Seraphim's POV
It was Natasha.
"Bitch, can't you knock like every other normal person?" I snapped, it was Natasha, the only friend that this damned planet had to offer me, and now she's somehow turned into my joy in chaos. She was drunk, not answering a single question I asked.
"What have you gotten yourself into now?" I pressed, but she stayed silent. Instead, she stumbled into the bathroom to vomit.
Sighing, I dragged myself up to clean her up even though I was exhausted. Afterward, she crashed on the bed and fell into a deep, snoring sleep. She had ruined my night's rest, and now she was the one snoring peacefully.
I shook my head and left the room.
In Nana's room, she too was asleep—but unlike Natasha, she wore her usual bright, peaceful smile, the same smile she carried even in the toughest times. My chest tightened. I couldn't imagine a life without her.
I left and went to the sitting room, slumped onto a couch, and began scrolling through my phone. A notification popped upnan email about a competition with a huge cash prize. My heart skipped. Without a second thought, I signed up and waited anxiously for feedback.
The next day at work, I was busy cleaning when Mrs. Regina walked in.
"Good morning, ma'am," I greeted.
"Well, morning to you too. Oh, that reminds me did you see the message I sent to your email?"
"Yes, I did. I'm really grateful, Mrs. Regina. Thank you."
She nodded. "It's fine."
The competition was scheduled for the following Friday. The week flew by, and soon the day arrived. I woke early, got dressed, and tried to look my best.
But the road had other plans. The traffic was horrible.
"No, no, no! Not today!" I groaned. Bad luck really seemed to have my name on its list.
An hour later, I finally escaped the jam. My cab dropped me off at a stunning hotel with ELEGANTE written boldly across the top. It was breathtaking—I could have stared at it for a week. But I was already late, so gawking wasn't an option.
Rushing inside, I accidentally collided with a man. My bag fell, and as I bent to pick it up, he yanked me to my feet roughly.
"Are you blind?" he snapped.
"I'm sorry," I said quickly. But he kept ranting, wasting my time. My patience wore thin, so I pulled my hand free from his grip and walked away.
Finally, I arrived at the competition hall. There were ten of us, all dressed to perfection. My heart sank. I already felt defeated. Still, the host came out and introduced himself.
Jayden's POV
"Good afternoon, ladies. I'm sure you know why you're here, oh wait, maybe you don't," I said with a chuckle. "It's simple. You'll all wait here. I'll call you one by one according to your numbers. Then we'll get back to you later. Number one, follow me."
Seraphim's POV
Of course, I was the last number. Just my luck.
Three long hours crawled by. Every lady who went in came out smiling. I couldn't stop wondering what on earth they were smiling about.
Finally, a slim woman called, "Number 10, you're up."
"Thank goodness," I muttered as I stood.
She led me in. Mr. Jayden offered me a seat, and I thanked him. His office was massive. It smelled like raw cash. I couldn't help daydreaming until he snapped me out of it.
"How are you?" he asked.
"I'm fine," I replied quickly. Then silence. Awkward silence.
The door opened, and in walked him the same man I had bumped into earlier. His eyes burned with disgust as he passed me and went to Mr. Jayden.
"Wow, they know each other," I whispered to myself.
"What did you say?" Jayden asked.
"Nothing," I answered. The man scoffed and walked out, glaring at me one last time.
My stomach dropped. I knew I had already blown my chance. My thoughts spiraled so badly I couldn't even focus on Jayden's questions.
He wrapped up quickly and told me I could leave. I went back to the waiting area and sat beside a beautiful, brown-skinned woman with her hair in a sleek ponytail. I tried to make small talk, but she ignored me. I gave up and sat quietly.
Not long after, Mr. Jayden and the mystery man walked past us again.
Grey's POV
We stepped into the office.
"Oh, so she's here for the contract too," I thought, smirking.
"So, who do we pick?" Jayden asked.
I didn't hesitate. "The last one."
She was going to pay for disrespecting me earlier.
Jayden raised a brow. "Why her?"
"I just feel like it," I replied casually.
This was going to be so much fun.
We went out and told Miss Seraphim she had won the contract. She signed the papers, and just like that—the deal was sealed.