he knew how to take care of his family but he let Gabriella do it for long that she thought he couldn't. After all when it came to the whites, it was not Elsie they needed to be afraid of. It was victor White. This was another perfect example of Lincoln and Martha price, Melissa’s parents.
"We are here sir" Alfred said.
The white’s butler was waiting at the door. A tall slender man in a suit. One of the memorable things about him was his conspicuous moustache.
"Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Philips, glad you can join us" he said.
"Thank you Patrick, are they in?"
"All of them are" he said.
When Patrick opened the large mahogany doors of the Whites Manor fear struck through Cole's body. Perhaps he was not ready to take over as the head of the family that day. Patrick led the couple to the living room and served them with wine before he went to find the Whites in their large manor. Gabriella was aware of what Cole was going through and she was not pitying him. He had not taken up his glass and he kept grating his throat, his lips were dry and he was fidgeting on his sit tapping on the arm.
"You up for this hunnie?" Gabriella asked wearing mockery for make-up.
"Of course I am, am just a little uncomfortable, what’s taking so long?"
"Ooh am sure you are hoping they won't be here soon"
"No, no am really hoping they will be here anytime from now so we can..."
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Elsie announced happily coming downstairs.
By her side was Victor and Cole was sure he was not talking because of rage. He looked so puffed up with anger. Cole had never been that afraid of another human being. He was putting on a T-shirt showing off his arm muscles. From where he was seated they seemed to Cole like they were vasodilating and bulging. His arms were huge he bet Victor's mid-upper arm circumference was twice his. Gabriella and Cole got on their feet.
"It's okay we are not in a hurry, how are you Victor?" Gabriella asked.
"You must be joking asking me that" He growled.
"We are so sorry Victor please sit" Cole said.
They sat opposite each other.
"What happened? We had a deal!" Victor shouted.
Elsie held his hand secretly telling him to keep it down. His temper was getting the best of him and scaring the guest’s away. In fact it was threatening to blow up their plan before it even set in motion.
"Am sorry, it's just my daughter. She has been gloomy ever since, locked up in her room refusing to eat and crying herself to sleep. She loves peter so very much I can't imagine what she is going through seeing him with someone else"
Gabriella saw an opportunity to teach Cole a lesson about respecting her. She had just found a way out the entire conversation that was to come.
"Where is she now?" Asked Gabriella ignoring Cole's look of distress.
"Upstairs in her room, nothing we do seems to light up her mood" Elsie said.
"Let me talk to her, get me a plate of food Patrick" Gabriella said getting on her feet, Cole wanted to follow her but he couldn't.
Sometimes, be careful what you wish for. Their daughter was sad because of his son and he had to explain why.
"Can I take you to her?" Elsie asked.
"Not really, I can handle this am a mother and a friend besides I have a daughter too"
"Quiet a CV you got there, She is qualified hunnie don't worry" Victor said lightening up the mood with some laughter.
Patrick came back, behind him a maid dressed in black and white with a plate of pilaf. In Swahili pilau quite a delicacy in east Africa commonly cooked in ceremonies and sometimes funerals-she also had a glass of juice and a colorless tin of mixed fruit with a blue cover.
"Let me do my magic, don't be surprised when I come down with her in ten minutes"
"Good luck with that, am not threatening you but daughter is tough as nails!" Said Victor.
"Take her word for it, her mother-in-law can talk her way out of anything" Cole said happily hoping with the praise Gabriella was not going to change her mind really but make it quick and come back to him since the whites seemed like they were going to tear him apart.
"I guess it’s a battle of the champions?" Said Elsie.
Accompanied by Patrick and the maid Gabriella marched to Selina's room. Trust me she was nothing as her parents described. When she heard the knock she was actually enjoying videos on tik tok and creating others. As a social media influencer her phone was her best friend, her office and everything. But she knew what to do. First she asked for some time to put on something respectful then she messed up her hair and her entire room making it look like a pigsty-she emptied her laundry basket on the mat. The final step was to apply some lotion that made her cry. Then she opened the door.
"I said get out...." She stopped when she realized it was not the maid alone, "Mrs. Philips, am sorry I didn't know you're here. I can’t let you come in sorry my room is a mess"
"It's okay I understand your frustrations, is there somewhere we can talk alone after you eat?"
"Yeah I know a place"
"Where?" Gabriella asked taking the tray of food from the maid.
She signaled them to leave.
"Let me carry that one mum and dad used you to force me into eating" she took the tray from Gabriella, "Follow me!"
"Starving yourself won't help you know"
"I can do anything for your son, really hurts to see him go out with someone else" she said as they walked further down the hall to another set of stairs that led to a room.
It had all kind of art hanging on the painted grey walls. It also had a single large glass window that opened up to a small thicket, flowers and trees where birds were chirping their melodies, bees buzzing around from petal to another. The seats were wooden with matching pillows and cushions. In the middle of the room was a small glass table, the floor was made of granite. A fluorescent bulb hanging above the white ceiling and a music system at a small console opposite the entrance.
"Looks like a meditation room" Gabriella said.
"Because it's one, welcome" she said showing her a seat.
"Eat first as I enjoy this art, if I were your age I would have taken some photos" Gabriella said looking around.
"You still can" Selina said washing her hands from a tap the entrance of a small washroom, she dried her hands with a towel staring at herself in the mirror, she looked perfect for someone who was grieving, now she had to eat like someone who was starving.
"Maybe a couple of shots to make Kristen jealous" she said standing in front of a lioness and its cub’s portrait, she did not just see it, she looked at it.
"That's my favorite too, if I'll ever have kids with the man of my dreams"
"He is yours and you two will have very beautiful kids but for that to happen I need you to stay strong and fight for what you love, nothing comes easy my dear"
"You mean you're not in support of his choice?"
"Do you think I'll be here if I liked her even one bit? I don't like the pauper she is poor and she stinks of it. Cole and I cannot take chances with our entire estate in her hands"
There was a glimmer of hope in Selina's eyes. She flashed a big smile, food was not necessary. The stars were aligning in her favor. She didn't have to do much with Gabriella's support. Everyone knew how obedient Peter was especially when it came to his mother.
"You mean there is still hope of me and peter being together?"
"As long as am alive I won't let him marry that girl, an engagement is nothing don't be scared I need you to fight for what is rightfully yours"
"How, peter rarely talks to me. He doesn't even call or text besides it has been ten years since..." She stopped, "We haven't been close for some time..."
"Then find a way to start getting close, I need to go. Your parents are probably ripping Cole apart they seemed very angry"
"Yeah they really want me out of the house"
Gabriella walked towards her, cupped her face as though she was a child and looked into her eyes, "The world is not a fair place, you see what happens when you relax. Good things remain a dream, I want you at your best in this my daughter don't lose the fight before you even start it"
"Thank you" she said with respect.
"Now take me back to the living room before I get lost in this house"
Selina led them back to the hall way and downstairs where Cole was trying to explain how they had nothing to do with what peter did to the best of his knowledge, Selina went back to her room feeling happy. Cole had faired on well because they found the three talking about politics. How Mayor Ronald, Ben's best friend was going to reform fort canon and how Ben was going to benefit and become the richest man in canon islands.
"Did it work?" Elsie asked.
"She is fine, she will be here in a few" Gabriella said proudly taking back her position by Cole's side.
"Told you, hunnie, the whites were just reminding me about a piece of land Ben took from us back then" Cole said.
"I never forget, let's get peter and Selina fixed before we dig up some snakes shall we" She said raising her glass, "To family!" She said.
"To family!" They all said in a chorus.
It was a declaration of war. Poor Ben, someone was always planning to take him down. Could it really end with him or it was time Scott freaking Richards showed everyone his claws?
- Writer
