Chapter 14: Kill Two Birds With One Stone
Frederick Kings was the favourite grandson of the Kings family, and also Leo’s direct rival. He was married to Lillian Blackwood, a well-known lifestyle influencer whose entire life was on display online.
If Leo saw Kierra Adams with Lillian, no matter how smart and intelligent he was, he would definitely think she was going to hand the information he’d refused to pay for about Jill and Jones over to Frederick, and he would come to meet with her.
So, her plan was simple. Approach Lillian, and get into one of her videos. From what she’d found out about Lillian online, Lillian was going on a shopping spree today at Le Rosier, an exclusive boutique known for its designer gowns and personal styling services, favoured by the city’s wealthiest women.
Violet knew she had to get clothes fitting Kierra Adams, so this was also a chance to easily kill two birds with one stone.
She pulled out the business card of the makeup artist from yesterday and dialed her number. The moment the call connected, she introduced herself and requested a special service.
She also requested an outfit befitting Kierra Adams, something sleek and expensive enough to blend in with the crowd she was about to walk into.
After the call ended, Violet walked to her bed and lay on it. She spread her arms apart and traced the design on the ceiling with her eyes.
There were 88 days until the apocalypse and she had not even begun stockpiling properly. She didn’t let this bother her. She decided to focus on what was in front of her.
Violet called the butler and requested some snacks. When she got them, she stored some in her space and ate the others.
Afterwards, Violet made a payment to her landlady, clearing her defaulted rent.
Violet heard the sound of a doorbell and got up from where she was seated. She walked steadily to the door and opened it.
Jen entered the room, and Violet quickly closed the door behind her.
"Welcome."
"Thank you for calling me. I didn’t expect..." Jen’s words died in her throat and she stood rooted to the ground, her eyes sweeping all over the room. The room alone looked more expensive than everything Jen owned put together. Scratch that, she had never been anywhere this expensive.
Her lips parted. When she’d met Violet yesterday, she’d had an inkling that she was rich, but she never expected her to be this rich. ’This is pure luxury,’ Jen said to herself. She had completely forgotten about Violet’s presence.
"Are you okay?" Violet asked, upon seeing that she’d stopped speaking.
This brought Jen back to the present. She bobbed her head up and down, dragging her eyes back to Violet’s face. "I’m fine." Her face heated up. "Sorry about that, I was just... hmm..." Ogling? "...admiring your suite. It’s beautiful."
"Thank you." Violet said.
She noticed the dark circles around Jen’s eyes and the small cut on her lip. It hadn’t been there yesterday. Although Jen’s eyes were bright with surprise and admiration, Violet could see the look of distress and pain beneath her gaze.
Violet didn’t ask if she was hurt or anything. In the past, maybe she would have. But not now, she simply looked away. ’Everyone had a hard life. One could only fight for themselves,’ she thought to herself.
She gestured to a couch. "Please have a seat. I called you over because I need to recreate the look from yesterday. Do you remember it?" she questioned, going straight to the point.
Jen nodded. "Yes."
"How certain are you that you can recreate the look?" she asked. Before Jen could reply, she brought out her phone. "I took a picture of my face in case you need a reference." she said.
Jen took one look at the image on the phone and said in a clipped, professional tone, "A hundred percent."
Violet was pleased with her answer. "Good." Until she was done with Leo, she needed to maintain this look. That meant she needed Jen.
"Are you open to working with me? I’ll be needing a makeup artist and an assistant for a while."
Jen squinted her eyes and pointed one finger at her chest. "Me?"
"Yes."
Her lips flattened. "Of course. Yes." she said, almost leaping out of her chair.
"I mean full time." Violet added, to ensure she understood the entire arrangement. There could be no misunderstanding between them. "And our relationship will be confidential." Violet said with a straight face.
"There is absolutely no problem, ma’am." Jen replied cheerfully. She tugged at the bottom of her shirt, adjusting it so it covered the red bruise that was beginning to show.
Violet noticed it but didn’t say anything. After all, it was none of her business.
After being betrayed and pushed to her death by Liam and his wife, she had learned the dangers of being kind and welcoming to people. So even though Jen was going to be her makeup artist and assistant, she planned to keep a strictly professional relationship with her. Jen would come over whenever she needed her makeup done, and would also be available to help with anything else.
Jen handed the bag of clothes she’d brought to Violet.
They discussed the terms of their agreement and payment before she finally started the makeup.
After the makeup was done, Violet stared at the blonde-haired woman in the mirror, thoroughly impressed at how good Jen was. She had recreated the look perfectly.
**
Violet first went to the bank.
She created a new account under the name Kierra Adams and also increased the limit her old account could accept.
After she was done, she placed a call to Dylan, asking him to send the balance as he’d promised.
"And when will I get my phone?" Dylan asked.
Violet’s eyes narrowed. "I wouldn’t speak arrogantly if I were you, Dylan. When I receive the money, we’ll talk about the phone." she said, clutching her own phone tightly.
A few minutes later, her phone beeped. She’d received an alert; Dylan had sent the entire remaining balance of thirty million dollars.
Upon seeing the money, Violet’s lips curled to the side, a satisfied smile spreading across her face as she let out a soft, triumphant laugh. She had enough for her pretend shopping spree.
She booked a sleek black limousine, which arrived in ten minutes. She checked IG and saw that Lillian Kings had gone live. It turned out Lillian’s car was heading to the mall.
The car came to a stop in front of the mall and Violet alighted. People sauntered by, dressed in expensive clothes.
She adjusted her clothes, and just then a blue Bentley, gleaming and unmistakably expensive, pulled up a few feet away, and Lillian Kings stepped out holding a selfie stick.