Chapter 5

"No! Angelica, put it back," I hissed as I tried to walk past her, but she managed to grab hold of my hands, preventing my escape.

She gave me a pointed look as she thrust the red lace thong panty in my face. I scrunched up my face in disgust at the sight. "Look at it! It's beautiful! You absolutely have to buy this!"

"Give me one good reason to buy it," I retorted, pushing the thong away from my face as I glared at the stunning black-haired beauty before me. Her pink dress swayed as she impatiently tapped her sandals on the tiled floor.

"It's not like I'll be getting laid in New York," I replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Of course, you won't if you keep wearing those granny panties of yours!" Angelica exclaimed, capturing the attention of everyone in the store.

I inwardly groaned, leaning in to whisper icily in her ear, "Really, Angel? Did the whole store have to know?"

She snickered and playfully tossed the red thong at me, a wide smile adorning her face. "Buy it! Trust me, you'll need it when you're in New York."

Grumbling a string of curses under my breath, I made my way to the cashier, red thong in hand.

If it weren't for Angelica's incessant nagging, I wouldn't be here right now. According to her, I needed to upgrade my wardrobe with some "bomb" clothes for my stay in New York.

Usually, I prefer to shop online as it saves me a lot of time, but this time Angelica had literally dragged me out of my office to go shopping with her. I had to cancel all my afternoon appointments just to accompany my best friend on her shopping spree. This was the umpteenth store we had entered, and I was already exhausted. Walking around in Louboutin heels, store after store, wasn't the best idea. While I had mastered the art of gracefully strutting in heels over the years, it was not meant for extended periods. And by extended, I meant six straight hours without a break. That's how long we had been out shopping.

"Did you get it?" Angelica asked as we exited the store, her face beaming with happiness. I nodded in response. "Do you want to check out another store or take a break?" she asked, brimming with energy.

"A one-minute break sounds heavenly, Angel," I replied wearily. My feet were throbbing with pain, and I doubted I could handle another hour in a store. "How do you still have so much energy?"

Angelica shrugged and pointed to a nearby bench. "I love shopping. It's a great way to relieve stress."

"Shopping as stress relief? Have you ever tried reading a book?" I plopped down on the bench, letting out a deep, exhausted sigh. Finally. "My feet are killing me."

Angelica joined me on the bench, observing as I kicked off my heels. Our shopping bags surrounded us, leaving little space for comfortable sitting.

"Reading books can be boring. Shopping takes you to a whole new world," Angelica replied, gathering her hair and tying it up in a high ponytail.

"No, that's not—" I started to argue but was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She rummaged through her bag, eventually locating her phone, and looked up at me with that familiar expression.

Internally, I groaned as she offered me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, it's Alex. Can you give me five minutes?"

I, of all people, knew that five minutes would likely turn into an hour. Instead of complaining, I simply nodded, giving her the go-ahead to answer her phone.

-

"Where's the driver?" Angelica removed her sunglasses and scanned the empty airport. "You did tell Milan we were arriving today, right?"

"Yes, I did. I called him last night," I replied, tapping furiously on my phone, searching for my brother's contact. I had informed him of my departure time from California, and if he could do simple math, he should know when I would arrive in New York.

But here we were, thirty minutes after our arrival, and there was no sign of Milan or a driver.

Just as I was about to call him, a sleek black car drove by and stopped in front of us. The windows were tinted, and I noticed the Vasilios logo on the side.

About time.

The driver stepped out and bowed slightly. "Apologies for the wait, Miss Vasilios. There was an accident on the road."

I nodded at him and gestured toward our suitcases. I was too tired to function properly now. "Can you put those in the trunk, please? Thank you."

As we entered the car, Angelica nudged me from the side. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she grinned widely. Throughout the entire flight, she had been sleeping while I worked on my laptop. I had instructed Daphne to FaceTime me every night and provide a daily report, even though I wouldn't be in the office for the next four weeks.

"I can't believe you're staying in New York for a whole month. It's so exciting!" Angelica squealed. "After five years, it's just wow."

I shook my head and rolled my eyes at her. She was always so dramatic. "Let's hope for the best, shall we? I can always catch a flight back to California."

"You wouldn't do that. Especially when you see Zane!"

"Why do you have to bring him up?" I groaned, annoyed.

Angelica shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe because once upon a time, you two were practically inseparable."

"You said it yourself, once upon a time."

"And I still think there's a tiny bit of love for him deep down in your heart," she continued, flashing a cheeky smile at me. Sometimes I wondered why we were still friends. Angelica always got on my nerves.

"There isn't!"

"Yeah, whatever you say. Anyways, what I actually wanted to tell you is that Zane has planned a party for you."

"What?!" I exclaimed, completely shocked. So he knows I'm coming! I groaned, leaning back against the leather seat of the car. I had wanted to keep my stay in New York a secret for as long as possible, but I guess that wouldn't be the case anymore.

"Yeah, I know, right? He's organizing a party for someone who despises him so much!"

I scoffed. "I'm not going."

"Of course, you will. But I haven't told you the fun part yet."

"There's nothing fun about a party organized by Zane."

"I assure you, there is," Angelica said, judging by the mischievous look on her face, I knew it couldn't be anything good. She leaned in closer and whispered in my ear.

"The party is going to be a masquerade ball."