The Mafia & The Billionaire

Serene’s POV

“What are you doing here?” Daisy inquired arrogantly. I wonder why they are here as well, so I decided to piss them off to entertain myself.

“I came to watch,” I simply replied, and they raised their brows at me.

“Are you kidding me? What right do you have to watch such a competition that was only for a prominent family?” Daisy asked.

“Then why are you two here? A mistress and a bastard who don’t have any numbers in their names?” I asked mockingly.

“How dare you?” Daisy said, before raising her hand and was about to slap me, but Enzo caught her hand.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The case that you filed against her might backfire on you,” Enzo said. Yes, they filed an assault case against me with a scheduled hearing. They called me to the police station and they wanted me to apologize but I didn’t because I didn’t do anything to her either. Mavie was acting nice that time telling me she just wanted me to learn my lesson so I challenged her to sue me which she did. The police were about to send me to jail but Alex’s lawyer came. So now, I am free but I still need to attend the hearing and I am ready.

“Yes, you have a case to face tomorrow. Let’s see if you’re still that arrogant when you attend the hearing.” Daisy said this to me, glaring at me as if her eyes were about to explode.

“Serene, I don’t know why you are here, but can you act like an educated person? This is not a place for the vulgar. Just like what you are doing now.” Mavie spoke in a prim and proper manner, causing the people around her to sympathize with her. Did she think that acting like a victim would work there?

“I’m sorry if you think I am not worthy to be here. What can I do? You threw me out of our house when I was six and unable to take care of myself. I have no strength over a woman who had been my dad’s mistress even before he married my mother. The fact that you’re here is clear evidence of my father’s infidelity.” I said, sobbing, making everyone turn and look accusingly at Daisy and Mavie.

“I was only six years old and just a kid when your mother accused me of hurting you, who was bigger and older than me, which my father, who was supposed to protect me, believed. I didn’t know who I would turn to. And now that my mother gave me her share of her own company, you wanted it as well. What else did you want to steal from me?” I continued, crying loudly this time.

“My gosh, Mr. Dylan did that?” one of the guests asked.

“Mr. Dylan of Serendipity? How can you be sure that they were from Dylan’s?” the other asked.

“She’s Mavie Dylan. I often hear people say she’s going to be the next owner of Serendipity Jewelry.” The other person responded, and I caught that in my ears.

“Did she actually say that?” I asked, crying, looking at the women who were talking about Mavie, and they nodded hesitantly. “My name is Serendipity Dylan, and my mom named the company after me; how can you covet what’s mine? My mother diligently worked for the company while my father was in your mother’s arms, spending my beloved mother’s hard-earned money together. What right do you have to claim that Serendipity was yours?” I cried, knowing that everyone believed me, and I secretly smiled.

“I didn’t know that her mother was a mistress; I thought she was Serendipity. Oh my gosh!”

“Stop it!!” Daisy yelled. The way she looks now is like someone who has lost all the colors on their face. I have completely humiliated her, and I have no intention of stopping. While they are here, I will make sure to make them suffer.

“You hurt my daughter, which caused her to be hospitalized, and yet you’re here accusing her?” she said,

“Did I hurt your daughter?” I asked.

“We have already filed a case against you, and you know that.”

“Oh, that. Don’t worry, I am going to face the trial because I know that Serendipity is mine. I will make sure to clear my name.” I told her.

“Serene,” Philip called to me, and I looked at him, smiling. He just left me for a while to check on something and thankfully, he came back in time.

“Wow, is that Philip Einspein? The renowned fashion designer will be one of the judges of today’s competition.” Because he aspired to become famous, Philip frequently presented himself as Philip Einspein at various events to which I was invited. Although transgender, he didn’t change his name to a girly one.

“Do you know these people? Don’t talk to anyone because I didn’t want people to think that my judgment was being clouded by familiarity,” he said, looking respectable. Well, he really is. He was serious when it came to work, and I admire him for that. He never disappoints me. “Follow me; the competition is about to begin,” he instructed. I was astounded by his acting ability.

We left, and I saw Daisy and Mavie glaring at me as people continued to talk about them. “I think Serendipity is good; imagine Philip Einspein was at her side,” was the last thing I heard before we were totally inside the auditorium.

“Boss, sit here,” Philip said when we were about to take our seats.

“Idiot, you’re the one who needs to sit there. You are Philip Einspein today.” I whispered to him.

“I know, but I didn’t want you to just be anywhere.”

“It’s fine; Enzo is with me,” I replied and gave him a sweet smile. He sighed and took his seat. The competition had started, and I was so happy that there were really good participants. I remember those that caught my attention. The last one that came off the stage looked familiar to me, and I think I’ve seen it somewhere. It was a long gown that had a short front and a long back. The rising sun print on the side of the body gives a sexy look to the model. It had one strap where the rays of sunlight reached, making the model look fiery and fierce. It was really good.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

I texted Philip and asked him, ‘Yeah, I know that design. It’s plagiarized,’ he replied. I shook my head and felt pity for the contestant. The announcement of the winners had arrived, and I waited for Philip to text me his choices. I will let him choose and see whether he has improved from our last lesson.

He texted me about his winning contestants, and I was so proud of him because they were also really good designs. I replied with a thumbs-up and a smiley emoticon, meaning that I liked his decision. He looked at me and smiled.

The announcement of the grading left the last student, who had plagiarized others’ work, enraged. She condemned the judges, especially Philip, who gave her a zero. “I know that mine was the most beautiful; why did I lose?” the designer asked angrily. Then came Daisy and Mavie.

“Is it because she is my niece that you did that?” Daisy questioned Philip. “Is it because we argued with your staff that’s why you decided to sabotage my niece’s work?” she added, and Philip glared at her. If there was anything Philip hated, it was what Daisy accused him of. As a child, he endured constant bullying and unfair treatment from adults due to his orphan status. He promised not to do that to others, and to always be fair to everyone.

“I don’t care about your dispute with Serene, but let’s say that I gave your niece the benefit of the doubt. Let me ask this of her.” He said, looking at the designer, “Did you make this design yourself?” The designer couldn’t look at him; instead, she looked at Mavie. “What is the theme of your design? You will be able to give me the details since you’re the one who made it.” He added that the designer couldn’t talk at all.

“That’s my design, and I can explain it to you,” Mavie said instead, and Philip’s eyes widened in shock, at which Mavie thought that he was amazed, so she continued talking. She said that it was a reminder to the person wearing the gown that there’s always a bright future ahead. “I had given her my full authority, so it wasn’t plagiarism,” he added.

“That’s odd because I don’t remember seeing you in any competition. Look,” Philip said, showing her the same dress. “This is the competition I attended in Portico Region, and that design won that time. And she is the designer,” he said, pointing to the woman in the picture. “Does she look like you?” he asked.

Philip looked at everyone and said, “The one thing I hated the most is the kind of person who steals someone else’s work and things. I will never allow anyone who does that to stand on the same stage I am standing.” Then he went back to his seat.

“Earlier, we found out that that woman was coveting Serendipity, now she was claiming others’ designs. I guess she was shameless.’ The murmur was heard around the auditorium, and panic was all over Daisy and Mavie’s faces while the designer who represented the design ran away out of shame.

“I know that that woman told you to say that,” Daisy said, not thinking.

“How can you say that when she was just standing in the corner? He is Philip Einspein. Why would he listen to someone who may destroy his reputation?” One of the judges asked angrily. The event organizer and producer took Daisy, who was still yelling and shouting, into custody. I shook my head in disappointment, thinking it was all they could do. I was kind of hoping for a melodramatic confrontation, but it turned out that they were nothing but a leach that loved to covet someone else’s property.

They should entertain me tomorrow because I was looking forward to our hearing.