Chapter 3 Announcement gone wrong

JR's POV.

Walking into the beautifully decorated hall for a second time, I find myself feeling giddy all over, something I haven't felt in years. I head over to our table to find my Grandpa still seated on the round table I had left him earlier. On noticing me he clears his throat briefly to get my attention but I ignore him. Irritated he opens up his mouth to scold me but is quickly interrupted by a business partner who calls out his name.

Thank God for small mercies! Who knows for how long he have continued bickered with me.

However, I never had it in me to stay mad at Grandpa, we've always been inseparable for as long as I can remember. I was certain he would never risk destroying my happiness so I'm greatly relieved to know Victoria wasn't his choice. Her mother probably emotionally blackmailed dad into this whole thing.

Two tables away a group of men laugh heartily and in their midst is the thorn in my side, Victoria. Her smile and occasional coy act reminds me of why I didn't want to be here in the first place. Before I took pity on her for not growing up with her dad a'd she looked so frail then it was difficult to not sympathize with her situation. Now, although fresh and vibrant I can't get the picture of the she devil she became out of my head.

"At least she's enjoying this!" I say with an eyeroll.

Although clear-headed thanks to my alone time earlier, I still can't bring myself to enjoy the party all thanks this woman. Forget her cunning mother, I'm almost a hundred percent certain she's also responsible for this mess. I've known her long enough to know about her obsession with power, first she left me then she destroyed my relationship with Her half-sister, Lanna, when she made me commit the biggest mistake of my life and now there's no going back.

"I just want to grab her and..." I clench my fist hard causing it to produce a crackling sound. In an attempt to rid myself of all muderous thoughts I shift my sight to the table next to ours and there sits the grey-eyed beauty, from earlier.

"Please, tell me I didn't just say that out loud," I whisper to no one in particular. After five seconds of not receiving awkward looks, I breathe out a sigh of relief. This pretty stranger will be the death of me!

She's the very reason why I had ignored my impending doom and opted to be here in the first place and now I find myself going crazy. From her familiar scent to her alluring appearance, she is a combo of heaven and hell.

She catches me watching her and she gently picks up a glass of red wine. After a sip, a smug look adorns her face and I can only pray that is the end of her seductive antics.

But while Maintaining eye contact she crosses one of her legs over the other exposing part of her rosy fair thigh. And I feel heat rush up to my face, despite my composed expression I feel a fire in me raging! Her smirk tells me she knows the effect she has on me and I can't help but wonder how she manages such confidence.

"Keep it together Jake, your a gentleman." i chant silently. Still watching her, I down an entire glass of the white wine in my glass to pacify my parched throat but nothing helps.

"Dear God, if you want me to remain pure please make a way out for you're a humble servant." my dad says as he walks up to our table and quickly downs his share of the wine. From the looks of it, he's trying to run away from my Grandpa and his cronies again.

"What i wouldn't do to be in your shoes now Dad!" I groan. FInally, the host walks up to the podium stealing my focus on her and after a brief intro, the celebration begins. Guests mingle in small groups and occasionally laughter rings out from one of them.

"Time to go on CEO mode." I sigh, not looking forward to it.After an hour of switching between business partners and making sure to keep tabs on Grandpa's alcohol intake, My Dad walks up to the host and after whispering something to him he begins the long-awaited announcement,

"Thank you all for sharing this joyous occasion with us...."

"It would be one if you weren't trying to ruin my life." i fume internally not listening to the speech that follows. Knowing my Grandpa it's probably just a lame speech of how he built the company from literally nothing.

"Now friends, I have a special announcement to make and yes it is about the future of my Son Jake Roland and grandson Daniel Roland." Here it comes, I think to myself grudgingly.

"As of today, my son is engaged to the renowned..." my brows automatically furrow and no it isn't because my life's about to turn upside down but because the lights suddenly go out and Dad's mic appears to have been turned off cutting off the announcement halfway.

The manager rushes in with an apologetic smile but before he can explain a spotlight is shining directly on Grey eyes! Making no efforts to explain herself or hurry up she sips from her wine nonchalantly and yet I'm enticed. I must be sick in the head. The host walks up to her and hands her a mic and only then does she stand up twirling her wine glass.

"I'm so sorry Dad, I was just too excited and thought of relaying the news myself." she chuckles with a spark in her eyes the cold expression now gone. She rushes into my arms causing me to go still. She sets my hands on her slim waist and caresses my face lovingly, at this point I'm beyond confused.

"I, Miss Alanna Jones am officially JR's-oops I meant Jake Roland's fiance" she declares with a soft smile while looking into my eyes. Did she just call me JR?

I glance at Victoria and one look at her pale face tells me she's thinking what I'm thinking. With trembling hands I pull her closer to me, my heartbeat quickens and my eyes automatically turn watery. How did I not notice the resemblance from earlier?

The coconut fragrance,the similar features and those eyes that sparkled ever so proudly!

"Lanna?" I mutter torn between astonishment and happiness. The Paparazzi goes wild, fortunately, her bodyguards create a blockade with their bodies shielding us from the frenzy.

"That said you all can continue enjoying yourselves while I and my family attend to other matters backstage." Grandpa declares. "You know i would never let you suffer." he smiles.

Immediately we're whisked away to a big private room while Dad sends for Victoria who I assume is fuming now in her hotel room. But couldn't be bothered by her.

The young woman claiming to be my Lanna clings to my left arm but as soon as we arrive backstage she rushes to Grandpa and all my doubts vanished into thin air.

"I missed you so much Grandpa!" she whines as she leads him to the plush sofa. He makes her sit beside him and pats her hair.

"And I have missed you too Lannie, finally you decide to return to see me after all these years. If you had come any later my stupid son would have given my grandson away to someone else," he says stamping his cane and shooting my dad a glare. my confusion quickly gives way to rage, and before I can stop myself I explode.

"Hold up, did I just hear you, right grandpa? You've been in contact with Lanna this whole time!" I yell unable to suppress my anger any longer. Her expression immediately changes from a doting one to an icy expression and my heart sinks.

"You didn't forgive me did you?"

"We already became strangers, so what's there to forgive?" she asks coldly, my fist clench automatically and my chest tightens. I can take this from anyone including grandpa but Lanna has always been my weakness, how I wished I had realized that earlier.

"What was all that out there for? Pretense?" my Dad grips my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me but I just shove it away.

"Certainly, it was Grandpa's wish so I didn't mind going along with it. Don't Tell me you believed my show of love from earlier? Am I really that Good?" she mocks. Steeling my resolve did not prepare me for those words, the joy I originally felt vanishes and I'm painfully aware of the pain in my chest.

"What show of love?" the door opens with a bang and Alanna's eyes grow colder.

"I've been expecting you!" Alanna sneers.

Alanna's POV.

"What show of affection?" comes the sweet voice of the twenty two years old I've been expecting.

"Don't let her in!" I order my guards who immediately push closed the semi-opened giant doors, keeping Victoria out.

.

"Grandpa, you and Dad can return to the party now, I'll take care of things here." I help him up from his seat and together with Jake's Dad we walk him out of the room using the side door instead. After repeatedly assuring Grandpa that I'll be alright I walk back into the room and notice JR's furrowed brows.

"He must be worried about my dearest half sister." I think to myself bitterly.He doesn't hear me walk in and neither does he see me since he has got his back to me.

"That just won't do." I smirk and put more pressure on my steps as I walk back into the room. This time the continuous heavy clank of my heels makes him aware of my approach and he visibly stiffens. A tiny ball of satisfaction rolls in me but I need more than that, I want to slowly watch him burn, burn to the point I bo return just as he destroyed me when he chose to abandon me for that illegitimate daughter of my dad. I want my presence to wreak havoc in his soul and little by little I'll make them both pay!

My eyes are ablaze as I watch the tall frame of the man who broke me, the man who played with my heart and crushed it cruelly. With every step that draws me closer to him my desire to strangle him grows. It claws on my chest begging to be fulfilled but with my fist clenched and my teeth gnashed I keep the murderous aura in check.

"I was wrong I admit, so let it go." He states looking unaffected. Let him go? What a joke!

"What a sight! Never would I have imagined having the all-powerful Ceo of Dragon Empires at my mercy. But I must say you change your switch so easily...too bad I was enjoying watching you squirm, it is such a satisfactory site." I chuckle before continuing my slow approach.

"What's the rush...I still want to take my time to savor this feeling and trust me when I say I will enjoy every..second...of it." I smirk.

"What do you want?"

"You." He looks taken aback by my words. I'm loving it! Moving forward I fill the last steps that created a gap between us and I lazily run my hands through the lines of his tie and his reaction doesn't go unnoticed.

"You will marry me just as Grandpa intended my love... or else...."

"Or else what!" He interrupts icily, awn... Still not into threats I see. I firmly grip his tie pulling him down to me,

"There's my bad boy. I was beginning to miss him. You do know I'm not very fond of "Jake the gentleman"." I whisper into his ear before pulling back. Looking through my long lashes I draw my tongue over my scarlet lips igniting a fire deep within within him.

"What do you want Miss Jones?" He asks with a straight face, how he managed that is a mystery I may never unravel considering that I'm alternating between stroking his strong chest over his white shirt with my black nails and twirling his tie.

"Leo, please play the recording for my Mr. Roland." I raises my voice. Immediately his grandpa's voice fills the entire room and finally I get a reaction out of him.

"All it'll take from you is a no and then I'll sell my thirty five percent of the shares at Dragon Empire to Mr Stephan for a good price. I wonder what will happen then?"

"you wouldn't dare!"

"Want to give it a shot?"

"But you would be betraying Grandpa's trust. Does he even know you recorded his giving of an additional 10 percent of his shares to you?"

"Oh? I didn't think of that." I fake gasps. "But what can I do if his own grandson doesn't care if he loses all his hardwork?" I smiles letting myrwords sink in.

As a sign of his approval, he grips my slim waist firmly without letting go of the frown on his face.

"Smart choice. Let her in."

Immediately, the giant oak doors begin to open, and following the very first sound of Victoria's heels is her high-pitched shriek.

"Forever the drama queen." I roll my eyes, already getting a migraine from the sight of Victoria.

"I deserve an Oscar right now, don't you agree?" I whisper playfully bent on getting him rattled in the presence of his dear one. I lean my forehead against his and nuzzle his nose giving off the impression of a couple deeply lost in the eyes of each other but we both know the darkness that lies in our stare.

As expected Victoria finally loses her cool and being the short-tempered girl I had to put up with for five years. she pulls me out of JR's arms.

"What is the meaning of this!" she yells breathing hard and flaying her arms. Her twisted expression is a stark contrast to her simple yet chic white gown. White on a snake? What is the world becoming?

"Love, my feet hurt, take...me to the sofa please" I whine like a spoiled child all of a sudden. Let's see where this goes.