Angelica wasn't certain of many things, but one thing she knew, she was never going to let Sebastian cost her an opportunity she had diligently worked for. She was never going to allow him take from her like he had done in the past.
"Are you really sure about this?" Adele asked, her eyes darting after Angelica as she got herself ready for her meeting with the Priestly's.
Angelica looked herself in the mirror, assessing her neon pink dress. It was classy, bold and confident.
"Angelica." Adele called with a note of urgency and she turned around to face her.
"Look, I understand your worries, but we talked about this. I need this job, Adele. I do."
"But Sebastian is now involved. He is—"
"Only here for a few days to help his friend plan his wedding." She interjected, reminding herself what Miranda had told her. "I'll simply do my job and in a few days they'll be out of here till a week or two before the wedding. And even then I'd be well prepared and focused on the wedding. Everything's going to be fine."
These were the words she had told herself to stop herself from giving into the fear and anxiety the awareness of Sebastian's presence stirred in her.
Adele silently regarded her, and after a stretch of paused silence, she nodded. "If you say so."
Well, she did and she believed it. She had to, and she probably would have continued to believe so if someone had not rammed into her car on the curb space.
"Oh my God! What the hell happened?!" She exclaimed.
Away from there, Nicholas watched Sebastian with a dizzying eye as he paced about the patio of the Priestly manor, his phone pressed against his ear as he instilled the fear of God into a flurry of secretaries at his company.
The man was just as addicted to his job as life to breath, and if it wasn't for the occasional shift of his eyes towards the driveway of the Priestly manor, he would have believed his anxiety was solely towards the desired success of the Hastings deal. But it wasn't.
A part of it was towards Angelica and he was certain of it.
"So you're saying Sebastian is married to Ms Pearson and she doesn't know it?" Miranda softly whispered across the dining table, where she and her parents were seated as Nicholas had a late breakfast.
Nicholas nodded, "She believes they're divorced, but they're not." He said taking a bite of the breakfast sandwich he had been served.
"How is that even possible? She must have known. There must have been some sort of notification. Something, anything." Michelle Priestly thoughtfully reasoned, looking towards Nicholas and her daughter, who was utterly floored by the situation.
"He took care of everything."
"Or you mean you took care of everything." Miranda said with a suspicious raise of her brows.
Nicholas effected a casual shrug. "Well... I'm his attorney." He said, having no reason to deny it.
"So does this mean he still wants her? Is that why he's deceiving her?"
Oscar Priestly, who had quietly being flipping through the morning papers looked up and said, "It's possible he still wants the relationship hence the scheme." He couldn't think of another reason why anyone would do that.
"But would she still want him when she discovers the truth? He is going to tell her the truth, right?" Michelle asked, curious to know the answer and so was Miranda. Nicholas looked up to see their gazes fixed on him.
"I..erm...I don't know." He truthfully answered. "With Sebastian, you can never tell what's going through his mind. But I can only say, he intends to apologize."
"Apologize?" Miranda could almost hear herself scoff at that as she wondered what an apology would do in this situation.
It was an awkwardly peculiar one, which was about to affect her weeding, and in the few weeks of working with Angelica she was quickly growing a fondness for her and her proficiency in getting things done. She was a good wedding planner and she was also thinking she might also be a good a person.
She wondered how a softly spoken, calm and nice girl like Angelica could have married a social recluse, emotionally detached and a work addicted fellow like Sebastian Croft. Because in her two years of dating Nicholas and knowing his friend, those were exactly how she saw him. Emotionally detached.
"I doubt just an apology would work." She reasoned out.
"But do you mind telling us what truly happened? Like, why she left. And you did never for once mention he was married? He's your best friend and he's also going to be the best man at our wedding!" She demanded with an accusing frown.
"Babe, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Sebastian doesn't like that part of his life being made public, so I've respected his wishes of not making it known." He explained. He shot a quick look to Sebastian, who was still on his phone and sadly missing out on the breakfast they have been served.
"Still—"
"Babe, I'm sorry." He apologized. Truly.
"I don't see a reason why you should be sorry, Nick. There is a word called 'privacy', and I truly commend you for respecting it, as I think others should." Oscar said, shooting a look towards his daughter.
"I respect others privacy too." Miranda said in her defense.
"Then continue to do so."
Miranda shot a mock glare and a silly little pout at him.
It wasn't always easy having a principled man like Oscar Priestly for a father. The man lived by rules, never tending to break or mend them while having a big heart and a lovely tender approach towards life. He loved deeply, cared excessively and protected everyone he could. He was a deeply pious man in the literal sense of the word.
"So does this mean we're going to need a new wedding planner? The wedding is in three weeks, and we've already put weeks of planning into this already. We were supposed to go secure the venue today, and I don't really think I can handle finding a new wedding planner in such limited time."
Miranda could feel a hassle coming, one she didn't welcome or appreciate.
"There'll be no need for a new wedding planner. Sebastian said she told him she wouldn't quit."
"She did?" Miranda looked at him with surprise. "Then why isn't she here?"
All eyes darted towards the door when the door bell suddenly rang and a house staff hurried towards it.
"That must be her," Miranda said, rising to her feet.
"Good morning, Miranda, Mr and Mrs Priestly. Mr Ross." She greeted as she stepped into the room, her head tipping low to a bow.
"Good morning, Angelica. I was almost worried you weren't coming." Miranda beamed.
"I'm sorry, something happened to my car and I had to commute." She explained.
"It's no problem at all. I'm glad you're here and okay." Miranda said, feeling truly relieved her fears hadn't come to pass. She observed the slight dart of Angelica's eyes around the room and the furtive look she had cast on Nicholas.
It was obvious what she was looking for. Or rather who, and she couldn't help but wonder once again what kind of couple they had been, and what Angelica's reaction would be when she realized she was being lied to.
As if conjured out of a thought, Sebastian manifested, stepping out of the patio. His eyes fixed on Angelica, who suddenly went still at a flash, but Miranda couldn't also help but notice how quickly she regained herself.
"Good morning, Mr Croft." She greeted, surprising Sebastian. He blinked and awkwardly nodded. It was obvious he wasn't expecting it.
Sebastian had an effect on her and she wondered what kind. Good or bad. She was curious.
Observing the awkward silence brooding with tension, Miranda looked at Nicholas and her mom. "Are you guys ready to leave?" She asked.
"Yes," they simultaneously answered, and without delay, Miranda led the way out of the house with Angelica following closely after her, and Sebastian at the rear of the line. His eyes staring fixedly on Angelica.
"So what's the plan?" Nicholas asked him.
"I don't have one yet, but I have to make her talk to me." He said, his eyes still fixed on her, but Nicholas wasn't seeing how that was going to happen when Angelica was clearly evading him.
"Ride with the Priestly's." He said after a while, and Nicholas looked at him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." He answered, because right this moment there was nothing he could do to get her attention, but he had to start somewhere. Anywhere at all. And a ride with her was hopefully not a bad idea.
At the front yard, Nicholas quickened her steps and, reaching Miranda, he took her hand and gave her a gentle squeeze. Miranda turned his way with a smile.
"Babe, we would have to ride with mom and dad." Nicholas squeezed her hand again, hoping she would catch on.
Miranda's smile dwindled as a frown formed between her brows.
"Why? We–" Another tug on her hand and she finally caught on his scheme. "Oh, right. We will go in dad's car."
They both turned to Angelica and Sebastian, who now stood a few feet away from each other.
"Angelica dear, would you mind riding with Sebastian?"