Victoria paced the opulent marble floor of her study, her silk robe rustling with each agitated step. Valerie, sprawled on a plush velvet chaise lounge, sipped a glass of expensive brandy, her face a mask of simmering fury. The news of Ezra’s impending marriage to Olivia – as they now knew – had sent shockwaves through their carefully constructed world.
"That good-for-nothing… that conniving little… she thinks she can just waltz into our lives and steal Ezra away? She’s nothing but a commoner, a gold digger!" Valerie angrily exclaimed.
Victoria calmly, placed a hand on Valerie's arm.
"Valerie, darling, you need to calm down. This is not the time for uncontrolled outbursts."
"Calm down? How can I calm down? Ezra is throwing away his future, his legacy, for this… this woman!" Valerie is now getting hysterical.
"He's an adult, Valerie. He's entitled to make his own choices, however misguided they may seem." Victoria spoke again.
"Misguided? It's catastrophic! This will ruin everything we've worked for. The Birmingham name, our social standing… it's all at stake!" Valerie continues to throw tantrums like a spoiled brat.
"Valerie dear, stop crying like a loser! They're not married yet, so you shouldn't give up!" Victoria reprimanded her daughter.
"What do you mean, Mother?" Valerie asked in return, while looking a bit confused.
"We have other options. We can use our influence, our connections. We can make sure this marriage doesn't happen. We just need to be strategic. We need to think this through." relayed Victoria.
Valerie wiped her tears and puts her 100% attention to her mother.
"But how? Ezra is stubborn. He's always been defiant. He’s never listened to us."
Victoria lets out an evil smile, while holding her daughter's hand.
"He will listen now. We'll make sure of it. We'll use his vulnerabilities, his weaknesses. We'll remind him of his responsibilities, his duty to the family. And if that doesn't work..." Victoria’s voice dropped to a low, menacing whisper. "...we have other methods."
"What do you have in mind?" Valerie asked once again.
Victoria leaned closer, her eyes glinting.
"Let's just say... we have ways of making people disappear. Or, at the very least, making their lives incredibly inconvenient."
Valerie shivered, a flicker of fear momentarily replacing her anger. Her mother's words were a chilling reminder of her power and her ruthlessness. She knew that Victoria would stop at nothing to protect the Birmingham legacy, even if it meant resorting to morally questionable tactics.
Her mother's calm demeanor and strategic thinking contrast sharply with her own emotional outburst, showcasing the different facets of their manipulative personalities.
But one thing is for sure... They are both determined to prevent Ezra and Olivia's marriage, even if it means resorting to extreme measures...
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After talking to her mother, Valerie is now alone in her room.
Valerie sank onto her plush, Queen-sized bed, the silk of her robe whispering against the fabric.
Her mother's words echoed in her ears, a cold, calculating assessment of Ezra and his relationship with Olivia.
She still can't believe that Ezra is in love with another woman! She is deeply heart broken because she has been looking forward to the day that she and Ezra will get married, and have their own big family...
Valerie suddenly remembered her very first encounter with Ezra Birmingham, and how she fell in love the first time she laid her eyes on him...
She closed her eyes, and the grand ballroom shimmered back to life. The music swelled, a waltz swirling around her like a silken dream. He was across the room, bathed in the soft glow of the chandeliers, his laughter a melodic chime that cut through the opulent chatter. His eyes, the color of warm honey, met hers across the crowded space, and in that instant, the world dissolved. It wasn't just his undeniable charm, his effortless grace, or the way his smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. It was something deeper, a connection that resonated within her soul. She'd felt it instantly, a pull, a recognition that transcended the superficial glamour of the event. He was everything she'd ever dreamed of, and more. He was Ezra.
Their first conversation was a blur of nervous giggles and shared secrets, a whispered exchange amidst the swirling dance of the evening. He'd spoken of his passion for art, his dreams of a life beyond the gilded cage of his family's expectations. And she, in turn, had revealed her own aspirations, her desire to break free from the stifling constraints of her own privileged world. They'd found solace in each other's company, a shared understanding that transcended their backgrounds. It was a love born not of ambition or calculation, but of pure, unadulterated attraction. A love she still clung to, even now, as doubt gnawed at her heart.
Valerie opened her eyes, and got up from her bed, and stared at her own reflection in the mirror.
As she stared into the ornate mirror, her reflection a pale ghost of the vibrant woman she once was.
"Nothing has changed since that day, Ezra. I am still devotedly in love with you."
She lets out a deep sigh as she remembers Ezra's charming smile...
"He looked at me… like he truly saw me. Not just like any other woman. He looked at me as if I was the most beautiful woman in the world."
Valerie sighed once again, while running a hand through her hair.
"I felt it. That spark between us... That… undeniable connection. I am absolutely sure that there was something special between us."
Her reflection seems to mirror her anguish, as she keeps on talking to herself.
"I have to do anything and everything within my power to make Ezra mine, and I will make that woman, Olivia disappear into our lives. Ezra and I are destined to be together. Nothing and no one can break us apart. We will be together, till death do we part..." Valerie whispered to herself, in a menacing tone, while continuously looking at her own reflection.