❣️LOVE IN THE ELITES’ WORLD❣️
🌏🌏Her new world 🌎 🌏
📖📖CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.3️⃣1️⃣
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❣️❣️The party❣️❣️
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HOLAND HIGH SCHOOL BALL^^^
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Parents and the supreme class students started arriving one at a time, on expensive rides. Some exchanged pleasantries, and some were envious, and some gossip about others.
Sophia and her parents arrived, they showed the security their invitation and they were directed to the parking lot.
“Honey, doesn’t it seem like there are different grades of parking lot?” Mrs. Wilson (Sophia’s mother) said, and her husband looked at her.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Isn’t it a privilege to be able to attend the conglomerates party, who cares about grades of parking lot. We should be glad to be here, even if we are asked to park our car outside,” Mr. Wilson remarked.
“Oh, yeah. Honey, you are right. Sophie, Lina will be here, right?”
“Yes, mum. You guys will be shocked by her date,”
“Who’s he?” The couples chorused.
“Try to guess,” she snickered.
“Why this? It’s not like chairman Russ son is her date.” Her mother grumbled.
“Bingo!” Sophia shouted, and her parents eyes widened in bewilderment.
“You don’t mean it!” The couples chorused.
“You’ve to be good to her, Sophie. Ensure you stay close to her at the party, she is the direct keys from my fairy godmother. I just knew it from the first moment I saw her, she was surrounded by good omen.” Mrs. Wilson stated.
“I felt it as well.” Mr. Wilson added, and Sophia laughed.
“Mum, dad, the president arrived already.” Sophia said, scrolling through her phone.
“You don’t mean it!” The couples shouted.
**
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CHAIRMAN RUSS’S MANSION^^^
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Micheal paced around in his room, on the call with Mr. Jones (his secretary) to confirm if he already met with Paulina. If it was left to him, he would leave everything behind to ensure she gets to the party safety, but Paulina is being stubborn.
His phone buzz led later from a message from his father. He leg out a sigh when he reed the message. The party already started, and important guests had arrived, including the president who was the special guest for the party, and his presence was needed.
He let out a sigh cursing the chairman for going so early, and he called Mr. Jones again before he left.
**
He arrived at the party, and the principal went to him.
“Mr. Russ, you’re late,” The principal said approaching him.
“How is everything going?” He asked.
“Sir, the chairman arrived few minutes ago, he already addressed some important guest,” The principal said.
He eye-searched for his father and saw him with chairman Lockwood.
“Mike, come over here.” His father summoned, and he composed himself before joining them.
“Good evening, sir. I hope you are having a blast?” He greeted, and chairman Lockwood smiled patting his shoulder.
“Such a humble gesture from a fine gentleman. I didn’t congratulate you on your inauguration as the director.”
“Tour kind gestures are always evident, sir. Your contributions have really gone a long way, thank you all the effort you contributed to this humble school, sir,”
“Humble indeed,” Chairman Lockwood said, and they all laughed in sarcasm.
Father and son excused their self from chairman Lockwood to go and meet the president.
“Why’s you late?” Mr. Russ scolded Micheal on thier way.
“I’m sorry, dad,”
“That’s not an excuse,” his father blurted, and they both went to the president together.
They exchanged greetings with the president, and Mrs. Russ joined them there, together they went to Madam Spenser —a 50-year-old divorcée and fearsome woman. Rumor had it that she married a pauper whose identity was hidden to the public, and she divorced him after boring her twin daughters, the albinos. She is an infamous chairwoman who started from the scratch, and made a name for herself
“Mike, you’ve grown so tall. Congratulations once again on your inauguration, you remind me a lot about myself when I was a teenager, I was already dinning with the adults, and later overpower them with grace. It’s about time I discuss your engagement to either of my daughters with the Russ.” Madam Spenser said, and they all laughed sarcastically.
“We’ve to bargain on whose family Micheal would be matched to. I was just discussing it with my wife.” A chairman said approaching them, and everyone laughed again.
Micheal was able to free himself from the awkward conversation, and was summoned upstage to render a speech.
After the speech, he called Mr. Jones who assured him that he was with Paulina, and they are both heading to the designer together.
He dropped the call, and his parents made him exchange greetings with so many people as the event goes on, until the Stanford’s arrived —Ms. Grace and her daughter.
“Mrs. Stanford, or miss Russ, I’m confused because you’re aging backward.” Mr. Russ joked, and they both engaged in a conversation together.
Micheal was feeling lost in where he sat, away from his friends and also awaiting Paulina’s arrival. To his surprise, his father summoned him to exchange greetings with Mrs. Russ. He let out a sigh and joined them, wondering when his father became that close with the Stanford’s.
He exchanged greetings with Mrs. Russ, but he and Ava didn’t stop eyeing each other, but he donut if the adults noticed because they were engrossed in thier conversation.
Austin went joined him later, and they exchanged pleasantries.
“Gosh man, I really needed this space to breathe. Dad has been dragging me around to exchange greetings… so frustrating,” Austin lament.
“If you are this way, how do you expect me to be?” Micheal grumbled.
“I could have imagined. I even saw you with Mrs. Russ,”
“Yeah, somehow dad happened to be close to them now, but since this is the last parent-student dinner for our year, I know I won’t be caught in gbus moment again,” Micheal muttered.
“I should be the one saying that, bro,” Stanley said, joining them.
“I haven’t seen Steven around, have you?” Austin asked.
“He is probably curled up somewhere. The main event will start soon, he should show up gje
“Where is Paulina? I doubt if her parents would be here,” Austin said.
“I’m still trying to reach her,”
“What? Did you get ditched?” Austin shouted, and the at the attention of the few people at wound drawn on them.
“You’re too loud, man. See you,” with that Micheal excused himself.
*
The main event started, and Sophia looked around for Paulina, she has been trying her number but it wasn’t connecting. She was lost at the party almost everyone seems to be relating well with each other and her parents are also struggling to adjust.
She was able to reach Paulina later, who assured her that she will arrive at the party soon.
*
Micheal confirmed that Paulina will be arrive soon, and he promised to walk her in from the parking lot. She called few minutes later, and he wanted to excuse himself, but his father gestured him to be seated.
“Dad, I’ll be quick.” He muttered.
“What insolence! Leaving when the president is about to render his speech.” His mother bluffed.
“Just until the president concludes his speech.” He father added, and he let out a sigh.
Paulina called him severally, but he couldn’t receive the call and she sent a message.
💬*You must be busy, I could’ve imagined. I’ll find my way in, see you.*. It reads, and he let out a sigh looking at his father whose attention was focused on the president on stage.
*
The president concluded his long speech later followed by applauses, and Mrs. Russ went hostage to add her own speech. Micheal took advantage of that to find his way out, but his mother’s lash sentence made him froze on his feet to look at her.
“…to round up my speech, I’d like us to give a toast to the newest couples-to-be, Micheal Russ and Ava Stanford.” Mrs. Russ announced, and he looked at her startled by the announcement.
He turned around, and few eyes fell on him, he gaze at the entrance, and saw Paulina there. Her gaze met his, and she retreated taking the exit.
“Lina, Lina, wait.” He shouted, trying to go after her, but he felt a hand held his shoulder, he spun around in anger and saw Stanley.
“Man, what’s that?” Austin asked running to them.
“Let me go, I’ve to go to Lina.” He blurted, and forcefully freed himself from Stanley’s grip.
“I don’t think you can.” Austin muttered, and pointed at his parents who were signaling him to join them.
**
Paulina didn’t know what got over her, but she felt the need to leave the moment her gaze met Micheal. He must’ve been making a fo0l of her all these while, faking a relationship with her to get rid of Ava when he knew that he was engaged to her.
“No wonder he couldn’t do anything to her.” She thought in anger.
Her phone kept ringing from a call from Sophia, but she ignored it. Micheal didn’t even try to explain himself to her either because there was nothing to explain. He lured her to the party so she could hear the news herself, and now he is done with her. She couldn’t believe she got ahead of herself thinking she could actually become friends with them when they aren’t even in same class. She was an illegitimate that had to be hidden as an adopted child, who was she to think she could associate with the infamous elite that think they ruled the world.
“Sage was right, I shouldn’t have been careless, this might be Mike’s plan with Ava in the first place, this could all be a plan. The ruined dress, and the extra one. It was all their plan, I was a fo0l to fall in thier trap,” she thought in tears.
She wasn’t looking at where she was running off to, and she wanted almost fell but a strong arm grip her. She looked up and saw it’s Steven.
“Are you ok?” He asked, and she shook her head. “You’re safe now,” he muttered, and drew her in his embrace.
**
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Ava left the party angrily after hearing the announcement, she ordered the driver to drive her home, and she met her father in the parking lot, he also just got back from work.
“The party end pretty early. Where is your mother?” He asked, and she shot him a glare.
“Why did you do it?” She blurted.
“Did what?”
“Are you trying to play dumb with me?”
“Ava, watch the way you talk.”
“Why should I? When you have been making careless decisions all these while. Isn’t it enough that I’ve to endure living under same roof with your illegitimate daughter? Why would you engage me to that piece of trash?” She shouted, he controlled himself from lashing at her.
“What engagement?” He muttered.
“Are you trying to play dumb? Are you literally pretending that you know nothing about the engagement that was announced today. I really don’t care about arranged marriage, dad, I have no problem with it because I know many things are bond to happen. But it can’t just be him, not Mike. He is a totally piece of trash, I can’t be with him.” She yelled, and ran inside.
Paul stared at her retreating back short of words. His wife never discussed any engagement with him, so Ava’s words really confused him.
“Could Grace make that arrangement without my consent?” He thought, but instantly thought against it. “Never, that’s not possible,” he muttered, trying to reassure himself.
**
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THE PARTY^^^
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Micheal feigned normalcy as people congratulated him on his engagement. He was wise enough to avoid showing his irritation to the public.
He managed to free himself later, and went out to search for Paulina, but there was no sign of her. He called Mr. Jones to confirm if she left, but Mr. Jones ensured him that she was still inside.
He thought of what to do, and went in to find Austin who was dancing with his date.
“Come with me, man,” he muttered, and dragged Austin way.
“Wait, wait, wait. Nooo… Kyla…” Austin grumbled, as Michael dragged him away.
“Where is Stan?” He asked.
“I’m not his keeper,” Austin grumbled in annoyance.
“I can’t find him,”
“He was somewhere with Kaila. They were dancing earlier, but they left together,” he grumbled, matching his feet hard on the floor in anger.
“Look for him. I’ve to find Lina, and I need him,”
“Can’t you just do that yourself? My date isn’t missing like yours. You could as well go to your fiancée,” Austin whined, and Micheal glared at him taking him aback. “I’m sure he is around, I find him,” he muttered.
“Make it quick,” Micheal said, and Austin nodded.
*
They found Stanley who was in company of his date and few of her friends, and he excused himself from them to join Micheal and Austin.
“She is still at the party, help me find her,” Micheal said, and Stanley took his phone.
He hacked into all the cctv cameras, before he found her.
“Look, she is with a man,” Austin said, and Michael collected the phone.
“Who’s this?” Michael blurted.
“It can’t be that middle class guy, he can’t have access to the party, so who could this be?” Austin said.
“Doesn’t this back look familiar, like Steven’s?” Stanley muttered.
“Search for Kim in other footage, you should be able to see his face,” Micheal said.
“Goodness man, that’s a lot of work,” Stanley whined, and Michael parted his shoulder.
“Micheal, how rude of you to leave important guests and wander around with your lackeys,” Mrs. Russ blurted, joining them.
Michael gave him friends a reassuring look before following his mother to see the president off.
After finding an escape, he returned to Stanley who confined that the mysterious man was Steven.
“Where did he take her? Try to find it,” Austin said, and Stanley glared at him.
Micheal’s phone beeped from a message from his father, he let out a sigh
“She would be fine with Steven, I got to go,” he muttered, and left.
“Mike seems to be struggling a lot, being the director isn’t everything after all ,” Stanley muttered, staring at his retreating back.
“He will be fine. I’ve to return to Kyla,” Austin said, before hurrying away.
**
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CHAIRMAN RUSS’S MANSION^^^
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Micheal arrived home later after his parents, and he went to his father’s living room to talk to him.
“Mike, barging I’m here is unlike you,” Mr. Russ said.
“The engagement, denounce it!”
“What?!”
“It’s can’t be her, it’s not just her! I can’t marry Ava, dad. I was in a relationship with her but we broke up, now we hate each other so how do you expect us to be together? For the first time, dad, see me as your son and not some business man you build me into. Denounce the engagement, I don’t want it. And I don’t care about the consequences,” he stated, and huis father chuckled.
“As my son, Mike. You will do whatever I say. And a businessman, Mike, you’ll do what’s best for you,”
“I careless about either. If you won’t do it, I’ll call the press, and denounce the engagement myself, and send an apology to the Stanford’s,”
“You do no such!” His father yelled.
“Then will you denounce it yourself?”
“Mike, this is for your own good. Getting married to the Stanford’s daughter, it’s for your good. The Stanford’s are powerful conglomerates, and political family. If you’ve them by your side, you will have no struggles in the future. Asides from their benefit to us, you will benefit more from this,”
“I don’t want, dad,”
“Even when your future is at stake?”
“I worked so hard to be where I’m now, and I’ll work harder without them,”
“Can you really do it? Can you really fight the enemy we both know you have alone? The most dangerous enemy is the one very close to you, who knows all your moves, and yet you can’t destroy,”
“Dad…”
“You’ll accept the engagement, and get married after high school, then I’ll retire and make you the chairman,”
“No, dad…” he shuddered.
“I know I shouldn’t retire so early l, but that’s the only way to guarantee your future. I trust you, son, I trust your capabilities, but there are many risks, and I can’t take any chances,” his father said, and patted his shoulder before leaving.
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TO BE CONTINUED…
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