Page 6 of The Fashion's Mogul's Secret Wish

“Help me get these into your car. I didn’t arrange for pick up as I wanted to hang with you for a little while. I’m ready to leave here, let’s go” I nodded, and together, we got all her stuff into the trunk and the backseat. On our journey home, she described beautiful places, foods and the animals she had encountered on her journey. I was happy for her, and our conversation was something I had missed.

I got back home and got out of the car. “You know, you should get less stuff next time. This is more than a handful” I was now taking her bags out of the trunk while she took the ones in the backseat.

“Great advice, but I won’t listen. Wait till you see what I got for you.” She laughed. We’ve had this conversation so many times that it was already a joke between us. We successfully brought her things inside but left them piled in the corner in the foyer.

Selena took off her jacket and heels and walked barefoot to the bar. I went to the living room and picked a perfect spot by the window that revealed the pool with swan pool floats floating on it. Selena returned with two glasses and a bottle of red wine. She popped the cork and served us. Taking a sip of the wine, I was grateful for the warmth.

She settled into the chair beside me. “This is great, isn’t it. Friendship, wine and relaxation. Nothing to worry about….” she said with a sigh.

I looked out the window in a daze. “Well, I met a man a few days ago, and ever since he has been on my mind. Can you imagine he left me without giving me his name or contact!” I huffed a breath in annoyance. I had already given up searching for his identity. I found nothing, and I just had to let it go. No hard feelings, right? Wrong. I kept dreaming of him.

“Hey, I know that look. He was that good, huh? Never mind that, forget about him. If he is yours, even the devil will fail to take him from you. Come on, cheers to us and to a good life!” We clinked glasses and enjoyed the moment.

Later, she showed me the beautiful dresses she had gotten for me. Lena knew what I liked, and they fit perfectly. She knew I could afford anything I wanted, but this was her way of showing she cared.

I remember the day we met. It was a year after my pregnancy. We had bumped into each other at a boutique and picked up the same dress at the same time. I allowed her to have it, and she offered to introduce herself with drinks. We bonded over our love of fine wine and fashion. Her charm and energy brought my life back from the old monotonous activities.

She was about to leave, mentioning her brother, Karl, and Jason, her brother’s son. I’d seen a few of his pictures-a cute child who looked like Karl. She rarely spoke of him over the course of our four-year friendship. Only that he was secretive and a man-whore. In my mind, the two don’t go together, but I chose not to comment. I always got a faint hurt in my heart whenever I saw the child because I had lost my own son. I had not even given him a name or got to look at him properly.

I’d seen some younger photos of Selena and Karl when they were teenagers; however, Karl insisted on not taking more recent photos. On a few occasions, I tried to meet with him, but he always called to say he couldn’t make it. We always gave him the benefit of the doubt since he owned Vance Styles, one of the most renowned company in the fashion industry. He was always traveling or stuck at one fashion event or another. Thinking about it now, the mystery man did look familiar–an older and more mature version of Karl than what I’d seen in the old photos. I laughed it off, thinking it was impossible.

The next day, I got to the company and headed straight to my office. I was glad no one bothered me. In fact, I was feeling chipper without Howard or his antics. Going over the latest cable TV metrics of the company, I responded to the knock on my door. Morrison, looking composed and elegant as always, walked in with a smile. “Ma’am, good news. Vance Styles just reached out to us about a behind the scenes operations of their company, and a lot more. They agreed to our terms. However, before anything is set in stone, they said their CEO would like to meet with you to be sure of our cooperation.”

His voice hinted that I should agree immediately. It caught me by surprise. This would be my first time seeing Karl, the CEO of Vance Styles and it would be in a professional capacity. Vance Styles was a major fashion brand with headquarters in New York. Although relatively new to the scene, they had made a name for themselves and were competing with the top brands. From fashion to textiles, the brand had cemented itself as the people’s favorite while also maintaining a reputation for modern luxury clothing. However, Karl was something of an enigma. No media coverage of him–not even images or a social media handle. I had once joked with Selena that her brother might actually be a long-lived vampire in hiding.

“Morris, that would be great. I’d like to meet with him and get the ball rolling.” This was an opportunity for my company to get an exclusive interview and a behind the scenes look at who the public knows as the mystery CEO. I imagined Karl to be somewhat of an eccentric, who liked to stay away from the public eye. At least, in Selena’s own words,he loved his privacy.

“Umm, Mr. Penfield has already set the time for the meeting for today at one p.m. He mentioned that if you didn’t come, it meant it wasn’t meant to be.”

Eccentric indeed. “That’s fine. Get back to them that I’m available, and we can meet. Update my schedule and forward the location to me. I’d like to get there early.” Morrison nodded. He swiped on his tablet, and I received the address. It was a French restaurant situated at the top of a corporate building, open only to those with an exclusive card, purchased at a high cost. I’d been to a few meetings there with some clients. As long as someone had the exclusive card, there’d always be a reserved table.

I prepared to get there early to set a professional tone for the meeting. In no time, I was out of the building. I got into my car and drove out of the parking lot. It was a long journey, and with New York’s traffic, it took longer. When I parked outside the building, I saw that I was thirty minutes early. I headed over to the glass door.

There were two security guards at the entrance. One of them opened the door to let me in. Familiar with the building’s layout, I passed the ornately adorned lobby and went straight to the elevator. I was the only one getting in, so I rode up alone. I was already thinking about how I’d tell the tale of this meeting to Selena.

The doors opened, and I stepped out. My heels made soft clicking sounds on the glass floor as I walked to the entrance of the restaurant. I passed the door and went to the desk, where a young blonde woman was waiting with a smile.

“Welcome, ma’am. May I see your card?” Her voice was professional but amiable.

I showed her my card. You can only access this meeting if escorted or showing exclusive proof of membership. She looked at the card and nodded.“This way ma’am”“I have a meeting here with Mr. Penfield. He should have a table reserved for us. I'm Marie-Ann Rosii,” I said effortlessly. Her eyes shone, and she smiled more warmly now.

“Miss Rosii, that’s right. Mr. Penfield is waiting for you. I’ll lead you to his table.” I hadn’t expected him to be here earlier than me. Shrugging mentally, I followed the waitress past several tables till we reached one occupied by a man whose back was to us. Wait, I recognize that back. “Mr. Penfield, your guest has arrived.”

“Quite early,” a familiar voice said. He turned to face me, and the shock I felt must have been vivid on my face. He was the no-name stranger. Well, right now he had a name; he was one of the most powerful people in America and my best friend’s brother. I cursed inwardly. I should have known that he was Karl. How could I be so blind?

I kept the shock off my face as best I could and tried to look composed. He waved the waitress away and eyed me curiously, with eyes so deep and black that I felt like I was being sucked into them.

“Miss Rosii?” he called softly. I regained my composure and walked to the seat. He gave me a sly look, although I could see the shock he was trying to hide. “Please, sit.” I did, wondering if he had planned this all along.

Chapter 6

KARL

Shesatstifflyinthe seat in front of me. I could understand her shock. I didn’t expect this–to see her again after what had happened between us. I recalled my sister telling me that she had a friend named Marie from the Rosii family. I wasn’t too interested in getting to know her. It was stupid not knowing anything about her before this meeting. I really didn’t know how Selena would react to our relationship if that’s what we have. I looked at her curiously. I still felt like the familiarity was deeper, but the memory was stuck in a fog in the back of my mind.

She looked like she was relaxing. I smiled a little to ease her nerves. “What would you like to have?”

“Anything, as long as it’s edible.” She held my gaze, a challenge in her eyes. I remembered that look. Her brown eyes lit up with amusement as she looked at me approvingly. I waved my hand, and the waitress came immediately.

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