Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 197: Hit Where It Hurts

Chapter 197: Hit Where It Hurts

Talia felt something tickling her foot and woke up. Bear was there licking her toes and Talia although didn’t feel fresh, got up. She was stunned to see all the hair and drool strains all over the room.

Ah... The pleasures of owning a big, drooling, hug bear!

"Are you hungry?" she petted him and the puppy wagged his tail excitedly. She brought him to the kitchen and poured him some food and watched him eat. The water bowl was filled with Bear’s drool as he drank water from it and she replaced the water.

The clattering of the keyboard was still being heard and Talia walked to the living room to see Raphael working still.

" Your Highness!" he stood up and Talia waved him to sit down and took a seat in the single sofa chair.

"I heard Mr. Crawley wanted to expand his business our side of the pond too. I got a friend who is an editor in ’Highbrow’ magazine. They were already about to print an article about Crawley Hotels and I added some corrections. This is the article and the title will be printed in the cover too..." he turned his laptop towards Talia and she was impressed.

Are Crawley Hotels Worth the Hype?

That title in the cover is a bit ambiguous and it doesn’t show if the article is positive or negative, but in the article, the first thing mentioned is how they cover up negative reviews. The rest was all good stuff about the hotel.

Highbrow magazine is a monthly lifestyle magazine that is usually found in the lounges of first class and private jets, and in the offices of influential millionaires for their equally rich guests to turn pages on while waiting.

Those people won’t be reading the entire article and just by turning the page they will get a negative feel oh and about Crawley Hotels. It won’t greatly affect the Crawley business, but it would hinder Rachel’s father’s aspirations to connect with influential people. Those people who he want to book his Presidential and Executive Suites won’t prefer his hotels if they see this article and by word of mouth of others who read this article.

This little boy is a bit evil... Talia smiled and approved.

If Rachel’s father can’t connect with influential people, his status won’t improve. And for someone like Rachel, for whom status dictates everything, and has nothing to her except the perks attached to her father’s name, this would be a big blow.

" Even before I contacted, Feldstein Associates released an official statement regarding that article. They threatened to sue and the article is taken down with an editorial note apologising for publishing false informations," Raphael added.

Talia looked through the phone and there was an official statement that seemed to be written by the lawyers of the firm condemning the tabloid for publishing slanderous and untrue informations. They even said that there were only four people Talia had ever fired from the firm and that too not without their CEO’s approval. The firm threatened to release the name of the employees fired as they seemed to be the sources of this article, and the actual reasons they were fired. The firm also asked the tabloid to take down the article.

Wow! This is big! Joe went all out! Talia was pleased.

Mr. Ed came and reminded that she has an appointment with Rebecca. Talia got ready and through the travel, realised Mr. Ed is acting weird around her the entire day. He never met her eyes and preferred to stay away from her as if he was mad at her.

What is that about?

"Sir Robert, is there something you want to say to me?" she asked to him who was sitting in the front passenger seat.

"Your Highness, no!" he said and he still wasn’t meeting her eye.

Talia turned her head to look at Amy who was closing her mouth with her hands, trying to hold back her laughter.

"Tell me what it is," Talia asked Amy, ignoring the burning glare Mr. Ed was giving Amy.

"Since you are commanding me to speak, I must speak the truth, Your Highness," Amy said with a salute, still holding back her laughter.

Talia could understand Amy knows something and yet is holding back fearing Me. Ed. She didn’t know what these two bodyguards of hers were keeping as secret and yet seeing Amy’s red face, couldn’t help but laugh herself.

" Yes, or else I’ll send you to the gallows," Talia played along.

"Oh no, please don’t, Your Highness. I’ll tell the truth." Amy cleared her throat and still couldn’t hold back her laughter.

"Don’t trust any word out of her mouth, Princess Talia," Mr. Ed turned and looked at Talia not forgetting to glare once more at Amy.

"Okay," Talia nodded at Mr. Ed and looked at Amy for answers.

"His words not mine." Amy gulped. " He said, ’A wild beast conquered my Princess’ Castle and I, her Knight, could do nothing about it’... Your castle..." Amy started to laugh once more.

Castle? Wild beast? Conquer?

Talia was confused for a minute before she realised what it meant. She covered her face and shook her head. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Is sleeping with the guy I like that big a deal? Isn’t this like an intrusion of my privacy?

Was Fred’s room bugged as he suggested?

My goodness!

" There was no wild beast, but only a King, and this Princess willingly surrendered her Castle. And so, the Knight needs to feel no remorse," Talia said after a while, holding back her laughter.

In the end, she decided to laugh it off. If...and that’s an impossible ’if’. If Cyrus was here... He would have made a bigger fuzz than this. Maybe, if her father was here, would he have reacted the same?

Talia leaned back on her chair. It’s been a long while since she had thought about her father. She rarely thinks about him. What kind on person he was? She didn’t know. She felt like she was being shielded from her father, by her grandfather. She hated her grandfather for it.

But with the details about her kidnapping in the past coming out... Was there a reason her grandfather kept her away from her father?

There were very few instances she remembered when her father was nice to her and that was when her mother was alive. But after that... Her father died only later and she didn’t have any memory where her father chatting with her, bringing her somewhere or even eating together. She studied in another country, but when she returned to Esteria, she remembered having meals with her grandfather and he brought her places and mostly to his office even when she didn’t want to go, but she didn’t have any memory of her father.

Why is that?

"Your Highness," Mr. Ed’s calm voice brought Talia out of her thoughts and seeing the car door open, she stepped out and walked in the café, Rebecca mentioned.

It looked more like a vintage coffee shop and when she entered, she was surprised by how dark it was.

The moment she stepped in, Talia was frightened as she heard a bunch of people scream, confetti popping and the lights came back up.

"Wow! This is a surprise!" Talia smiled, hugging Rebecca and Joe followed by all the other employees of Feldstein Associates.

Turns out these guys had arranged a farewell party for her! How amazing is that?

There was cake and there were other snacks and alcohol of course and everyone were happy as they ate and spent time together.

"Ugh! That Rachel!" Rebecca said cutting herself a big slice of cake as a second helping. "Didn’t you send emails to everyone separately after you quit? Why did she say that you left without a goodbye?"

Rebecca was there when Talia drafted emails for every employee separately and sent them.

Talia shrugged, "I didn’t send one for Rachel."

Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh. Poor Rachel must have thought that since she didn’t receive any email, no one must have received anything either. What a person to waste oxygen in this planet!

"I thought you were going to have a talk with Joe. What’s with this party?" Talia asked. She wouldn’t have come is it is for a party. Some asked her to attend a farewell party, but she firmly refused. So why was this party arranged?

"Joe arranged it a week ago, it seems. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t agree to meet him and arranged this party for you thinking I would attend the party if it is for you," she shrugged.

"Aww, what a thoughtful husband you married!" Talia pinched Rebecca’s cheek.

"Yeah, very thoughtful," Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Let’s go there..."

Rebecca dragged Talia to a corner seat where there aren’t many people around and whispered, "Tell me everything that happened last night."

Talia pretended not to have listened to her and tried to get up and leave, but Rebecca held her arm and forced her to sit. "I’m not letting you leave unless you give me the juicy details."

"There are none, you shameless woman!" Talia was firm. She was not going to kiss and tell! "Did I ever ask what happened between you and Joe when you were dating?" she asked back. She never was this shameless.

"You’re no fun!" Rebecca snorted and let go of Talia’s arms. "What happened after the phone call?" she asked and looked into Talia’s eyes without blinking.

Talia could not help but remember everything that happened after the phone call. She acted shameless first and then...

"Ah... So it went well, it seems. That’s good to know..." Rebecca smirked seeing Talia’s face going red.

"It went really well. I’m so happy," Talia grinned ear to ear.

"That’s good Tallie... That’s really good. Congratulations," Rebecca said and this time she spoke from her heart and she really was happy seeing her friend happy. She deserves it.

"So how’s the boy in there?" Talia asked looking at Rebecca’s belly.

"Don’t call my girl, a boy. She’s fine... She’s a good girl who loves her momma the best," Rebecca’s entire face softened as she spoke caressing her belly.

"You look different Rebecca... You look much more pretty now with that motherly affection in your face," Talia said from her heart. Looking at Rebecca, she wanted to have that feeling too.

"You think so too?" Rebecca looked at Talia and smiled. "I can feel it, Tallie... This little one... She’s going to grow up great. I want to give her the best and be the best for her... It’s a pretty good feeling..

You’ll know when you’re becoming a mother too. It’s nice..."

"Hmm... I hope so..." Talia looked at her flat stomach. She skipped that morning after pill. Will she become pregnant?

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