Chapter 2

Anastasia looked up to see a man with black hair and stunning dark blue eyes, about 6’5” in height. It’s Mahlon Brown. She strains to free herself from his grasp.

He had her in his arms to save her from falling. He guided her to a nice stand and then went with his men, leaving her standing at the entrance with her companions while he entered the elevator with his men.

Anastasia and her companions couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw who they had just bumped into.

“Anna, that’s your soon-to-be husband,” Alice said first since she couldn’t handle the awkwardness and there were a lot of people walking by.

Liz, “Did you notice his expression as he gazed at her?”

“Alice, could you tell me what you’re saying?”

“Let’s go inside,” the women were interrupted by Anna, and they went inside.

Bruno Lopez smiled at them as they walked in and motioned for them to come around to his side.

“You girls look lovely,” he added, whistling.

“Thank you, Bruno,” they all said simultaneously.

“Where is the host, Bruno?” Liz asked.

“He will be here in a few minutes,” Bruno replied.

Liz excused her from the meeting to go to the showroom.

The ladies were well aware of Lizzie’s crush on Gilbert.

Shortly after Bruno had left, Anastasia looked up and saw a man standing with his back to the audience. It was his back that caught her attention; it looked familiar, so she decided to go upstairs and check who it was, leaving her friend Alice behind.

As she makes her way upstairs, she encounters Liz as she exits the restroom.

“What’s wrong, Anastasia?” Liz said, having never seen her friend seem so perplexed.

“I saw someone I keep seeing every time I close my eyes,” she replied, her face puzzled.

Liz inquired, “Did you see his face?”

“I just saw his back,” Anastasia replied, looking confused.

“Let’s go see what we can do,” Liz said.

They go upstairs and only see two men. Gilbert Green and Mahlon Brown had the same gray suit, were the same height, and had the same hair colour.

Anastasia couldn’t figure out who she was looking at. “But how can this be? Did I offer myself to one of these men?” she whispered to herself.

Gilbert Green approached Anastasia and her companion, greeting and welcoming them.

“Hello ladies, please make yourselves at ease, and it’s great to see you,” he remarked as he walked away.

For starters, most businessmen have a forceful aura and a cold gaze, but they recognize its all business for these folks. Other people, including them, were perplexed as to why he was hosting his father’s funeral. As they returned to the party, they found Mr. Green finishing his speech, and they made their way to where Alice was standing.

“Your soon-to-be fiancé was looking for you,” Alice teased.

“Are you drunk?” Anastasia said, and continued, “Stop talking nonsense.”

“Mr. Green is staring over here while the ladies are still conversing.”

“He appears to be charming,” Liz said as she brushed her teeth.

“Who is that with Mahlon?” Alice exclaims.

“Isn’t that Eden Blue?” Liz clarifies.

I saw a photograph of the two of them together. “Liz, how were the comments?” Alice asked, “You’re familiar with how internet users act.” Mahlon appears to them as a god, and Eden Blue is the epitome of their goddess. Liz explained as she sipped her wine.

“Eden Blue is coming over with her dog companion, Pigtrice White,” Liz said, and at the same time, the ladies burst out laughing.

“Hello, Anna”

“Hello, Eden”

“Let me get right to the point: You should avoid my man,” Eden continued to say to Anastasia.

“Yes, he told me about your childhood arrangement—that pointless grownup babble.” Eden laughs at your parents’ inability to take small talk seriously. “Are you such a pain in the neck that they want to marry you off? If so, I apologize for interrupting your dreams because Mahlon Brown and I will be having our engagement party very soon, and I’m sure you’re aware of it. We’ll send you an invitation card soon.” She remarked on this while she sipped her wine.

She didn’t give Anastasia time to respond, and she left.

“Let’s go, Beatrice; I’m sure the professor has plenty of work tomorrow.”

Beatrice guffawed as they walked away, oblivious to the oncoming conversation.

“Don’t you have a scheme to make Mahlon dislike her?” She said.

“Shh, the show is about to begin.” The three pals stood there silently, but Liz couldn’t take it any longer and blurted out, “I told you guys she’s a snake” and “didn’t you hear how she was hissing?”

“Forget about it, Liz,” Alice says before she curses.

“I’m not feeling well,” Anna says.

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m overheated,” Anna screams.

“Who could do this to tarnish her image?”

“Alice, I believe her drink was spilled.”

“This is Eden Blue’s doing.”

“Liz, please help me remove my clothing; it’s extremely hot in here.”

Liz asked her friend, Anna, if she could help her stand.

“I can do it,” said Anastasia. She shivered as she replied. The ladies departed the building without drawing much attention to themselves.

Anna began unzipping her dress as soon as they left the hotel, before they could get to the car, the ladies were forced to steal one of the jackets lying on the car’s roof.

They had to drive a short distance to the hospital.

At the hospital, they had to give her something to help her.

The ladies were relieved not to have to defend themselves in front of their parents.

She is old enough to understand right from wrong.

When Anastasia awoke in the hospital, she noticed her friends were exhausted and had black circles under their eyes. “Did you guys sleep here last night?” she murmured.

“If we didn’t, who would?” Bruno retorted.

Bruno left to report to his boss after making sure she was safe.

Anastasia felt humiliated as she glanced at her friends, thinking about how she had neglected to take care of herself.

They looked into who could have done it.

Lizzie insisted on Eden, but they had no proof.

Anastasia had no choice but to change the subject.

“It’s pointless to talk about any of that; the good news is that I’m fine and no harm has come to me.”

She was discharged when the doctor confirmed that she was fine and not in any danger.

Lauren greeted her with a smile when she returned home later that evening and discovered Lauren and Francis speaking about something she couldn’t hear due to the distance from where she was standing.

Lauren inquired, “How was the party, Anastasia?”

“I guess it was good,” Anastasia said. Anastasia was quick to answer.

They talked for a while, with most of the conversation being on Mahlon Brown and the engagement.

“Did you bring up the engagement?” Francis enquired

“What kind of engagement are you referring to, Dad?”

“In the morning, I spoke with his grandfather, who informed me that the engagement is scheduled for a few months from now.” Francis replied.

“Okay, father.”

Anastasia went to her room, took a brief shower, and began reading her favorite novel. August Angel entered her room without knocking on the door.

“What’s wrong with you? Have you sold your manners on the boulevard?”

He maintains his stance by resting his chin on his hand.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk; you know where the door is,” she explained.

“I’ve lost one of Dad’s guns.” August was quick to answer.

August was talking very loudly, and Anastasia wanted to cover his lips.

“What’s the matter, Anastasia? You want mom to hear you,” August said.

Before removing her hand, Anastasia gave his younger brother a warning.

August claimed he had the gun in his bag to show Aiden Blue before returning it. After all, they had made plans with him.

Anastasia was furious; his father would never recover from one of the Blues knowing about the gun.

She had to explain everything about the firearms and everything they created from the gold guns, which appear to be guns but are genuine gold.

His father has more enemies than any other man in the country as a result of the same gold, and having one of his opponents with one of his instruments will be difficult for him.

This is something they’ll see on the morning news because he knows the Blues like the back of his hand.

not simply news, but evidence that Francis stole a large sum of money during his stint as president.

August knew her sister was telling the truth, and he needed to figure out a method to get the gold revolver back without Francis’s angel noticing.

Aiden Blue is the younger brother of Eden Blue, the current Chief Justice’s son. His father is rumoured to be seeking a means to make Francis pay for his sins.

Francis was hardly the best president the country has ever had, but he gave it his all.

The one thing he couldn’t stop was a virus that swept the country during his reign.

And now that Aiden Blue Sr. has a high-ranking job in government, it won’t be difficult to find evidence of Francis’ crimes, file a case against him, and prosecute him.

August went to his room to think of ways to obtain the rifle from his pal without attracting attention.

Ruth knocked on the door and woke Anastasia up. Ruth has been a part of the family since she was a child.

“Miss, your father requests your presence,” she announced. “OK,

“I’m coming,” answered Anastasia.

“What could have happened to cause Dad to want to speak with me at this hour? Is everything all right?” She murmured as she made her way down the stairs.

When she walks into the dining room, Mahlon Brown is the first person she sees.

“What has brought him here?”

“Is he coming to call off the engagement?” she murmured to herself. She welcomes the old man first, then Mahlon, and then Bruno, who is always with Mahlon.

She would assume he’s his bodyguard or boyfriend if they weren’t pals, and she chuckles at the thought of it.

“I’m sure you’ve met Mr. Brown and his grandfather, Anastasia,” Francis said.

She nods her head in agreement.

“You’ve matured; the last time we met you, you were just twelve years old,” the old man says emphatically.