CH 59
Harmony
She’d asked Garrett about why he had an office and a conference room here in the apartment building; as they’d walked to it, it was a curiosity to her. They weren’t normal things to have in an apartment building. She knew she’d lived in one for most of her adult life. This place had many things that a normal apartment building wouldn’t.
Like that massive gaming room, and the library or that half–sized indoor heated Olympic. swimming pool. She understood lots of people lived here, but those things weren’t normal,
more like for out in the community somewhere; a recreation center she thought. Now there
was a conference room as well. It was odd.
He’d just smiled down at her and stated “I guess because my family owns the building, and it
was once…a shopping mall…which has been added onto, and transformed into an apartment
complex, but we retained some of the things from the mall for those that live here.” he’d
shrugged “My family has a long history of looking after those that live here. As for my office, I
work from here sometimes, we can get snowed in as well.”
She’d just nodded, guessed it was a good enough explanation, though he did have an office in his apartment as well. He must work a lot, she thought, more than she’d seen him do. But maybe not all the time. “Do I need to work from here then, if you do?” she’d asked as an
afterthought.
“Yes, on occasion.” He smiled at her “You and I will travel to and from the city together from
now on.”
“Oh.” She’d not really expected that, but it would save on fuel while she was staying here, she
supposed.
“You also have an office up in your apartment?” she questioned him.
“Mm I do, that is for when I want to be there for you and well,” he smiled at her, leaned down and pressed his ear to her mouth and murmured softly “we have our pup… and when we want to, have a few days in… be all loved up and crazy in the bedroom.”
It was then that she realised Garrett was planning on having her move into this place permanently, because he was already talking about her being up in there with his child. She shook that off, she wasn’t just going to live with him, she liked having her own apartment.
But then again, she was having the man’s child, and he did, she knew, want to raise it in his
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+ Point
apartment up on the top floor, so he was expecting her to move in with him, and before the baby was born, she guessed. They’d probably have to sit down and discuss it at some point; what they both wanted or expected.
The conference room was large and there was an aerial photograph on the wall of the entire gated community. She’d not seen that before, and walked over to look at it. The place was. quite large, and the streets were all laid out before the apartment complex, and down towards the gate, with lots of green zones, though she could see several of the buildings had neatly
printed stickers on them to denote what the buildings were.
Next to the apartment complex on the right was the community’s hospital, and up a long road that wound a bit more into the mountainous area was an aged care facility; that surprised her a little. There was a school and shopping center, a large playground, and a training facility, out the back of the apartment complex, a road and walking path led to it.
There were many streets that had homes along them. There looked to be three distinct
neighbourhoods within the gated community. Each section also had different sized homes
and yards. She thought it was likely the lower, middle and upper class areas of the
community.
“How many people live here?” Harmony asked as she looked at the photograph. She’d been
told it was a gated community, but it was massive, more like a town of its own.
“Almost 1200.” Garrett had smiled at her. “That includes all the children as well.”
“Got your own town.” She murmured as she sipped her coffee. “And all these people that live here, work for you as well?”
“Yes, in one capacity or another. From cleaners to gardeners, security to CEOS” he nodded.
“What’s that for?” she touched the picture where it stated, training ground.
“Hmm, it’s a massive outdoor gym.”
“Why do you
need one,
there’s one in this building?” she’d never seen anything like it before.
She heard Garrett chuckle softly as his arms curled around her waist and his lips met her ear, “Now sweetheart, where do you think I get all my muscles from? I’m out there daily or down in the gym.”
“Really?” she turned her eyes to meet his “In the middle of winter?”
“No, currently working out in the indoor gym.” He told her.
“I’ve not seen you do that once.” she murmured.
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“Do you want to come down and check me out, lifting weights and sparring with my friends?”
“Sparring?” she questioned.
“Yes, not only do the boys here and I, train and spar, we train many here in mixed martial arts
and ground fighting.”
“Why?” she asked curiously.
“Why? Because we like it, it’s good fun and also a good form of exercise, keeps us fit and allows everyone here that wants to learn to be able to defend themselves.”
“I suppose.” She nodded and felt him hug her as she turned back to the picture.
“Do you want to come and watch me out there, on the training ground, it’s kind of like a giant
obstacle course, lots of fun to be had out there, and anyone can use it. Can challenge me on
- it. I hold the current fastest time to race through it.”
“It’s too cold.” She shook her head.
“In the warmer months.” He smiled against her neck “I’ll wear nothing but shorts, you’ll get see
all my muscles.”
She chuckled and shook her head, “You like showing them off, I see.”
“Mm, I like being big and strong. I admit that and yes, I’m a bit of a show–off, but so are the boys over there, and you’ll get to sit or stand and watch me with their wives, we’ll make a
morning of it, hold a competition even for you.”
“And the prize would be?” she asked.
“A day in bed, no work at all.”
“Stop it.” she murmured, just knew he was already thinking about it.
He chuckled and kissed her temple, murmured “You’d love it.” Then he let her go and stepped away from her. The problem with that was she would and she knew it. She heard him greet
Rachael and turned around to look at her; nodded to her in greeting.
“I see Miss Preston is still being targeted by Chloe Sliverton.” Rachael stated “I have it on good authority, that the ring she is wearing, was purchased for Harmony, not Chloe. I got that right from Gregory and Laurel Blackwell themselves, when they hushed me to keep it a secret to surprise Harmony with that engagement ring.”
Harmony shrugged “Gregory also told me that himself. When he rang me after I quit Blackwell Industries,” Harmony nodded “But Chloe can have it, just like she can have Damien.”
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CH 59
“Is that on the record?” Rachael asked,
“If you like,” Harmony nodded.
“Good, now…down to business, what is it you kept from me and I could have used last week?”
Rachael asked.
“Wait before we get to that, Harmony stated Chloe was wearing the exact same dress
Harmony was supposed to wear to the Blackwell New Year’s Eve party.” Garrett stated.
She found all eyes on her, and she just nodded “I have the dress at my old apartment, it’s in
the closet. The tag is still on it.
“Do you have proof of the purchase date?” Rachael asked.
“Mm, the receipt will be in the bag and I used my card to buy it, so there will be bank records.”
“Garrett?” Racheal asked him.
“I’ve got someone headed to her apartment now, to check if the dress is still there, and bring it
back. If that is the case, they should get here before our meeting finishes.”
“Good. If I can get a photo of it, the purchase date and…”
“Wait,” Harmony sighed “I’ve got a picture of me in it at the store. Every time I considered
buying a dress for a formal occasion I had to send Damien pictures so he could approve it or
not.” She scrolled through her phone and found it. She’d taken the photo of herself in it
standing in front of the store mirror, and hadn’t realised before now, that Chloe was right there
in the background, looking at a dress on the rack behind her. She held her phone out to show
Rachael.
་
“I want that.” Rachael stated and Harmony nodded, gave her the phone so she could send it to
herself.
“See, now is a much better timing for all this to come out, Rachael. With all that Chloe has
now stated about that ring, and when she received it. That it was always meant for her and was proposed to on Christmas Day.” Garrett smiled as they all sat down. “Now the dress she was wearing as well, Chloe is definitely targeting Harmony personally, even though she’s
gotten everything she wants, she still can’t leave Harmony alone. Shows what kind of character she truly has; matches the Blackwells perfectly, I think.”
“How big is the rest of the news?” Rachael asked.
“There will be a lot of publicity after this one,” Garrett answered her, “Though for the Blackwells, not Harmony and I.”
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+8 Point:
“You’ll have plenty to research as well on that family itself.” Wyatt chuckled softly. “Especially
their children.”
Rachael frowned. “How about we just start with what you brought me here to see, and we’ll go from there.”
“Hmm, alright, you’re going to be her a while though.” Garrett nodded and Harmony saw the office footage come up on the big screen TV up on the wall. The four of them in the office and
then Gregory, Laurel and Damien all walked in. Rachael indicated for it to be paused.
“I recall Harmony, you stated you’d had a meeting with the Blackwells on Christmas Eve. Is
this the actual footage of that?”
“Yes,” Harmony nodded, “and honestly, some of it, I wish I had never heard at all. Damien’s cruelty.” She sighed and muttered “and Laurel…” she shook her head a little “I just can’t
fathom.”
“Interesting.” Rachael motioned for the video to be played once more.
Harmony didn’t need to watch it, she still recalled it. Though Racheal looked right at her after she’d seen the arguing in Garrett’s office, “I’m sorry he’s such an asshole. But that,” she indicated to the video, “Is going to hit Chloe hard, she’ll be fully ticked off at this turn of events
if it’s released.”
“There is more Rachael,” Garrett stated “This is what you really want to know about that family. Who they really are and what they are like.”
Harmony watched as Rachael frowned at the footage of Laurel trying to sway herself into staying with Damien, “Wow, now that is really something, shows the wealthy elite aren’t at all very nice people, and that sounds a bit like it’s not just the Blackwells that do this.” Rachael stated then turned and looked at Harmony, “I see it literally sickened you to your stomach.”
“Yes, and she wore the vomit.” Harmony nodded.
