The Ex and The Banshee

— Alexander POV — 

"Do you need anything else, sir?" the jeweler asked me as I watched my cousin and her friend, Jade, chase after my strong-willed fiancée.

"Wedding bands," I told him. "Taylor will give you mine and my fiancée's ring size."

I didn't know my ring size, but I knew hers. I've always known hers. 

Like a fucked up stalker I had her cousin get all the information I needed to spoil Lilith.

"Congratulations, sir," the jeweler said. "Your fiancée is gorgeous."

"Of course she is," I smirked. 

I'm pretty sure even if Lilith was not as beautiful as she was the jeweler would have sung praises of her beauty. I did just buy a year's worth of sales in jewelry for her, just that engagement ring alone cost a fortune, but nothing was too expensive for my Lili.

"Have it sent to me as soon as possible, I want this engraved inside," I pulled out a piece of paper from my wallet and smiled before handing it to the jeweler. "I expect that piece of paper to return to me."

"Of course, sir," the man said bowing as he held it like it was his greatest treasure. 

After placing a few more orders of jewelry for Lilith and her friends, I looked at my watch. 

It was time, I couldn't help but smile as the second part of my plan was about to be set into motion.

"Taylor," I called out to his assistant who was always nearby.

"Yes sir," Taylor said as he took out his trusty pen and notebook. 

"Release the photo over social media, make it seem like a random passerby caught the very intimate moment between me and my fiancée," I said with a smile, satisfied with my plan.

"Sir?" he asked as he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. 

"Get better glasses, Taylor," I grumbled.

"Sir, are you sure about this?" he asked me. 

I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. For some reason, my assistant never hesitated to voice his opinion when it came to my relationship with Lilith or my fashion choices.

No wonder he got on so well with Riley.

"I set this up for a reason," I told him as I looked down at my assistant. He was a head shorter than me but never feared putting me in my place. 

"Fine," he grumbled. "It's your relationship on the line anyway."

I rolled my eyes, I guess the only upside to all of this was that Lex was not here to combine forces with Taylor. 

"Let's go." I strode out of the shop, not bothering to wait for my assistant or my guards. 

They were all quick on their feet, even Taylor who looked like a grown-up nerd I would probably have bullied as a teen. 

Well, he was a grown-up nerd I had bullied as a teen who ended up bonding with Riley and Lex. The two decided I needed an assistant who wasn't afraid of me and decided to hire him.

Unfortunately, Taylor proved far more capable than anticipated, making him indispensable to my team.

As we neared the exit, I couldn't help but steal a glance at Lilith's favorite shop. 

Based on a notification I had just gotten my card had been swiped in that store for a small fortune. 

If Lilith thought she was torturing me by spending my money, then she was in for a surprise. 

Even with the amount she spent I wouldn't feel it. 

"Fucking social climbing whore!" I heard a screech similar to a banshee shouting by the exit as a couple was moved to the side by the guards.

I recognized the woman to be Lilith's ex-sister-in-law, and lo and behold the man next to her, holding her like a lover was Lilith's ex-husband.

Stopping in my tracks, I gestured for Taylor to approach.

It didn't fail to catch my attention that the banshee was now staring at me as if I were a prize to be won. 

"Take a photo of that couple, Lili's ex and his sister," I told Taylor in a voice low enough that only he could hear me.

My assistant nodded, I was about to let the matter of her ex and the banshee go when I overheard their conversation.

"I swear, next time I'll teach that whoring social climber her place, Lilibeth won't get the upper hand. Those employees were stupid to take her side." 

Instead of stopping and dealing with them myself, I decided that it was best to work in the shadows. 

If Lilith had already dealt with them, then they needed an added reminder about not fucking around in my mall and in my store.

I bought the shop for Lilith since it was her favorite, it was hers and no one bullied her in her happy place.

As my car pulled out of the driveway, I looked back at the mall we had just left.

"Taylor," I called to my assistant who sat up front. 

"Yes, boss?" he asked, no snarky reply this time.

"That ex of hers and his sister, do you remember them?" I asked.

"How could I not when I was worried you would commit murder in broad daylight in front of an audience because of them," Taylor grumbled.

"I want them banned from all our malls," I declared.

"Of course," he chuckled.

"And Taylor," I said.

"Yes, boss?" he asked again. 

"Those photos, I want them up by the time we get home," I ordered, closing the divider between the front and back seats.

I didn't want to hear whatever suggestion he had. 

I wanted the world to see Lilith Anastasia Durfort was mine and mine alone.