EMILY'S POV.
The dresses I saw were all beautiful, and I saw for the first time how truly wealthy John was. Katie picked out dresses, suits, blazers, and heels without looking at the price tags. I saw the price of a red blazer dress she bought, and almost choked.
Anything she felt would suit me, she threw into the cart, regardless of the price. It was actually crazy. I could see why a lot of girls had envied me back in school. I had never really sat down to think of how wealthy John was because I was determined on getting wealthy myself, and promoting my designs.
"You'd look beautiful in this. I'd be blinded." I heard John say to Katie. I didn't hear her reply, but knew she gave one.
It made me uncomfortable knowing I was the one who used to hear all those cringey catchphrases, but I pretended to be immersed in a dress in front of me.
John kept on flattering Katie, and I couldn't tell if he wanted me to hear, or was really taken by Katie.
When I had fought him, he had told me he'd explain. Had the explanation he intended been a lie? Was he about to tell me I was the only one he loved, while he was clearly taken with the quiet Katie?
Or did he run to her because I rejected him?
In the car, I felt more uncomfortable by the silence. It was hard to know what Katie thought. Did she like John or not? Was she feeling guilty, or she didn't care enough to know how I felt?
We got back to the family house, and I was allowed to take a bath, before I was to be taken around the house, and prepared to be introduced to the family members who lived in the other buildings.
"You should be careful of the current Alpha who's ruling. Alpha Raymond. John's father. He's not really healthy, and will hand over to John very soon, so he tends to be a little cranky. He's the eldest son. They are five in total.
"The second son is a little jovial. You can feel free with him. That's Alpha Will. He tends to make light jokes to lighten up the mood. Then we have Lady Genevieve. She is strict, and doesn't talk much. You do not want to cross her, but impress her. I personally think it's a good idea that you don't let any of them know you broke off the engagement.
"It might not look good for you, since your marriage has been the talk of the town for a while now. I suggest you leave John to handle it. We have Lady Mira. She's also very jovial, but you shouldn't try to be with her because she's… um, a little exhausting, and gets annoyed when you can't catch up to her speed. She's forty-four now, but still acts like she's twenty. And then there's the youngest. Alpha Lucas…"
My heart skipped at the name.
She continued, "Just… stay away from him. He doesn't really like women, and can come off as rude, and arrogant. He doesn't give much thought to women. Any little thing you do can easily pass off as you trying to hit on him, and in times like that, he can be aggressive with his words." She informed me, and I nodded.
"So those are the people who matter in this family house. You do not need to care much for their children. They're all still in school, except for John who's the sole heir, and Alpha Lucas has no son. But in case you have to deal with them any day. Just know that the twins are not to be taken lightly— Derel, and Derella. They're from Alpha Will, and are still in high school. They can come off as proud, and arrogant.
"Then, there's Jude. She's quiet, and doesn't speak much. Rumor has it that she's being bullied, but there's no evidence to prove it, so she's a little jumpy and cranky around people with imposing auras. She belongs to Lady Genevieve. Then we have Sadie, the youngest among the children. She's just Eight. Lady Mira had her at a later age, so she has been pampered, and spoiled. She also can come off as rude, and naughty. The best way to approach her will be confidently. Nothing less, and nothing more." She explained.
That was a lot to take in, so I found myself writing down quickly on their different personalities. I felt the kids would be harder to approach. I'd never been good with younger people.
How was I to absorb a bunch of information in just a few hours?
We were having a party to celebrate John coming into the house, and I knew they were also eager to meet me, and see the lady who kept John stuck in a relationship for years.
I didn't want to talk much with Katie, but I had questions.
"Can I know their ages?" I asked, preparing my pen.
"Derel, and Derella, Sixteen; Jude, Fourteen; Sadie, Eight." She said, immediately, and I began to write everything down.
Was that the work of a secretary? Knowing everything about one's family, or Katie was just a special secretary?
I wanted to ask the next question, but it was a little hard. Deep down, I knew I didn't care about their ages, I only cared about one person's age, and I didn't know why I did.
"The adults?" I asked, wondering if she knew.
"Alpha Raymond, Fifty-six; Alpha Will, Fifty-three; Lady Genevieve, Forty-eight; Lady Mira; Forty-four…"
My ears were perked up, waiting…
"…Alpha Lucas, Twenty-nine."
"Twenty what?" I asked, unable to stop myself. Why did he have such a huge, and horrible gap between his brothers? It meant he was five years older than John, who was just Twenty-four.
She stopped, and looked at me.
"You have met him, right?"
"Uh, No." I heard myself say.
"He and John are pretty close. Thought you'd have met him."
I slept with two men, who were close to each other… Nothing about the whole issue seemed right.
"So… so all the family will be there tonight?" I asked, in a straight voice, even though I wanted to know the real reason I hadn't seen the stranger… I mean… Lucas. Alpha Lucas, since that night.
"Yes, everyone. Everyone except Alpha Lucas." She replied, and didn't say more.
I guessed he had returned to wherever he stayed.
"Tonight, you wouldn't be going as John's Fiancée, but as his secretary, so we'll have to wear matching suits. It's a dinner, so they wouldn't like a boring color. We're going with red. Especially for Alpha Raymond. He likes it when things seem lively. We'll have our hair down, with any expensive hairpin. Lady Mira frowns on women who do not appreciate jewelry. We'll be in pants, as Lady Genevieve thinks secretaries, who…" She paused, and I followed, waiting for her next words.
Then, she continued. "Lady Genevieve thinks secretaries, who wear skirts end up seducing the men they work for."
Oh, she was feeling guilty because one way or the other, she had seduced John. A married man.
It was awkward.
"No makeup. Alpha Will likes plain faces for secretaries, and smart heels. You should be respectful, and don't make the mistake of calling him John. You call him Alpha John. Disrespect is frowned upon by everyone of them." She continued, and I nodded.
It felt like everything had become really complicated.
She began to show me the parts of John's Mini mansion. The rooms, kitchen, swimming pool, garden, library, snack room, dining hall, offices we could pick for work. Another library for professional books, gym room, the main living room. There was also a game room, art room, hall for parties…
There were lots of rooms with purposes that I felt were unneeded. It was bigger than most mini mansions, and the funny thing about it was that the rooms in total for bedroom purposes were just six. John had one, and I had one. I didn't know how long Katie would be staying, so I guessed she had one, too.
Behind the house, there was another large house that seemed less decorated, and in there, we walked into the foyer, and met lots of ladies waiting.
They were maids who were applying, since the house was occupied.
I watched as Katie interviewed them all. Telling them immediately if they passed or failed. She seemed busy, but even with how occupied she was. She gave an occasional blank stare, like something was on her mind.
That evening, I was dressed after Katie was. She picked out a white bow-collared shirt, and a long red suit jacket. The red pants were high on my waist, and made me look smart. I had never really paid attention to suits, so I never knew they would suit me as well as that.
A beautiful golden pin was clipped on my left breast, and my hair was brushed to fall around my shoulders. She also brushed back the left side of my hair with a simple, but beautiful pin. My earrings were small and elegant, and the shoes simple.
I felt like a secretary indeed.
John walked through the doors to call on us, and when he saw me, he stopped for a while, like he was awed by my appearance, then he blinked, and looked at Katie.
"Looking beautiful." He commented.
After making sure our dressing was complete, we walked behind John, heading out of the dressing room we had been in.
The maids who had taken up their positions immediately, bowed to us as we walked past, and I gave a sigh. Maybe if I'd never gone to give John dinner that day, I'd have been walking by his side, not knowing that the woman walking behind was the one with a hold over him.
We left the mansion, and walked towards Alpha Raymond's mini mansion, which was right next to it. The sky was dark, and a water fountain in the distance sprung out beautifully. There were bright lights behind it, making it appear silvery.
The large trees, walls, and swimming pool also had little lights, lighting up the place in a display of colors.
We walked into Alpha Raymond's foyer, and it was a thing of beauty. The staircase was silver in color, and most of the things were either golden or cream. I was sure some of the golden sculptures I saw were real gold.
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to admire the magnificent interior, as we climbed up the stairs, and went through a series of halls before arriving at the dining hall.
There were the family members with a variety of dishes displayed on the long table, and I felt a little nervous.
They were all talking, and laughing, but stopped when they saw us.
"Hey dad." John called, and walked to him. They hugged each other, and laughed after saying a few things.
Katie and I bowed, and every eye was on me.
I had never seen their faces before, but I could tell who was who, based on how they stared at me.
"Sit, sit…" Alpha Raymond said, and Katie and I took seats on either side of John.
"Pleasant. I was thinking you'd let her come as a fiancée." Lady Genevieve muttered, as she cut into her beef.
"How on earth did you break that?" Lady Mira asked, then looked at John. "Really? A secretary. Because she's your lover, you make her a secretary. You should have made her my assistant, or doesn't it count as her repaying her debt?" She asked, and I felt uncomfortable.
"It was definitely an accident. She wouldn't just lift the sculpture, and smash it into the ground, or did she, John?" Alpha Will asked.
"No, she didn't." John replied.
There were three unfamiliar faces, and I guessed they were the spouses of the siblings. Maybe they didn't really matter.
If they did, Katie would have told me all about them.
"Let's do this again when Lucas is here. We don't feel complete. Also, I have a whole lot to tell him. Can't he be commanded to come here?" Sadie asked, and Lady Mira hugged her, giving her a peck. "Disgusting, mum." She snapped.
"Don't worry. We'll do this again. Everyone agrees, right?" Lady Mira asked, and everyone nodded.
"So, she's a secretary, or your wife-to-be, which of them?" Alpha Raymond asked, and John smiled.
"Today, she's here as a secretary." He replied.
"How on earth did you manage to break that?" Sadie, the youngest, asked. "Were you blind or what? How could you not see something as big as that?" She asked.
It stung. I'd been told she was rude, but never expected her to be as arrogant as that. Worse was, no one corrected her, or said a thing.
"I apologize for causing the family trouble." I said, and Derella scoffed.
"Is an apology the best you can do? It's not like you being a secretary is helping matters." Lady Genevieve said, eating.
"Please stop putting her in a tight spot. We're here to celebrate, aren't we?" Alpha Will said, and Derel poured wine into his glass.
"Let's make a toast everyone. To John's clumsy wife, and an unknown reason why he decided to move in earlier." He said, rising to his feet, and Derella smiled, raising her glass. Sadie joined, and shortly the adults joined, laughing, and finding the kids funny. All except Jude, who focused on eating as slowly as a snail.
She seemed to be somewhere else amidst all the noise, and I gained an instant liking for her.
But to sum it all up, I didn't think John's family liked me much, and thankfully, I was no longer marrying into their family.
I just needed to be careful. Old and young, they were equally dangerous, and stronger than I was, and I could tell that all it took was one mistake for them to gobble me up.