The Grand Mistress

"Mother Lilith is not like that," Gabriella defended the woman. Lilith was her step mother and unlike all the fairytales stories where step mothers were bad and corrupt, Mother Lilith was kind to Gabriella. She had raised her like her own daughter and loved her so much that people would often think Gabriella was her own daughter.

Gabriella was the only child of her father and when she was ten, Lilith came into their lives. When he and her father met, they both had daughters. Gabriella's father had her while Lilith had Raphaela, a young aloof girl two years older than the Monteria heiress. And so when Lilit and Gabriella's father got married, Gabriella immediately got an older sister. 

Their lives then were good and peaceful and for the first time in her life, Gabriella experienced what it meant to have a mother. Lilith had pampered her, spoiled her too overly and most of the time tolerates her mishaps. Every time she's hurt or bullied, Lilith was always there to comfort and protect her even against her biological daughter Raphaela and so Gabriella grew up so pampered and well loved. 

Eights years into the marriage, Lilith gave birth to twins, Angelisa and Evangelina but even then, her mother's love for Gabriella didn't falter. Lilith does her best and makes sure Gabriella receives the same or even better attention than the twins and Raphaela still.

"You know very well how she sincerely loves," She added thinking about what her mother was up to then. Actually when she ran away from home because of what happened between her and Erwan, it was mother Lilith who first looked for her.  These days, she was the only one who sided with her and she's sure she was very displeased with how Angelisa acted but could not do anything. Inside the Monteria's household, even when mother Lilith was the madam, the elders do not give her much recognition because they disapprove of her and so Lilith could only do little at such.

"Alright, I won't speak ill against your mother,"Lucy withdrew her words. She knew how Gabriella treasures her step mother so she dared not hit on the powerless madam of the Monteria so as not to upset Gabriella even more. "But know, I'm sure Angelisa's pregnancy was well planned. She might be tired living behind your shadows being the ever perfect innocent and naive true heiress of the Monteria,"

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Lucy had always loved Gabriella, but she does hate her very naive character and so don't understand why Simione would always say Gabriella was more mature than her and acted as their elders sister because for her, she was very fragile and easy to break.  She's the perfect epitome of a princess who knows nothing of this world because all her life she was locked up and pampered in her castle. If Sisi had a hard life growing up, Gabriella on the other hand got everything she wished and wanted and that probably was the reason why she was a bit soft, unlike Simione who had gone through depths of hell which explains her very strong character. 

"Well right now, she won't have to hide behind your shadows because she instantly became the bride of Erwan Zhao," Lucy added and her words only made the Monteria heiress vomit even more. "You see? A rebel can end up like a princess after all, because at the end of the day, no one cares who the princess is and who isn't. Only the queen matters. Now, Angelisa was to be crown as queen and you are the pushover princess,"

"Lucy…." Gabriella's cries intensified at Lucy's statements. Only then did she realized how stupid had she been. All these times, she never thought of anything but just to go and enjoy everything under the sun. Even after graduation, she never sought any career and had not learned any skills. She knew she would end up as the madam of the Zhao's anyways so what is the use of any of those? So basically all these years, while Lucy sought her singing career and Simione struggled her way through law school, Gabriella did nothing but go to tea party's, shop endlessly and travel. Her life had no complications or drama, not until she learned of Erwans betrayal.

Now that Erwarn was gone, so was her future. What was she going to do now that she's not going to be the madam of the Zhao's anymore? Also, her importance in the Monteria's household lies on the fact that she was the fiancee of one of their companies' strong business ally and not that she wasn't anymore, what would the Monteria elders think of her now? Obviously Angelisa had taken her place already.

"Lucy… what am I going to do?" Gabriella wailed at it. Being in the same room with the two, Simione and Lucy, she felt so useless. She had never been that insecure all her life and only then did she wish she was as bold as Lucy or as smart and courageous like Simione.

"It's time for you to start living," Lucy raised a brow at her tearjerked face. "Cry all you want tonight. Tomorrow, think of what you want to do with your life… asih!" Lucy was done with her drama so she went and joined Simione on the sofa.

"Hello Miss Sisi, would you care and help me with Gabriella?" She  slumped beside her and grabbed the chips on her hand, "How dare you finish this all by yourself. What's your contribution by the way tonight? Just eating? Go ahead and take the lead of reprimanding Gabriella,"

"Why would I? She's older than me," Simione refused. She could hear the Monteria's cries and wails in the background and to be honest she had no words to say to her. Truth was Simione felt a bit of guilt because Gabriella and Angelisa's situation was like her and Feather's, only with different intentions. Basically, like Angelisa, she was planning to grab and snatched Feather's fiancee and ruin them for good. Seeing Gabriella cry that much for a heartbreak, it felt like she was punished for her misdeeds.

"Guilty are we?" Lucy can read through her thoughts.

"I'm not," She lied although she was so bothered by such feelings all throughout this drinking session.

"Good. Don't be guilty. Unlike Gabriella, Feather deserves a heartbreak," Lucy told her and Simione had never been so amazed at how Lucy can be very good at her words. She made Gabriella cry by slapping all the truth to her mercilessly and just now, she took away her guilt for her Feather revenged project just by uttering a few raw words. "And unlike Gabriella, Feather isn't naive. Even right now, I'm pretty sure she was planning things to secure her position as the madam of Monsanto's. She's more corrupt than Angelisa you see,"

Lucy's statements bore some warning and Simione knew then she knew something that she hadn't told her yet, "What do you mean?"

"I'm telling you not to go easy on her," Lucy gave a sly smile. "I've heard a couple's vacation was being planned in Mondrew City. Whoever planned was very smart to choose a location an ordinary person cannot stepped into,"

"What?" Hearing it, Simione's heart felt some sting. A vacation? Did Hawk plan a vacation for him and Feather? 

Simione felt something rising inside her, something new, something she felt a few years ago that she didn't want to feel again. Her heart was like being jabbed a hundred times and she felt very betrayed by the fact that after she spent an amazing night with him, he would go on an exclusive vacation with the ballerina bitch? What was he planning? Did he wish to finish off with Feather the thing they didn't finish in his car? 

Damn that Hawk Monsanto! Perhaps Lucy was right all along, he was a man after all. The same breed, the same kind. He's not special like she thought.

"What's with the frown?" Lucy chuckled at the expression that went into Simione's face. "Are you that mad? I told you not to fantasize about any exclusivity with him. You are not after him anyway."

"For the record, I didn't fantasize about exclusivity with Hawk Monsanto. Or any man for that matter," She lied again, hoping her steady tone was enough to shut Lucy's teasing. "I'm just mad I can't go and follow them on that vacation. I wished to ruin their beautiful moment,"

"Well Mondrew City is hard to infiltrate so was any of the property's belonging to the Gao's" Lucy said. She knew very well every family in the elite circle including all their relatives outside the city. Based on her knowledge, the Gao's were old and rich in Mondrew City and this was where Feathers mother, Fara Gao, came from. 

"I heard you the first time you said that no ordinary person can go and enter any of the Gao's property. The Gao's are madam Fara's relatives and I'm very sure Hawk and Feather were to spend some vacation in one of the Gao's properties," Simione blabbered, annoyed with the thought.

"True," Lucy looked through Simione's eyes meaningfully before she let out a vicious smile then winked at Simione, "Luckily, we are no ordinary persons,"