Episode 47: Discovery

"You bought me this? Aw, you're a lifesaver!"

Talia rolled her eyes at her client as she slid a hot pack into the palms of her hands.

Squeezing the daylights out of the bag, it was a miracle that Emily hadn't caused it to burst open. Her manager shook her head, looking at the red tip of her nose as the girl trembled in relief from the heat she was gifted with.

"I told you that the temperature was going to drop drastically today yet you still chose to go shopping." The chocolate-skinned woman scolded loudly as a gust of wind blew past them while they walked across the street to the store.

"If I don't get the fitting for my dress that I'm gonna wear to the premiere New Year's done then I won't have anything to wear. You know how serious this designer is about punctuality, especially when it comes to custom made pieces. I want my gown to have all the elements of her hard work and time seen on that day, so yes, rain or sunshine I'm going."

Holding the door for both women, the new bodyguard hired by Starz Entertainment looked around for anyone particularly suspicious as the two ladies entered the store. When he saw nothing out of the ordinary about their environment, he folded his arms before him and just stared forward blankly.

"Can you tell me exactly why Jake is suddenly taking my safety into account?" The actress whispered into Talia's ear as they walked side by side, however it seemed the man in question had heard as well because his eyes suddenly met hers. She cut their gaze, feeling intimidated by the coldness in them. So unlike the friendly aura she was used to from David. Though his duty wasn't necessarily protecting Nicholas, he still looked capable enough to do so like the guard here - being a secretary with as much brain as brawn.

"You've got your man to thank for that."

Emily's neck snapped in her direction, wondering if she had heard her right. "What did you just say?"

Talia sighed.

"Somehow, I don't know by which means, your husband convinced the director of the series to get Starz Entertainment to up your personal security, seeing as you have no protection apart from me. Mr. Tsang, already being so whipped for your acting during this show, agreed and ordered that Jake get you someone to keep you safe until the end of promotions."

"That's not until the end of January! Is he crazy? How could he do something like that behind my back?"

"No need to get all riled up over this. The guy's just looking out for you. He doesn't want anybody getting any ideas. Bad ones."

Emily had a feeling just whom that person could be.

She shook her head, opening her mouth to further argue but the store's owner whom she had met the other day was rushing to greet her.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance again, Ms. Pinault. Mr. Hall made a couple arrangements with the designer to have a dress that will guarantee you to be the most beautiful woman on the red carpet."

Being the ambassador of a big brand came in handy during such times.

"Has she arrived as yet?"

"Why, of course! Miss Jamie Viard has already arrived with a book of sketches from which you'll be required to share your thoughts on the clothing articles. I'll escort you to the private room now."

"Thank you."

It had taken an entire two hours for the fitting to end, inclusive of discussions about the many different dresses she had been shown. Each being unique and beautiful in their own way, Emily had a hard time narrowing down the list. She ended up choosing something elegant and trendy that looked like it would accentuate her curves very well. The designer had agreed, saying that the exact design she had chosen was in her top three favourite picks. It pleased her to know that their minds aligned with regards to artistic expression.

"Your beauty is going to leave them speechless, Ms. Pinault. Just trust us over here at Janel and we'll make a dress that will have them talking for months."

"What a paradox." She said, eyeing Jamie Viard with faux skepticism. "Isn't it supposed to be either of the two? Do you want them to be speechless over the dress or talking about it?"

She faltered considerably. "I-"

"I'm just kidding." Emily smiled brightly, making the professional blow out a breath of relief.

"You scared me there for a second." She said, holding her hand dear to her chest as if to clutch her heart.

"I've never seen anyone be this cautious around me, Jamie. You said I could call you that, right?"

She nodded.

"Anyway, you've been walking on eggshells around me. I'm not gonna lash out at you for pricking me with a needle or having an opposite opinion to mine. I'm not that kind of actress."

Jamie released a light laugh as she agreed, "You're right. It's just a habit of mine after working with many different personalities over the years. You never know what to expect. One minute they're calm and accepting  then the next they're ripping out the pages of my sketchbook or tossing my iPad across the room in a fit of rage."

With disappointment etched onto her features, Emily tsked, "Surely you made them compensate you? It's glorious that they're loaded enough to do so, I advise to charge double the next time that happens."

The blue-haired woman chuckled at her sense of humor.

"Of course. I even added an extra four hundred to the bill for psychiatric treatment. Dealing with crazy, rich people tends to make you lose a few screws as well."

The actress pointed a finger at her. "I like the way you operate. Maybe we can be friends if our co-operation is fruitful."

"You mean when." She smirked at the raised eyebrow which was the only reaction from the Hollywood star. "I'm very confident in my abilities you see."

"That's quite reassuring." Emily smiled as she slipped on her coat and stood up off the seat in the private room around the back. "If that's all, I'll be leaving then."

"Before you do, I have a question..." Jamie interrupted her quickly. "Which you're free to not answer."

"And what exactly is that?"

"I've heard rumors that you're having a lawsuit against your own company. Which will eventually lead to you leaving for good. That means your contract with Janel will come to an end consequently because Mr. Hall is the one who hired you as our ambassador through them. Is it true? Are you leaving right after your new series airs?"

Narrowing her eyes, Emily scanned the woman before her. She looked only a year or two older than she was. For that reason, she had gained a lot of respect for her being so talented and renowned in her field of work which was fashion. Not journalism. What was she going to gain from asking this question?

Then it clicked as the expression she wore came out not to be inquisitive with bad intentions but purely out of curiosity.

"Where did you hear that from?" Crossing her arms, Emily took a step forward, watching as the woman broke under her intense gaze.

"M-My brother's a lawyer. He overheard you and your legal representative talking the other day. He heard me saying I'll be taking on a big project for you and was concerned so he told me that you're probably gonna be leaving your company soon."

"And you're worried because?"

It wasn't smart for Emily to answer her straightforwardly. She could decipher that the designer was just trying to confirm business ties but it was also inappropriate upon this being their first encounter with each other. But she realized over the two hours that as much as Jamie tried, she couldn't keep her thoughts to herself. She just needed a little push and she'd start blabbering and asking a plethora of questions.

She hesitated at the look Emily was giving her.

"Okay, I'm gonna be honest. If the dress I make for you to wear has no other follow-up, I'd be very disappointed. You're the most anticipated client I've had for a long while. You wouldn't know this but I've been an avid watcher of your movies when I just started out this career. There were many sleepless nights involved with your movies playing in the background to keep me awake."

"In the background, huh? So you never actually watched them?"

Jamie's eyes widened to a degree she looked like she was going to pass out from fright.

She waved her hand quickly whilst shutting down Emily's claim.

"I did! Your movies are very interesting. Just from hearing the dialogues alone as I sketched throughout the night, I didn't feel like falling asleep at all! I was always entertained."

Looking amused, Emily's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Is that so?"

Jamie bit down onto her lips as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt nervously.

"Really."

Whether she intended to or not, the blue-haired woman looked especially cute doing that. The act was with so much innocence and sincerity, Emily couldn't help but break out into a smile.

"I'm honoured that my movies aided in you becoming the exceptional woman who you are today."

Jamie blushed.

She couldn't believe that the Emily Pinault had just said those words to her.

If this wasn't the epitome of a successful fan, she didn't know what was.

"I'm actually really looking forward to your series. I heard it's more inspiring than your former works."

"Thank you," Emily said, feeling her heart swell at the genuine eagerness on the woman's face. "Even though I haven't been on the big screen for three years, thank you for still believing in my abilities from the past and continuing to support me for the future."

"I should really be thanking you but you're welcome."

Emily gave her one last appreciative smile before telling her until next time.

Outside, the bodyguard, Crush, stood stiffly and looked to her as she walked up to him. It wasn't that big of a deal having him around because he hardly spoke to her. Actually, he functioned by the 'speak only when spoken to' belief. That made things a lot less awkward for both of them.

"Talia hasn't returned from grabbing coffee as yet?"

He shook his head.

"No, she hasn't, Miss Pinault."

She wondered why Nicholas had him call her that instead of 'Mrs. King' like David always did.

Maybe it was for privacy reasons because he'd always be around people she worked with but somehow hearing it sounded weird now.

Frowning in confusion at his revelation, she pushed the door of the entrance open. Crush tailed behind her quietly as the snowflakes fell onto the black of his suit, making him look less scary somehow. However, that impression was wiped clean when someone riding a bicycle came out of nowhere when they were crossing the streets. He instinctively pulled Emily to the side. His act of protection was followed by a string of angry Spanish words. She always knew he had that exotic look to him.

Still stuck in a daze, it wasn't until she heard him speak again that she regained focus.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his fierce eyes scanning her from head to toe.

"I'm good. Thanks for getting me out of the way."

"Just doing my job." He aired easily.

Emily nodded as he took the lead in getting her fully over the other side of the street. When she had started heading towards the Starbucks, something else caught her attention through a transparent glass window. More like someone.

It was her idiotic cousin, Jason.

She fortunately hadn't heard from nor seen him since their grandfather's birthday party. It wasn't that she was taken aback by his presence because it was common knowledge that he had a branch for his clothing line in this part of the city.

Her eyes followed past the big sign, Evans Designs, and noticed that he was actually barking at someone who stood with their back facing her. His unflattering face was red with rage. She thought it would be one of the employees whom he always mistreated and blamed for the lack of customers but that wasn't the case.

Her jaw dropped when the woman he was telling off shifted more to the right, only to reveal that she was none other than Valentina Flores.

Wait. What the hell is going on? Why is Valentina arguing with my douchebag of a cousin? She pondered while drawing closer to the store's entrance.

Motioning for Crush to stay outside, Emily opened the doors and slipped inside easily without being detected.

Actually, the two were so fired up and engaged in their showdown that they didn't even notice the handful of customers cringing as well as the employees who were trying to make them not leave.

They were failing terribly.

The young girl who was probably working part-time tried to assist Emily but she shook her head at her, silently telling her not to bother.

She sighed before going to the back with the other employees who were glared at by Jason who had snapped. "Don't you see that we're trying to have a conversation here?"

"We're arguing," Emily heard Valentina throw at him as she hid behind a rack of winter jackets, trying not to be caught eavesdropping.

She really didn't give two cents about the affairs of Jason, but for Valentina whom she considered a friend, she was driven to find out what this was about. How the heck did the two of them know each other? Was she another customer he was being a dick to?

"Don't say it's a conversation when none of us are exchanging ideas, much less hearing each other out. Oh, and don't forget not even being man enough to admit that you're a fucking liar and cheater!"

That Emily did not expect.

Jason gripped Valentina by the arm so quickly and with a troublesome force, Emily felt herself boiling as he glared at her menacingly.

"You want me to admit it? Yes, I fucked Amber. And you know what? I didn't only screw her, I did a list of others girls while we're together. Why does it matter when you're the one with the ring on your finger at the end of the day?"

The woman laughed humorlessly.

"You mean this one?" Ripping off the diamond on her finger, she threw it in his face.

His eyes blazed with a heated fire.

"You're gonna regret doing that."

"The only regrets I'm gonna have is ever meeting you and believing in your dumb lies. I can't believe I wasted two years of my life with a piece of trash like you. Fui tan estúpida!" She spat at him as she jabbed him into the chest with every syllable.

Jason staggered but didn't fail to trap her into his arms with a deadly grip as he growled, "I told you to stop saying things I don't understand."

"What do you expect? I'm fucking Latina! I can speak whatever language I want, hijo de puta. Bastardo. Lame botas. Idiota. Not my fault that you don't understand."

"I know you just fucking cursed at me. I know that much, you bitch!" He was squeezing her shoulders with so much pressure that she winced in pain.

"Get your damn hands off me!"

He wasn't listening at all. If anything his grip got even stronger. Just as Emily was about to intervene, she watched completely amazed as Valentina's knee came up and hit him where the sun didn't shine.

Instantly, he let her go and bent forward to grab his baby maker.

When Emily thought that was the last of it, Valentina held him by both sides of his face and helped him up. He had a look of hope as if he knew she couldn't bare the thought of hurting him, however he was proven wrong when the woman drew back her fist only to land it straight into his face. Jason flew onto the floor from the force of the punch.

Damn! Emily exclaimed in her mind, silently praising the gorgeous woman for her courage.

It wasn't a lie when they said one of the worst things you could do was mess with a Latina woman.

They were feisty as hell.

Looking as if she wanted to spit on him, Valentina gave Jason a stink eye before she stormed out of the store after one final line.

"Vete al demonio."

Emily covered her mouth so her giggles couldn't be heard.

Right now Valentina was her favourite person in the whole wide world for handing it, literally, to the one she couldn't stand all her life.

She followed behind her, making it out just in time to see her walking down the stretch, her head held high and chocolate curls bouncing off her shoulders.

Emily couldn't believe that Valentina was the infamous fiancee Jason was supposed to bring to their grandfather's birthday party but cancelled last minute because he claimed Nicholas stole the spotlight that day.

It was too horrific to imagine a beauty like her being romantically linked to a pig like Jason.

It just wasn't right.

As planned originally, she was about to head to the Starbucks only to freeze on spot yet again when she noticed that Valentina's steps had slowly began to falter. Not only that, her shoulders which had been held high up in the air dropped considerably.

Then, so did she.

Her entire form was curled up into a ball as she suddenly stooped down in the middle of the sidewalk.

From where she stood, Emily could see her body shaking uncontrollably. She would've liked for it to have been due to the cold, because only then the facade which Valentina put up in the face of a cheater would've lasted.

But sadly, that wasn't the case.

The woman was crying.

***

A/N: Bet you didn't see that one coming at all, did you?

Alas, your girl updated, but she's currently in an emotional rough patch. I don't even want to refer to it as being depressed because that holds so much to it so let's just say I've been temporarily sad for these past few days for many unspeakable reasons.

Are any of my readers watching Eternal Love of Dream aka Pillow Book by the way? Because that drama is the only thing I look forward to these days. Bless Feng Jiu and Dong Hua for making me feel again.

Thank you for your support as always and don't forget to vote and comment loads (reading them is my favorite pastime). 💕