Edible Arrangements (The Hollens Book 6)

Chapter 20: The I In Twisted

Lina's POV

How could she be a manager? She couldn't even manage to spot me switching the folder on her very desk. Too busy swallowing the water I wish I had wash my hands in.

*
After reaching my boyfriend's Aunt Jackie house, I found his mother in the main sitting room area.

"Hey," I greeted her.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I did a fantastic sabotage today. Made her look like a fool in front of her dad, uncle and cousin," I said with a satisfying smile.

"Lina, why would you do that?" she asked, rubbing her forehead as if there was a sudden tension headache.

"Why wouldn't I, I thought you hated her."

"I do hate her but it's way too early to be pulling a sabotage on Zenobia Hollen! She's going to suspect it's you if you continue in that early order! You need to kiss up to her and stick to the plan."

"I just want to hold her face and bash it in on her desk! She thinks she's above everyone and I can't stand her best friend, Tiffany."

"Tiffany?"

"Tiffany Smith! A pain in the ass and someone we have to look out for. I felt as if she was reading me. She wouldn't trust me, especially around Zenobia."

"Tiffany is the least of our problems. She doesn't matter. All you got to do is get as close to Zenobia as you possibly could, even if you got to kiss her ass, you do it. Hell, create a drift between her and that Tiffany girl too. Once you have earn her trust and you have Zenobia alone, you know exactly what to do."

"What about your son?"

"You leave him up to me."

"You do know that he hates you, right?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "He doesn't hate me. He just needs a reminder that I'm his mother. Why you think he came looking when Jackie didn't know my whereabouts, it's because he cares. You don't look for someone you don't care about."

She spoke with sense. I agreed and went into the bedroom I occupied. I had my own plans for Kyle. I missed him. His sweet scent and warm touches. His soft moans when I had him in my passionate positions in my dorm room. His trail of kisses over all my body and the magnetic connection between us was endless. Or so I thought.

He just couldn't get Zenobia out of his head. She held the space in his heart I couldn't penetrate no matter how hard I tried. I gave him my body and that still wasn't enough. I was there when he needed me to be and he still didn't see my worth.

It was always Zenobia! Zenobia! Zenobia! The stuck up, rich, daddy's girl who couldn't forgive him over something almost every high school guy has said.

Oh how I wish it was true. I wished he had use her and pushed her aside like what he did to me.

My phone rang and I retrieved it from my handbag. It was her.

"Hi, am I disturbing?" she asked.

"Of course not, Miss. Hollen, what do you need?"

"I need you to do just one tiny favor. Can you send me the Dallion's sales list via email from your flash drive?"

"Sure. I'll do that right now." Remembering Jessie's advice, I did the correct thing and I was sure I got an inch even closer to her.

~~~

Wowing Zenobia was easier than wowing a man. I thought The Hollens were guarded, secretive, not your average friendly people.. If that was the case then they need to cut Zenobia out the family because she was the opposite of those.

She seemed so desperate to talk to me and always chatty. I couldn't stand being her assistant. She made me sick.

One afternoon after the office, she invited me to an after work session with her but she was wrapped up in a meeting and Kyle and I were waiting outside in the reception area. Sitting side by side.

I slightly turned in his direction with a smile on my face. "Why are you avoiding me?" I asked him.

Silence.

"You know, at one point or another, you're gonna have to talk to me. I'm the assistant of your boss. Our paths are going to cross like right now. Avoiding me is inevitable."

Silence.

"Atleast talk to me, Kyle. I only bite in the bedroom," I said in a whisper.

He looked at me and butterflies formed in my stomach. So what I said about the bedroom had an effect on him still.

The door opened and Zenobia walked out. I readjusted my position and stood up. So did Kyle.

"Sorry about that. Meeting went on longer than expected but allow me to introduce you to my bodyguard Kyle. He'll be accompanying us to the venue. Kyle, this is Lina, my assistant," Zenobia said and I crackled with laughter mentally. If she only knew how familiar we were, she wouldn't dare bother to introduce me to her man.

"It's nice to meet you, Kyle," I responded. My petty self couldn't resist.

He nodded and escorted us to the parking lot and into Zenobia's car. I'll hand it to her, she had a beautiful car. Of course, being the granddaughter of a billionaire and had billions handed to her, I wasn't expecting anything less.

*
*
"Not her Again!" Tiffany yelled over the music as she saw me and Zenobia entering the venue.

"Tiff, don't start. Please don't start."

"Nah, Zen. Why'd you bring her here?"

"Because I wanted to."

This was going to be too easy. Zenobia ordered us drinks and I sat down next to her while Tiffany sat down across from us fuming at me.

After three drinks, Zenobia had to use the bathroom and I was left behind with Tiffany.

"What's your fucking problem with me," I asked her.

"My fucking problem with you is that I don't trust you. You look very familiar as if I've seen your face before but believe me when I say this, I will have the accurate information on you and I'm going to drop the hammer on your ass."

"Maybe you should drop a few pounds instead. And instead of having that drink in your hand, you should have Jenny Craig's number."

I leaped when Tiffany pushed against the table and it slammed onto me.

"Bitch! I would come across this table on you. Don't play with me!"

"How I wish Zenobia could see the way her bestie behaves in public. You're an animal!" I shouted.

Tiffany threw a drink at me but I dodged just in the nick of time and it connected with Zenobia's outfit instead.

"Tiff, what the hell!" she screamed.

"Zen, I'm so sorry. That wasn't for you. It was for that two face snake that crawled in here with you."

"There you go again. When are you going to stop all this. You don't need to worry about anything."

"Well I am. She tried me!" Tiffany said. The whole time she was looking right at me and I didn't take my eyes off her.

Kyle spotted the whole thing and he didn't bother to intervene. Tiffany could have hurt me.

*

"I can't believe you didn't bother to keep her away from me!"

"My job is to protect Zenobia Hollen. Not Lina Constantine."

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A/N

Now, if that surname doesn't ring any bells to you, then you need to visit Hot Coffee. 😂😂