"Where is she?" Damien's voice echoed throughout the whole house as he walked in through the front door of Jessica's house. His guard and the door man walked after him as he went further into the house. One of the maids inside rushed to him but he didn't even stop.

"G - good day sir." She greeted. "She's waiting for you in the kitchen."

Damien halted in his tracks to digest what the maid had just said.
"She's where?" He turned to look at her.

The maid almost jumped out of her skin in fear.
"Miss Jessica is waiting for you in the...."

He didn't even wait for her to finish before he stormed towards the area where Jessica's kitchen was. He didn't need anyone to tell him. He was well acquainted with her house.

He pushed the white double doors open and then came to a stop there when he saw Jessica standing beside the kitchen island. She was busy cutting vegetables on the chopping board. Damien noticed she was in a full gold sequined formal dress.

"You're here already. So you care." She said without looking up at him.

Damien scoffed.
"Is this some kind of joke to you?" He spread his arms in an effort to demonstrate as he spoke but dropped them back as there was nothing coming to his mind.

"I'll be ready in a minute." She continued what she was doing.

"I freaking left my date because of you, dammit Jessica!" Damien rose his voice.

Jessica finally looked at him as she dropped the knife with a thud.
"Mum, tell Damien to stop raising his voice at me."

That was when Damien realized they were not the only ones in the kitchen. Victoria, Jessica's mother, was standing in front of the cupboard for tumblers.

Victoria stared at Damien, confused. She didn't utter a word.

"Don't be rude, Damien. Your date is right here." Jessica smirked.

Damien inhaled deeply in frustration.
"This is sickening. I don't have time for this." He made a move to turn but Jessica quickly grabbed the knife on the board and directed it towards her wrist.

"Don't walk away from me Damien."

"So what now? You're going to threaten me? Wow Jessica, that's so unexpected." He said sarcastically.

"You know I'll do it." She placed the knife on her wrist now.

"All for what? What is it you want to achieve this time?"

"You're going to take me to that gala and not October."

"Are you crazy?"

"Damien." Victoria called Damien with pleading eyes.

"No aunt. I'm not doing this." Damien shook his head.

"Tell him mum, that he'll be the reason I'll be dead if he doesn't comply."

"Damien, please, just do as she says. She'll do it if you don't give her what she wants, you know that." Victoria begged.

"Until when aunt? Until when is she going to keep doing this? Stop spoiling her."

"Tell him I give him three seconds." Jessica was making Victoria panic. Of course, use her mother's soft spot to get to her.

"You're letting her do this?" Damien asked Victoria.

"One!" Jessica counted.

"Damien, I beg you. If you ever had any bit of respect at any point for me, just do as she says."

"Two!"

Victoria glanced at Damien again in desperation, waiting for him to answer Jessica.

He walked towards her as she counted the last number and began to slit her wrist. Damien got to her before she could go further. He gripped the hand with the knife and pulled the item from her hold.

He had a cold expression on.
"You want the gala right?" He said through gritted teeth. "You'll get it."

*******************

October looked out the window of the Bentley again. It had been parked across the grand 'Parisian hotel'. She watched as people in flashy cars alighted and noticed how almost none of the women failed to sashay on the red carpet as they went into the hotel. The press was surely there, trying to get a word or two from the influential and popular investors - which in this case was literally everybody.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her hair had been packed up into a chignon and a white garland had been neatly placed on her head. With the makeup on her face, she could tell the difference between having a friend doing her makeup and having a professional do it.

No offense Olivia.

She almost couldn't believe she was the same person. Since the theme of the gala was gold and white, Adesuwa and Ayomide had picked out a white off-the-shoulder layered tulle dress with a knee length slit for her.

"Admit it." Adesuwa called her attention from beside her, smiling widely. "You're happy to be going to this gala with Damien." Like October, Adesuwa was dressed in white but satin.

If there was anyone October couldn't hide anything from, it was her mother. A tiny smile formed on her lips unknowingly. She quickly hid the smile and frowned. She cleared her throat.

"How do you know that?" She asked her mother.

"You've been checking outside the window since we got here."

"Well he's late. He's lucky I saved him the stress and came here myself. Going over to my house would have been another journey entirely.

"Lawrence is also late and you don't see me scanning the environment every four to five minutes." Adesuwa rose an eyebrow.

"That's because he's your son, mom. I know that if your husband hadn't insisted, you wouldn't even be here right now. You'd rather be with him at the hospital."

Adesuwa nodded and laughed.
"True. I'm stuck with that grumpy old child for four hours. Well at least a few people his age are going to be there. He can socialize while I stay with my friends." She pouted. "At least tell me you played hard to get with Damien for a little while before finally agreeing."

"Mom!" October exclaimed. "My gosh." She giggled. "Aren't you too old for this?"

"What? I was once a girl. I know these things." Adesuwa shrugged.

"I'm not telling you that." October playfully pushed her.

"I'll find out either way." Adesuwa said before someone knocked on the window of the car. "Well that's my cue." She picked up her clutch purse. "See you in there. I've got my eyes on you second child." And with that, she got out of the car. Lawrence didn't even bother to poke his head into the car to say hi.

October relaxed on the driver's seat. She felt the white gold necklace embedded with diamonds she was wearing. She wondered why her mother liked this Verano jeweller all of a sudden. She tapped her steering with her polished nails in anticipation. Maybe she should call Damien again. He couldn't be far away.

She located, picked up her purse and checked inside. She took it out of the purse and then groaned. She had forgotten that she had put it on silent. What if he had tried to reach her? Her eyes caught the notification on the screen. It was a message from him.

She unlocked her phone and then went straight for it. He had sent her a message almost fifty minutes ago. He wasn't going to make it. She didn't even know when a scoff left her lips. She had done all this for nothing? He just cancelled over a text? Did he see her as someone he could just call anytime and she would jump at the opportunity?

No matter how hard she tried not to be, she was angry. She opened her door and stepped out of the car then she locked it. She needed air. She paced back and forth in front of the car. She had agreed to this and he had just abandoned her? She puffed up air in her cheeks and stopped. She turned to look at the hotel across again. She came all the way and even learnt the stupid dance.....

A white Rolls-Royce came to a stop paces away from the entrance of the hotel. She loved this brand. She hadn't really seen the car in about five years. She squinted as she tried to see the people who owned it. She couldn't believe her eyes when Damien alighted from the car. She thought he wasn't coming. Was he just playing a prank on her?

She slowly smiled and started for the other side of the street. The road was not that occupied anyway. Damien walked around the car and it seemed to her like he was going to wait for her but he got to the other side and pulled the door open.

October's movement became slower as she approached his car. Her smile slowly faded when he held out his hand and someone from the car took it. She just froze on the spot until Jessica was out. It was when his car had driven away that he saw October. Damien was shocked to see her. He wasn't expecting her to be here.

October didn't even know what to do at that point. Jessica had been right earlier on.

Jessica followed Damien's gaze when she noticed he wasn't budging and saw who he was staring at. She grinned and squeezed his arm to get his attention. His gaze lingered on October for a moment more. He wanted to say something but he couldn't. He slowly tore his gaze away. He and Jessica made their way to where the red carpet was.

October didn't know if it was out of anger or hurt, but tears clouded her vision. She had to go. Without Damien, she was not even welcome here. She was not the one invited after all. She took a step backwards, and then another when she tripped on her gown.

This day couldn't get any worse. This would definitely end up on blogs. She would definitely cry after this cherry on top.

Suddenly, a pair of arms caught her waist before she could land on the floor. Her heart was beating fast as she looked around. People were beginning to stare - even a few of the reporters had caught the scene. Her eyes shot up to find the person who had caught her and they met the face of a foreign man. A face she knew. If she could remember correctly, Louis Verano?

A/N

I totally forgot Tuesday until it was like ten pm and I was so busy on Wednesday, but here it is.
kimphils I hope you're satisfied now 😂
I'm here by four am because of you

So remember a few chapters ago when I said someone was coming back? Yes? No? Well here it is anyways.