When they got to the mall, the first thing Constanza did was lead Lilian to the hair salon.
"Connie! My favorite girl!" the stylist said with a welcoming style as she hugged her."Hey Vera, how are you?" Constanza asked as she hugged her back."I am okay, you?""I am fine, who is this?" Vera asked as she looked at Lilian who stood quietly by the side."This is my new friend Lilian, she is Alessandro's new secretary and he wants her to be styled." Constanza explained."New secretary? How long did the previous one last?" Vera asked."Two weeks, I think. But I know Lilian here is going to last more than that." Constanza replied.Vera looked at Lilian with a smile. "Hey sweetie, welcome to my salon. I will make sure you leave my salon even more beautiful than you came in.""Thanks." Lilian replied.Vera led Lilian to a chair in front of the mirror to sit down."So what do you have in mind?" she asked Constanza."Well her hair is already short, so I was thinking of a little trim and some curls and waves.""Can I get an hair dye?" Lilian asked."What color did you have in mind?" Constanza asked."Red.""Red?""Yes, red. I have been thinking about it for a while now, I want a new look" actually Lily had been thinking about it for a while now, she wanted to look nothing like her old self."Okay, red could work. It could take the innocence off your face. In Alessandro's circle, innocence is not particularly needed." Constanza said."So red it is, let's go to work." Vera said as she put a cloth around Lilian's neck.An hour later, Vera removed the cloth with an air of finality."I am done." she said."Wow! I look so different." Lilian said as she looked at herself in the mirror."And stunning as well, Alessandro wouldn't be able to recognize you." Constanza said."Thanks Vera.""Now we are off to shopping, let's go." Constanza said as she helped Lilian up."Ooooh I love shopping, can I come?" Vera asked."Yes you can, the more the merrier." Constanza replied.The three ladies left the salon and entered a boutique."So we need clothes that are elegant, smart and stylish." Constanza said as they started to browse for clothes.The next two hours they went from shop to shop looking for clothes."Don't you think that we have bought enough clothes?" Lilian asked."Nonsense! There can never be enough clothes.""But won't it cost a lot?""Alessandro gave me a budget and believe me we haven't even exhausted half of it." Constanza told her."But I am tired!" Lilian whined."Stop complaining, we will soon be done" Constanza told her as she dragged her to yet another store.They shopped for what seemed like an eternity to Lilian until Constanza finally decided they had bought enough clothes. A guard took the clothes to the car while they stooped at a fast food joint in the mall to eat lunch.They ordered lunch and sat down to eat."You have to pair the clothes the way i told you, understand?" Constanza told her."Understood.""Girl, you are going to be the finest secretary in all of New Lanterns." Vera told her."Thanks Vera. That's if I don't get fired like the rest." Lilian replied."I highly doubt that, you seem different from all the rest." Constanza told her."I hope so.""So what's your story girl?" Vera asked."Yes, tell us about you." Constanza added."Well, my name is Lilian Howard, I recently moved to New Lanterns from my old home in the country side. I am currently living with my parents and son.""Son?" Constanza asked."Yes I have a little boy." Lilian replied.Vera looked at her, "You don't even look like it, you have good genes.""Thanks Vera.""What about his father, if you don't mind me asking.""I don't like talking about him." Lilian replied."Its okay, I understand. Well you are here now and I am sure you will enjoy this city""Me too."They continued eating and chatting and then a lady came up to them."Hey guys." she said cheerilyLilian who was highly perceptive noticed how Constanza immediately became guarded when the lady came up to them."Hey Rosa." Constanza replied while Vera ignored her and continued eating."Hi" Lily said."Do you guys mind if I join you?" The lady Rosa asked already sitting down without waiting for a response."Sure Rosa, sit down." Vera said sarcastically after she had sat down."It's good to know you are aware I am here, for a moment I thought I was invisible." Rosa told her."How have you being Rosa?" Constanza quickly asked to avoid a fight between Vera and Rosa."I am doing fine, business is going well, but you would have known all that if you bothered to attend meetings." Rosa said."Not everyone one of us is keen on attending meetings." Constanza replied."What meetings?" Vera asked."Meetings you are definitely not invited to." Rosa replied."I didn't ask you, stop poking your nose into my business." Vera retorted."Enough, you two. Rosa I will attend meetings when I feel like it, my brother didn't disturb me about it so you shouldn't either." Constanza said firmly."Fine! Whatever. Who is your new friend?" Rosa changed the subject as she looked at Lilian."This is my friend Lilian, she is kind of new in town""Well hello Lilian, how are you doing?""I am fine,you?" Lilian replied."Okay. So how do you know Constanza?""A mutual friend introduced us." Constanza quickly replied before Lilian could say a thing."That's nice, I hope we see each other around." Rosa told her.She looked at the others. "I would love to stay and chat but I have places to be. See you later ladies." she said and stood up. With a leisurely walk, she left them."I hate that bitch so fucking much!" Vera said."Who is she?" Lilian asked as she looked in the direction that Rosa had went."She is Alessandro's childhood best friend. She has always been narcissistic. You have to be careful with her, she is obsessed with him." Constanza warned."Obsessed?" Lilian asked."Yes obsessed, all the females in Alessandro's life including his past secretaries have all being victims of her." Constanza replied."I will be careful." Lilian assured her. Inwardly she smiled to herself, She was the queen of plotting, if this Rosa girl wanted to plot against her, she would have to teach her a lesson.They finished lunch and Lilian and Constanza went back to her office while Vera went back to her salon.They got to her office and Lilian changed into one of the outfits they had bought and did some light makeup."There you look so beautiful." Constanza gushed over her."Thanks for all your help." Lilian said."You are welcome, let's get together for lunch some time, okay?""Okay, I look forward to that."Lilian b
Lilian was furiously pouring the juice from the little minibar in the kitchen.She hadn't been this furious in a while, Constanza was right, Rosa was a very annoying person.She itched to pour the juice all over her smug face."Calm down Lily, you have done worse to others, haven't you?" she whispered to herself. She put the glass of juice on a little tray and went back to the office to give it to Rosa. She knocked on the door lightly and it swung open. She walked to the table and put the juice in front of Rosa. "Enjoy." she told her. "Thanks." Rosa said with a wide smile. She picked the glass up and took a sip of the juice. "Not quite the right temperature but I will manage it. I am sure you would get it next time." she told Lilian. "Thanks for understanding." Lilian replied. "You may leave." Alessandro told her. "Thank you sir." Lilian said and turned around to leave. Alessandro looked at Rosa who was still sipping her juice leisurely. "Hurry up and finish it, you need to
"That is Giovanni, Mr Romano's driver. And he told his stylist to take me shopping to get new clothes that would befit my new position as his assistant. Also we stopped by a salon and I decided to dye my hair to make sure no one recognizes me from my past. Have I answered all your questions?" Lilian answered all their questions at a go. "Your new position?" her aunt asked."Yes, as a result of my honesty yesterday, I was promoted from being a cleaner to being Mr Romano's secretary." Lilian replied."Wow, that's good news. Congratulations sweetheart." her uncle congratulated her."Don't you think such a position would be too exposing?" her aunt questioned."Exposing?" her uncle asked."Yes, in case two of you forgot, we are on the run from the werewolf council, what if this position brings Lilian exposure and then we are found?" her aunt asked."Oh! I didn't think of that." her uncle said.Her aunt sighed and looked at Lilian."Can you resign sweetie? I know you love your job but we c
THE HOWARD'S HOUSEHOLDLilian was playing with Lavender when she heard a knock on her room door."Sue is here and dinner will soon be ready." her aunt informed her from outside the room."I am coming" she replied."Okay dear."Lilian smiled at her son. "Let's go see Sue." she cooed to him, Little Lavender giggled in response.She opened the door and went downstairs carrying him in her arms. Sue was downstairs helping her aunt set the table."Lilian! I missed you all day. Work wasn't the same without you." Sue said as soon as she saw Lilian.Lilian handed Lavender over to her uncle."I missed you too." she told Sue as she approached her for a hug. The both of them hugged each other."The other girls were green with envy when I told them that not only did you meet Mr Romano, you are also his secretary. By the way, what did you do to your hair?" Sue asked."Mr Romano sent me shopping so I could get work appropriate clothes and along the way I decided to dye my hair." Lilian explained."I
''But Alessandro, the elder council need to understand that you suffered a great loss and that you are still recovering from it" rosatoldalessandro. "I know are feeling worried for me but you have to understand that I am an alpha and I have responsibilities. It is also the duty of the elder council to remind me of these responsibilities." Alessandro told Rosa. ''in case the alpha needs me to recommend someone for him or the beta, I would be happy to help out" Rosa's mother suggested."I am quite okay ma'am but should I need your help I would be sure to let you know." Alessandro assured her."If you make me stay at this dinner for one more minute, I will explode in anger and I assure you that you don't want to see me angry." Rosa spoke to Alessandro through the mind link (a connection through which members of the same pack could communicate through the mind.)"I am really sorry but I and my siblings must be on our way. We have urgent matters to attend to." Alessandro told Rosa's pa
Lilian entered the office and thought hard about what her aunt and uncle had said.If she really did things that angered Alessandro, would he fire her and let her be?Although she didn't want to do this, she also didn't want to put her family in danger. Her uncle and aunt had given up everything, their home, friends and businesses just to protect her. If sabotaging her job would keep them safe, she would have to do it. She went to the mini kitchen and prepared his coffee. Alessandro had told her he preferred his coffee warm with lots of milk and no sugar.Lilian made the coffee steaming hot, put lots of sugar and little milk.She then put it on his table and went to sit at her desk.Some few minutes later, Alessandro entered the office."Good morning Mr Romano." Lilian stood up and greeted him."Good morning Miss Howard. Is my coffee ready?" he asked."Yes sir, it's on your table." she answered."Good."Lilian watched him go inside, she bit her lip guiltily as she thought about what
"Pleased to meet you, Mr Romano." Lilian said politely."Enough with the formalities, just call me Ricciardo." Ricciardo told her."I don't think that would be proper." Lilian replied."Awwn, you are just as cute as Con said.""You may go miss Howard." Alessandro told Lilian."Yes sir." Lilian replied and left."You are so damn polite brother." Ricciardo told his brother."It's called maintaining boundaries and being professional.""hmmm, funny how you don't maintain those boundaries with Rosa." Ricciardo remarked as he sat down."Seriously, what is your problem with Rosa?" Alessandro asked."Nothing, forget about it." Ricciardo replied.Lilian knocked on the door and entered. She dropped the cold water on the table."I am really sorry sir about the mix-up." she apologized again."Its okay. I need you to print out the Winston files from the files office. I will be needing it in a business meeting later.""Yes sir." Lilian replied and left the office."What's that about?" Ricciardo aske
Although being fired had been her plan, hearing it said out loud by Alessandro made Lilian feel strange. Especially when he looked so angry. Lilian wanted to plead for her job but when she pictured her family, she couldn't."Thank you sir for giving me this opportunity, I am really sorry things went this way, I will drop all my work things at the table. What about the clothes? How do I return them?" she asked Alessandro."Don't bother about the clothes." he told her."Thank you once again sir" Lilian told him.Ricciardo entered the office. "Good news! I was able to score us a new meeting with the Winston team. Lilian schedule it in his planner, it's next week Monday." he told Lilian."There will be no need for that, miss Howard is no longer my secretary." Alessandro informed him."Huh? Why?" he asked confused."I will be taking my leave now." Lilian said and left the brothers alone in the office."Alessandro, what the hell?" Ricciardo asked