The Right Company

London

Beatrice's townhouse

Friday, 6 pm.

"Do we have to invite her? I can't stand her. She's so... so stuffy!" Violet sighed.

"Yes, Beatrice, we do. She's a Vanderbilt. She's Ethan's cousin. We have to include her, or at least make it look like we are."

"Oh, please. She's not even a real Vanderbilt. She grew up in Monaco and has walked right into Oxfordshire as though she grew up with the rest of them. No one even knew she existed until five minutes ago," Beatrice muttered.

Beatrice di Medici, of the infamous Medici family and a descendant of Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France in the 1500s, was a wealthy Italian-born young woman who had grown up in Oxfordshire after moving there at the age of six to attend the prestigious Dragon School.

It was there that she met Violet Evergreen, heiress to the Evergreen fortune.Like Beatrice's family, who had amassed their enormous wealth through banking, the Evergreens were an old-money banking family. Their fortune had been built not through hard work, as Beatrice often joked, but through marrying into the Rothschild family and inheriting much of their wealth.

Beatrice was short, standing at around five foot six. She was slim and tanned, with shoulder-length chestnut-brown hair. She had the sort of jawline everyone envied and a nose plastic surgeons used as inspiration. Little did they know, it wasn't natural. Following a lacrosse accident when she was fourteen, she had undergone reconstructive surgery.

Then there was Violet. With long golden-blonde hair that fell in soft waves, she was taller than Beatrice, standing at around five foot eight. She had an hourglass figure that men fawned over. She was beautiful. She could have been a swimsuit model.

Then there was Estelle, who up until a month ago, no one outside the Vanderbilt family knew existed. She was Ethan's older cousin. Older by 6 months that is. Ethan and Violet were dating. They were the couple everyone envied, with rumors of an engagement constantly following them. This match would be wonderful for Violet, as he was the heir to the Vanderbilt empire, or was until about a month ago.The Vanderbilt's were the wealthiest family in their social circle, their fortune having been built centuries ago. Henry Vanderbilt, Ethan and Estelle's grandfather, had six children. His second child Edward, being the only one known to have children. Ethan and August. Williams oldest child Thomas was a wild one. Set to take over the Vanderbilt empire from birth, he never really played by the rules and at 16, left England, and gallivanted around the world. The Vanderbilt family owned Vanderbilt Unlimited. They did everything from property and banking to manufacturing and e commerce. It was hard to keep up with what they did and what they actually owned since it was so vast. and Thomas was to run it all, until William became fed up and his favour moved to his second son. For years the family never really heard from Thomas.

It wasn't until a month ago he returned, with Estelle. When Ethan introduced Estelle to Violet, Violet instantly hated her. Estelle was tall, with glowing skin and dirty-blonde hair that fell to her ribs in silky waves. She had stunning blue eyes and the perfect smile.It was disgusting how beautiful she was. The worst part is everyone seemed to love Estelle, the nobody from Monaco. No matter where they went all eyes and attention would be on Estelle. Estelle was utterly confident and graceful in everything she did. She was perfect. It made violet sick. No one seemed surprised by her existence despite never hearing of her before. Probably due to her pure perfection.

Violet had been dating Ethan since they were 15. As the couple everyone was jealous of she would always turn heads. She'd known the family even longer. Since she was born really. And has never heard of Estelle. Was she a product of an affair? Probably. So why is everyone so fond of her?

But when Violet heard Ethan say that Estelle might take over the Vanderbilt company, that's when she really began to hate her.

You see violet was the youngest of 4 children. Two older brothers and an older sister. She was the forgotten one. She had money. But no power. Her family didn't take must notice of her until they discovered that she was dating the heir and future chairman of the Vanderbilt empire. By being with the future chairman of the Vanderbilt empire she had power of her siblings and favour with her family. But for a illegitimate nobody to swoop in and take that from her. She couldn't have that. She needed Estelle gone.

"Sorry I'm late. I spoke to Estelle, like you told me to, Violet. She's staying at The Savoy. I told her the car would meet her at the front of the hotel at 7:30. I also told her we were going to the opera and that the dress code was black tie." Araminta Leyong grinned.

Araminta's father owned the Alibaba Group, the largest e-commerce company in China. Araminta, who went by Minty for short, was a half-French, half-Chinese goddess. Tall and slim, with long, flowing jet-black hair, she turned heads wherever she went. The girls had met Minty four years earlier while studying Sociology together at the University of Oxford.

"Perfect," Violet smiled.

"Why is she wearing black tie to a concert?" Beatrice asked, looking at the girls in confusion.

"I said we have to make it look like we're including her to keep Ethan happy. But really, I want to bring her down a notch. Or ten. She's been here for a month and is already acting like she owns everything. I'm sick of her arrogance and how everyone just loves her. It's disgusting. Even Ethan and his family are bending over backwards for her."

"Yes, but what does black tie have to do with anything? And the opera? I thought we were going to see Dom perform at Wembley?" Beatrice asked.

"We are. But she doesn't know that." Araminta giggled. "Remember that fling I had with that guy in Prague last year? Eddie? He's Dom's manager."

"And?" Beatrice prompted.

"He owed me one. Well, technically he wants another night with me." Araminta smirked.

"You know how Dom always brings someone from the crowd on stage during the last act?"

The other girls nodded.

"I told Eddie that Estelle is an incredible singer and guitar player and that it's her lifelong dream to perform at Wembley Stadium. So she'll be brought on stage during the final song."

"Wait, so she gets to meet Dom? Why does she get to meet Dom?" Beatrice cried.

"Oh my God, B!" Violet said, rolling her eyes."As if stuffy Estelle can play guitar, or even knows who Dom is. She's far too proper to be into pop-punk. She's also too polite to say no, and who wears a ballgown to a pop-punk concert?" Violet laughed.

"I'll film it and post it on TikTok. Not only will she completely embarrass herself on stage, but I'll start a rumor that she paid her way up there. Then the online hate will come flooding in." She grinned. "That's just the beginning. Once I'm done with her she will run back to Monaco with her tail between her legs never to be heard of again, but first, public humiliation."

"You think it will work?" Beatrice said confused.

"Of course. You know the Vanderbilt's have publicity, especially negative publicity. We make it go viral and they will be pissed, Estelle will be embarrassed, and we should be rid of her. Or at least, she will become timid and we can manipulate her to leave." Violet said smirking.

"But what if it doesn't go viral? And if you post it with Ethan be mad?" Beatrice suggested softly.

"That's why we have Minty. She knows everybody. Minty will get one of her influencer friends to post it. It will never be traced back to us."

Violet smiled, already imagining the look on Estelle's face when the entire stadium turned against her.

Estelle Vanderbilt had been in England for barely a month and was already ruining everything.

She will regret ever coming here, Violet thought.