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Diamonds

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Chapter 1: Diamonds (Stella's POV)

Apparently, diamonds were a girl's best friend... I was given no choice but to take that very literally. Becoming a jewelry heiress wasn't exactly part of the plan I had for myself but it was exactly where life had led me. 

Now, if I have to work with diamonds and jewels, I might as well make them my best friends. 

"Stella, mia cara, vieni qui," my father said, calling me over. 

Here we go. 

Keeping any profanities I had to myself, I left my drink on the counter and made my way to where my father stood with one of the many men at this party that I didn't recognize. 

"Lorenzo, this is my daughter." I watched my father with annoyance bubbling within me as he turned to face me. "Incontra il mio amico bene, hmm?" he mumbled, demanding that I meet his friend nicely. 

"Come mai? I tuoi amici non pensano che io sia simpatico?" I asked with a false smile before turning to his so-called friend. 'How come? Don't your friends think I'm nice?' I extended my hand. 

"Lorenzo Ricci," he introduced himself with a polite smile and a small crinkle by his eyes. 

I shook his hand and deepened my smile. "Stella Almonte." 

I didn't need to look to know my father probably felt a surge of annoyance or to hear the frustrated sigh escape him followed by a forced chuckle as Mr. Lorenzo over here turned to him in confusion. "She keeps Isabella's last name," my father explained. 

"Ah, I see," Mr. Lorenzo nodded in understanding as I pulled my hand back. 

"Questo è il suo partito," my father said, informing me that this man here was the host for tonight's party. 

"I assume you're the one my wife met when she came to speak to you for tonight," Mr. Lorenzo said, "for the jewelry." 

I nodded, maintaining a professional smile. "She informed me that you would like to purchase some pieces for the auction, yes. We signed the agreement this morning." 

"You do business very well, Ms. Almonte. We intended to keep at least eighty percent." 

"That would hardly be fair, Mr. Lorenzo, don't you think? You're selling my work, don't I deserve eighty percent of what you make from it?" 

He chuckled and held up his glass. "Touché. Very well then, we'll be starting the auction soon, I hope you enjoy it. We've been looking forward to it." 

"Of course," I nodded, my smile dropping as I relaxed once he walked away. 

"You never fail to infuriate me in front of my friends," my father sighed. 

I glanced at him blankly. It was hardly my fault that he couldn't stand the mention of my mother to this day. "You've asked me to be here tonight and make that deal with the Riccis. I did what you told me to, my responsibilities end there." 

He held up his hands in surrender. "All right, fair enough. But there's one more thing I must say, Stella..." 

I watched him in anticipation, my eyes almost narrowing. 

"You may infuriate me but you never fail to make me proud either. Good job with the Ricci deal," he praised, the reluctance I normally witnessed in him crumbling. 

"Thank you," I said as he patted my back lightly and then my head once. 

"Now, where is your brother? We have an important deal to close tomorrow that he needs to brief me on." 

"He left. Ava fell asleep so he took her and Delilah back home," I answered. 

A faint sound of annoyance came from Dad. "I suppose I'll have to find Rhys instead." 

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the mention of his name. 

"Could you do me a favor and—" 

"Find him for you? I'm afraid I can't. I need to use the bathroom." 

"Stella," he sighed, giving me a pointed look. 

"Dad," I mocked. "Excuse me." Making a quick stop at the bar, I picked up a fresh glass of white wine and gathered my dress, slipping out of the room unnoticed and wandering into the hotel lobby, heading straight to the elevator and getting in, going to the highest floor, knowing it only had rooftop dining and a lounge, after all, that's what The Deviant Hotel was known for, their rooftop view from the heart of New York City. 

In the golden doors of the elevator, I could see a faint reflection of myself. My eyes traveled over the length of the emerald green satin slip dress I wore. Running a hand over my torso, I took in a steadying breath as my eyes darted to the medium-sized elegant rectangular emerald studs in my earrings that were outlined with small diamond clusters, and then the matching ring sitting on my right hand. 

At that moment, I just wanted to go home and take it all off after spending the entire day working and now attending this party. Tipping my head back against the wall and closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before standing upright as the elevator stopped at the top floor and dinged. 

I came to the rooftop for a break from the maddening party taking place downstairs but when the doors opened and I was greeted by those familiar whiskey eyes, I wished I never came upstairs, to begin with. Instead of stepping aside and giving me room to leave, Rhys stepped in, his presence draining all the air between us almost immediately. "Ms. Almonte," he greeted. 

"Mr. Romanov," I exhaled, stepping out before the doors could shut and lock me in with him. 

He leaned against the wall and held the bar behind him, watching me. "Does your father know you're up here?" he asked. 

"No, I'm afraid not," I huffed, spinning back around and staring at him. 

He hummed, "I don't think he'll be very happy to know that Daddy's little princess is sneaking out of parties tonight." The smirk on his face told me just how amused he was by my frustration. 

The doors began sliding shut. "Then let him know Cinderella's time was up. If I stayed down there any longer, I would have become a fucking pumpkin." 

"Is that how the story goes?" he questioned. 

"Goodbye, Mr. Romanov," I sang as the doors finally shut and I was left alone to save my sanity and finally gain some peace of mind. 

Today was the one day I wanted to be left alone. Every year on this day, I would stay home from work and miss any and every party I was meant to be at, but this year for some reason, this party was larger than life for my father and if I didn't attend and uphold his end of the bargain with the Riccis, then everything would have come crashing down because apparently, our world was running on a handful of diamonds I designed that Lorenzo Ricci wanted. 

He could have just spared me tonight. Every night isn't Mom's birthday. 

Making it towards the open lounge on the rooftop, I left my glass on a free table and made my way to the railing, resting my arms on it and staring at the city skyline. I gathered my hair as it blew in the wind and pulled it over one shoulder, feeling the cold breeze on my bare back. 

Wasting as much time as I could upstairs, I lingered there until the rooftop was empty and every guest had left. After a while, my phone began ringing in my purse and I ignored it the first few times, but when it rang for the fifth time, I reached into my purse and withdrew it, answering it upon reading my father's name. "Dad," I said bluntly. 

"Where are you, Stella? The auction is starting," he said sternly. 

My jaw ticked as I ground my teeth. "I'll be right there." 

"Hurry," he demanded before hanging up abruptly. 

Glancing down at the ground at least thirty stories below, I contemplated throwing my phone off the top of this building, but instead of acting on that thought, I made my way back downstairs, running a hand through my hair and taming it in the elevator. By the time I made it back to the hall, the auction had begun and guests were bidding on the first piece. 

"Tonight, we're opening with this fine tennis diamond necklace, holding one-carat diamonds full cut, all fifty of them coming together in white gold. The stunning fifty-carat necklace links together H-I diamonds, which are nearly colorless!" 

I took my seat beside my father at our table. Reluctantly. "Is he trying to sell it or write an entire essay on it?" I mumbled under my breath. 

"Finally," Dad scoffed, "where have you been?" 

I ignored him and glanced ahead at the center of the room where the necklace was revealed within a glass case and shown off on display. 

"We'll start the bidding at ten thousand dollars!" 

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a paddle shooting up. 

"Fifteen thousand dollars, do I see twenty?" A second of silence. "Twenty thousand dollars! Do I see twenty-five? Twenty-five anybody?" 

I took a scan of the room and noticed another paddle shooting up. 

"Twenty-five thousand dollars! Thirty? Anybody giving thirty? There it is, thirty thousand dollars! Thirty-five anyone? Thirty-five! Forty? Anybody for forty thousand dollars?" 

"If anybody pays forty thousand dollars for that necklace, they are incredibly stupid," I muttered quietly, biting back a smirk at my father's scolding look. 

"Thirty-five going once... twice... sold to Mrs. Penelope Richardson!" 

A lot of people I knew couldn't comprehend that I made billions without taking a penny from my father and many of them wondered how. Well, this was exactly how. 

A necklace I wouldn't sell for a dollar more than three thousand, someone else was selling for thirty-five thousand. 

And someone was stupid enough to buy it, which meant that I made twenty-eight thousand dollars doing... absolutely nothing. 

In that case, diamonds truly are a girl's best friend.

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Chapter 1

Ik I was supposed to update yesterday but I always take a day or two as a break between starting a new book so I was just doing that lol

and remember, this is only chapter 1 so be niceee writing the first chapter is a bit dry and boring sometimes lol

next ch: family