Chapter 1 Ruined Balls and Disheartening News

"You're ridiculous"

Elsida mutters, pure disdain seeping from her words.

Who did Julien think he was, showing up at the escort agency and demanding her services?

He must be out of his mind for thinking she would ever accept an offer from him she thought.

Julien let out a dry chuckle.

"El why would I go out of my way to personally present my offer to you if I didn't mean business?" He said with a humorous glint dancing in his eyes and a smirk spreading across his lips.

"The next time you use that nickname on me I will make sure you never utter a word again"

Just the thought of Elsida threatening Julien

aroused a deep amused laugh from him.

"I love how creative you are with your threats but you and I both know you'd rather die than lay your hands on me"

"Go away Julien, find someone else to taunt, I'm tired of entertaining you," Elsida muttered, she had a very wealthy client to accompany to a ball in two hours and she wasn't even done getting ready. She didn't have the time for conversation, especially with Julien of all people. The awareness of him being in the same vicinity as her repulsed her.

"You say I'm taunting now, wait till you see the latest news headlines about your father, some say the former business tycoon needs a new heart or is it a brain tumor he has?"

Julien says this most casually, his malicious smirk still plastered on his face.

His words fill Elsida with so much rage that she

slaps him, her hands start to shake and she's not sure if it's from his words or the slap, it could be both she thinks as she glares daggers at Julien.

For what feels like a minute, Julien doesn't utter a word, his hand coming to his right cheek to rub it from the impact.

In a fleeting second, the smirk is wiped off Julien's face, replaced with a somber look as

his blue eyes take in Elsida.

"There's no need to get riled up El, think of what this offer could do for your family, once it's elapsed you won't have to work as an escort to pay your father's medical expenses, Heck you may not have to ever work again with all the money you can have at your disposal."

Elsida straightened her back, summoning her most scalding stare. She didn't care if she looked like a dwarf next to him, she would not let him intimidate her.

"Goodbye Julien I want nothing more than for you to rot in hell," she said and briskly walked towards the dressing room, not sparing a second glance to see if he was still standing there.

He could stand there for as long as he wanted she thought as she closed the door to the dressing room.

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Elsida looked at herself in the mirror one last time, adjusting her red lipstick and her brunette hair she put up in a bun.

This should do, she thought to herself.

Just as she buckled the last strap of her stiletto sandals, she heard her phone buzz next to her.

As she looked over, she saw a text from Mr Grimaldi signaling his arrival.

She quickly adjusted the slit of her maxi dress and picked up her clutch, sauntering out of the dressing room.

"Elsida, you look stunning," Mr. Grimaldi said as his eyes raked from head to as far as they could go in the limousine they were sitting in"

He took her slender hand in his and placed a kiss on the back of her palm.

"Oh, Mr. Grimaldi, you're so full of compliments,"

Elsida said, batting her eyelashes and plastering what she hoped was an endearing smile on her face.

He let out a throaty laugh, "Nonsense, I'm only stating facts"

"Well it is my pleasure to accompany you today," she said.

She would kiss his ass if it meant he'd pay her more, she wasn't beneath that, she thought.

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As they stepped into the ballroom, hand in hand, they were ushered to a table that was already occupied by seemingly other wealthy people and Mr Grimaldi's name plastered on a card.

He draws out a chair for her and is quickly swept in by the conversation.

Elsida straightens her back as her eyes swirl around her surroundings, noticing an ice sculpture of a swan set in the center of the ballroom.

Less than three years ago, she used to accompany her father to flamboyant events like this and now he couldn't even stand right on his own. The thought of it alone made her chuckle dryly.

As if startled by the sound, Mr Grimaldi snapped his attention back to Elsida, "Darling, would you fancy a dance?" He asked, extending his hand.

"Of course," she said, gingerly accepting his extended hand, she'd do anything to keep her mind off her father's illness.

As they waltzed through the dance floor, Elsida noticed Julien's figure, he was faced backward and seemed to be engaged in a heated conversation with a plump bald man.

Just her luck she thought, fighting the urge to curse out loud.

As if he could feel her eyes trying to bore holes in his skull.

Julien's head reared back and he immediately locked eyes with Elsida, a smirk made its way to his mouth as his steel-blue eyes took her in.

Completely ignoring the plump bald man he was talking to, without a second glance, Julien walks

towards Elsida.

Her eyes widen as she realizes he is sauntering in her direction.

"Mr. Grimlad, pleasure seeing you here"

Julien says plastering a lazy smile on his lips.

Mr Grimald halts, noticing Julien standing quite close to him.

"Ahh Mr Benoit, what a lovely surprise, I was just a-"

"Leave us," Julien utters, his eyes not leaving Elsida.

Elsida gasps in surprise as he lets go of her hand.

"I'll see you later Elsida" Mr Grimald says, giving Elsida an apologetic look and walking away.

"Your audacity never fails to surprise me"

Elsida says, already turning her back to retreat to her seat.

"Relax he works for me"

Julien says trailing after her. Elsida is shell-shocked but doesn't turn to give him the satisfaction of catching her off guard.

"Have you had time to give my offer an afterthought?" Julien says.

"I'm not sure if I should commend your hopefulness or just call you foolish for thinking I would ever consider that offer"

Just as Julien is about to say something, he is interrupted by the buzz coming from Elsida's

leg.

Without sparing him a second glance she unstraps her phone from her lap, placing it on her ear.

"Hi Natasha," she says as she walks away from Julien.

"Elsida, Natasha sputters, I found Dad unresponsive in his room