Devastation
"Is it true?" Adriana asked Ralf.
"Yes, Mrs. Brooklyn and her lover planned someone else's death when they got discovered by that person. Miss. Caroline's ex-husband is currently detained as well. An interrogation will start soon."
"With this last piece of evidence in the police's lap, there's no way Briana Brooklyn can save her mother." He reported.
They had arrived in Paris and it was 5 pm for them meanwhile it was around 11 am in New York.
Knowing her mother had spent a night in a prison cell was enough to ruffle Briana's feathers, and it had Adriana in a good mood.
"Okay, inform Mr. Brooklyn all the properties are in his name, oh and make sure Briana finds out about this." She told him and then dismissed him.
Sitting in her chair inside her office, Adriana furrowed her eyebrows.
"Coincidence or not?" She asked herself.
It was weird to see another piece of news she hadn't discovered before coming to light. It must have needed deep investigation.
Sighing, she got back to work.
"Come in." She said when there was a knock on her door.
"Ma'am, you've received uh... flowers," Natalie told her, walking inside with a gigantic bouquet of red roses, and a silver gift box.
With a groan, she placed it all on the coffee table and closed the door behind her.
"Flowers?" Adriana laughed.
"It's probably from Cristy, so just take them home."
"Actually…" Not wanting to be inside when Adriana finds out who it's from, Natalie laughed nervously.
"It's not from her and there's a letter as well." She told her and then rushed out of the office.
Adriana ignored that and continued with her work.
Now and then, her eyes would land on the flowers.
"Roses? I hate roses." She muttered and stood up, walking towards them.
"Sanders." She placed her hand on her throat and tried not to vomit.
The only person who doesn't know how much she hates roses!
She liked lilies, sunflowers, and other colorful followers, not roses. It was too cliche and... she simply didn't like them.
Even white roses did the job, but red was not for her.
Her favorites are white tulips.
She opened the letter and read out loud, "I know you love roses the most…"
[I know you love roses the most. Please take care of them well :)]
-Noah
Adriana: "..."
As if she wasn't already left speechless, the item inside the silver box left her in dead silence.
Inside the box, there was a set of royal blue preserved roses. They were beautiful and expensive.
The card said it was for Aria.
Adriana: "..."
"What the hell is this supposed to mean?!"
If there's anyone in this world that knows her preferences the most is him, this was like refusing to admit he knows them.
She found a small pouch in between the red roses and it was full of tootsie rolls.
Just looking at them was enough to make her imagine the horrible taste.
She hates that candy the most!
She then found another pouch in Aria's roses, filled with all the candies she and Aria love.
"This... this is a hate crime!" She determined.
"A hate crime!"
Annoyed, she humphed and walked back to her desk.
That's when an idea suddenly came to her. She glanced at the roses and chuckled.
"Hey!" She called the person whose phone she had dialed.
[Hello there Adri, I'm surprised you called. You were very determined to ignore me.] Marie complained lightly.
If she weren't busy, she would have already shown up at Adriana's doorstep.
"Right. I heard your father was back, and I was wondering if he's free for a photo shoot."
[Nope, not free The old man is busy living his last days, or that's what he says. Personally, I think he's still sour over the fact that his girlfriend left him for a younger guy.] Marie responded as she painted her fingernails.
Adriana: "..."
"Okay, Marie, thank you for the tea." Adriana rolled her eyes.
[I got more….] Marie giggled.
"I was actually thinking of a personal photoshoot."
[Oh!] Marie's eye slit up.
[Does that mean you want a photoshoot? YOU?!]
"Yes, me."
[Awesome, send date time, and date I'll start preparing. Oh, do you have a theme?!] Marie excitedly closed the tap of her nail polish and started looking for her planner.
The business had been dry these past couple of weeks, and she had fewer and fewer celebrities to style. Her photographer had taken a vacation and her father refuses to touch the camera. She needed this!
And someone like Adriana was perfect.
"I was thinking red, and I have the perfect props."
[Red as in love, heartbreak, or sexy?]
"Hmm, what do you think?" Adriana laughed.
[Oh, I see you. Okay, what props?]
"I have lots of red roses."
[Perfect, I'll set up a place, date, and time instead. Oh, and my father will probably agree since it's you who asked. But I'm an expensive stylist soooo….]
Adriana shook her head with a smile. "Yes, I plan to be generous with my payment, Marie."
[Great! Love ya~]
When the call ended, Adriana smirked.
"You started this." She mumbled to herself.
Noah's annoyed expression was enough to make her day.
After that, Adriana put Aria's roses back so that it would look like she hadn't opened them before.
It was a cute touch. He might have added the red roses to annoy her, but she knew he meant to send the blue roses to Aria.
She subconsciously smiled, knowing how excited Aria would be.
When Adriana finished work at 8 pm, she had Ralf drive her home.
On her way there, she made a call.
"Tell Simon Mr. Brooklyn is hiding in his vacation house. Have him sent Liddie there and record the discussion that will happen in a few hours." She ordered.
One down, a lot more to go…
Mr. Brooklyn was next on her hit list.
And she knows someone will have an interesting conversation with him in a few hours, a conversation that will be the end of him.
*****
"Mom?" Briana took a seat in front of her mother, who was handcuffed to the table in the questioning room.
Her mother didn't mother lifting her head.
She was too ashamed to even face her daughter.
"Mom, please look at me. I'm sorry I failed to protect you. But I will fix this-"
"Briana, stop. There's no fixing this. It's too late." Lina Brooklyn lifted her head and shook it as tears fell from her eyes.
"No, I know I can fix this. Mom, it's dad's fault. He wanted to take all the properties in your name, he did this to you. I will prove you innocent don't worry." Briana clasped her hands and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Briana, what innocence are you referring to? All the evidence they have is real, and it is enough to give me a huge sentence. Everything they said I did, I did. I knew this day might come."
Noticing how her mother had lost hope, Briana frowned.
"Did you not hear me? Dad is behind this! He even raised another family behind our backs! How can you give up like this?!" She shouted.
Lina frowned. "How did you know that?" She asked.
Briana opened her mouth and closed it in shock.
"Wait, you knew?" She immediately let go of her mother's hands.
"Yes. I and your father made a deal. We would stay away from each other's lives outside our home."
Briana stood up and took a step back.
"I messed up, so it doesn't really matter anymore." She looked up at her daughter and sobbed.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Giving you a happy home, the perfect parents was the only way we could keep you form-"
"From what?" Briana snapped.
"From going too far." Her mother responded.
"You know it's the truth...you-"
"And so what? This gave you the right to lie to me? All of what I do is for us! For my family, for our safety and our peace! How could you do that?! Do you think I'm some kind of psychopath that needs a leash?"
Her mother only flinched and stayed quiet.
"Whoa… this is the family I believed in? I'm seriously shocked." Briana turned around but before she left she said, "You and father both deserve to rot in prison. You disgusting sh*ts."
She heard her mother sob before she left.
As soon as those words left her mouth, she felt bitter and regretted it. Still, she decided not to be vocal about it even after seeing how hurt her mother was with her words.
When she had left the room, Briana sat down on a bench and covered her face with her palms.
She then cried quietly.
It devastated her. She was left completely devastated.