FLASH MARRIAGE; CHARMED BY THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE CEO - Chapter 182

Chapter 182: Rivals 1
Amelia accessed the young handsome man before her, with distinctive greyish blue eyes and a commanding aura. He didn’t need any introduction because she recognized him instantly as the chairman of PrimMax Media Company, one of the biggest Media establishments in the country. She was about to speak when Tina rudely cut her off.

“I don’t think you know her, sweetheart. You must have seen her posing beside her husband who happens to also be my very good friend, Mr Blaze Anderson.”

Amelia chuckled, inwardly as she calmly spoke, without sparing Tina a glance.

“We met at the Asara Royal Gala, at Fiztburg city about three years ago, Mr Derek Jones. I was the lady seated beside your beautiful late wife, Dr Susan Jones. By the way, accept my condolence.”

“Amelia Shawls!” Mr Jones’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is that you? My goodness! Suzy never stopped talking about you.”

Tina’s jaw dropped, her arm sleeping away from her date. ‘What just happened?’

“I’m sorry, I never reached out to you after she passed on.” Amelia said smiling, while her friends exchanged impressed glances at one another.

“It’s fine. To be honest, I didn’t want to speak with anyone that reminded me about her. But, I’m so thrilled to see you again after all those years. So you are married to Blaze Anderson.”

Amelia nodded in reply, has gentle gaze shifting to Tina who didn’t bother masking her scowls.

“Ahem!” Tina cleared her throat, barely able to contain her jealousy and anger. She had brought this fool down here to show off to the girls as her new catch. How in the world was she supposed to know that Amelia knew him this well?

“Sweetheart, do you intend to sit down here and catch up with your old acquaintance or join me at my table.” Tina’s soft, yet caustic tone was laced with enough venom to strike Amelia dead on the spot.

“Oh, I’m sorry baby. I got carried away. She used to be…”

“I’m not interested.” Tina cut him off, instantly regretting inviting him.

“I’m sorry.” Mr Jones said stroking her arms. He turned to Amelia and said briefly. “It was nice meeting you, Amelia. Do enjoy your evening.”

“You too, Mr Jones and Tina please take good care of him.” Amelia casually took her seat as she watched Tina dragged her date down to her table, fuming.

“Did I tell you that you are the master at everything face-slapping?” Stacy praised Amelia as she perched beside her. “Look at the way you dealt with Tina without breaking a sweat.”

“You deserve an Oscar award.” Nicole chimed.

“But you just ruined a couple’s perfect night.” Adrianna lamented amusingly, cracking everyone up.

“Well, she asked for it after the way she insulted us a while ago. Can you imagine her addressing us as cheap and bored-looking old housewives?” Stacy scoffed.

“She said that?” Amelia’s pupils dilated in shock.

“Not directly. But we got the message.” Kayla hissed. “I couldn’t be happier that her plans to show off her new catch backfired this time around.”

“What exactly is there to show off.” Stacy sneered. “The man used to be someone else’s husband. That invariably makes her second fiddle. I’m sure he even had kids right?”

“Two. A boy and a girl.” Amelia replied.

“So what are we saying? Is she ready to be a stepmom to the man’s kids?”

“I seriously doubt that,” Adrianna replied shaking her head. “I’m sure she’s there for the man’s money. If another guy comes along, she would dump his sorry ass.”

“Can we stop talking about, Tina?” Amelia pleaded. “It’s getting boring. Moreover, we didn’t come here because of her.”

“So true.” Kayla concurred.

“Can someone pass me a drink?” Amelia eyed the untouched yellow cocktail drink on the table. “All this talking is making me thirsty.”

“Here, I ordered your favourite drink,” Stacy said, handing Amelia the glass of yellow cocktail drink with a slice of lemon perch at the top round edge of the glass.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Amelia accepted the glass. She took one sip of the sweetened alcoholic cocktail drink and savoured the flavour in her mouth before gulping down the entire content as though she was dehydrated.

“Easy girl. That is not water.” Stacy chided playfully, laughing her heart out.

“Someone is planning on getting wasted tonight for you know who.” Nicole wiggled her brows at Amelia while taking a gentle sip of her drink using a straw.

“Nah! Blaze is out of town. I have the room all to myself.” Amelia said, picking up the slice of lemon on the top of her glass and squeezing the juice into her mouth. Her face contoured as the acidic sour taste hit her taste buds.

“Ugh! What a bummer. I was planning on getting you drunk tonight. But I wouldn’t want you hitting on your bodyguard thinking he is your husband.” Kayla whispered the last sentence as if Pascal and Clay who were seated four tables away from them could hear their conversation.

Everyone on the everyone on table burst out laughing.

“Don’t worry, I have no plans of hitting on any man because he won’t last a second if my husband finds out. But I will take another glass of this deliciousness.” Amelia said, raising her empty glass.

Kayla lifted her hand and signalled the waiter, who came down to their table in a heartbeat.

A dull pain arose on the left side of Amelia’s lower abdomen, making her brows furrow slightly.

Thinking it was because of the salty Pringles she had eaten without drinking water, she also requested a bottle of water.

The young-looking male waiter, with cheerful brown eyes and tousled sandy blonde hair, politely took their orders and left to get their drinks.

“So tell us again, Kayla, how did Dylan propose to you?” Adriana asked dreamily

“Well, as you all already know, Dylan and I have been friends ever since we met at my cousin’s lavish engagement party. Last weekend, he invited me to a runway show outside the city and afterwards, we spent the weekend together.”

“Hmm… It must have been a very explosive weekend.” Amelia winked and giggled at Kayla’s flushed expression.

“I bet it was.” Nicole concurred, chuckling.

“How come she came back in one piece?” Stacey asked grinning.

“Can we please move away from the explosive weekend and go straight to the proposal?” Adriana said rolling her eyes at Nicole. “At least she is still alive and breathing after the explosion.”

Everyone roared with laughter as the young waiter returned with their drink.

“So… After we arrived at the city airport, Dylan being a gentleman went to get our luggage. After picking up our luggage, we were on our way out of the airport, chatting when suddenly he bent down as if to fix the lace of my sneaker which by the way wasn’t undone. I was about to ask him what was wrong when I noticed that he was already on one knee and looking up at me with a red velvet ring box in his hands.”

“Oh my gosh!” Nicole cupped her mouth

“Shh!” Adriana placed a finger on her lips, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

“Then he said those magical words to me…” Kayla continued. “…leaving me completely speechless and frozen. I thought I was hallucinating until he opened the box and I laid eyes on this beauty.” Kayla raised her finger for everyone to see, her twinkling eyes reflecting the different colourful LED lights in the bar.

“Aww!”

“I feel like crying right now.”

“This is so beautiful.”

Everyone seated around the table had something lovely to say.

“I can already picture the remaining scenario in my head.” Stacy gestured animatedly. “Camera lights flashing from excited onlookers, people chanting and telling you to say, yes. You staring hopelessly at the ring, with eyes teary and mouth opened…”

“My mouth was not opened.” Kayla nudged Stacy on the arm chuckling.

“None of that matters because our baby girl is about to get married. It’s going to be one enchanting fairy tale wedding.” Nicole cooed by Kayla’s side.

“Yeah, and we are going to slay like before,” Adriana said, taking a sip of her bourbon. But the silence that followed her comment made her realize she had made a mistake. “What I was trying to say…”

“Don’t sweat it, darling.” Amelia waved her hand dismissively. “The most important thing is that I didn’t get married to a jackass.” She picked up the bottle of water and quenched her thirst. But the dull pain still lingered.

At some point it felt as if the pain was increasing, making her unbutton her jacket.

Attributing the pain to stress and the wrong combination of snacks she had eaten, Amelia waved off the pain like her migraine and fatigue. She was here to have a good time with her girls and nothing was going to stop her.

Picking up her second glass of yellow cocktail drink, she slowly sipped it, while laughing at her friends’ humorous discussion.

“Girls, in our usual fashion, let’s raise a toast to Kayla, starting with Adriana.” Stacy picked up her glass of drink.

“To Kayla, may you have the most beautiful fairy tale wedding ever.” Adrianna chanted, lifting her glass.

“May that scumbag who cheated on you live the rest of his day in regret,” Nicole said, also raising her glass in the air.

“May no one steal your shine or take your spot as the bride.” Amelia also raised her glass, her tone firm, creating mixed feelings among the ladies.

“May Dylan love you unconditionally and may your marriage be blessed with lots of kids.” Stacy’s last statement dampened Amelia’s heart. If only she wasn’t in a contract marriage with Blaze, nothing would give her more joy than to have a child of her own with him as the father.