The Supreme Boss In Disguise

Chapter 8: A Gift

The Brooks family made sure they invited all their business associates and the top men in society to grace the special day of their daughter. 

They made sure no one was left out. 

Those who gave excuses for their absence were also in attendance. They had convinced them until they gave in to their request. 

Everything was set for the party, but the couples were yet to arrive. 

It wasn't a cause for alarm for the family because they felt, the couples were preparing to arrive in a grand style. 

Stella had wanted to get Julian's dress, but her mother asked her to discard the idea, saying Julian would sort herself. 

The grand hall which was family and rented was gradually getting filled with the invited guests. 

Soft music rented the air as the invitees chatted over a glass of wine as they awaited the couples. 

Meanwhile, back at Raymond's apartment, Julian stood across the room with her gaze fixed on him. 

He was wearing a simple wine shirt and well-tailored black pants to go with. 

His shoes weren't from the Dior, Prada, or Louis Vuitton companies, but it wasn't bad. 

Even in his casual attire, he still managed to look attractive to Julian, just like she had thought the first time he saw him.

As he was removing unseen specks of dust from his pants, Julian walked up to him. 

Raymond veered backward, but she grabbed his neck, and removed the thread that was stuck to his mustache before letting go of his neck. 

“Thanks” he muttered, but she didn't respond. 

She grabbed her purse. 

When she turned her gaze to him, he knew what she wanted. 

“Let's go,” he said as he stretched out his hands towards her.

When she didn't take his hand, he grabbed her hand, then led her to the exit. 

Meanwhile, the Brooks family had just received a gift from two men who claimed to be from Vertex Corporations.

Curious to find out what the gift was, Julian's father unwrapped the carton, revealing three gold boxes, the boxes had names each. 

He took his, same with his wife and then Stella. 

The invitees who were as curious as they were stopped chatting, then fixed their gaze on them.

Stella was the first to open her box. 

With widened eyes, she screamed in excitement. 

The box, which was actually a jewelry box, contained customized golden bracelets, necklaces, rings, anklets, and several other jewelry pieces. 

When her parents did the same, it turns out they received customized pieces of jewelry too. 

They were surprised and suspicious of the gifts. 

The guests were wondering how they got to receive gifts from Vertex Corporations and began to envy them.

“He looks surprised” someone whispered to her friend who was sitting beside her

“I don't believe him. He had something up his sleeves. Brook's not a straightforward man, he always has loopholes” her friend retorted.

Other people began to express their thoughts, although in low tones. 

“Mother, I hope Julian and her husband don't intend to keep us waiting all day” Stella scoffed with the box under her arm

“Let's wait a little longer,” her mother said dismissively

She wasn't in the mood to speak as she was brainstorming who the person could be. 

Minutes later, Raymond and his wife walked in. 

Their attire was simple, but it caught the attention of the guests present. 

As they walked down the aisle to the table they had prepared for them, the invitees clapped as they cheered them loudly. 

Julian crested her brows. 

She wondered why Stella didn't stop her parents from spending her fortune on her. 

Before they could take their seats, Julian's father walked up to them with the box in his hand. 

“Do you have any idea about this?” He asked with a doubting tone. 

Raymond smirked at his tone before taking a deep sigh. 

“I sent the gifts. I hope we get along as families” he smirked, tightening the grip on Julian's hand. 

Julian passed him a glance, but she didn't show if she was surprised, but deep down, she was. 

“How? You borrowed money to impress us?” Julian's mom scoffed. 

“I didn't” he responded 

He helped Julian to take her seat before doing the same.

There was a commotion in the hall. 

No one wanted to believe Raymond was capable of gifting his in–laws with expensive items. 

Although still shocked, her parents didn't say anything to them, instead, they kick-started the party. 

Stella, on her part, couldn't take her eyes off Raymond.

She felt there was something she needed to know, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. 

“If only I was in good terms with Julian, I would have gotten first-hand information about these gifts,” she said to her three friends who had accompanied her to Julian's room earlier.

“Julian's husband doesn't have the money to get such expensive gifts. He must have borrowed it and guess what…” one of her friends said, leaving the others in suspense.

Satisfied with the attention she had gotten, she said,

“Julian will be the victim. Remember, he has just a little more time to live” she smirked

“That's true” Stella smirked as a smile made its way to his lips. 

The engagement party was going on smoothly. 

The couples were in a different world of their own as they watched the invitees eating and drinking.

Julian was busy playing games on her phone, while Raymond, on the other hand, took note of all the proceedings at the party. 

“Do you want a drink?” Raymond asked for the hundredth time.

“No” she snapped.

“Keep your phone down,” he said for the hundredth time also.

“I won't” she responded.

Fed up with her attitude, Raymond continued watching the scene. 

Moments later, Julian rose. 

“Where are you heading?” Raymond asked with her eyes fixed on her expressionless face. 

“I need to use the restroom” she replied

Without waiting for his response, she began to walk toward the restroom. 

Not that she wanted to make use of the toilets, she just wanted to get away from the party to clear her head. 

She was surprised about his gift, but she wasn't going to ask because she had already made up her mind that she was going to find out herself. 

On her return, a midwife who was holding two glasses of red wine walked up to her. 

Since Julian walked in earlier, the midwife had been staring at her with contempt. 

She was jealous and wanted to ruin her day, but didn't know how to go about it. 

When she saw her heading to the restroom, she wanted to go after her, but she changed her mind. 

She was going to wait for her in that hall. 

Immediately she saw Julian approaching, she grabbed two glasses of wine from the waiter's tray, then walked up to Julian with a smile. 

“Congratulations,” the midwife said with a broad smile as she stretched the glass towards Julian for a toast. 

“I'm okay,” Julian said monotone.

As she was about to leave, the midwife stepped on her overflowing white gown, then upturned the content of the glass on her gown. 

“Oh my goodness, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that” the midwife said, feigning displeasure at the intentional act. 

The invitees gasped at the scene, but there was nothing they could do. 

Annoyed, Julian looked down at her soiled dressed as she wondered why she changed her wine dress for the white gown. 

With over a hundred pairs of eyes staring back at her, Julian began to map out ways on how she would run out of the hall. 

To her left was a spiral stair leading to the top of the building, and to her right was the exit. 

The spiral stairs were closer, so she chose to use it. 

As she was about to dash for it, Raymond walked up to her.