《A NIGHT WITH THE CRAZY CEO》


 CHAPTER ONE

    ?BRIANNA?


    I was at my workce, a restaurant, where I was working an afternoon shift. I was in the kitchen, watching my colleague and my best friend, Cherry, running around in the kitchen while trying to put something together for the customers to eat.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help, Cherry?¡± I asked her for the umpteenth time.


    ¡°Yes, Bri, I¡¯m sure. I don¡¯t want Mrs. Manager to yell at you if she sees you assisting me.¡± She replied and returned to cooking while I sat, quietly watching her do her thing.


    ¡°Brianna! Why are you sitting around instead of taking customers¡¯ orders?!¡± I heard the manager¡¯s loud voice, and I shivered in fear. I was in trouble.


    ¡°Oh shit! This is not going to be good.¡± I thought as I braced myself for what she would say. The manager hates it when we, the employees, sit around when there are no customers in the restaurant. She prefers it if we keep ourselves busy by doing some resourceful things.


    But we need rest too, don¡¯t we? She gets to sit in her air-conditioned office while we run around serving rude customers. It¡¯s not fair.


    ¡°The restaurant is almost empty, and I have attended to the people here, so I thought I would rest for some minutes,¡± I replied, nervously answering her question.


    ¡°We don¡¯t rest while working here! How many times will I tell you that?¡± She snapped like a rabid dog.


    ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am.¡± I apologized even though I didn¡¯t mean it one bit.


    ¡°Some important customers just came in; attend to them and take their orders. Be on your best behavior.¡± She said it with an authoritative tone, and I nodded politely.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± I replied.


    I took my notepad and pen, then walked out of the kitchen and over to the new customers upying one of the tables.


    ¡°Good afternoon, gentlemen. My name is Brianna, and I¡¯ll be your waitress for today. What will you be having this afternoon?¡± I asked the two breathtakingly gorgeous men with a professional smile. If I were one of those girls that swoon over handsome men, I would be drooling like a high school girl.


    ¡°I will like to have a te of pasta Carbonara with a bottle of your best red wine.¡± The first guy said, and I bobbed my head. I jotted it down and faced the second guy, waiting for him to tell me what he wanted to order, but he kept mute.


    ¡°What will you like to have, Sir?¡± I asked the other guy as I began to feel impatient, but he kept quiet and acted like I wasn¡¯t talking to him. I was about to say something when the first guy told me to get the quiet man the same thing he ordered but that they would share the bottle of wine.


    I bobbed my head and returned to the kitchen to get their order. I told the cook what they ordered, and he began to prepare it. After a few minutes, their order was ready, so I arranged everything on a tray and went to serve them.


    As I walked back to their table and got closer, I tripped over my leg, and all the contents in the tray flew in the air. Some of the creamy pasta fell on the quiet guy as he sat just a few feet from where I fell. I gasped in shock as he stood up angrily, and I knew that I was in deep shit. His face lookedical, and if I weren¡¯t in trouble, I would haveughed.


    ADRIAN?


    I furiously got up from my seat when the hot pasta burned my skin. I looked at my white shirt and saw that the pasta cream had stained it. I was already in a bad mood because my best friend, Manuel, forced me here to grab a bite while sorting out some crucial files. This clumsy waitress just had to ruin my mood. I walked over to where she was and dragged her up from the floor while holding her arm tightly, leaving red hand prints on her surprisingly wless skin.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± The waitress yelled.


    ¡°Where is the manager?!!¡± I shouted angrily, ignoring her attempts to get out of my tight grip on her.


    She wiggled andined, but I tightened my hold on her. She was going nowhere.


    Almost immediately, the manager came running out of a corner with a flustered look.


    ¡°Is this how the employees treat customers in this restaurant? With horrible customer service? I didn¡¯t employ you in my restaurant to turn it into this.¡± I demanded from the manager angrily.


    ¡°No Sir, we don¡¯t treat customers like this¡­ I¡¯m sure it was a mistake; she must have tripped.¡± The manager replied nervously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear shit. I want thisdy out of this ce right now.¡± I said coldly.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t want to see her here the next time Ie. If I do, consider your job gone.¡± I said, and the waitress started shouting and protesting.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fire me because of a minor mistake! Don¡¯t you make mistakes too? I¡¯ll apologize if you want me to!¡± She shouted.


    ¡°Keep your filthy apology to yourself,¡± I smirked at her. ¡°And I don¡¯t make mistakes.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t fire me. You¡¯re not the boss of me.¡± She said with a smirk of her own, and mine grew wider.


    ¡°I own this restaurant, pumpkin. I can hire and fire any fucking body as I please.¡± I shed a wicked grin at her, and her face turned pale.


    I dropped her hand, and the manager dragged her from where I was. The manager said some things to her, and whatever the manager said made her look sadder.


    She went to a room at the back and came back outside in a different outfit with a bag some minutester. She looked angry, and I got confused when she walked toward me instead of outside the restaurant. My confusion didn¡¯tst long as she stood before me and kicked me in the groin when I least expected it. I doubled over and cupped the ce where she kicked me. A pained groan left my mouth.


    ¡°I have nothing to lose since I got fired already. Good riddance, motherfucker.¡± She hissed and ran out of the restaurant without looking back. I stood there like someone in a trance and watched her run out of the restaurant, still surprised that she could kick me in the most delicate part of my body.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about that, Sir¡­ She can be crazy sometimes¡­¡± The manager was apologizing when I straightened my spine and walked out on her.


    I stomped out of the restaurant, almost limping as I still felt pain in my groin. She had surprisingly strong legs.


    ¡°You know, you shouldn¡¯t have fired her¡­ It must have been a mistake.¡± Manuel stated when we got to the car. I red at him, and he snapped his mouth shut immediately, but I heard him snicker. He knew better than to exchange words with me when I was angry.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. If you didn¡¯t force me toe here, I would have been in my office and not have gotten kicked at in my dick¡±. I used him out of annoyance, but he just cackled.


    BRIANNA?


    I ran out of the restaurant, close to tears. That handsome idiot had to get me fired because of a simple mistake. But I gave him a piece of my craziness, which made up for me getting fired. I ran for minutes without stopping to rest and only stopped when I got to my house. Immediately I got home; I wiped my face with the sleeve of my dress before stering a fake smile on my face. My little sister, Mariana, can be very inquisitive, and it would be worse if my mom were there with her to ask the question, and I didn¡¯t want them to find out what happened. I wasn¡¯t too sad because I still had another part-time job: a bartender at a club at night.


    I walked into our poor-looking house. It looked normal, but everywhere was quiet, so I guessed my sister was not back from school. She was one of the reasons I wanted to work harder; I didn¡¯t want her to end up like me, a high school dropout without a college degree. The other reason I was working was to get the money to treat my mom, an anemia patient, and I didn¡¯t want my sister and I to lose the only family we had left.


    I walked up the stairs to my mom¡¯s room to find her asleep on her old, rusty bed. I wished she was never diagnosed with anemia. Everything would have been better than it is now. I sighed deeply and got into bed with her. Whenever I felt down and sad, getting close to my mom calmed me down, every time.

 CHAPTER TWO

    ?ADRIAN?


    I was working on myptop in my office when my assistant came in with the coffee; I asked her to get it for me over twenty minutes ago. I red at her as she walked towards my desk and noticed she was shivering like a cat that had just gotten out of water.


    ¡°What the hell took you so long?¡± I asked her in anger.


    ¡°The queue at the cafe was very long, so I had to wait in line until it got to my turn.¡± She answered with a nervous smile.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you tell whoever the fuck  was in charge that I am the one that wants to drink the coffee?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Sir.¡± She apologized, already close to tears. She must be very timid because I haven¡¯t said or done anything.


    ¡°Give the damn coffee to me,¡± I demanded and held out my hand, and she gave it to me with shaky hands.


    I brought the stic cup to my lips and took a sip of it but immediately spat it out. The coffee was already cold and wasn¡¯t even the type I told her to get for me. I flung the cup of coffee at her, and before she could blink, the cup¡¯s content poured on her.


    ¡°Is this what I ordered for, and why is it cold?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Sir. I thought that was what you ordered, and the elevator stopped working for a little while, so I had to wait for it to work again.¡± She replied with an apologetic look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give second chances, you started working yesterday, and you¡¯re already making mistakes¡­ That won¡¯t continue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Sir. I apologize.¡± She begged.


    ¡°Keep the apology to yourself because you¡¯re fired already,¡± I stated coldly, facing myptop again.


    ¡°Sir¡­ Please forgive me. The mistake won¡¯t repeat itself,¡± she said, already crying.


    ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t. Get out of my office¡­ NOW.¡± I yelled, but she just stood there and continued crying and pleading.


    I picked up the telephone on my desk and put a call across to security. They got to my office within a few minutes, and I ordered them to get the wailing banshee out. I stopped them when they were about to leave my office.


    ¡°Stop by her office, pack her belongings, and throw her out of the building along with them. I must not set my eyes on her in these premises ever again.¡± I said to them. They nodded and resumed dragging her until they were out of my sight.


    I picked up my telephone again and called my secretary, informing him to get me a new personal assistant as soon as possible. After that, I got back to work.


    ?BRIANNA?


    I woke up early this morning, tidied up the house, and cooked breakfast for my mom and younger sister. When I was done, I climbed up the stairs and woke Mom to tell her that breakfast was ready so she could freshen up ande downstairs. I also went to the room Mariana, and I shared to wake her up to prepare for school.


    ¡°Morning, sis.¡± Marie greeted me when she woke up.


    ¡°Morning. How was your night?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It was good; how was yours?¡± She responded, and I gave her a response. Then she strolled to the small conjoined bathroom to take her bath.


    I returned to the kitchen to pick up my phone, which I had left on the counter earlier. I turned it on to find a missed call from my best friend, Cherry, and immediately called her back.


    ¡°Hey, best friend. How¡¯re you doing?¡± I heard her voice from the other end.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Cherry¡­ How was your night?¡± I asked her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine too. Sorry about yesterday. I was swamped, so I haven¡¯t called to ask how you¡¯ve been doing since then.¡± She stated.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good. Besides, it wasn¡¯t your fault, but that stupid man¡¯s. At least I still have one more job left; that should count as something.¡± I replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Well, what if I tell you there¡¯s something you can do?¡± she asked chirpily.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I quizzed.


    ¡°Have you heard of A. C. Organizations?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. Am I supposed to know about them?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Oh my gosh! This is why I told you to know what¡¯s happening around you. Why have a phone when you wouldn¡¯t even use it? It¡¯s supposed to help you know things!¡± She snapped.


    ¡°Well, A. C. Organizations is one of the biggest industries in the world, and the headquarter needs a personal assistant for the CEO.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Wow? Are you sure I stand a chance, though? Because you know my level of education.¡± I stated, feeling unsure.


    ¡°I think you should give it a try first. Also, have faith, even if it¡¯s just a little bit.¡± She said like the optimistic person that she was.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t hurt to try. Thanks for the info, Cherry.¡± I stated, thanking her.


    ¡°No problem.¡± She spoke. ¡°Now stop whatever you¡¯re doing because the interview starts at 8:30 a. m., and this is 7:45. You should run along now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mummy,¡± I replied with a chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send the address to you now. Get ready!¡± She said and hung up.


    About a minuteter, my phone rang, and I saw she had sent the address.


    I got up from the kitchen counter I had been sitting at and ran to the room. I saw that Marie was already dressed and about to head downstairs for breakfast.


    ¡°Where are you rushing to?¡± she asked as I glided to the bathroom.


    ¡°I want to take my bath. I¡¯m almost runningte for work.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll be going to school immediately after eating, so bye!¡± She called out, and I heard her walk out of the room.


    I took my bath and came out of the bathroom. Next, I went to the wardrobe and started rummaging through it, looking for a suitable dress for the interview. I found a manageable ck pencil skirt and a white polka-dot shirt that goes along with it. They had some wrinkles, so I quickly ironed them out a bit.


    After dressing up, I brushed my hair and applied lip gloss. Then, I went to where I kept my shoes to see a t ck shoe that went well with my dress. I didn¡¯t even remember buying the shoes.


    I looked at myself in the mirror and nodded when I was satisfied with my appearance. When I finished dressing up, I took out my credentials from where I kept them and put them in my bag alongside my phone and a few dor notes.


    I checked the time to see that I was almost runningte, so I ran down the stairs to the living room and saw Mom eating in the kitchen. I told her I was going out and didn¡¯t wait for her reply before running out of the house.


    Immediately I got outside, I took a cab straight to the address Cherry sent me, and after some minutes, we arrived at the destination. I got out of the cab and paid the driver.


    In front of me stood a tall, morous building with ss making almost every part of it. I walked into the building and went straight to the receptionist¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Good morning, miss.¡± I greeted the beautifuldy sitting behind the receptionist¡¯s desk with a polite smile.


    ¡°Good morning; how may I help you?¡± she asked, looking away from theputer in front of her to look at me.


    ¡°I came across an ad that there is a vacancy for the post of personal assistant, and I¡¯m here for the interview,¡± I responded, my smile not wavering.


    ¡°Oh, alright. Take the elevator to the 4th floor and when you step out of it, turn to your left and go to the first office you see. That¡¯s where the interview is being held.¡± She replied professionally. I thanked her and walked to the elevator. I pressed the button to the 4th floor, and the doors slid closed. It started moving, and I patiently waited for it to reach the 4th floor.


    The elevator was dinged, and the doors slid open when it got to the 4th floor. I stepped out of it and headed where the receptionistdy told me to go. I got there and was shocked at the number of people waiting outside the supposed office for the interview. I found a ce to sit and nted my butt on the chair. It seemed I was going to be there for a while.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

 CHAPTER THREE

    ?BRIANNA?


    I sat for about fifteen minutes before I was finally called upon. I got up, straightened my clothes, and walked into the office.


    I was dumbfounded by what I saw when I stepped into the room. The man who fired me yesterday sat on a swivel chair behind a mahogany desk. He was seated majestically and pressing his phone like he didn¡¯t have a care in the world. He was so engrossed in whatever he was doing on his phone that he didn¡¯t notice that someone came in.


    He finally looked up after some minutes, and my breath somehow got caught in my throat. I momentarily forgot how to breathe and stared at him like a dumbo. I couldn¡¯t stop my eyes from wandering over his physique.


    He had dirty blonde hair, bushy eyebrows, hazel eyes with gray flecks, a pointed nose, small pink lips that looked kissable, and a neatly trimmed beard. I didn¡¯t have the time to check him out yesterday because of his disy of ¡°assholery.¡±


    ¡°Are you done checking me out?¡± he asked, a smug look on his face. The moment he asked that question, I snapped out of my daze. His eyes raked all over my body, and my body warmed up under his intense gaze. I cleared my throat, and he instantly looked up at my face, his eyes growing wide when he saw me.


    ¡°You!¡± He shouted. A look of familiarity crossed his features, and then angerpletely took over.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Do I know you?¡± I asked in pretense.


    ¡°Are you not the crazy bitch that kicked my dick yesterday?¡± He quizzed, looking like he would descend on me any moment from now.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I responded, feigning innocence.


    ¡°Oh, cut it out. Who are you deceiving?¡± He said with a scoff as he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯m the one.¡± I admitted in defeat.


    ¡°Ha! I knew it was you,¡± he eximed, a look of triumph on his face.


    ¡°Whatever. You got me fired, remember? ¡± I snapped at him, and he rolled his eyes like he was fed up hearing my voice.


    ¡°And I will do it again and again without getting tired.¡± He said, and I bit my tongue, trying to keep my response to myself.


    He spoke up again when he saw that I wouldn¡¯t talk back.


    ¡°What are you doing here anyway?¡± he asked, waving off the earlier topic.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the interview. I just wasn¡¯t prepared to meet an asshole here.¡± I stated, damning all consequences. ¡°By the way, where is the interviewer?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I am the interviewer and the CEO of this remarkable industry.¡± He spoke proudly, squaring his shoulders like an arrogant peacock.


    The moment he said that it was as if the air conditioner in the room stopped working, and I began feeling hot from the inside of my body. If he was the CEO like he said he was, then it was evident that I would never be able to get the job.


    Maybe, just maybe, I would stand a chance of getting the job if I apologized for everything I did to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the other day. It was a mistake; I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± I said, mustering my best apologetic voice. He looked taken aback for some seconds before the expression on his face became unreadable, and I couldn¡¯t fathom what he was thinking.


    ¡°Wow, seeing you apologize is so shocking. Apologizing does not look good on you.¡± He said it in mockery, and I sighed.


    ¡°Can we just forget about yesterday? Let¡¯s start this interview or send me out if you want to do that.¡± I said tiredly.


    ¡°Well, I could send you out of here, but I won¡¯t do that. Let me look at your credentials; you are the only one who came here dressed decently and not trying to seduce me.¡± He muttered, and a smile broke out on my face.


    I reached into my purse, handed him my credentials, and remained standing, taking in his facial features as he nced through my credentials.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m hot, but are you going to keep staring at me, or are you going to take a seat?¡± he asked arrogantly without raising his head to look at me.


    I cleared my throat awkwardly before sitting on the chair opposite the one he was sitting on, which was divided by a polished mahogany desk. I sat quietly for a while, patiently waiting for him to say something, and finally, he did.


    ¡°ording to what I see here, you didn¡¯t go to college, but your high school results were quite impressive; the teachers¡¯ and principals¡¯ feedback were also very good, which says that you were a brilliant student back in school. So, I have decided to give you a chance to prove yourself worthy of being my assistant.¡± He stated professionally; any sign of the arrogant man from earlier seemed to have vanished into thin air.


    I was overjoyed when he said he would give me a chance, but I kept a straight face, trying to keep my happiness at bay. If I seeded in proving myself to him, then I would be able to get the money for my mother¡¯s anemia treatment in no time.


    ¡°You are to resume work by 8:00 a. m. tomorrow. If you are thirty secondster than that, your chances of proving yourself will be at risk. I don¡¯t condone any form of tardiness. Do you get that?¡± He exined, then asked.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Adrian,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I will introduce you to the secretary, and you will get my schedule from him, go through it beforeing tomorrow morning to get an idea of what my day looks like. Am I clear?¡± he uttered.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Hey. You don¡¯t get to talk to me like that. I am your boss now, and your employment lies in my hands. A slight form of unprofessionalism, and you¡¯ll be fired, you get that?¡± he asked tauntingly.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Good.¡± Hemented with a satisfied smirk that I wished to wipe off with a punch.


    He picked up the telephone on the desk and called someone. After some minutes, a young man with brown hair and brown eyes came into the office.


    ¡°You sent for me, sir,¡± he said after greeting Mr. Adrian.


    ¡°Yes, I did. Tell the other people waiting to be interviewed that I already picked the one I want, and give thisdy my schedule on her way out. She is my new assistant.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The man replied calmly and left the office to carry out the orders.


    I turned back towards the Boss to find him staring at me.


    ¡°I look forward to working with you, Miss Brianna.¡± He uttered, stretching forth his hand to me for a handshake. I couldn¡¯t help but notice a mischievous glint in his eyes which made me shiver slightly.


    ¡°Same here, Mr. Adrian,¡± I replied, shaking his hand with my own, which looked smaller than his. Immediately our hands touched, I felt sparks working up my body, and I squirmed. He must have felt it, too, as he immediately broke off the handshake.


    ¡°Well, you can go now. We shall meet tomorrow.¡± He spoke. I got up and strolled to the door. I nced at him onest time before I walked out without looking back.


    I saw the man who hade into the office earlier and had just finished addressing the rest of the interviewees. When they set their eyes on me, they began murmuring among themselves, but I could hear them.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she slept with him to get this job.¡± One of thedies said, staring right at me. She didn¡¯t even conceal the look of disgust she was throwing in my direction.


    ¡°Ugh, she¡¯s such a bitch.¡± Another one uttered.


    I decided not to pay any attention to theirments as I had already gotten the job, and they could do nothing about it.


    After all of the interviewees had left, I went to meet the man.


    ¡°Hi there! Mr. Adrian said that you would give me his schedule.¡± I said when I got to him.


    ¡°Oh yeah. Follow me to my office; let me get it for you.¡± He replied, already turning towards the direction of his office. I followed behind him and waited outside while he went inside to get it.


    He handed the schedule to me when he got out.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said after collecting the notepad from him.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He responded with a short smile. ¡°Hope you have a good first day of work tomorrow.¡±


    I smiled at that and thanked him once again. Then, I went to the elevator to return to the first floor and leave the building.


    ?ADRIAN?Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    A sinister smirk appeared on my face as I watched her walk out of the office. She had absolutely no idea what I was going to do to her. She won¡¯t know what hit her when I begin to deal with her¡­

 CHAPTER FOUR

    ?ADRIAN?


    I went back to my office immediately the crazydy left. Shortly after I settled down, Manuel came sauntering into my office like he owned the ce.


    ¡°Hey buddy.¡± He hollered.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be back at your office?¡± I asked him but I should have known better than to ask. He was the type that didn¡¯t like staying in one ce for a long time, even if the said ce was hispany.


    Manuel was the CEO of one of the best fashion industries in the country. Hispany dealt with all kinds of wears for kids, women and men. They basically manufactured clothes for everybody and thepany had branches all over the country and the world.


    ¡°Is that the way you greet your best buddy?¡± He quizzed then continued before I had a chance to reply.


    ¡°Besides I don¡¯t have to stay at work because I own the ce and I also have people working for me. I¡¯m not like a certain somebody who buries his body, mind and soul in work from morning till night.¡± He said, mumbling thest sentence under his breath but I heard everything he said. I red at him and he snapped his mouth shut.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a response to whatever you just spilled out of your mouth.¡± Imented and he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, you won¡¯t believe who I met today.¡± I uttered, trying to change the subject. My lips stretched into a small smirk as I remembered the crazy girl whose source of ie was now in my hands. Just thinking of what I will make her go through was giving me inexplicable nostalgia.


    ¡°You know how bad I am at guessing, and I honestly can¡¯t stress my brain trying to think of who it might be, so just spill it.¡± He stated.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t stress your brain. Have you forgotten that you don¡¯t have one?¡± I asked him and he red at me. He was about to respond when I cut him off.


    ¡°I saw the waitress that poured food on me and kicked me the other day. Guess where I saw her?¡± I said then asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, at a mall? A club?¡± He quizzed.


    ¡°Not even close. She came for the interview for the post of my personal assistant and I did the wildest thing I have probably done in a while.¡± I responded and he looked curious.


    ¡°What did you do? Did you throw her out because of what she did?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I hired her. So that I can make her suffer for hitting me. She must pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ I don¡¯t know about that, Adrian.¡± He trailed off but I waved him off.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting my revenge and no one¡¯s stopping me.¡± I replied, going back to the files I was attending to before he came in.


    ¡°Well, suit yourself then.¡± He breathed out.


    ¡°Why, thank you.¡± I said and gave a faux smile before focusing what I was doing.


    ?BRIANNA?


    A bright smile was on my face as I exited the building. I was so happy I got the job but I couldn¡¯t help but feel somehow because he gave me the job without hesitation. I should prepare myself for everything as I had no idea if he had something up his sleeves.


    I wanted to g down a cab but kicked against it since my house was about a twenty minutes¡¯ walk from thepany and I would also be able save some money.


    By the time I got home, I was sweating profusely due to how hot the weather was.


    I got into the house and I met my mom and sister watching the small TV in the living room.


    ¡°Hi mom!¡± I greeted her and hugged her.


    ¡°Hey Marie. What are you doing at home by this time of the day? It¡¯s not closing time yet.¡± I asked her in confusion.


    ¡°I went to school but immediately I stepped foot into the ss, the teacher sent me out and said that I should have paid my school fees beforeing back to school.¡± she replied sadly. I bowed my head in pain, knowing that I was the reason why she would be staying at home.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, if not for this stupid sickness, I could be out there working and Brianna wouldn¡¯t have had to drop out of school and you also won¡¯t be sitting at home right now.¡± Mommented and began to sob. I could not stand seeing her cry so I moved closer to her tofort her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, mom. It is my responsibility to take care of the family as the first child, I¡¯ll keep trying my best.¡± I told her soothingly and she began to calm down.


    ¡°By the way, I got a new job as the personal assistant of a bigpany!¡± I squealed.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re working in apany now?¡± Mom and Marie chorused in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, and very soon, I¡¯ll have enough money for mom¡¯s treatment and I will also be able to enroll Marie into a better school.¡± I replied with a wide grin on my face.


    ¡°Thank you so much, darling. I don¡¯t know what I would have done without you and I can¡¯t stop ming myself for putting you through this stress.¡± Mom said sadly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, mom. It¡¯s not your fault that you are sick.¡± I uttered and we all fell silent.


    ¡°I gotta go take a shower, I stink so bad.¡± I said and began climbing up the creaky stairs that led to the bedroom. My phone decided to ring at that moment and I fetched it from my bag. Cherry¡¯s name was boldly disyed on the screen and I clicked on the answer button.


    ¡°Hey, how was it?¡± she asked expectantly.


    ¡°I got the job and I am going to resume work tomorrow!¡± I squeaked out a reply.


    ¡°Oh my God! That¡¯s a great news.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Do you have the dress and shoes you¡¯re going to wear for your first day at work?¡± she asked and the smile on my face slowly faded.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even thought of that. What am I gonna wear?¡± I asked and started panicking.


    ¡°Hey, rx. I¡¯m gonna buy you some dresses and shoes when I¡¯ming back from my shift at the restaurant. And you don¡¯t have a choice than to ept them.¡± She spoke and I sighed in relief.


    ¡°Thank you so much, bestie. You¡¯re a life saver.¡± I said to her in appreciation.


    ¡°No problem, babe. I will bring the dresses along with me when Ie to your ce in the evening. Remember to prepare for the club tonight.¡± She stated before hanging up.


    Cherry and I worked as bartenders at a club during the night. Working there also yed a big part in paying the bills. I wasn¡¯t veryfortable with working at a club, but a girl has got to do what she has to do.

 CHAPTER FIVE

    ?BRIANNA?


    Evening came around quicker than I expected and Cherry was at my house in no time. She came along with a big shopping bag in hand and I gasped upon seeing her.


    ¡°That is a big bag you¡¯ve got there.¡± Imented as she walked deeper into the bedroom. ¡°I thought you said you¡¯ll buy me two dresses and shoes? There seems to be more than that.¡±


    ¡°Yes that¡¯s what I said. But I changed my mind when I got to the mall.¡± She replied in a perfunctory manner and I smiled.


    ¡°Why would you do that? Spending all of your money on me.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Firstly, I didn¡¯t spend all of my money and even if I did, it¡¯s for a good cause. Besides, I had to get more than two dresses because I want you to dress like a sexy professional so that people would have to take a look at you twice before they can look away.¡± She responded.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best friend a girl like me can ever ask for. Have I told you that you¡¯re my sister from another mother?¡± I cried out in appreciation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me, you are also my sister from another mother.¡± She replied and I hugged her so tight, that I almost got the wind knocked out of her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ breathe¡­¡± She managed to choke out as she softly hit me on my back and I immediately released her from the choke hold I called a hug. She started gasping for air afterwards.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that. I didn¡¯t mean to block your windpipe.¡± I apologized frantically.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I guess you just got too excited.¡± She replied with a short smile.


    The room was quiet before I decided to break the silence.


    ¡°What about aunt Doris and the others?¡± I asked, referring to her aunt and her family. Cherry lived with her mother¡¯s sister because she was an orphan.  Her parents died in a car ident while they were returning from a vacation and Cherry was the only survivor. Her aunt and her family took her in after her parents¡¯ death and she has been living with them ever since.


    ¡°They are very fine. Aunt Doris sends her regards too.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± I uttered. ¡°Let¡¯s rest a little before we go to the club tonight.¡± I said,  already moving closer to my bed for a little nap.


    ¡°Yeah, we should. I¡¯m so stressed from my shift at the restaurant¡­ The whole ce was filled up today.¡± Cherry agreed, mounting my sister¡¯s bed.


    We discussed about how our day went before we eventually drifted off to sleep, one after the other.


    Cherry and I woke up around 8:30 p. m. and we freshened up to prepare to go to the club. We showered and dressed up in our bartender uniform which was red and white in color and stopped right above our knees. We climbed down the stairs to the living room but it was empty. We heard some noisesing from the kitchen so we entered there to see that Marie making dinner and mom was watching her.


    ¡°Hey guys¡­ We are heading to the club now!¡± I hollered.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Will you guys wait for dinner? It will be ready within a few minutes.¡± Mom suggested but Cherry and I shook our heads at the same time as if we had nned it.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, mom. We have to go now so that we won¡¯t bete.¡± I said and she bobbed her head.


    ¡°Okay then¡­ You guys should take care of yourself and please don¡¯te backte.¡± She stated sternly and a smile appeared on my face. She was such a Mama Bear but I loved her like that.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°We won¡¯te backte, aunt. We will be back in no time.¡± Cherry responded, beating me to replying her.


    ¡°Good¡­ Hurry along now, don¡¯t waste time.¡± She said as if shooing us.


    ¡°Okay, bye!¡± Cherry and I called out, already moving towards the front door and out of the house.


    The club was about four blocks away from my house so we walked as we usually did every other  night. It was about ten to fifteen minutes walk.


    We got to the club in no time and the ce was already bubbling with life. Loud music was being yed in the background and different activities were going on but we were already used to it. We went to the back room, dropped our bags and went to our different posts.


    Well, there were a lot of customers tonight and that meant the pay would be a little higher than usual. It would be great if we got fat tips. Different types of customers were in the club. Those that were mentally stable and those that weren¡¯t. The ones that came to drink, the ones that came to flirt and the ones that came to dance. They all had one thing inmon though: they all came to have fun in their own little ways.


    A few minutes into my shift, my boss, Mr. Cole, came out of his office. He stood directly in front of the bar stand as if he was going to order a drink, but I knew that he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°How are you doing today, beautiful Brianna?¡± He drawled out, trying to seem seductive but found his act disgusting and irritating. He didn¡¯t fit into the category of men I would like.


    He was handsome in his own way though. Five feet and eight inches tall, tan skin, dark hair and brown eyes. Any otherdy might find him attractive but I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°But Mr. Adrian would fit into the category of men you like, wouldn¡¯t he? He¡¯s gorgeous!¡± A voice sounded in my head and I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thought.


    ¡°Hey, are you there?¡± Mr. Cole asked, snapping his finger in front of my face and I immediately got back to the present.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t listening. What were you saying?¡± I asked him politely.


    He had an annoyed look on his face before replying. ¡°I said, have you thought about my offer?¡± He quizzed and I groaned internally.


    The thing was that, not long after I started working in the club, Cole began disturbing me about being friends with benefits but I always have him responses along the lines of ¡°I¡¯ll think about it¡± even though it was quite obvious that I didn¡¯t pay his offers any mind.


    He promised to increase my pay and some other stuff but I still declined because I wanted to make clean money and also set an example for my younger sister.


    ¡°You know, boss¡­ I can¡¯t, and will never ept this offer of yours. It cannot work. There¡¯s the fact that you¡¯re married with kids, and about 20 years older than me, and asides from that¡­ I won¡¯t sell my body to get a raise for no reason whatsoever.¡± I responded, finally mustering the balls to give him a piece of my mind.


    ¡°Bullshit! We can do this and keep it a secret. Nobody will know about it.¡± He uttered, looking very desperate.


    ¡°I said no! We¡¯re talking about my dignity and my body. Doing this will go against everything I stand for. My answer is final.¡± I snapped angrily, not caring that my job as a bartender was at stake.


    After Ished out at him, his face contorted in anger and he looked scary as fuck, but I kept my stance, showing him that I wasn¡¯t scared of him.


    ¡°Well, Brianna¡­ we will see about that. I promise that you wille back crawling on your knees, begging me to fuck you and give you money for it.¡± He spat furiously.  With one harsh re, he turned away from the bar stand and walked back into his office.


    I was so shaken by that encounter that I didn¡¯t even notice the line of people waiting to order their drinks.

 CHAPTER SIX

    **BRIANNA**


    The rest of my shift at the club passed by in a blur with my mind reying my conversation with Mr Cole over and over again. The customers soon started exiting the club and in few minutes the club was already empty with only the employees tidying the ce up.


    By 11:45pm Cherry and I were out of the club and walking towards the direction of my house when she brought up the conversation between me and Mr Cole which I didn¡¯t want to talk about.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you and the boss?¡± She asked as we walked.


    ¡°Nothing, why do you ask?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Well I couldn¡¯t help but notice that your mood turned sour after whatever conversation the both of you had.¡± She replied


    ¡°The truth is that he has been bothering me from the time we stepped inside that club that he wanted us to be bed friends and this evening he promised to f**k me with or without my permission.¡± I exined to her.


    ¡°This has been going on and you couldn¡¯t even tell me about it?¡± She asked almost angrily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you, I just didn¡¯t want to weigh you down with all of my problems.¡± I responded sadly. She stopped walking then faced me and put her hands on my shoulder.


    ¡°Listen if something is bothering you I¡¯m always here to here you out. If you can¡¯t tell me what is going on with you then who are you gonna tell?¡± She replied then asked.


    ¡°Thanks Cher I say this and I¡¯ll keep saying it you¡¯re the best friend a girl could ever ask for.¡± I stated close to tears.


    ¡°Enough of that. Let us get home on time. We don¡¯t want you to bete on your first day, do we?.¡± She questioned at the end.


    ¡°Nope I would rather eat shit than facing Adrian¡¯s craziness.¡± I replied.


    After my reply we walked faster and got home in no time. When we stepped into the house everywhere was dark so I traced my hand on the wall and switched on the light. Nobody was in the sitting room so Cherry and I climbed up the not so long stairs to the small hallway that led to the bedrooms. I walked into my mother¡¯s room and met her asleep so I moved closer to her and pecked her forehead before striding out of the room. I met Cherry in the hallway and we both walked to the room Marie and I shared. We saw her reading on her bed.


    ¡°Hey Marie, shouldn¡¯t you be sleeping already? Its past 12.¡± I stated.


    ¡°I should be asleep already but we are starting our exams soon so I need to study. I sleep soon.¡± She replied.


    ¡°OK then just make sure you don¡¯t sleepter than it already is. I have to sleep now so as to wake up early tomorrow. Goodnight.¡± I stated moving to the bed.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Cherry let¡¯s share my bed or will you sleep on the small mattress?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I will sleep on the mattress rather than squeezing ourselves on your bed.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Hey you don¡¯t have to remind me I¡¯ve got a small bed.¡± I joked and we burst intoughter. I got the mattress andid it in the remaining space left in the room. After that I went to the bathroom and stripped out of the clothes I was wearing, brush my teeth and took a short shower and then changed into my night wear. I got out of the bathroom and met Cherry and Marie sleeping already. I got on the bed and set an rm on the table clock on my bedside table and then within a few minutes I was out like a light.


    #NEXT MORNING


    I woke up with a start but was surprised because I didn¡¯t hear the sound of my rm ringing. Maybe I woke up earlier I thought but when I checked the time on my phone I realized I thought wrong and I was thirty minuteste, well it turned out that my rm battery was not working anymore. I jumped out of bed and literally flew to the bathroom (just kidding I just ran) and took the shortest shower of my life and in less than five minutes I was in front of my wardrobe taking out the bag of clothes Cherry bought for me yesterday and quickly picked the ck pencil skirt and white striped long-sleeved shirt.


    I put on my underwear first before putting on the clothes. I went to the front of the mirror andbed out the tangled locks of my hair and applied lip gloss and I picked up my best ck t shoe and then slid my feet into it before fetching my mini bag that contains the necessary things and jogged out of my room and down the stairs to the kitchen where I met mom eating a breakfast of bread and jam. I looked around for Marie andter realized that she must have left for school since I woke upte.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Good morning mom.¡± I greeted.


    ¡°Morning darling, how was your night? I slept before you came backst night so I didn¡¯t know the time you came back.¡± She replied.


    ¡°My night was fine mom. I have to go to work now or I¡¯m gonna get fired on my first day.¡± I stated already moving toward the door of the kitchen.


    ¡°You should eat breakfast at least.¡±


    ¡°OK mom.¡±


    I ate three slices and drank a cup of water before I bid her goodbye and ran out of the house. I got to the bus station and in no time the bus arrived and I got into it. After a few minutes the bus stopped in the bus station that was five minutes away from thepany. I walked for five minutes and I was in thepany in no time.


    .


    ¡°Good morning Miss Jackson. You are one hourte already and I hope the boss doesn¡¯t make a fuss about it.¡± The Receptionist who I now knew her name as Kristen stated.


    ¡°Good morning Miss Kristen. I know I camete and I¡¯m gonna face the boss¡¯s wrath if he finds out. Is he in?¡± I replied then asked.


    ¡°Yes he is and he came in one hour and fifteen minutes ago.¡± She replied.


    ¡°OK then, see youter.¡± I responded. I signed in before going to the direction of the elevator. I stepped into it and the door slid close. I pressed the number of the floor I was going to and waited patiently for it to get there. The elevator dinged after some minutes and the door slid open. I stepped out of it and continued my journey to my office.


    I entered my office and dropped my bag on the and noticed a short note on it that read: ¡®COME TO MY OFFICE IMMEDIATELY YOU SIGN IN¡¯.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SEVEN

    **BRIANNA**


    I sighed immediately I read the short note. I thought I could pull it offing to workte without him knowing but turns out I couldn¡¯t. I walked out of my office breathing in and out nervously and stopped right in front his office. I knocked on the door and I heard his deep voice tell me toe in. I breathed in and out to calm my nerves before opening the door and stepping into the office.


    When I entered the office my jaw dropped. The office was simply beautiful and unique. Mr Adrian was sitting on a ck leather turning chair and in front of it is arge brown modern mahogany desk, two turning chairs are in front of the desk. I looked around again and there were two bookshelves filled with books situated on both sides of Mr Adrian¡¯s chair. The office is painted in brown and cream color making it look amazing. At the far end of the room were two ck leather couches¨Cone-seater and two-seater. A small coffee table is in front of the couches. My eyes trailed back to Mr Adrian, he was putting on a ck suit with a blue shirt underneath. The top three buttons of the shirt was opened and it gave me a small but good view of his chest. I heard Mr Adrian clear his throat and I snapped out of the daze I was in. I felt my cheeks warm up in embarrassment when I realized I was checking him out.


    ¡°Like what you see?¡± He asked with a smug expression on his face. I felt myself blushing more because he knew I was checking him out.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No I don¡¯t. What¡¯s there to see anyway.¡± I replied as if I haven¡¯t been checking him out a few seconds ago. He looked offended but he seemed to wave it off.


    ¡°That is not a way to greet your boss you know.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Good morning Mr Adrian. I saw a note in my office that said I shoulde to your office immediately I sign in.¡± I responded politely.


    ¡°Yes! That reminds me why are you justing? You ought to have resumed since 8. a. m but here you are justing. Do you wish to lose your job that early?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No sir I¡¯m sorry foringte. It won¡¯t repeat itself anymore.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Just know that if it repeats itself again you¡¯re gonna lose your job.¡± He said.


    ¡°OK sir.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my morning coffee?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°What morning coffee?¡± I questioned back.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it stated in the schedule given to you that you¡¯ll bring me coffee every morning?¡± He asked. Ha! I forgot I was even given a schedule to through yesterday that I¡¯ll even know about bringing him coffee every morning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that sir I¡¯ll go get the coffee right away and it¡¯ll be here in no time.¡± I replied and with that I walked out of the office without waiting to hear a word from him because I was almost sure the next word he¡¯s gonna say is gonna be a threat about losing my job. I stopped walking for a bit when I realized I didn¡¯t know where I¡¯ll get the coffee. I shrugged and continued walking when I could just ask the receptionist where to get it.


    I walked in short quick strides towards the elevator. I got there, pressed a button and waited for some seconds for it to get here. When it got to the floor I am the door slid open and I stepped into it. The door slid close and I pressed the button for the first floor. Within a few minutes the elevator got to the first floor and the door slid open and I stepped out of it. I walked towards the reception desk where Miss Kristen was doing something on herputer.


    ¡°Hey Miss Kristen.¡± I called to get her attention.


    She raised her head from theputer and replied,¡±Hi Miss Brianna.¡±


    ¡°Can you please tell me where the boss gets his coffee?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh he gets it at the cafe at the other side of the road.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I replied. I strode to the exit of thepany and walked out of the building.


    I got to the front of the building where the road was and I crossed over to the other side of the road where the cafe was situated. The name of the cafe ¡®TATIANA¡¯S CAFE¡¯ was boldly written in italics on a piece of wood. When I opened the door of the cafe and stepped in a bell chimed at the top of the door signifying that someone came in. The outside view of the cafe wasn¡¯t that good but the inside view was breathtaking and it had a homey feeling to it. Cafe tables adorn the sun-kissed grey as if ced there at the tip of an artists brush. The ambiance of the cafe, its homey aroma, draws my soul into its cocoon for a few blessed moments. The cafe in such honeyed hues brings a sweetness to the day, coaxing an inner smile that warms from within. The cafe tables in their rich deep browns, the aroma with its dark aromatic perfume, call me in from the sunny day. Soft music was ying in the background and it made me love the ce more. I was lost in the beauty of the ce before I remembered what I came here to do. I walked towards the counter where some foods were ced on. Foods like sandwiches, soup, sd, eggs, waffles, pancakes, pastries and desserts were on the counter which were meant for either take away or to be eaten here. A middle-aged woman with blonde hair, a few gray strands was behind the counter with a warm weing smile on her face.


    ¡°Hi I¡¯m Tatiana, what would you like to have?¡± She asked with thick American ent dripping from her voice. It was then that I realized that I didn¡¯t ask for the type of coffee he wanted and I decided to get him Latte I mean who doesn¡¯t like Latte.


    ¡°I would like to have Latte please.¡± I replied politely. She scribbled something down on a note and passed it through the window behind her and someone who I guessed to be the barista collected it from her. Within a few minutes of waiting, the coffee was ready and I collected it and paid before walking out of the cafe. I crossed the road to the front of the building and stepped foot into it. I smiled at Miss Kristen when I got to the reception and scurried over to elevator and pressed the button waiting impatiently for it to get here. When it did I hurriedly got into it and pressed the button for thest floor where the boss¡¯s office was located.


    TBC

 CHAPTER EIGHT

    **BRIANNA**


    The elevator got to thest floor in some minutes. I exited and strode towards Mr Adrian¡¯s office and knocked on the door. I heard his deep voice tell me toe in before I opened the door and stepped into the office. I walked to his desk and dropped the cup of Latte on it. He raised his head from what he was doing and lifted his eyebrow in a questioning manner before his eyes drifted to the cup of hot steaming Latte. He scrunched his nose up in disgust before asking.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± He asked in an irritated manner.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Your coffee as you requested sir.¡± I replied with a smile on my face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like Latte. You just went ahead to order anything you like without asking for what I liked like a know-it-all.¡± He stated and the smile on my face faltered.


    ¡°Sorry sir but I thought Latte is the best type of coffee and almost everyone likes it so I thought you would like it too.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t like it so go back there and order ck coffee for me.¡± He ordered.


    ¡°Mhm sir what about the money I will use to pay, I used my money to pay for this one.¡± I said pointing at the cup of coffee.


    ¡°Well just tell Tatiana that it is for me. I always send the money to her ount and for the money you used to order this one¡­.¡± He said stopping mid sentence before he picked up the wallet on his desk and withdrew some money and handed it towards me.


    I collected it from him and he said, ¡°I ought not to give it to you because of your forwardness but I¡¯ll just give it to you. Think of it as me being kind to you.¡± I looked at the money in my hand and it is far more than the amount of money I spent on the coffee.


    ¡°Thank you sir.¡± I appreciated.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± He replied in a nonchnt manner, ¡°Now get out of here and go get me my coffee.¡± He stated.


    He stopped me before I stepped out of his office. ¡°Take this damn coffee out of my sight.¡±


    ¡°What should I do with it?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°You can either dispose it or drink it. Do whatever you want with it.¡± He answered. I picked up the cup of coffee on his desk and downed it one gulp. *I never knew I was thirsty*. I dumped the paper cup in the trash bin. I didn¡¯t miss the deadly re Mr Adrian was sending my way and I decided to ignore it. ¡°Thanks for that sir. I really needed it.¡± I told him but it looked like I was talking to myself because he didn¡¯t respond.


    I sighed softly before going through the same routine of stepping out of his office, stepping into the elevator, entering the reception and exiting the building. I thought I saw Kristen giving me a strange look. She must be wondering where I¡¯m off to again. I got to the cafe in no time and I met Tatiana still by the counter. The beautiful smile was still on her face and I wondered if she never stop smiling.


    ¡°What would you like to have again youngdy?¡± Tatiana asked.


    ¡°I would like to have a cup of ck coffee please.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Do you want it in or with sugar or honey.¡± She asked and that was when it hit me that I forgot to ask how he would like it. I answered with the first thing that came to my mind, ¡°I want it with sugar.¡±


    The coffee was ready in a few minutes and I told Tatiana what Mr Adrian told me to, ¡°The coffee is for Mr Adrian from the building on the other side and he said he will send the money to you.¡± Realization dawns on her face when I mention Mr Adrian¡¯s name.


    ¡°Ok no problem.¡± She replied. I walked out of the cafe for the second time today. I got to thepany and stepped into the reception.


    ¡°I thought you got the coffee the other time?¡± She asked with a confused expression on her face.


    ¡°Turned out I got the wrong coffee.¡± I replied. I strode towards the elevator, got in and it started moving upward, I stepped out of the elevator when it got to thest floor and walked into Mr Adrian¡¯s office. I approached his desk and dropped the cup of ck coffee on the desk. He picked it up, brought it to his mouth and took a sip of it. His face contorted into distaste before he dropped it back on the desk.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m gonna let you off the hook because you got the right coffee but just so you know I don¡¯t like sugar in my coffee.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Ok sir, I¡¯ll put that in mind.¡± I replied.


    ¡°What¡¯s in my schedule for today?¡± He asked casually taking another sip of his coffee.


    ¡°Hold on a minute sir, I¡¯ll go get your schedule n for today in my office.¡± I stated. I saw a scowl appear on his face but I ignored it. I exited the office, strode to mine and got the notepad where his schedule n for today is written. I walked back to his office and read it out to him.


    ¡°You have a meeting with the production department to discuss the new product that we want to manufacture. The meeting is taking ce by 10:30 am and this is 9:45 so we have forty five minutes left. After that you have another meeting by 2:00 pm with Mr Charles to finalize a deal over lunch. Those are what is in store for you today sir.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Ok then. There¡¯s this particr file I need for the meeting in the next forty five minutes and I forgot it at home so I need you to go get it for me.¡± He said and I noticed that his eyes gleamed with mischief.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, but can¡¯t you send your driver to get it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I sent my driver on an errand and besides you don¡¯t have any right to question my order. If I can¡¯t send you to get something for me then what is your usefulness to me as my personal assistant?¡± He scoffed. I sighed in defeat because I knew this conversation isn¡¯t gonna lead us anywhere.


    ¡°Ok sir, I¡¯ll go and get it but I don¡¯t know where your house is located.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that¡­¡± He trailed off picking up his pen and scribbled something on a piece of paper before handing it to me. ¡°That is my address written there. When you get there just ring the doorbell and the gatekeeper wille meet you at the gate. He¡¯s gonna ask what you are doing there so just tell him I sent you toe and get something for me.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Noted sir. But I need money for the transport fare if your driver isn¡¯t here to drive me and I have to take a cab because I can¡¯t possibly trek to this address and I¡¯m pretty sure the ce we¡¯re talking about is a little far from here.¡± Iined.


    ¡°Stop thatint of yours. This is the money for the transport fare.¡± He said annoyed picking up his wallet from earlier before he withdrew a couple of dors. He flung the money in my direction and it scattered all over the floor. I exhaled in anger before bending down and picking up the money from the floor.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be on my way Mr Adrian.¡± I stated politely.


    ¡°Be fast with it, there¡¯s only less than thirty five minutes left before the meeting begins and that file is very crucial for this meeting.¡± He responded, ¡°Now run along and don¡¯te back without that file.¡±


    The mischievous glint in his eyes should have told me that I should have never stepped out of his office, to argue as much as possible with him that I¡¯m not going but I waved it off dismissively thinking that I imagined it. As I turned towards the door of his office to step out I saw a smirk appear on his face.


    TBC

 CHAPTER NINE

    **ADRIAN**


    I smirked as I watched Brianna step out of his office. She doesn¡¯t know what awaits her if she walked out of the building. A few moments after she stepped out, Manuel marched into my office. With the look on his face I knew he had met Brianna on his way in.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the irondy from the restaurant? The one that kicked your dick?¡± He mused.


    ¡°She is the one. I told you I would hire her so that I¡¯ll get my revenge on what she did to me at the restaurant.¡± I replied.


    ¡°When I saw her she was mumbling something like: *if only I didn¡¯t need money, I¡¯d have beaten him to a pulp* with an angry frown on her face. She didn¡¯t even know someone was in the elevator with her, I guess whatever you sent her to do must have made her annoyed.¡± He stated. I snickered when I heard what he said.


    ¡°She must be crazy if she thought she could beat me up, she¡¯s working under me so she¡¯ll have to do anything I tell her to.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Well that is not what I came here for.¡± He said dismissively,¡±Will you be chanced to hit the club tonight?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No I won¡¯t. I will be busy with some important stuff.¡± I replied.


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t be busy with anything. You just don¡¯t want to hang out with me. Or do you have another best friend aside from me that you¡¯re tired of hanging out with me?.¡± Heined childishly stomping his foot like a spoilt kid.


    ¡°Seriously I¡¯d be busy doing an online meeting with investors outside the state. And I don¡¯t have another friend besides you. I can¡¯t handle another person with the same level of immaturity as you, if I do I¡¯d die an untimely death.¡± I said sighing.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just postpone it to maybe tomorrow or another day? Please? I promise there will be lots of fun and hotdies. It is the most popr club in town these days.¡± He stated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± I replied.


    ¡°If you say that you¡¯ll think about it that means you are not going so please just say yes huh?¡± He said looking at me with puppy dog eyes and a pout that was supposed toe out as cute but it ruined his good looks.


    ¡°Fine, fine I¡¯ll go OK? Anything to stop you from looking at me with that face.¡± I groaned agreeing reluctantly because if I didn¡¯t he¡¯ll do anything to make sure Ie along with him. Besides, who can say no to a night of fun, drinking and hotdies.


    ¡°Yay! I promise you won¡¯t regreting. I heard it is a very fun club.¡± He said grinning childishly.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t make me regret going. I will schedule the meeting to another day.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Bye! I¡¯ll text you the address of the club.¡± He said.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you came here to do. You didn¡¯te to check up on me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes that¡¯s what I came to do. How will Ie over to check up on you its not like you¡¯re my girlfriend or something.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Speaking of which, when are you gonna get yourself a girlfriend?¡± I asked Manuel seriously.


    ¡°I might as well ask you the same thing.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Oh you know me, I¡¯m not ready formitment and girl problems. All I wanna do now is to make more money, fuck and have fun.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Well I hope you change that mindset soon.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight. Bye!¡± He said walking to the door.


    ¡°Yeah see you tonight dude.¡± I responded.


    **BRIANNA**


    Immediately I stepped out of the building, I gged down the first cab I saw and entered the cab.


    ¡°Where are you going miss?¡± The cab driver asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know sir but this is the address given to me.¡± I replied showing him the paper on which the address was written.


    ¡°This ce is pretty far miss, its gonna cost you some more dors than usual.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Just take me there sir, I¡¯ll pay any amount. I¡¯m already runningte.¡± I responded tiredly. He ignited the car¡¯s engine and sped off into the road. I kept mumbling incoherent words wishing I wasn¡¯t the one he sent to his house. After driving for fifteen minutes, the car suddenly jerked forward and stopped. I stared at the driver worriedly wondering what happened to the car. As if reading my mind, the driver turned his head to look at me and said,¡± I still went to the automobile repair shop this morning to check if anything is wrong with it and they said it was in a good condition.¡±


    ¡°Well what are you doing sitting there, go and check what is wrong with it.¡± I snapped rudely, I didn¡¯t care if I sounded rude. I don¡¯t wanna lose my job because I got back to the officete.


    The driver got down from the car and walked over to the front. He opened the hood and checked some things in it and sighed. He came back into the car and I asked him what¡¯s wrong with it.


    ¡°The car radiator is overheated so the radiator is damaged.¡± He said.


    ¡°What are we gonna do now? I don¡¯t even know where the ce I¡¯m going is located.¡± I ranted.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°There is nothing I can do unless you can wait till the repairmanes because I¡¯m going to call him now.¡± He replied already pulling out his phone from his pants pocket.


    ¡°Well I can¡¯t wait till the repairmanes. I¡¯m runningte already.¡± I said to him getting out of the car.


    ¡°Will you collect the money for the fifteen minutes?¡± I questioned rummaging my purse for the money Mr Adrian has thrown at me earlier in his office.


    ¡°No need for that. I didn¡¯t even take you to your destination so there is no reason for me to collect money from you.¡± He said kindly.


    ¡°At least take this from me. You used money to fill gas into your car at the gas station and I¡¯m pretty sure you have people at home waiting for you at home toe back and feed them. So take this.¡± I stated handing a few dor notes to him.


    ¡°Thanks for this miss, may God be with you.¡± He thanked me.


    ¡°No problem.¡± I replied. I turned towards the direction the car was going before it broke down. I walked for minutes thinking that maybe I could find another cab but the road was void of cars. There was no single soul walking on the road and the thought of it was freaking me out.


    I continued walking aimlessly for minutes before I came out to a busy road. Different cars were driving by and I kept trying to g down a cab when I see one but they kept ignoring me till a ck shy SUV stopped in front of me. I tried walking away thinking that maybe the driver of the car got the wrong person but before a could even take a step, the person wind down the window of the car and his head popped out.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s a beautifuldy like you doing under this scorching sun? It¡¯ll burn your beautiful skin.¡± He called out. I ignored him and kept walking but he continued following me.


    ¡°Hop in mydy, I can take you to wherever you¡¯re going.¡± He said. When I heard what he said I thought about it. I might as well go in his car because I waste already and I can¡¯t keep walking without knowing where I¡¯m going, I might get lost. I turned back to the car and got in. He looked at me as I settled down in the passenger seat.


    ¡°So what were you doing walking alone on such a hot day?¡± He asked.


    ¡°My boss sent me on an errand and the cab I took broke down on the road. I don¡¯t even know where I¡¯m going.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he give you an address or something?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°He gave me but I don¡¯t know where it is located.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Let me have a look at it.¡± He said and I gave him the paper. He looked at it and smiled.


    ¡°Well you¡¯re in luck. I¡¯m also going somewhere around this area so I have no problem taking you there.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told me your name yet.¡± He said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.¡± I replied.


    ¡°My name is Carlos.¡± He said looking at me.


    ¡°Brianna.¡± I told him simply. I wasn¡¯t in a mood to talk and I wished we got there immediately. I can¡¯t even imagine how Mr Adrian would react if I got back to the office sote that the meeting would be postponed.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TEN

    **BRIANNA**


    Carlos kept trying to have a conversation with me but I kept snubbing him because I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk.


    ¡°So where are you going?¡± He asked me in a cheerful manner drivingzily and looking ahead at the road.


    ¡°I thought I told you before, my boss sent me on an errand.¡± I snapped rudely.


    ¡°Well forgive me for having a poor memory.¡± He joked.


    ¡°I can clearly see that you have a bad memory.¡± I muttered hoping he wouldn¡¯t hear but with the way he nced at me I knew he heard what I said.


    ¡°Tell me about yourself.¡± He stated looking at me and focusing back on the road.


    ¡°My name is Brianna Jackson. A college dropout striving to make ends meet, take care of her sick mother and get the best life for her younger sister.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Why are you the one doing all the work? What of your father?¡± He asked and I gave him a sour look which he didn¡¯t notice and if he did, he acted well in behaving like he didn¡¯t see me.


    ¡°He abandoned us when he learned of my mother¡¯s sickness and the burden became too much for him. He went off to marry a rich woman and traveled out of the country with her.¡± I exined.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that.¡± He said.


    ¡°Its not your fault, its his fault for being a coward.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Where is your ce of work?¡± He asked casually.


    ¡°I¡¯m working at AC organizations.¡± I responded and his expression seemed to change when he heard my response.


    ¡°Oh, so you work for Adrian.¡± He stated more than asked.


    ¡°Yes I do, do you know him?¡± I replied then asked.


    ¡°Of course I know him, who wouldn¡¯t? He is the most richest man in the country.¡± He said bitterly.


    ¡°But I meant on a personal level.¡± I replied.


    ¡°We were friends.¡± He said simply.


    ¡°Oh.¡± That was me not knowing what to say when I¡¯m speechless.


    ¡°I hope you know that he sleeps with almost all his female employees.¡± He said smirking. Wow, i never knew Mr Adrian was a manwhore.


    ¡°Well he¡¯s in for a shock then cos he can¡¯t get into my pants.¡± I replied defiantly.


    ¡°So where do you work? I can tell you¡¯re pretty rich with this beautiful car of yours.¡± I stated hoping to divert the topic from anything rted to Mr Adrian.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m the CEO of Carlos¡¯ Cosmetics and Wardrobes.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I¡¯ve heard of it, it is a really poprpany.¡± Imented.


    ¡°It is but not as popr as Adrian¡¯s or Manuel¡¯s.¡± He muttered under his breath but I heard him.


    After the conversation, silence descended on us in the car and no one bothered to break it. The only sound that was heard are those of the asional bikes and cars that were driving by. The road seemed a little deserted.


    Some minutester, the car drove into a beautiful looking estate and I kept looking around at the simr but magnificent looking buildings. The buildings are painted in green and orange. The colors made them look amazing and it even elicit a cool feeling.


    The car finally stopped in front of an equally beautiful mansion and Carlos turned to face me.


    ¡°ording to the address you gave to me, this is where you¡¯re going.¡± He said.


    ¡°Yeah thank you so much for the ride. If not for you, I would have trekked and eventually would have gotten lost.¡± I replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee gorgeous. Here, take my card. Call me if you need anything.¡± He said winking. He opened the glovepartment and brought out his card.


    ¡°Ok thanks once again. I¡¯ll surely call you some other time.¡± I stated alighting from the car and walked towards the gate of the mansion. I turned back to wave at Carlos as he drove off. I focused my attention back on the gate and pressed the doorbell. I continued pressing it when the security didn¡¯t answer on time. I stopped only when I heard footstepsing towards the gate.


    In no time, the gate was opened and a middle-aged man¡¯s head popped out. He looked around for a while before his gaze finally settled on me. He stepped outpletely and closed the gate behind me. He must be thinking that what am I doing here unless the boss has informed him that someone ising over.


    ¡°Good day sir!¡± I greeted him politely because he looked old enough to be my father.


    ¡°Good day to you too youngdy, how may I help you?¡± He responded then asked.


    ¡°I was sent here by my boss toe and retrieve a file he forgot at home.¡± I stated.


    ¡°What is the name of this boss of yours, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°His name is Adrian Carter, sir.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no Adrian Carter living in this ce. Maybe you were given the wrong address. You can look around or check the other estate.¡± He said.


    ¡°No! This was the address given to me. Take a look at it.¡± I argued handing over the sheet of paper the address was written on to him. He took in what was written on the paper and raised his head to look at me.


    ¡°You were given the wrong address. There¡¯s no Adrian Carter living here, maybe the person that wrote it made a mistake while writing it.¡± He said.


    I sighed tiredly, closing my eyes and opening them again, I collected the paper from the man.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for the inconvenience sir, it¡¯ll never happen again.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Its okay. Go to the other houses and ask if there¡¯s anyone living there with the name you mentioned earlier. And if you can¡¯t find any, go to the other estate.¡± He said.


    ¡°Thank you sir.¡± I replied then walked away to continue the search for Mr. Adrian¡¯s house. I would have called him and told him about my current situation but I don¡¯t have his phone number.


    I kept looking around at each and every houses but it all ended with the same result. After few hours of just walking around, I decided that I couldn¡¯t go any further and I can¡¯t go back to the office because I¡¯m not ready to face Mr. Adrian¡¯s trouble. I don¡¯t have the energy to argue with him because my body aches from all the walking I¡¯ve done in one day.


    Thinking back to it, I remembered the smirk on his face when I wanted to step out of his office and the way his eyes gleamed with mischief. I gasped in realization when I realized that I have been pranked. So he did all this so that he could get back at me for kicking his dick? He is acting infantile and I¡¯d have given him a taste of his own medicine if I didn¡¯t really need the money I¡¯d earn from this job but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t make him regret walking around under this scorching hot sun. With that thought in mind, I walked to the road and gged down a cab that would take me home.


    TBC

 CHAPTER ELEVEN

    **BRIANNA**


    The cab stopped in front of my house, I payed him and alighted from the car. I walked into the house and saw my mom sleeping on the sofa. She opened her eyes a few secondster and sat up on the tattered sofa she wasying on. She must have heard my footsteps because she is a very light sleeper.


    ¡°You came back early, didn¡¯t you tell me you are to get off from work around six p. m. or so?¡± My mom said.


    ¡°I ran away from work.¡± I said simply and sat down on another sofa.


    ¡°What?!¡± She shouted incredulously.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°Something came up and I had to leave early.¡± I stated smoothly.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Hmm hmm.¡± She hummed clearly not believing me.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, a fire started in the cafeteria and the employees were told to go to their houses so that nobody would get hurt. Besides, firefighters are there already putting out the fire so I¡¯ll go back to work tomorrow.¡± I exined seriously as if I was telling the truth.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so. Did yready. t hurt?¡± She asked, concern clearly dripping from her voice.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m gonna go take a nap before my shift in the club tonight.¡± I said standing up and packing my things. My mother¡¯s expression changed slightly when she heard me mention the club. She didn¡¯t like me working ina club because she thinks irresponsible girls are the ones working in clubs but she understood that I gotta work there to earn more money and they pay well at the club.


    ¡°Ok honey.¡± She said as I walked towards the staircase and climb the stairs. I stepped into my room and dropped my things on the floor. I sat on my bed and stare into space as I recalled the conversation I had with Carlos earlier in his car. Suddenly, I burst into tears, I didn¡¯t know the reason I was crying until I had cried my eyes out. The conversation with Carlos made me remember the things that my dad did before he finally left us. It made me remember the memory I locked deep in the back of my mind.


    ~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~


    It was around ten p. m. in the night and everyone in the house were sleeping already when suddenly, a loud bang was heard. The woman of the house woke up from her peaceful sleep and sighed deeply because she already knew the person that was banging on the door. The woman got out of bed and walked out of the room. She walked over to the door and opened it. A man stumbled in holding a bottle of alcohol and slurring incoherent words. The woman sighed again when she saw the state her husband was in.


    ¡°You went out drinking again Marcus. You told me you were going to visit your friends.¡± The woman stated.


    ¡°What I do is none of your business woman! Get out of my way, I wanna go to bed.¡± Marcus said incoherently that the woman almost didn¡¯t hear what he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you. You know drinking is not good for the body, it can damage the internal organs.¡± The woman said again not moving out of the way.


    ¡°Shut the hell up Caroline, don¡¯t make me raise my hands on you.¡± The man warned.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to sleep in this house! How do you want your children to look at you if they find out their father is a drunkard.¡± The woman raised her voice slightly not wanting to disturb her children.


    ¡°The worthless children you gave birth to are not my children Caroline. I epted the first one because I thought you would give birth to a boyter but you just gave birth to girls. You can go and hand them over to their biological father.¡± Marcus ranted.


    ¡°They are your children Marcus. When are you gonna start treating them right?¡± Caroline said then asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care Caro. Get out of my way, this is thest time I¡¯m gonna warn you.¡± Marcus warned again. When Caroline didn¡¯t move out of the way, Marcus dropped the bottle of alcohol he was holding on the center table and pushed Caroline so hard that she fell on the floor with a loud thud. He bent down to her level, unbuckled his belt and started whipping Caroline with it.


    Meanwhile, in the children¡¯s bedroom upstairs, the oldest daughter woke up when she heard the sound of the thud and her mother¡¯s loud cries. She got down from her bed and noticed that her baby sister had also woken up and was whimpering on her bed at the other side of the room.


    ¡°Dad is already back with his problem again. When he wasn¡¯t around the house was peaceful and quiet.¡± The youngest sister, Marianna said to her older sister, Brianna.


    ¡°I know Marie, let¡¯s go stop him before he does more damage than he has already done.¡± Brianna said. They both put on their flip-flops before walking out of the room. They tiptoed to the sitting room and his behind a wall where they could see everything that was happening clearly. They watched for a few moments and when they couldn¡¯t watch Marcus beating their mother anymore, they came out of their hiding ce and ran towards them.


    ¡°Stop!!!¡± Brianna shouted with a loud angry voice and Marcus¡¯s fist that was about to descend on Caroline froze in mid-air. Marie ran over to their mother who was on the floor with cuts and bruises all over her body. Caroline was barely breathing.


    Brianna red at her dad furiously. She was angry that Marcus beat her mom to the extent that she almost lost consciousness.


    ¡°What are you doing kids? Go back to bed, you guys have school tomorrow.¡± Caroline said weakly.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go to bed and watch this scumbag beat you to death.¡± Brianna said and turned to face Marcus.


    ¡°Are you crazy Marcus?! Do you want to kill my mother?!¡± Brianna yelled not minding the fact that she was yelling at her father and the fact that it was night and that the volume of her voice can wake the neighbors.


    ¡°What the hell Brianna, don¡¯t you know you¡¯re talking to your father?!¡± Marcus yelled back.


    ¡°You ceased being my father the day you started beating my mother.¡± Brianna said.


    ¡°You useless child! You have the gut to raise your voice at me. You and your mother are birds of the same feather.¡± Marcus shouted and pped Brianna hard across the face. Brianna¡¯s head whipped to the side as she red at her father from beneath the curtain her long hair created.


    ¡°You¡¯re disgusting Marcus, I wish you were never my father to begin with.¡± Brianna said bitterly and went towards her unconscious mother and sobbing sister.


    Marcus stormed out of the house and didn¡¯te back home until the next day.


    ~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~~~


    **BRIANNA**


    Since that incident, I vowed to myself never to let a man close to my heart. I promised myself that I won¡¯t fall in love with any man because love made my mom weak and I don¡¯t want to end up like her.


    After my father left us, my mother starved herself for months. She didn¡¯t eat any food and just drank only water, im that my father woulde back to us and that was what made her condition worse. She would have gotten better if she was using her pills and ate foods that would supply iron but she didn¡¯t. She kept on waiting for a man that doesn¡¯t even care if his wife and her children are dead or alive.


    I sighed tiredly and felt a faint throbbing in my head indicating that a headache ising. It must have been from all those crying I did earlier. I stood up from my sitting position on the bed and walked over to the only cab in the room and pulled out the top drawer where we keep our drugs. I took out aspirin and popped two tablets out of it. I threw it in my mouth and flushed it down with a gulp of water which I saw on the drawer.


    I sat back down on my bed and a yawn escaped my mouth. I guess all the walking I did today is taking a toll on me. The thought made me angry, my mind shed back to when I walking under the scorchingly hot sun all for nothing then I remembered that I¡¯m gonna get my revenge on him tomorrow if he doesn¡¯t fire me. Iy down on the bed and closed my eyes waiting for sleep toe and it wasn¡¯t long before I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


    FEW HOURS LATER***


    I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. I opened my eyes slightly and used my hands to search for it on the bed because I was feeling toozy to open my eyes and search for it properly. In the process of searching for my phone, I didn¡¯t realize I was at the edge of the bed till I moved a little and fell to the ground like a bag of sand (sometimes I forget how small my bed actually is). I opened my eyes fully when I heard someoneughing.


    My eyes settled on Marianna who was sitting on her bedughing to the extent that she was clutching her stomach and tears gathered in her eyes. I stood up and groaned when I felt my bone snap. The stupid phone rang again and I realized it was in my bag which I had dropped on the floor earlier. I took it out of the bag and saw ¡®Mr. Cole¡¯ on the screen. I pressed the answer button and put the phone to my ear.


    ¡°Hello my beautiful Brianna.¡± Was the first thing I heard from the other end. Mr. Cole never cease to try to get into my pants.


    ¡°Good evening Mr. Cole.¡± I replied.


    ¡°How¡¯re you doing this fine evening?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing great sir, you?¡± I responded then asked for asking sake cos I don¡¯t really care.


    ¡°I¡¯m also good.¡± He said and the line was silent for a few moments before I broke it.


    ¡°Can you please tell me why you called sir? I¡¯m in the middle of something.¡± I said and Marie snickered. Yeah, I¡¯m in the middle of nursing my broken waist(just kidding).


    ¡°Ah! I called to tell you that you shoulde to the club by 7:30 p. m. Two VIP guests areing tonight and I want you to be their waitress for the night.¡± He stated. I removed the phone from my ear looked at the time. The time was 6:45 p. m. and that means I still had a bit of time to get ready.


    ¡°Okay I would be there by 7:30.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be expecting you.¡± He said and hung up.


    ¡°What were youughing at?¡± I asked Marie.


    ¡°I wasughing at how funny you looked when searching for your phone without opening your eyes. I would have given it to you but I had fun watching you embarrass yourself.¡± She replied chuckling and then walked out of the room. My cheeks heat up from embarrassing myself in front of my sister, I¡¯ll never hear the end of it.


    ¡°Whatever!¡± I snapped and my phone rang out again. ¡®Cherry¡¯ was the name on the screen. I answered the call and pressed the phone to my ear.


    ¡°Hey babe!¡± She greeted tiredly. She must have been exhausted because of her work at the restaurant. Cooking different meals for people to eat isn¡¯t an easy job.


    ¡°Hey Cherry. How has work been today?¡± I greeted back then asked.


    ¡°Work has been as tedious as ever,¡± She replied and asked ¡°How was your first day of work?¡±


    ¡°It was bad! Can you believe my new boss was the guy I kicked at the restaurant the other day? He made me get coffee for him multiple times and then he sent me to go to his house to get something he forgot but when I got there, the security told me my boss wasn¡¯t living there. I had to check other houses under the hot sun but it wasn¡¯t until I couldn¡¯t find his house that I realized that I had been pranked.¡± I rambled and Cherry burst intoughter when she heard my story.


    ¡°Wow! You had a much more fun day at work than me.¡± Sheughed and I frowned my face not finding what I experienced funny.


    ¡°Its nothing tough about Cherry, I almost died!¡± I said exaggerating.


    ¡°Okay I¡¯ll stopughing now,¡± She said and finally stoppedughing.


    ¡°I called to ask if Mr. Cole told you that you shoulde to the club early tonight.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Yes he did. He said two VIP guests areing and he wants me to be their waitress.¡± I replied.


    ¡°He told me the same thing so that means we¡¯re gonna be waitresses for important guests. I wonder who the VIP guests are. Well we¡¯ll find out when we get to the club.¡± She said.


    ¡°See ya at the club tonight.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Yeah! See you tonight.¡± She said and hung up the phone. Whoever the very important guests are we¡¯re gonna find out tonight. I better go start preparing then.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWELVE

    **BRIANNA**


    I freshened up and put on my waitress uniform. It had gotten more tight that it brought out my curves and it reached just above my knees. I brushed my hair and it fell to my mid back. I packed it in a ponytail so that it won¡¯t disturb me when I¡¯m working and also put on some lip balm cos I don¡¯t wanna have chapped lips. I picked up my ck sandals from the shod rack and wore it then picked up my handbag before walking out of the room. I walked down the stairs and met mom watching news on the small television while Marie was doing her assignment.


    ¡°Good day world. You are tuned to America Express Television Network. I¡¯m your host, Cam Lopez and beside me is¡­¡± The newscaster trailed off and her colleague continued ¡°Michael Collins and here are the headlines for today¡­¡±


    I sat down beside mom who was engrossed in the news she was watching. I don¡¯t even know what there is to be so focused on. I find news so boring, well I guess that¡¯s what middle-age people love watching.


    ¡°Hey mom.¡± I greeted.


    ¡°Hey darling, going to the club already?¡± She questioned as she turned slightly to look at me.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to the club but I still have thirty minutes to spare.¡± I replied looking at the wall clock.


    ¡°Ok sweetie. Will you eat something before you go? You didn¡¯t eat when you came back from work and I¡¯m pretty sure you didn¡¯t eat lunch at the office today because of the fire incident you told me. There are some leftover sandwiches in the kitchen, will you eat them?¡± She stated and I thought about it for a moment.


    It will be good if I eat something now since I haven¡¯t eaten anything except the food I ate this morning and it wouldn¡¯t be healthy if I decide to eat when Ie back from the club because it would have beente by then. I told her I¡¯d eat and then stood up and went to the kitchen. I saw the sandwiches on the counter and sat on one of the stools. I gobbled down the sandwiches in no time and filled a cup with water from the tap and gulped it down quickly and a loud burp escaped my mouth. I didn¡¯t realize I was starving till I had devoured all the sandwiches. I picked up the te and cup and ced it in the sink before walking out of the kitchen. The news mom was watching was still on and the host said something that made my ears prick up.


    ¡°The CEO of AC ORGANISATION, Mr. Carter announced that Carter Automobile Industry will beunching theirtest automobile design with advanced technology next year but he refused to disclose the specific month. So everyone should get prepared to be shocked because we all know that AC ORGANIZATION doesn¡¯t fail to give the people what they want.¡± I heard the newscaster say and my brows furrowed in confusion. I worked in one of AC ORGANIZATIONS¡¯ branches but I don¡¯t know that they also produce automobiles. I don¡¯t even know what they produce. I really need to make a research about thepany I¡¯m working in. Well, I just started working there so whatever.


    I tuned out the voice of the newscaster and looked at the wall clock and saw that it was 7:10 p. m already. I better be on my way then, I thought sighing. I picked up my handbag and stood up from the sofa I was sitting on.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now mom. Don¡¯t wait up for me, I mighte backte.¡± I said to mom.


    ¡°Ok darling.¡± She replied.


    ¡°And you Marie, don¡¯t stay upte and take care of mom till I get back.¡± I stated and walked to the door.


    ¡°Alright sis. Bye!¡± Marie said.


    ¡°Bye guys!¡± I replied and strode out of the house.


    **ADRIAN**


    I sighed tiredly when I finished signing thest file that needed my signature and pushed it aside. I loosened my tie and unbuttoned the first two buttons of my shirt and leaned back on the swivel chair I was sitting on. I closed my eyes and was beginning to drift off to sleep because of how tired I was when I suddenly heard a knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I grumbled out and the door opened.


    The Sales Manager came in walking seductively, her hips swaying with each step she took. She was wearing a shirt with the first three buttons undone and the upper part of her boobs was in full disy. She was also putting on a skimpy skirt that I could see her full thighs. She walked towards my desk holding some files in her hands.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked sternly.


    ¡°I came to drop these files that needs your review. I need to know if anything needs to be changed or corrected before I send it to Mr. Rodrigo.¡± She said leaning on my desk. I could clearly see that she was wearing a ckcy bra.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have brought it since morning? Why are you just bringing it now?¡± I asked angrily.


    ¡°I came the other time Sir but you said I shoulde backter that you don¡¯t want anybody disturbing you.¡± She said and I thought back to it before realizing that I actually said I don¡¯t want any disturbance.


    ¡°Well take it with you and bring it back tomorrow. I¡¯m too tired to review anything right now.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Ok Sir. If need any help in easing your tiredness, I¡¯m right here for you.¡± She said biting her lower lips and looking at me with seductive eyes. I red at her furiously when she tried to make advances to me. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I like fucking girls but I don¡¯t fuck my employees. I love to maintain the boss and employee rtionship.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± I asked ying dumb.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to tell you that if you need any help in easing your tiredness, any help at all, I¡¯m here to help you.¡± She repeated herself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help and if you ever try to seduce me again, consider your miserable ass fired!¡± I yelled and she started shivering.


    ¡°Now, button up that shirt of yours and drag down that thing you call a skirt.¡± I ordered and she did as I said.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Get out of my office and make sure you bring that file tomorrow morning. And also remember never to try seducing ever in your fucking life.¡± I snapped and she ran out as if someone poured something hot on her body. I hissed angrily and decided it was time for me to go home. I wouldn¡¯t wanna miss a night of drinking and fucking you know, and Manuel would also kill me if I don¡¯t go to the club with him.


    I packed my stuff in my briefcase and threw my suit jacket over my shoulder then walked out of the office. I got to the elevator and pressed a button then waited for a few seconds for it to get here. When it did, the doors slid open and I stepped inside. I pressed the button that¡¯ll take me to the first floor and the doors closed. After a few minutes, it got to the first floor and I walked out of it. There was no single person there so I exited the building and went straight to the parking lot where I saw my driver Brandon, leaning against the car. When he saw meing, he rushed over to me and collected the briefcase and my suit jacket from me. I got into the backseat of the car while Brandon sat down at the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Where are we going boss?¡± He asked while starting the car.


    ¡°Where else are we going to if not home?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Alright Sir. Home it is.¡± He replied and drove out of the premises. I¡¯ll go home first to freshen up and have a change of clothes before going to the club because if I don¡¯t show up, Manuel will have my head on a tter. He may joke a lot but he¡¯s a devil inside.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    **ADRIAN**


    The car drove into thepound and stopped in front of the mansion. I alighted from the car and the guards stood in a line to greet me. I snubbed them and walked into the mansion. On entering, the maids in the sitting room stopped what they were doing and greeted me. I also ignored their greetings and climbed the stairs that led to the floor the bedrooms are located. I walked down the hallway to the master bedroom, unlocked the door and walked inside. I strode to the bathroom and dumped my suit jacket in theundry basket and started to take off my clothes. After undressing, I also dumped my clothes in theundry basket and stepped under the shower. I washed myself and stepped out of the shower then dried my body and hair with a towel before tying another towel around my waist.


    I walked out of the bathroom towards the vanity table, picked up my body lotion and rubbed it all over my body. After that, I went to the closet and got dressed in a dark brown leather jacket and skintight jean trousers. Ipleted my looks with brown cowboy boots. I styled my hair and sprayed cologne all over my body. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw that I was ready to go. I was contemting calling Manuel to tell him to send the address of the club when my phone rang out and Manuel¡¯s name was on the screen. I picked up the phone and epted the call.


    ¡°Hey Ad!¡± Manuel yelled with a chirpy voice that it felt as if my eardrums had bursted.


    ¡°Hey Manuel. Do you wanna burst my eardrums? And I¡¯ve told you countless times that my name is Adrian not Ad. If you call me Ad again I¡¯ll make sure to cut your throat so you won¡¯t be able to talk for the rest of your life.¡± I stated with a warning tone but he justughed it off as if I was joking.


    ¡°Oh Ad, you can¡¯t do that to me, you love me. Besides, your name is too difficult for me to pronounce that¡¯s why I call you Ad and you ought to know that my main purpose in life is to frustrate you.¡± He said but I just waved it off because it was true. He really loves to frustrate me and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m done already, will you send the address of the club or you¡¯lle and meet me in my house?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯lle and meet you in your house so that we can go there with that new fancy car of yours.¡± He replied and I could tell he was smiling with the way his voice sounded.


    ¡°Have you forgotten that you have more fancy cars than me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You should know that I like using your things than mine Adrian.¡± He said and it was true. Manuel and I could buy the same thing on the same day but he always prefer using my things. He either says that mine is better than his or what he bought has gotten spoiled and I always told him to stop using my stuff but he always refuse to stop.


    ¡°Enough of this meaningless conversation. Meet me at my house in 15 minutes and if you fail to get here before 15 minutes, forget about me following you to the club.¡± I stated sternly.


    ¡°Ok Sir Ad, I¡¯ll be in your house in the next few minutes.¡± He said and hung up. Truthfully, it wouldn¡¯t take up to 15 minutes for Manuel to get here if he is ready because we¡¯re living pretty close to each other. I only gave him 15 minutes because I really wanted to go to the club so that I can release some tension but I didn¡¯t want to give in easily.


    I went down to the sitting room and ordered a maid to get me some apples. She brought it and I started eating. I was eating the fourth apple when Manuel barged in. I stopped eating for a moment then continued as if I didn¡¯t see him. I ate all the apples in front of me before I acknowledged his presence. I could see her was getting impatient with the way he was tapping his foot on the floor.


    ¡°Are you done now?¡± He asked impatiently.


    ¡°Yes I¡¯m done. You got here earlier than I expected.¡± I said with a smirk on my face.


    ¡°Whatever. Are you ready to go or you¡¯ve changed your mind?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready or should we go another day?¡± I asked back and he quickly replied with,¡±No, no. Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    I stood up and smoothened my clothes and Manuel also did the same. I told one of the maids to clear the table before Manuel and I walked out of the house. We met Brandon outside, he was standing beside a car.


    ¡°Which car are we going with boss?¡± Brandon asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking a sports car.¡± I said.


    ¡°Which of the sports cars?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°The red one of course.¡± I replied.


    Brandon unlocked the car then Manuel and I got into the backseat while Brandon sat on the driver¡¯s seat. He started the car and drove out of the house. I took my phone out of my pocket and started whiling away my time by scrolling through the social media. A few minutester, the car stopped and I raised my head to look around me. There was a building with a big signboard with VALLEYVIEW CLUBHOUSE shining brightly on it. I looked around and the outside view of the club was indeed impressive making me wonder how the interior would look like. We got down from the car and walked towards the club. When we got to the entrance, we met a bouncer and he asked us to show him our IDs, we showed him and he allowed us to enter.


    The first thing I saw when we entered was the stage where strippers where dancing. They were putting on lingeries that left little for people to imagine. I was lost watching their sensual performance that I didn¡¯t realize a bartender was standing in front of us. I snapped out of the daze I was in when Manuel tapped me on my shoulder.


    ¡°Good evening sirs, I would be leading you to the VIP section. This way please.¡± She said politely. We followed her to the VIP section where there was another stage but a little bit smaller than the one in the main club. Some strippers were busy gyrating to the slow sensual music and there were very few people present here. The bartender led us to a table where Manuel and I sat down.


    ¡°Your waitresses for the night will be with you shortly.¡± She said and left.


    ¡°How is the club so far?¡± Manuel asked casually.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Its nice.¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Its more than nice. I can see it on your face that you love this ce.¡± He teased.


    ¡°Yeah. Its been good so far.¡± I said honestly and focused my attention on the strippers. Four of the strippers came to our table. Two came to me while the other two went to Manuel. One of the ones that came to me is a redhead while the other one is a brte. The beautiful redhead straddled me and started giving me ap dance while the brte caressed my body. I was loosing myself to them when a familiar voice snapped me out of it.


    ¡°Good evening Sir. I¡¯m Brianna, what would you like to have?¡± A voice asked. I raised my head and saw that the bartender is my new personal assistant. Her eyes grew wide with surprise when she saw it was me.


    ¡°What are you doing here Mr. Adrian?¡± She asked, her eyes drifting towards the girls ying with me before she focused her attention back on me.


    ¡°Is that even a question? I¡¯m here to have fun of course.¡± I replied rudely.


    ¡°Wow! I never saw you as the type of person that has time for fun.¡± She said.


    ¡°Whatever. Are you still taking my orders or not?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Oh! What would you like to have?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What are the most expensive drinks here?¡± I asked back.


    ¡°We have Mendis Coconut Brandy, Diva Vodka and Russo-Baltique Vodka. Those are the most expensive drinks we have.¡± She listed.


    ¡°Which exactly is the most expensive?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Russo-Baltique Vodka is the most expensive.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Ok get me two bottles of those and give everybody in the VIP section one bottle each.¡± I said.


    ¡°Wow Mr. Adrian you¡¯re so generous.¡± She said but I could tell she was teasing me.


    ¡°Just go and get the drinks and don¡¯t think I forgot that you didn¡¯ttere back to the office.¡± I said ring at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that Sir. We¡¯d deal with that at the office tomorrow.¡± She said, turned around and left to get the drinks. I¡¯lle up with another way to punish her tomorrow. Some minutester, she came back with the drinks, set them on the table and poured them into cups for Manuel and I before leaving, probably to get the drinks for the other people.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that thedy that kicked you the other day? Your new personal assistant?¡± Manuel asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s the one.¡± I replied monotonously.


    ¡°Then what is she doing here?¡± He asked stupidly.


    ¡°Are you blind to see she works here?¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He said and drank a little out of his drink. I also took a sip of mine and sighed in satisfaction. This is exactly what I needed. A night of drinking and having fun with girls. The strippers continued having their way with me while I enjoyed my drink.


    My eyes caught Briannaing back with drinks in a basket which she gave to everybody in the VIP section. Brianna must have told them I was the one who told her to give them the drinks because I suddenly heard people saying ¡®Thank you Sir¡¯,¡¯Thanks for the drink Sir¡¯. I felt good hearing those words. After two to three hours of drinking and watching strippers dance, I called Brianna over to ask for the amount of money I was gonna give her and she calcted it to be 26, 000, 000 USD. I gave her my credit card and she came back with it a few momentster.


    ¡°Manuel its time to go.¡± I said looking at Manuel who was drunk already.


    ¡°No let¡¯s wait a little more. I¡¯ve not had enough fun.¡± He slurred.


    ¡°No its time to go.¡± I said standing up and shrugging off the strippers. They wanted to protest but I shut them a re and they ran off. I went to Manuel¡¯s side and pulled him up, I put one of his arm around my shoulder and walked out of the VIP section.


    ¡°Mr. Adrian, you¡¯re leaving already?¡± Brianna asked when she saw me on my way out.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m gonna sleep here tonight.¡± I answered rudely.


    ¡°I was just asking a question, you don¡¯t need to be cranky about it.¡± She snapped.


    ¡°Are you ready to lose your job? Because with the way you¡¯re behaving right now I can see you don¡¯t need your job anymore.¡± I said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to threaten me with my job anytime I do something wrong Mr. Adrian.¡± She stated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have your time now. I have better things to do than to bicker with you but don¡¯t forget that we have an unfinished business to settle tomorrow. You¡¯ll exin the reason why you didn¡¯te back to the office today.¡± I said and exited the club.


    When I got to the parking lot and Brandon saw Manuel in my arms, he rushed over to me and collected Manuel from me. I flexed my muscles because Manuel wasn¡¯t as light as he looked. Brandon helped him into the backseat while I got into the passenger seat. Brandon got into the driver¡¯s seat of the car and drove out of the club premises.


    During the ride home, I had to endure minutes of Manuel¡¯s terrible singing. He sang the songs in a wrong way and coupled with his bad voice, it made the ride miserable. When we finally got to the mansion, I ordered Brandon to take Manuel to the guest bedroom while I went to my bedroom thinking of ways to punish my stupid personal assistant.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

    **BRIANNA**


    I stared at Mr. Adrian¡¯s figure as he exited the club with his drunk friend who was muttering incoherent words. He really looked hot in the outfit he wore. I didn¡¯t know I was standing in one spot and drooling until I heard someone clearing their throat behind me.


    ¡°You were staring at him.¡± Cherry said casually.


    ¡°Was I?¡± I asked dumbly.


    ¡°Snap out of it dumbhead. He¡¯s gone already!¡± Cherry yelled a little in my ears and I snapped out of the reverie I was in.


    ¡°Your boss really looks hot in real life than in the television and magazines.¡± Cherry said with a dreamy look on her face.


    ¡°Yes he really does look hot.¡± I blurted out before realizing what I said and covered my mouth with my hands as if I could unsay what I had said. My cheeks had turned pink from embarrassment.


    ¡°Wow! This is the first time you¡¯replimenting a guy¡¯s look. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re crushing on your new boss already.¡± Cherry gushed.


    ¡°What?! Never! You of all people know that I don¡¯t have time for men not to talk of crushing on them. And how did you know he is my new boss?¡± I said then asked.


    ¡°Have you forgotten I told you about the interview? I¡¯m also on social media not like somebody who acts like she just crawled out of a hole. Besides, who in earth doesn¡¯t know Adrian Carter.¡± Cherry teased and I smacked her head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t just crawl out of a hole and besides I¡¯m not on social media because I don¡¯t have the time for it.¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Right! You didn¡¯t just crawl out of a hole because you were living in a cave with no modern technology.¡± She sassed. I was about to reply with aeback when Mr. Cole came by. Cherry quickly picked up the rag on the counter and started wiping the counter as if it was dirty while I just stood there watching because I didn¡¯t have any excuse as to why I was conversing during work.


    ¡°Hey Brianna, what are you doing just standing here and doing nothing? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be taking orders or something?¡± Mr. Cole asked when he got to where we were.


    ¡°I actually came to collect something from Cherry. Right Cherry?¡± I stated and asked hoping Cherry would understand what I am trying to do.


    ¡°Right! I¡¯m gonna give you the stuff when I¡¯m done here.¡± Cherry said still wiping the counter.


    ¡°Ok. I¡¯lle and collect it when you¡¯re done.¡± I replied and turned to walk away.


    ¡°Stop right there Brianna, I want you toe with me and Cherry, learn to face your work whenever you¡¯re here or I¡¯m gonna suspend you next time I see you conversing instead of working. Am I clear?¡± Mr. Cole stated sternly.


    ¡°Yes Mr. Cole.¡± Cherry said.


    Mr. Cole walked away and I muttered a small sorry to Cherry. I followed Mr. Cole to a secluded part of the club and he stopped walking before facing me.


    ¡°Have you thought about my offer yet?¡± Mr. Cole asked.


    ¡°What offer?¡± I asked back feigning confusion.


    ¡°We both know what I¡¯m talking about Brianna, have you thought about it?¡± Mr. Cole asked again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it and my answer is still no. I¡¯ve told you already. I don¡¯t want to have any rtionship with you except the boss-employee rtionship we ought to maintain.¡± I stated.


    ¡°I really like you a lot and I want us to be together. I promise to increase your sry if you decide to be with me.¡± He said almost pleadingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested! Is it by force?! I don¡¯t wanna be with you, you¡¯re just after my body, you¡¯re gonna dump me immediately after you have sex with me. There are lots of sluts you can fuck if you¡¯re looking for a fuck buddy but I¡¯m not one!¡± I yelled furiously. If we were not in a secluded ce, people would have been staring at us wondering what¡¯s wrong.


    After my outburst, he forcefully crushed his lips on mine and I got angry immediately. The feeling of his lips moving against mine made me feel like puking. I pushed him away from me, breaking off the kiss in the process. Without thinking twice, Inded a resounding p on his right cheek and also did the same to the left one. Mr. Cole¡¯s eyes grew wide with shock when his brain registered that I had just pped him.


    ¡°What was that for?!¡± Mr. Cole shouted angrily. He doesn¡¯t have any right to be angry, I¡¯m the only one that has the right to be angry here.


    ¡°What was that for? You¡¯re asking me what was that for? Why the hell did you kiss me? That was my first kiss and I didn¡¯t n on giving it to anybody.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Wow! That was your first kiss? With a body like yours, you ought to have kissed a lot of men. I¡¯m proud to be the one to kiss you first.¡± He said smiling. The fucker still had the gut to smile after he forcefully kissed me.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane! What am I even doing here exchanging words with you? I¡¯m gonna sue you and use you of attempting to rape me next time you try this nonsense with me.¡± I warned and walked away.


    ¡°Son of a bitch.¡± I cursed loudly when I was out of earshot. I got back to the counter and saw that Cherry had stopped wiping the counter and is now attending to somebody. When she finished attending to the person, she turned to me.


    ¡°What happened back there?¡± Cherry asked curiously when she saw me scowling.


    ¡°Can you believe what that fucker did? He took my first kiss without my consent.¡± I told her.


    ¡°What the hell! Did you do something to him after that?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°Of course I did. I gave him two resounding ps.¡± I said smugly.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl! You ought to kick his ass, that would have been really satisfying.¡± She stated.


    ¡°I can¡¯t kick his ass or I¡¯m gonna lose my job and I¡¯m not ready for that yet but if he tries that shit with me again, I¡¯m gonna damn the consequences and beat him up then and there.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the Anna I love.¡± Cherry said and we shared a high five.


    ¡°I better go back to work before the bosses back.¡± I said before going around and collecting orders.


    By the time my shift was over, I was a sweating mess. Why? Because I was just walking back and forth collecting meaningless orders. Thedy that was supposed to collect orders with me called in sick so I was the only one doing all the work and there are lots of customers tonight making me wonder if some of them don¡¯t have work to go tomorrow. Cherry also rounded up her work behind the counter and we left the club.


    We talked about meaningless things on our way home. We were talking about how my first day of work went when we came across a store. An idea suddenly came to me and it was like a light up suddenly switched on in my brain. I have the perfect n to get my revenge on Mr. Adrian for making me walk under the hot sun.


    ¡°I want to get something from that store Cherry. Will you wait for me ore with me?¡± I asked walking towards the direction of the store.


    ¡°What do you want to buy? You didn¡¯t tell me you wanted to buy something.¡± She replied.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I wanted to buy something before. You¡¯ll see what I wanna buy when we get there.¡± I said and entered the store with Cherry behind me. There was ady behind the counter and it seemed as if she was preparing to close the store because she was busy counting money. She raised her head when she saw us approaching the counter and stopped what she was doing. She stood up and came to meet us.


    ¡°Good eveningdies, what would you like to buy?¡± She asked smiling.


    ¡°Hmm, do you have itching powder?¡± I asked and she looked at me weirdly. Even Cherry looked at me weirdly as if asking me what I wanted to use itching powder for but I ignored her.


    ¡°Yes I have itching powder. Do you want the one that causes mild itching or severe itching?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°Give me the one that causes severe itching.¡± I said and she went to get it.


    ¡°What do you wanna use itching powder for?¡± Cherry asked after thedy had left.


    ¡°I want to use it on someone. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell you all about it tomorrow.¡± I said without giving a clue on who I wanna use it on. Thedy came back some minutester and gave me the itching powder.


    ¡°How much is it?¡± I asked observing the itching powder.


    ¡°Three dors.¡± She replied and I pulled the money out of my bag and gave it to her.


    ¡°Thanks for buying from me and doe back next time.¡± She said smiling. Cherry and I walked out of the store and continued on our way home. We got to the ce where we¡¯d go our separate ways and bade ourselves goodnight. I carried on with my journey smirking because I already have a perfect idea to get back at Mr. Adrian.


    TBCAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

    # NEXT MORNING


    **BRIANNA**


    The annoying sound of my rm clock prated my sleep, jolting me back to reality just as I was getting the best of my sleep since I spentst night plotting devious ways on how to use the powder on Mr Adrian.


    With a groan, I sat up and stretched, letting out a loud yawn. The first ray of sunlight making it¡¯s way past the curtain, illuminating the room.


    I climbed out of bed, mmed the rm off and blocked out the thought of crawling back onto my bed to enjoy more nap, knowing fully well that Mr Adrian has a thing for unpunctuality and tardiness and I can¡¯t afford to be in his bad graces this morning especially when I have something daring to do besides, I also can¡¯t afford to lose my job.


    After taking a cold shower, I picked one of the dress Cherry bought for me, a knee length ck and white polka dot dress, wore a wedge pump to go with it, applied little make up, packed my hair in a bun then head out, grabbing my bag along.


    When I got downstairs, the delicious aroma of pasta weed me. Mom must be performing her magic in the kitchen. I dropped my bag on the couch and went to the kitchen. I met mom putting food in tes.


    ¡°Good morning mom.¡± I greeted and pecked her.


    ¡°Morning sweetie. How was just about to tell Marianna toe and get you for breakfast. How was your night?¡± She said then asked.


    ¡°It was good. Where did you get the money to cook? I thought we ran out of groceries?¡± I questioned curiously.


    ¡°Oh! It is the money Marianna saved up from her earnings she used to buy groceries yesterday.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s good of you Marie.¡± I said to Marianna who had started eating her breakfast.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Marianna replied, her voice muffled because of the food in her mouth.


    I also collected my food from mom and started eating. After eating, I drank a cup of water and stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going now mom, don¡¯t forget to take your pills at the appropriate time and do rest well, OK?¡± I said.


    ¡°Ok darling. Bye!¡± She replied.


    Marianna also bade me goodbye and I walked out of the kitchen. I went to the sitting room, picked up my bag and left the house. I walked to the bus stop which is a ten minutes walk from my house. I had to wait for a few minutes before the bus arrived.


    I boarded the bus and sat at the back. Twenty minutester, the bus came to a stop at the bus stop closest to thepany. I alighted and walked the remaining distance to thepany.


    On entering the building, some of the staffs that were already present were walking about and I saw Kristen already behind the counter.


    ¡°Hey Kristen! Good morning.¡± I greeted enthusiastically.


    ¡°Brianna! Good morning, you came early today. You didn¡¯t sleep in today?¡± She teased with a bright smile on her face.


    ¡°Yeah I didn¡¯t sleep in. Is the boss here yet?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°No he isn¡¯t and I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be here anytime soon. Is there a secret as to why you came early and smiling like this?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah but never mind. You might hear about itter.¡± I said smirking.


    ¡°Ok then. Wanna have lunch with me and my friends during lunch break?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to. Expect me at the cafeteria during lunch.¡± I replied.


    I left her ce and went to the elevator, I pressed the buttons and waited for it to get here before entering. I walked out of the elevator when it got to the floor my office was located. When I got to the office, I dropped my bag on the desk and quickly brought the powder out of my bag. I have a perfect way to carry out my n without him knowing its me.


    I walked out of my office and went to the entrance of Mr. Adrian¡¯s office. I twisted the doorknob and I discovered it was unlocked. I stepped into the office and closed the door.


    I walked further into the office and looked around, to carry out my n i need something I can stand on. My eyes caught the long stool chair that was beside the bookshelf. I quickly brought it to the center of the room and climbed it.


    I stood on the stool and I was very close to the ceiling fan;exactly how I wanted it. Then I opened the small stic bag and sprinkled the fan with the powder. I made sure to pour everything on it, I was about to get off the the stool when I heard footsteps approaching the office. Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s Mr. Adrian, I thought Kristen said he won¡¯t be here anytime soon.


    I quickly got down from the stool and ced it back where it was so he wouldn¡¯t suspect anything. I quickly ran out of the office immediately I heard the footsteps getting closer. To my utmost surprise, it was a female employee holding a briefcase I saw when I was out of the office and not Mr. Adrian.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She asked looking at me weirdly.


    ¡°Nothing. What are you doing here?¡± I replied with a question.


    ¡°As you can see, I brought Mr. Adrian¡¯s briefcase to his office.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I eximed and scrambled out of her sight. I looked behind me and saw that she was staring at me weirdly, she must be wondering what I was doing in the boss¡¯s office when he is not in yet. I got back to my office and settled down on my chair cing my hand on my chest, thank God it wasn¡¯t Mr. Adrian that caught me or that wouldn¡¯t have been funny. I switched on theputer on my desk and started working immediately.


    **ADRIAN**


    I got to my office and thanked the female employee for bringing in my briefcase and she left. I turned on the fan to the highest level and that was when I felt something raining down on me. I looked around me and saw that the particle was all over the ce and my body:from head to toe.


    I raised my head and looked at the ceiling to check if it was sand that was all over the ce, I walked to my desk and swiped my forefinger across the desk. I studied the particle and noticed that it looked and felt a nothing like sand. I was about to phone the cleaner when I felt this crazy itching. It started mildly but within some seconds, I was scratching every exposed part of my body madly.


    ¡°Why the heck is my body itching me like this? Is this a reaction to the new body soap I¡¯m using?¡± I thought inwardly still scratching crazily. But this can¡¯t be a reaction to something, its gotta be that stuff that¡¯s all over my body.


    It got to a point that if I¡¯m scratching one ce, it¡¯ll move to another ce. I released a loud scream when it felt as if the itching is getting worse; I didn¡¯t know when I started rolling on the floor in an attempt to stop the itching. I guess my scream was so loud because I heard people running towards my office. The door to my office burst open and the first person I that came in was Brianna.


    ¡°Good morning boss, we heard your scream. Why are you rolling on the floor and scratching your body like this?¡± Brianna asked in a concerned manner but I could tell she is faking it because she was trying hard not tough seeing me humiliating myself in front of my employees.


    ¡°Who the heck did this? I got to my office this morning and I was greeted with something being poured all over me and my office? What the hell is this thing?¡± I yelled crazily.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How are we supposed to know who did this? Its not as if we¡¯ve entered your office today.¡± Brianna replied rudely. One of the employees that came into the office moved closer to me and used his hand to take a little amount of the substance in my hair and studied it.


    ¡°This is itching powder!¡± He eximed and everyone around me gasped, including me as well.


    ¡°Who has the fucking nerve to use itching powder on me?!¡± I shouted furiously while still scratching my itching body. They all started murmuring amongst themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯m so gonna deal with all of you when I find a way to stop this crazy itchiness.¡± I threatened and they all started saying they don¡¯t know anything about it.


    ¡°Does anyone know how I can stop this itchiness?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, you can stop it by taking a long hot bath sir.¡± The guy from earlier said.


    ¡°I¡¯ming back for y¡¯all. When I¡¯m done with you guys, you¡¯ll tell me who did this.¡± I growled and sat up from my position on the floor then ran straight to the bathroom.


    I heard them giggling at the manner at which I ran but they won¡¯t be giggling for long. I quickly stripped off my clothes and got under the shower. I sighed in relief the moment the water touched my skin and started washing away the powder. I made sure to spend a good amount of time under the shower so as to make sure that all of the powder has left my body. I dried my body and tied a towel around my waist. I was about to walk out of the bathroom when I realized that I had not brought clothes with me and people were in my office.


    ¡°Everyone of you in my office should get out now and stay outside till I¡¯m ready. When I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll call all of you.¡± I shouted and I heard their footsteps indicating that they were walking out of the office. When I was sure that there was nobody left in the office, I walked out and went to the adjoined room. I quickly got dressed in a shirt and trousers before walking back out to the office.


    I settled down on my chair and prepared for how catching the culprit would be. ¡°This is gonna be a long interrogation and I¡¯m so gonna punish the person when I find out who it is.¡± I thought smirking wickedly.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTEEN

    **ADRIAN**


    I called all the employees into my office after I had settled down. They all stood in front of me looking nervous but they shouldn¡¯t be if they know nothing about it.


    ¡°Now who knew about the powder stuff that happened earlier.¡± I asked calmly while staring at everyone of them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about it Sir. I wouldn¡¯t dare pull that kind of stunt on you.¡± One of them chirped.


    ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t know if you had the gut to do something like that because I might have done something to you and you wanted to get back at me by doing that. I¡¯m asking calmly now, WHO THE HELL KNOWS ABOUT THE POWDER STUFF!¡± I yelled while banging my hand on the desk.


    They all jumped back looking frightened and started denying it, saying that they haven¡¯t stepped foot into my office this morning. Some even said that they don¡¯te to my office when I¡¯m not inside. While they were all busy denying it, Brianna was just there smiling and not saying anything.


    ¡°If y¡¯all don¡¯t tell me the person behind it now! I¡¯m so gonna send y¡¯all to prison and make sure you spend a night there.¡± I threatened furiously. The image of me humiliating myself in front of them couldn¡¯t leave my head and I¡¯m only gonna get satisfied when I catch the culprit and punish him/her.


    They all started shouting when they heard my threat;one of them stepped forward. I recognized her to be the female employee that brought my briefcase to my office this morning.


    ¡°I have something to say Sir.¡± She said shakily.


    ¡°Yes? Speak up then.¡± I replied harshly.


    ¡°When I brought your briefcase earlier, I saw Miss Brianna walking out of your office suspiciously. She looked as if she had been caught red-handed doing something bad.¡± Thedy stated. My eyes snapped towards Brianna and indeed she looked like a deer caught in the headlight.


    ¡°Do you have something to say to that Miss Brianna?¡± I asked ring at her. She couldn¡¯t reply because she was too frozen to talk.


    ¡°Sorry for the false usations guys. You¡¯re all free to go now.¡± I said to the others and they all ran out as if their pants are on fire. I faced Brianna with my ring eyes and she looked as if she¡¯s gonna pee on herself.


    ¡°So¡­ you care to tell me why you did that?¡± I asked feigning calmness.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me why I did that? Have you forgotten how you made me walk under the scorchingly hot sun yesterday?! You sent me on an errand to get something for you and I got there only to discover that you gave me a wrong address and I even had to go around the whole estate looking for your house thinking you mistakenly wrote a wrong address for me.¡± She barked angrily.


    ¡°Oh! I did that? I must have written a wrong address. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I apologized.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t mean your apology so don¡¯t give me that.¡± She snapped.


    ¡°Whatever. You are really one brave girl Brianna, you are the only one who have had the gut to do something like that to me just because you wanted to retaliate. I¡¯ve done something more than this to people who came before you and they didn¡¯t dare to do anything. Now give me one reason why I shouldn¡¯t fire you.¡± I asked staring at her and her whole facade crumbled but she put herself together again.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t fire me because I just started working with you yesterday and you haven¡¯t even seen what I can do yet.¡± She said smiling sweetly.


    ¡°Is that a valid reason? I can fire you now and get another personal assistant within the snap of a finger.¡± I said smirking smugly.


    ¡°Ok fine. I know that you can fire me if you want but please don¡¯t. I really need this job.¡± She stated pleadingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna forgive you just this once but the next time you try this shit with me, I¡¯m going to fire you without thinking twice.¡± I said harshly.


    ¡°Thank you very much Sir. Can I get back to work now?¡± She asked already walking towards the door.


    ¡°No no no. Come back here Brianna, I have something for you to do.¡± I said standing up from my chair.


    I walked towards a cab at one side of the office while Brianna stared at me bewilderedly. She¡¯s probably thinking that what do I wanna take there well she doesn¡¯t need to wonder for long. I got to the cab and pulled out a drawer, I saw what I was looking for and took it out. I blew the dust off the files and dumped it on my desk.


    ¡°Well Miss Brianna, I need your help on this. I need you to help me arrange these files in an alphabetical order because I¡¯m gonna be needing them pretty soon and it¡¯ll make my job easier if they are perfectly arranged.¡± I stated looking at her reaction. Her jaw dropped when she heard what I said and I smirked at that.


    ¡°Wait what? You want me to arrange this heap of files within a short period of time. When exactly are you gonna be needing it?!¡± She asked wide-eyed.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna need it in the next two hours.¡± I replied looking at my wrist watch.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL?! I can¡¯t even get this done if I was given five hours!¡± She eximed.


    ¡°Instead of standing here kvetching, you could go to your office and start arranging it.¡± I snapped rudely. She walked to my desk and carried the files muttering something along the lines of ¡®These files aren¡¯t only much but heavy too. Can¡¯t he even have mercy on me and reduce these files or even increase the time given to me. Heartless monster.¡± to herself. I chuckled at herment and watched as she walked out of my office struggling and grumbling to herself.


    **BRIANNA**


    I got to my office and closed the door with my leg. I dropped the files on my table carelessly and red at it as if it had offended me. Well it didn¡¯t, the person who gave them to me to arrange offended me. I mean how does he expect me to arrange a heap of files as tall as me within two hours, where would I even start from?


    Muttering to myself isn¡¯t gonna help me, I better start arranging these damn files. I quickly sat on my seat and got to work. I started by ncing through the topic on each files and started arranging them. It got to a point that I slept off during the arrangement. I woke up to the sound of my office¡¯s door opening and closing.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake! I¡¯m awake! I was actually working!¡± I said gibberingly and I heard somebody burst outughing. I raised my head to see Mr. Adrian leaning against the wall and staring at me in amusement.


    ¡°Was that the work I gave to you?¡± He asked amusedly.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I was actually working but I fell asleep by mistake because these papers are as boring as beans and its as if I had been given a sleeping pill.¡± I whined.


    ¡°Stop whining Missy and get back to work. Oh right! I came to tell you that you have forty five minutes left to arrange these files but I caught you sleeping instead.¡± He stated.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but how many minutes did you say I have left?¡± I asked as if I hadn¡¯t heard him the first time.


    ¡°I said you have forty five minutes left.¡± He said smoothly.


    ¡°Well then, get out so I can focus on my work without your hot physique distracting me!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Wait, did you just say I¡¯m hot?¡± He asked looking smug.


    ¡°What?! I didn¡¯t mean that, it must have been a slip of the tongue because you sure as hell don¡¯t look hit to me.¡± I said and he red at me.


    ¡°I might not look hot to you because I know you have problems with your eyes but a thousanddies have told me I¡¯m hot.¡± He stated proudly.


    ¡°Well,,, they don¡¯t know the difference between hot and ugly.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Now get out of my office and let me work in peace. I¡¯m getting five minutes extra for using outta the time given to me!¡± I snapped and he walked out of my office speechless. He must¡¯ve not known what to say because of how I insulted him. I checked the time and saw it was time for lunch, I guess I¡¯m gonna have to miss my lunch with Kristen and her friends. I¡¯ll try to make it up to her sometime.


    Two hourster and I¡¯m done with the files arrangement. I didn¡¯t just spend five extra minutes, I spent two more freaking hours. Mr. Adrian is so gonna talk my ears off. I walked into his office with the files in my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m done boss, sorry I took too long to finish it.¡± I said dumping the files on his desk. He raised his head from hisputer and stared at me before saying:


    ¡°Well Brianna, you finishedte with the files that it¡¯s not needed anymore. Throw it in the dustbin.¡± I stared at him as if he was mentally challenged.


    ¡°Are you alright Mr. Adrian? You just told me to dump four hours of my work in the dustbin?¡± I asked incredulously.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright and yes I did tell you to dump the files in the dustbin. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s four hours of your work or not. All I have to tell you is that it ain¡¯t needed anymore.¡± He stated and focused back on what he was doing. I really feel like strangling him and feeding his dead body to the vultures but I¡¯m not going to do that. At least not yet.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

    **BRIANNA**


    The day finally came to an end and I sighed tiredly. Mr. Adrian had made me do more work after the files arrangement stuff and I¡¯m feeling quite hungry now since I didn¡¯t get to eat lunch. I cleared my desk and packed up my things into my bag. I looked out of the window and saw that it was getting prettyte, the sun setting already. I didn¡¯t realize it was thiste. Damn Mr. Adrian for giving me extra work.


    I picked up my bag and walked out of my office dragging my legs. I got food the elevator and entered it, the doors were about to slide close when somebody used their leg to stop it. I looked up at the person and saw that it was Mr. Adrian. I rolled my eyes at him and brought my phone out of my bag and started ying games, I made sure that it was in the highest volume because I didn¡¯t want to have any conversation with him and I also wanna annoy him.


    He walked in and stood close to me. The doors slid close and began the journey to the first floor. I continued with my games as if he wasn¡¯t there but I started feeling uneasy when I felt eyes on me. I raised my head and caught Mr. Adrian staring at me; my eyes locked with Mr. Adrian¡¯s as we engaged in a staringpetition. I was the first person to break the staringpetition.


    ¡°Why were you staring at me?¡± I asked gazing at him.


    ¡°Is there anything bad in staring at you? Are you a celebrity that shouldn¡¯t be stared at?¡± He asked back.


    ¡°You know what? I shouldn¡¯t have talked in the first ce. I should have just acted as if you weren¡¯t here!¡± I said raising my voice slightly.


    ¡°Yeah you should have done just that!¡± He retorted and we both huffed and turned our backs to each other like kids. I continued with my game when suddenly the elevator stopped moving and the lights went out. The emergency lights came on and I looked around in panic.


    ¡°What the fuck just happened?!¡± I asked no one in particr.


    ¡°Seems like the elevator has stopped.¡± He replied as if it wasn¡¯t obvious.


    ¡°I knew it stopped! Why did it stop?!¡± I asked again.


    ¡°How do you expect me to know? It¡¯s not as if I know about elevators.¡± He snapped. I went to the door and pressed buttons to try and open it but it refused to open.


    ¡°Seems like we¡¯re spending the night in the elevator.¡± Mr. Adrian said nonchntly. I turned back to stare at him as if he was crazy.


    ¡°I can¡¯t spend the night in an elevator, I have to go to the club and my mom would be worried sick if I don¡¯t get home tonight.¡± I whined. I thought of what to do and I had an idea. Why didn¡¯t I think of it before?


    ¡°Hmm, Mr. Adrian?¡± I called and he answered with a hum.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you call one of the securities toe and help us? Or you can call an elevator mechanic?¡± I asked hopefully.


    ¡°You think I haven¡¯t thought of that? Don¡¯t you know you can¡¯t make or receive call in an elevator because there¡¯s no signal?¡± He said rudely. Wow, I didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re gonna spend the night here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I told you that before.¡± He replied. I sighed and slumped down onto the floor. I¡¯m gonna miss my shift at the club tonight and that means some amount of money will be deducted from my sry by the end of the month.


    That aside, I¡¯m actually feeling hungry and I don¡¯t have any snack with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± I groaned loudly.


    ¡°You¡¯re starving? Didn¡¯t you eat lunch?¡± Mr. Adrian asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to eat lunch because of the stupid work you gave me to do and even though I ate lunch don¡¯t you think it would have digested by now?¡± I snapped angrily.


    ¡°Hey! It isn¡¯t my fault that you¡¯re hungry so don¡¯t vent your anger on me.¡± He also snapped and I red at him as if he was crazy.


    ¡°It was exactly your fault and we¡¯re not gonna argue about this because I don¡¯t have the strength to exchange words with you.¡± I said in finality. He opened his mouth to talk but as if he decided against talking, he closed his mouth back. Silence befell us but my stomach decided to break it by grumbling loudly. I blushed in embarrassment when Mr. Adrian nced at me and he sighed.


    ¡°It seems like I have to give you this.¡± He said dipping his hand in his pocket.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked curiously and he brought something out of his pocket.


    I looked at his hand closely and discovered that he was holding a packet of chocte biscuits. My eyes lit up in excitement when I saw it; chocte biscuits are my favorite and it¡¯s been long I ate one. I stood up from my position on the floor and went to meet him at the other side of the elevator where he was also sitting. I collected the biscuit from him and tore the wrap. I began wolfing down the biscuit, I was almost done with it when I realized that I haven¡¯t asked Mr. Adrian if he¡¯d like to eat.


    ¡°Would you like some?¡± I asked him and he shook his head.


    ¡°Nah, I have another one with me.¡± He said bringing out another pack of biscuit.


    ¡°I can see that you love chocte biscuits.¡± He said as he began to eat his own.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re my favorite.¡± I gushed.


    ¡°They¡¯re mine too.¡± He said.


    ¡°Wow! We actually have one thing inmon.¡± Iughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising, who would have thought we had something inmon since we spend almost all our time arguing since we met each other.¡± I wondered and heughed out loud. I think this is the first time I saw himughing genuinely.


    ¡®His face looks more hot when he¡¯sughing.¡¯ The inner slut in me whispered and I smacked my head.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡®Don¡¯t think of him like that bitch, he¡¯s a douchebag!¡¯ I snapped at her and she kept her mouth shut.


    ¡°Are you talking to yourself?¡± He asked in confusion. I didn¡¯t know I was talking out loud.


    ¡°No I wasn¡¯t.¡± I replied quickly.


    ¡°If you say so.¡± He said.


    ¡°Uhm, you¡¯ve got something on your face.¡± He said gazing at my face and I brought my hand up to my face to wipe the thing off.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± I asked wiping a side of my face and he said no. I continued trying to get the thing off my face but I seem not to be able to get it off.


    ¡°Let me help you with it.¡± He said bringing his face closer to mine.


    ¡°Uhm, what are you doing?¡± I asked as he brought his face closer and closer to mine.


    ¡°I wanna help you wipe something off your face.¡± He said huskily and his lipsnded on mine at that moment.


    TBC

 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

    **BRIANNA**


    The moment I felt Mr. Adrian¡¯s lips on mine, it felt as if I was in heaven. His lips are the softest one I¡¯ve ever kissed. Okay, I¡¯ve only kissed one person in my entire life and he did it forcefully and besides, his lips were pretty hard. I started reciprocating the kiss as our lips moved in a sync. He delved deeper into my mouth as we explored each others¡¯ mouth. His lips moved to my neck and he sucked a sensitive spot on my neck and that was when I lost all ounce of control left in me. I let out a very long and loud moan, one I¡¯m sure could bring down the whole building if the foundation isn¡¯t strong.


    After sucking my neck to his satisfaction, he moved to my ear and bit my earlobe. He returned to my lips and continued kissing the hell out of me. He ran his hand through my hair thereby scattering it in the process. I also did the same to him and disheveled his already tousled hair.


    ¡°You look so beautiful.¡± He groaned as his hand move to my zipper and I released another loud moan. He unzipped my dress and was about to unhook my bra and that was when I came down from cloud nine. I forcefully broke the kiss and pushed him away from me. I didn¡¯t know how hard I pushed him but I heard him wince slightly as his head hit something.


    I quickly arranged my clothes and my dishevelled hair. I red at him pointedly as he watched me get my shit together.


    ¡°Why the hell did you kiss me?¡± I asked him angrily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just kissed you because I felt like.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that. You¡¯re my boss for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± I yelled at him.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any right to get angry, you reciprocated the kiss.¡± He said nonchntly and my I blushed in embarrassment.


    ¡°Well any of this wouldn¡¯t have happened if you hadn¡¯t kissed me in the first ce.¡± I snapped and the elevator became so silent that we could hear if a pin drops.


    I thought of our intimate time a few moments ago and my thighs clenched as if it had a mind of its own. I hope he didn¡¯t notice my clenching my thighs because that would have been so embarrassing. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what happened some minutes ago and that¡¯s when I came to a decision that I really needed to get out of here, I need to get far away from him till I¡¯ve forgotten about what happened earlier.


    I got up from my position and went to the door. I ignored Mr. Adrian¡¯s eyes was he watched me in confusion. I got to the door and began banging it loudly hoping somebody will hear it ande and get us out of the elevator.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Are you nning to burst my eardrum with the way you¡¯re banging on the door?!¡± He yelled over the loud noise.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get us out of here, but you can stay here if you want.¡± I replied and continued banging on the door. He kept staring at me as if I was crazy. When I felt my hands aching me, I stopped for a little while and continued from where I stopped.


    Suddenly, the elevator started moving again and my body jerked because of the sudden movement. The elevator got to the first floor in no time and I rushed out of it happily. I sighed in relief when I got out, I thought I was gonna spend the night in the elevator. Thank God it started working again.


    I raised my head when I heard footsteps approachinging towards me. It was an unfamiliar man and two other men I recognized to be securities because they were dressed in security uniforms. They walked past me and went to meet someone behind me. I turned back and was met with Mr. Adrian walking out of the elevator. I thought he was going to spend the night in there.


    ¡°Ah! Mr. Adrian we¡¯ve looked all over the building for you but we couldn¡¯t find you and that was when we realized that you were trapped in the elevator. The elevator stopped because of power failure and power has been restored that was why it started moving again.¡± I heard the man exined in one breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Brandon, I thought I was gonna sleep in there.¡± Mr. Adrian replied.


    I walked out of the building and stayed by the side of the road to g down a cab. It was veryte and there was no moving vehicle on the road. I checked the time and it was 8:30 p. m. already. Mom would be so worried. I continued standing there hoping a cab would luckily drive by but there was no such luck.


    I was already losing hope when a very beautiful and expensive looking car stopped in front of me. Somebody winded down the window of the car and it turned out to be none other than Mr. Adrian and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked with a frown on my face.


    ¡°I was wondering what you were doing here. Do you need a lift?¡± He asked nicely but he was very far from nice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a lift. As you can see, I¡¯m waiting for a cab.¡± I replied stubbornly.


    ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t look like a cab ising anytime soon.¡± He stated smiling smugly. If he thinks I¡¯m getting in that car with him then he¡¯s wrong. Seems like he doesn¡¯t know me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a lift! Is it a must to give me a lift?! Or are you nning on taking me to your house and having your way with me?¡± I shouted crazily. If anybody heard my outburst, they¡¯d be wondering if I¡¯m mad or something.


    ¡°Hey! Hey! You need to calm down. If you don¡¯t want to get in the car with me, then it¡¯s fine. I just wanted to lend a helping hand.¡± He said raising his hands in surrender. He said something to the person driving and the car drove off.


    A few minutester, and I¡¯m still waiting for a cab toe by. A gust of cold wind suddenly blew past me and that was when I started taking note of my surroundings. Dark clouds had already gathered in the sky and it was a clear indication that a heavy rain was going to fall anytime soon. I made a decision to go to the bus stop since I haven¡¯te across any cab. I facepalmed myself when I thought of this. Why didn¡¯t I think of this in the first ce? I¡¯m so stupid.


    I had not even taken a step from where I was standing when I felt a drop of water fall on me. I was wondering where the water came from when I felt more drops of water on me and that was when I realized that it had started raining. I didn¡¯t know it would start raining so soon.


    I counted one to three mentally and began running to the bus stop. By the time I got there, I was dripping wet from head to toe and I was already a shivering mess. I should have epted Mr. Adrian¡¯s offer on giving me a lift because it¡¯s already sote and there¡¯s no way a bus wille here by this time. Guess I¡¯m gonna spend the night under this shade then. Spending the night in the elevator would have been a lot better than this.


    **ADRIAN**


    My mind couldn¡¯t stop shing back to the moment I had with my personal assistant earlier. I don¡¯t know the reason I kissed her but I sure as hell enjoyed every bit of it. She looked very perfect in my arms that I didn¡¯t want to leave her. Only God knows what the kiss would have led to if she hadn¡¯t pushed me away. I really shouldn¡¯t be thinking of this and I shouldn¡¯t have even kissed her in the first ce. I guess I kissed her because I haven¡¯t been with a woman for some time now. I should really bed someone so that I can stop thinking of my assistant in a sexual manner.


    I looked out of the window to see that it was raining and it seems to be quite heavy. I heard not heard it because of my deep thinking and the loud music Brandon was ying. My thoughts wandered to Brianna who might still be by the side of the road and waiting for a cab. I thought of forgetting about her but I just couldn¡¯t. I might be cocky, proud and all that but I¡¯m not heartless.


    ¡°Turn the car around Brandon.¡± I spoke out to Brandon who was nodding his head to the music ying loudly.


    ¡°Where are we going Sir?¡± He asked .


    ¡°Go back to the ce we saw my assistant earlier.¡± I responded.


    He turned the car around and drove back to the ce but she was not there anymore.


    ¡°She seems to have found a way to her house Mr. Adrian.¡± Brandon stated.


    ¡°I doubt that. Take the opposite road maybe we might meet her on the way.¡± I said and he did as I said. We didn¡¯t even see a single soul on the road. I was about to give up on looking for her and tell Brandon to drive straight home when the headlights shone on a figure up ahead. The figure was seated under a shade. As we got closer, I could already tell that it was a feminine figure and the person looked a lot like Brianna.


    ¡°Stop the car right here.¡± I ordered Brandon when we got directly in front of the shade. I came down from the car immediately he stopped the car. I went towards Brianna who was sitting on a long bench. She looked terrible but still managed to look beautiful. She was shivering crazily that her teeth were grinding together.


    I took off the jacket that was on me and dumped it on her body. She raised her head up to look at me and she looked shocked to see me. She opened her mouth and was about to say something but I didn¡¯t give her the chance to talk.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to talk here so don¡¯t even think of saying anything.¡± I ordered and she rolled her eyes at me and kept her mouth shut. I took that as a cue and scooped her into my arms before heading to my car.


    TBC

 CHAPTER NINETEEN

    **ADRIAN**


    I dropped Brianna in the car and slid in next to her before closing the door. She was still shivering madly even after she got into the car. She must have spent a lot of time under that heavy rain.


    ¡°Can you see where your stubbornness got you? If you had epted to get in the car with me earlier, you wouldn¡¯t be here shivering like a scared puppy.¡± I said ring at her pointedly. She ignored what I said and acted as if I wasn¡¯t talking to her. I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous behavior.


    ¡°Brandon?¡± I called his attention.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Adrian?¡± He responded turning slightly in his seat.


    ¡°Can you turn on the heater of the car?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± He said and turned on the heater.


    ¡°Where is your house located Brianna?¡¯ I questioned turning my head to face her but I found her sleeping.


    ¡°Brianna! Brianna!!¡± I called while tapping her to get her to wake up but she didn¡¯t even move a muscle. She must have passed out from staying under that rain for too long.


    ¡°Where are we gonna take her to Mr. Adrian? Should we just drop her off in a hotel so she can find her way home tomorrow morning?¡± Brandon suggested.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be good. If we drop her off in a hotel, it would be risky and since she¡¯s cold, she might catch a severe cold if she¡¯s not well monitored and taken care of. Besides, she¡¯s unconscious at the moment so let¡¯s take her home.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Okay Sir.¡± He said and focused on driving.


    After thirty minutes, Brandon drove into the mansion and stopped the car. I alighted from the car and lifted her into my arms and she immediately snuggled closer to me and gripped my shirt in my hands making me wonder if she¡¯s really unconscious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry her inside Sir.¡± Brandon offered.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. Just bring in my briefcase and her bag.¡±


    I strode into the mansion with Brianna in my arms and the maids doing one thing or the other quickly lined up to greet me but they paused when they say thedy in my arms. Looks of confusion and surprise crossed their faces; they must be wondering who she is.


    I ignored them and continued to the stairs. They didn¡¯t even wait for me to be out of earshot when they began gossiping among themselves.


    I got to the guest bedroom andid her on the bed gently not minding how wet she is. I was contemting on whether to take off her clothes or leave it on her. Her cold would get worse of the clothes are not taken off her so I settled on taking it off.


    The perverted side of me wanted me to take it off myself so I can see what is underneath the clothes but my decent side kicked against that thought.


    I went out of the room in search of the head maid. I found her in the kitchen and called her over.


    ¡°Matilda, I need you to go to the guest bedroom and change the dress of thedy there into one of my shirts and underwear and make sure to cover her with a duvet when you¡¯re done changing her clothes. And also remember to dry her clothes.¡± I ordered and she nodded before walking out of my sight to carry out my orders.


    I went to my own bedroom and freshened up then put on sweatshirt and sweatpants before going to the living room with myptop to get some work done. Matilda came to meet me after she was done attending to Brianna.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done what you told me to do Sir.¡± She said.


    ¡°Alright, tell the cook to prepare a soup that can get rid of cold.¡± I stated and continued with what I was doing.


    A few hourster, I was so engrossed in the work I was doing on myptop that I rejected dinner when a maid came to tell me that dinner was ready. It was a loud scream that diverted my attention from what I was doing and I could already tell the person that the scream came from.


    **BRIANNA**


    I woke up to the delicious smell of soup. Chicken noodle soup to be precise. Don¡¯t ask me how I know the particr type of soup it is; I¡¯ve drank a lot of soup to know the particr one it is when I smell one. I turned my head to the direction where the delicious smell wasing from and I found a bowl of soup on the bedside table.


    It took me a minute or two to take note of my surroundings. The bed I was lying on was way more soft and spacious to be my own bed. I looked around the room and my eyesnded on a painting of a waterfall. It looked so beautiful and breathtaking that I wished to see it in real life. There were Japanese gilt panels on the walls. There was also a beautiful floormp standing beside an antique armchair.


    I was still admiring the room when I remembered that I was in an unknown ce. A ce that sure looked beautiful. I thought of all the possibilities of how I could have gotten here but I got none. I remembered standing by the side of the road waiting for a cab to drive by then an expensive looking car stopped in front of me. I couldn¡¯t remember anything other than that.


    I looked down at myself and saw that I was not wearing my clothes but a man¡¯s shirt and underwear. I released a loud scream when I saw what I was putting on. Don¡¯t tell me that I¡¯ve been kidnapped, have I been raped? Am I gonna be sacrificed to the gods? I was bombarded with different types of ridiculous thoughts.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I heard heavy footstepsing towards the door and moved further back on bed as I shivered in fear. I looked around to see if I could find any weapon to use if it was my captor that wasing to shut me up for screaming loudly. I got hold of the bedsidemp and held it in front of me just as someone opened the door.


    I raised my head to look at my captor so I can see his face before killing him with my weapon. I was kinda surprised at who I saw. How could he kidnap me just because of a mere prank? How could he?


    ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t tell me you kidnapped me just because of all what I¡¯ve done to you?!¡± I shouted while pointing themp at him. His brows furrowed and he looked puzzled after hearing what I said.


    ¡°Kidnap you? Why would I kidnap you for fuck¡¯s sake?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know? Maybe so you could teach me a lesson or rape me.¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Calm your tits missy. I didn¡¯t kidnap you.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I doing here?¡±


    ¡°I just saved you from spending the night under the rain.¡± He stated and I began recalling all what had happened.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I uttered dumbly and returned themp back to where I took it from.


    ¡°Yeah, oh.¡± He mimicked me.


    ¡°Well, why couldn¡¯t you take me to my house after taking me away from the bus stop?¡±


    ¡°I asked for your address but you didn¡¯t reply because you passed out.¡± He said simply.


    ¡°Oh okay.¡± I nodded and we stared at each other for some seconds. He broke the eye contact first and looked at the bowl of soup.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t drank your soup?¡±


    ¡°How do you expect me to drink soup in an unknown ce when I thought I was kidnapped? What if the soup was poisoned?¡± I eximed.


    ¡°The soup isn¡¯t poisoned so drink it up before it gets cold. You have a cold and the soup will get rid of it.¡± He said and as if on cue, I sneezed loudly right at that moment.


    I took the bowl of soup and drank it up within a few minutes. I burped loudly and patted my stomach and Mr. Adrian stared at me in amusement.


    ¡°That is udylike you know?¡± He asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t tell me what isdylike and udylike.¡± I responded. I looked at the wall clock and saw that it was way past midnight and I gasped loudly.


    ¡°I have to get going.¡± I shouted and jumped off the bed.


    ¡°Where are you going by this time?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m going home. My mother would be worried sick because I¡¯ve not gotten home yet.¡±. I said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go home by this time. It veryte already and it will be very dangerous out there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m gonna get home tonight. Where are my clothes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where they are. You¡¯re not going home tonight and that¡¯s final.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh I can. I¡¯m your boss so I get to tell you what to do.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not at work so I have a say in this.¡±


    ¡°Nope, you don¡¯t have a say in this. I¡¯m your boss everywhere we go.¡± He said with a smug expression on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting like an overprotective husband right now.¡± I kvetched.


    ¡°I can be your husband if you want.¡± He flirted.


    ¡°Eww no.¡±


    ¡°Well just know that if you do as much as walk out of this room, I¡¯m either deducting from your sry or firing you.¡± He threatened.


    ¡°Why are you doing this right now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this because I¡¯m trying to protect my image. What if you walk out of this mansion and something nasty happens to you on the way home? People will me it on me because they saw me carrying you into my carst night.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Ugh! Whatever.¡± I said sitting begrudgingly on the bed.


    ¡°By the way, you look better in my clothes. Maybe I should give you my clothes and you should be wearing them from now on.¡± He flirted and my face turned to a bright shade of red. I probably looked like an overripe tomato right now. Besides, where did this flirtatious sidee from?


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY

    #NEXT MORNING


    **MARIANNA**


    Brianna didn¡¯te home yesterday and mom and I were so worried. We tried calling her number but it seemed like her phone was switched off. We were hoping that nothing bad had happened to her and went to bedtest night.


    I took my bath and got dressed in my school uniform beforebing my hair. I quickly went down to the kitchen and prepared a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and bread. I ced the food on a tray alongside a bottle of water then proceeded to mom¡¯s room. I knocked on her bedroom door and I heard a gentle e in¡¯ before opening the door.


    ¡°Good morning mom.¡± I greeted and she smiled at me warmly.


    ¡°Morning sweetie. How was your night?¡±


    ¡°It was great. I prepared breakfast.¡± I said and dropped the tray on the bed.


    ¡°Thanks darling. Your sister is not home yet?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, she hasn¡¯te back yet. I tried her number again but it was still saying switched off. I just hope nothing bad has happened to her or else I won¡¯t be able to deal with it.¡± I said sadly.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t let us have bad thoughts. Maybe she got caught up with something at work and couldn¡¯te homest night.¡± She said.


    ¡°Ok mom, I¡¯ll try to think positively.¡± I sighed and she ced the tray on herp before digging in.


    ¡°Hmm, this is delicious. Who taught you how to make scrambled eggs like this?¡± She moaned in delight and I cracked up.


    ¡°Mom, why are you acting as if this is the first time you¡¯re eating a meal prepared by me huh? Besides, I learned from the best so why won¡¯t I know how to make a delicious meal?¡± I said rhetorically and she smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going downstairs to eat mom. Call me when you¡¯re done so I can pack up your tes.¡± I stated and she nodded. I walked out of her room and went to the kitchen to eat my own breakfast. After I was done eating, I put the te and cup I used in the sink before going upstairs and getting mom¡¯s tes.


    I wore my socks and shoes and flung my backpack over my shoulders.


    ¡°Mom! I¡¯m going to school now. Make sure you use your drugs at the appropriate time!!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Ok baby, have a nice day at school!¡± She yelled back and I ran out of the house. I ran all the way to my best friend¡¯s house which was not that far from my house.


    I knocked when I got there and Mrs. Hathaway opened the door. She smiled on seeing that it was me at the door.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good morning my child, how¡¯re you doing?¡± She asked with a smile on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine mom, good morning.¡± I responded to her greetings.


    ¡°How are your sister and mother also doing?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°They are also doing well. Is Vanessa done getting ready for school?¡± I answered her greeting before asking and sheughed.


    ¡°You know it¡¯s not possible for her to be done by now. When I went to her room, she told me to give her five more minutes. I¡¯m going back to her room now with a bucket of hot water to wake her up.¡± She stated feigning seriousness and we both shared augh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that mom. I¡¯ll go wake her up.¡± I said and went to her room. I met her sprawled out all over the bed and snoring loudly. Her hair was also in disarray and I shook my head at her as if I was a mother disappointed at her daughter.


    I moved closer to her bed and spanked her really hard. She woke up immediately and looked around frantically, trying to find the person that spanked her. Her eyes finally settled on me and she frowned immediately.


    ¡°Why did you do that?!¡± She shouted.


    ¡°I did that because we were runningte for school and you were still in bed.¡± I said with an eye-roll.


    ¡°Oh please, we can¡¯t be thatte. What¡¯s the time?¡± She said and I checked my wristwatch.


    ¡°It is already 7:30 and you¡¯re still here exchanging words with me that is already ready for school when you know that the first bell rings by 8:00 and school is still a thirty minutes walk from here!¡± I shouted and she jumped out of bed and ran to her bathroom. I watched in amusement as she ran out of the bathroom five minutester and quickly put on her school uniform andbed her hair.


    ¡°Did you even take your bath at all?¡± I asked chuckling.


    ¡°Of course I did.¡± She replied defiantly.


    ¡°If you say so.¡± I sang and went downstairs skippingly with Vanessa behind me. She was grumbling something about not wanting to go to school and cursing the innocent man that invented school.


    We got downstairs and went to the dinning room. We saw two bowls of cereal on the dinning table with Mrs. Hathaway already eating from another bowl of cereal. Vanessa sat down on one of the chairs and immediately began eating while I just stood there. Mrs. Hathaway looked at me and raised one of her brows when she saw me standing.


    ¡°Why are you standing there Marianna, the other bowl of cereal is yours so sit down and eat up.¡± She said.


    ¡°No mom, I just finished eating beforeing here so I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to eat anything again.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Nonsense! There¡¯s not always too much of food to eat. Sit down and eat up the cereal.¡± She ordered and I sighed in defeat. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m escaping from eating a second breakfast this morning.


    ¡°If she¡¯s not gonna eat it mom, I¡¯ll dly eat it for her.¡± Vanessa offered and her mom turned to her with a deadly re that made Vanessa concentrate on her food immediately. I burst into a quietughter right at that moment and Vanessa seemed to have heard it because she also red at me.


    I hurriedly ate up the cereal and stood up. Vanessa also finished eating and got up from her chair. She took the bowls we used to the kitchen and came back a few minutester.


    ¡°You ready to go to school?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get going.¡± She said and we went towards the door, ready to walk out of the house when Mrs. Hathaway stopped us.


    ¡°Wait kids, let me drop you guys off.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Mom, have you forgotten that your workce is not in the same direction as our school?¡± Vanessa asked.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. I got permission toete to work today so I want to drop you guys off.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Ok mom, that will even make us have some time to spare before they ring the first bell.¡± Vanessa said.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going then.¡± Mrs. Hathaway said and we all walked out of the house towards the driveway. Thank God she offered to drop us off or else we would have been reallyte to school.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

    CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE


    **MARIANNA**


    Despite having taken a car to school, we were still twenty five minuteste because of the morning rush. Mrs. Hathaway stopped the car at the front of the school and both Vanessa and I got down from the car.


    ¡°Have a good day at school girls. Bye!¡± She said and we nodded our heads as we waved and watched her drive off. Vanessa and I turned towards the school and walked in through the school gate.


    We first went to our lockers to get the necessary books we will be needing before going to the direction our ssroom was located. Vanessa and I breath out nervously when we got to the door of our ssroom. I opened the door and walked in first with Vanessa behind me. All eyes fell on us immediately we stepped in, including that of the teacher who was kinda ring murderously at us foringte and also interrupting his ss.


    ¡°s! Miss Jackson and Miss Hathaway have finally decided to join the ss.¡± Mr. Stankiewicz eximed with his Polish ent.


    ¡°Can the both of you tell the whole ss why you are thirty minuteste?!¡± He asked angrily. Mr. Stankiewicz has always had a thing for getting angry whenever someonees to his sste and interrupts his teaching and sadly, we¡¯re his prey this morning.


    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry foringte Sir, but we have a valid reason to bete.¡± I spoke up.


    ¡°Really? Then tell us the reason¡±


    ¡°We got stuck in the traffic.¡± Vanessa piped up.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re meaning to tell me is that there was a traffic jam this morning?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes there was.¡± Vanessa replied.


    ¡°Okay fine. I¡¯m letting the two of you off the hook because you don¡¯t normallyete to ss so go to your seats and listen to the lecture.¡± He said and sighs of relief escaped our mouths. Mr. Stankiewicz continued with the ss and we went to our seats.


    ¡°So did you read for the day¡¯s exams?¡± Vanessa whispered. as we got to the back of the ss and settled down in our seats. If Mr. Stankiewicz heard us talking, he would throw a fit.


    ¡°Yeah, I read as if my life depends on it.¡± I replied, also whispering.


    ¡°Well, I also read like crazy. I really hope we¡¯re gonna we¡¯re gonna be part of the best students they¡¯re gonna give the schrships. ROYAL GATE HIGHSCHOOL has been my dream school since forever but my parents couldn¡¯t afford to enroll me into that school.¡± Vanessa said sullenly.


    ¡°Me too¡­ I had always wished to go there but we can¡¯t even afford it even if we sell our house!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°But on the bright side, we might be able to attend the school if we pass our exams. Besides, we¡¯re part of the best students in this ss and school entirely so we might actually have a chance to be part of those that will win the schrships.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep thinking positive thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Now let¡¯s listen to what Mr. Stankiewicz is teaching before he knows that we¡¯re discussing during his ss.¡± Vanessa said and we raised our head to face the teacher only to find him already ring at us.


    ¡°Do you care to tell us what you girls were discussing?¡± He asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°No Sir, we weren¡¯t discussing anything.¡± I replied already squirming in my seat because of the intensity of his re.


    ¡°You girls better behave yourselves or I¡¯m gonna send y¡¯all to detention.¡± He stated and that shut Vanessa and I up. He turned back to the students and continued from where he stopped.


    We paid attention to what he was teaching and it turned out that he was doing somest minute revision before they bring in the papers. A few minutester, Mr. Stankiewicz rounded up with the revision and exited the ssroom. The once quiet ssroom immediately turned to a ce filled with noise and chattering. Only a few of the students ignored the noise and brought out their books to read but the others were just ying around and gossiping. Vanessa and I were part of the few people that were revising. We ignored everything around us and focused on our books.


    The only thing that diverted our focus was when a teacher came in with examination papers in her hands. Everybody in the ss stopped what they were doing and we brought out our writing materials. The teacher started distributing the papers and I waited patiently for mine to get to me. Thank God Brianna had already paid the school fees I owed or else, I won¡¯t be sitting for these exams.


    I looked around the ss and there were some looks on the faces of my ssmates. Some looked like they have lost all hope of passing this exam while some looked like they had already passed the exam. I nced through the exam papers and smiled happily because 90% of the questions were from what I read. As if we had nned it, Vanessa and I looked at each other and smiled. We might actually these exams after all.


    The teacher gave us two hours to write the exam but I was done after an hour and thirty minutes. Vanessa also finished five minutes after me. I looked around and some people were also done while there were others that were still battling with the questions. I giggled quietly to myself, when they ought to be reading, they were busy ying and gossiping about. Serves them right.


    When it was exactly two hours, the bell for lunch break ran and teacher began collecting the papers from us. Some people had smiles on their faces while some groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving Vanessa, let¡¯s go for lunch. It feels as if I had not even eaten breakfast twice this morning.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯m also hungry. Let¡¯s go.¡± She said and we stood up and headed to the cafeteria.


    We went to the cafeteria and collected our lunch from the lunchdy at the counter. Spaghetti and apple juice was on the menu for today. We carried our trays to our favorite table where our other friends were already waiting for us. They were talking loudly that they didn¡¯t notice when we got to the table. Guess what they were talking about?


    ¡°Kim Taehyung is far more handsome than Jungkook.¡± Katherine, one of my friends said.


    ¡°No, Jin is more handsome than both of them.¡± Julia, another of our friends argued.


    ¡°Where are you guys arguing about who¡¯s more handsome than the other here when they can¡¯t even notice you. None of you guys can even see them in real life.¡± Anthony said as he stared at them boredly. Vanessa and I cleared our throats loudly when they didn¡¯t notice us and their eyes snapped towards us.


    ¡°So what are we talking about?¡± I asked as if I didn¡¯t already know that they were arguing about the most handsome member in BTS.


    ¡°Julia and Katherine here are arguing about guys that they can¡¯t even meet.¡± Anthony also known as Tony said staring pointedly at the both of them.


    ¡°But seriously Jimin is the most handsome of them all.¡± Vanessa said and that was how and argument ensued between the three of them while Tony and I just stared at them as if they were crazy. I think I¡¯m the only teenage girl that isn¡¯t really a fan of BTS. I mean I love their singing style and their dancing skills but I don¡¯t see why some girls are crazy about them.


    ¡°You guys really need to stop this senseless argument of yours.¡± I shouted hen I¡¯ve had enough of their meaningless arguments and some head turned to look at me but I ignored their looks.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How did you guys find the examination questions?¡± I asked trying to change the topic.


    ¡°The questions were kinda hard but I think I might have done well.¡± Julia said. She is the average one among us.


    ¡°Let me just say that what I read didn¡¯t evene out.¡± Katherine sighed. Katherine has always been the nonchnt one among us. She doesn¡¯t care about school one bit.


    ¡°Well, the questions were as simple as ABC.¡± Tony said. He is the genius among us. He can solve anything, I mean literally anything. Be it calculus, algebra, anything. I always go to him whenever I have problems with some topics.


    ¡°I also find the questions pretty simple. I am almost confident I¡¯ll pass the exam.¡± I said and Vanessa nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Vanessa seconded.


    ¡°I just pray all of us should get the schrship to ROYAL GATE. I¡¯ll be really happy. I don¡¯t want to be separated from you guys¡± I stated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just study hard and we might be able to attend the school together.¡± Julia said and we all nodded.


    ¡°Well let¡¯s forget about examination for a moment and eat up before the spaghetti gets too cold that we won¡¯t be able to eat it anymore or they ring the bell that lunch break is over.¡± Katherine uttered and we picked up our forks and began eating. I really love my friends and hope we will all pass the schrship examinations.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

    CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO


    **BRIANNA**


    I woke up due to the sudden heat of the sun I felt on my face. I closed my eyes tightly and brought the duvet up to my face to block out the ray of the sun and was beginning to fall asleep again but a female voice stopped me from doing something.


    ¡°Miss, you need to wake up now. It¡¯s past 11 a. m. already.¡± The voice said. It sounded nothing like my mom¡¯s or sister¡¯s voice and since when did someone start calling me ¡®miss¡¯?


    ¡°Five more minutes please.¡± I moaned drowsily and I heard a chuckle.


    ¡°As much as I would love for you to go back to sleep cause you slept veryte, the boss ordered me to wake you up and I¡¯m sorry for doing this.¡± The person said and yanked the duvet off my body. I flinched when the cold air hit me and opened my eyes to see the face of a middle-aged woman staring at me with smile on her face.


    ¡°Well, somebody finally decided to wake up.¡± She said.


    ¡°Good morning Miss Matilda.¡± I greeted rubbing the sleep away from my eyes.


    ¡°Good morning to you too. The boss said I should wake you up that you need to get going.¡± She said.


    ¡°Wait, what did you say the time was again?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I said that it¡¯s past 11 already.¡± She repeated what she had said earlier and I jumped out of the veryfortable bed I wished to sleep on forever.


    I slept when it was the early hours of the morning. I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was wondering how worried mom would be because I didn¡¯te homest night so I went to the sitting room and watched a movie then when I got bored few hourster, I went to the kitchen and talked with the maids while helping them do their work in the kitchen.


    ¡°Where are my clothes please?¡± I asked Matilda.


    ¡°They are over there.¡± She said pointing at a chair in the corner where my clothes were folded in a pile. I quickly went over to the chair and began unbuttoning Mr. Adrian¡¯s shirt that I was putting on. I was about to remove the shirt from my body when I remembered that someone was in the room with me.


    ¡°Huh Matilda¡­ can you please turn around?¡± I asked politely.


    ¡°Oh okay, but aren¡¯t you gonna take a bath before getting dressed?¡± She asked before turning around.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t got no time to take a bath right now. I¡¯ll take a bath when I get home.¡± I replied then took off the clothes on me and hastily put on my clothes. Ibed through my hair with my fingers and patted my head when I was sure that it looked a little presentable. I also put on my shoes that was at the foot of the chair.


    ¡°You can turn around now.¡± I said to Matilda when I was done and she turned. I picked up my bag that was also on the chair and checked if my belongings that were in it were intact and everything was just as I had left it.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be leaving now. I hope I will see you again.¡± I said to Matilda and she smiled.


    ¡°I also hope I will see you again. Do make sure youe next time.¡± She stated and I chuckled.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I woulde back here again.¡±


    ¡°We shall see but I have a feeling we¡¯ll be seeing you around all the time.¡± She said seriously.


    ¡°Whatever, let me get going now.¡± I stated and we both walked out of the room.


    ¡°Is Mr. Adrian still around?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes he¡¯s still around. I bet he was waiting for you so he can take you to your house.¡± She said.


    ¡°That ain¡¯t possible. He¡¯s too proud and arrogant to do that. Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m his girlfriend or something.¡± I replied.


    ¡°If you say so. Oh! I almost forgot, he said I should bring you to the dinning room.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Dinning room? For what?¡± I questioned curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯ll find out when we get there.¡± She shrugged and we turned to the hallway that led into the dinning room right at that moment. We strolled down the hallway and when we were a few feet away from the dinning room, Matilda left me alone walked to another hallway.


    I went into the dinning room and saw Mr. Adrian sitting on a chair at the head of the dinning table. I raised an eyebrow at him in question when I got in front of him.


    ¡°What am I doing here?¡± I asked impatiently.


    ¡°Wait, no ¡®Good morning Mr. Adrian¡¯?¡± He asked teasingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to greet you right now. I¡¯ve got to get home.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Well I didn¡¯t tell you toe here to waste your time. I called you here to ask if you would like to have breakfast with me.¡± He stated.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t wanna have breakfast with you.¡± I replied without thinking twice.


    ¡°Who told you that I was asking you? It was an order so sit down and eat if you wanna get home early.¡± He said and gestured towards the chair that was beside him on the right. I sat down hesitantly because I knew what wasing next if I argued with him. Guess what? He¡¯ll threaten to fire me.


    For the first time since I¡¯ve gotten to the dinning room, my eyes went towards the dinning table and the things I saw on the table made my stomach graham loudly. There were various types of food on the table making me wonder if more people were going to be joining us.


    ¡°Uhm, will others be joining us for breakfast?¡± I asked the question on my mind.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just you and me.¡± He responded.


    ¡°But there¡¯s no way we can possibly finish eating this much food.¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the maids to get rid of the remaining of them when we¡¯re done eating.¡± He stated and my eyes snapped towards him.


    ¡°How can you get rid of this much food he there are a lot of people out there begging for money to feed themselves?¡± I asked emotionally and he looked at me in surprise.


    ¡°How does that concern me?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It should concern you. You have abundance of food and you¡¯re wasting it instead of giving to the poor. That isn¡¯t fair at all.¡± I snapped as tears welled up in my eyes.


    ¡°Okay, okay. You really have to calm down. I don¡¯t want you crying I don¡¯t of me.¡± He said.


    ¡°Next time, tell your maids to cook the food that you¡¯ll be able to eat at once and not cook abundantly when you know that you can¡¯t consume everything.¡± I said sternly and he stared at me in surprise because of the tone of voice I used.


    ¡°Wait! Are you talking to me like that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m talking to you.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Now, as I was saying, always tell your maids to prepare the food that you¡¯ll consume at once. Am I clear?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He said simply.


    ¡°You should really be grateful for what you have. There are lots of people out there who are struggling to feed themselves so never, I mean never ever dispose food like that anymore okay?¡± I said before asking.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He said. I picked up a fork before I began eating from a te of pancakes and maple syrup while I ignored the way Mr. Adrian¡¯s was staring at me amusedly.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

    CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE


    **BRIANNA**


    After eating breakfast with Mr. Adrian, we went over to where some cars were parked and I was surprised about how many cars he actually has. I mean he could actually start a car selling business with the amount of cars he owns. He picked the car he wanted to go with and I¡¯ve gotta say, it looks cool and expensive. They all look cool and expensive, one day, I hope I¡¯ll have cars and mansions I¡¯ll call my own.


    ¡°Mr. Adrian, will I be the one driving you?¡± A man who I have now recognized to be his driver asked. I hadn¡¯t even noticed him.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be the one driving.¡± Mr. Adrian replied. He unlocked the door of the car and slid into the driver¡¯s seat. I opened the door to the back seat and was about to sit but Mr. Adrian¡¯s voice stopped.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I want to sit.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Why would you sit at the back as if I¡¯m a cab driver or something? Comes at the passenger seat.¡± He snapped and I angrily banged the door of the car closed.


    ¡°Hey! Be careful with that! This car can buy your entire generation you know?¡± He snapped angrily and I sighed. I don¡¯t actually have the strength to begin and argument with him this morning so I would try to keep cool. I all but calmly opened the door to the passenger seat and sat down grumpily.


    He started the car and drove out of the mansion. The moment he drove out, I started seeing beautiful and colourful flowers and trimmed shrubs by the side of the road. I continued looking at the beautiful things that we were driving past that I didn¡¯t notice when we got to the busy road. Mr. Adrian¡¯s voice pulled me out of my entranced state and I snapped my attention to him.


    ¡°I asked that where are you living?¡± He asked slightly annoyed, maybe because I didn¡¯t answer him on time.


    ¡°If I tell you the address, you will not know the ce so I think it¡¯s better if I give you the directions.¡± I said and he nodded.


    ¡°Give me the directions then.¡± He replied.


    ¡®I don¡¯t even know why I offered to drive you, I should have allowed Brandon to drive you instead.¡¯ He muttered under his breath but I heard him clearly and I shook my head. I started giving him directions and in no time, we got to the junction that leads to my house. I told him to stop the car there because I didn¡¯t want him to see my house.


    ¡°Stop the car here.¡± I told him and he slowed down but didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°I should stop here? Is this where you live?¡± He asked looking around. ¡°Surely, you can¡¯t be living by the side of the road.¡±


    ¡°No but you have to stop here.¡± I said again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stopping here. I must drop you off at the front of your house safely to avoid any problem for myself.¡± He said like the selfish person that he is. I sighed for the hundredth time today and directed him the rest of the way to my house. He stopped at the front of my house and looked around and his nose scrunched up in disgust.


    ¡°Is this where you live?¡± He asked disgust evident on his face.


    ¡°Yes this is where I live and you need to wipe that look of disgust off your face because my house is not even looking that bad there are some that are even worse than this.¡± I snapped at him angrily and got down from the car. I was walking towards my house but he stopped me, again and I rolled my eyes annoyedly.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked, turning to face him and found him standing beside the car.


    ¡°Well, I just wanted to tell you that you can have the day off since the day is almost over already.¡± He stated and I stared at him suspiciously.


    ¡°You¡¯re giving me a day off? Why?¡± I asked doubtfully.


    ¡°I just said I¡¯m giving you a day off because the day is almost over and I¡¯m also not going tonwork today.¡± He said shrugging.


    ¡°And you¡¯re not gonna deduct from my sry?¡± I asked again, still not trusting him.


    ¡°Why would I deduct fom your sry when I told you to stay home myself?! Woman, you really have trust issues!¡± He shouted exasperatedly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to me me for making sure that you¡¯re not gonna deduct from my sry, you¡¯re unpredictable!¡± I let out and he looked at me.


    ¡°Well you can go to the office if you like, that¡¯s your problem.¡± He said and went back into his car before driving off. I shook my head and sighed before walking to the door of my house. I opened the door and entered the house. The flowery scent of our air freshener weed me and I breath it in. I really missed my house, even though I was only gone for a day. I walked further into the sitting room and saw my mom looking out of the window. Shit! She must have seen me with Mr. Adrian ande out or his car. Hope whe is not having wrong ideas about us. She turned her head to look at me when I¡¯ve gotten close to her.


    ¡°Good afternoon mom.¡± I greeted.


    ¡°Where have you been Brianna? I¡¯ve been so worried. We tried to call you but your phone was switched off.¡± She said without even bothering to respond to my greeting.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry mom. We got off workte and the elevator suddenly stopped working and I had to stay there till it started working again. When it did start working, I was waiting for a cab and rain started falling¡­¡­¡± I exined everything to her, not missing a little detail; except the irrelevant ones of course. After I finished exining to her, she sighed and her shoulders sagged in relief.


    ¡°It feels good to know that that¡¯s what happened, I thought something really bad had happened to you. Marie was really worried about you.¡± She said.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m okay so you can stop worrying now. Have you taken your drugs?¡± I said and asked trying to change the topic.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve used them. I¡¯m running out of drugs tho.¡± She said and my expression changed. She looked like she regretted saying it.


    ¡°Oh okay. I¡¯ll get the money to buy them as soon as possible.¡± I muttered.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hmm. Who was that handsome guy that dropped you off?¡± She asked teasingly.


    ¡°He¡¯s no one.¡± I replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s no one with the way the both of you were arguing like a married couple.¡±


    ¡°Eww mom.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, who is he?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°I told you mom, he¡¯s no one.¡± I replied but she wasn¡¯t getting any of that.


    ¡°Is he your boyfriend?¡± She questioned in a teasing manner and I groaned loudly.


    ¡°Over my dead body. I can never have a guy as arrogant as him as my boyfriend besides, I¡¯m not nning on getting a boyfriend anyway.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s not your boyfriend then tell me who he is.¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Well he¡¯s my boss. The one who took me to his ce to spend the night.¡± I answered and she smiled.


    ¡°Oh really? He¡¯s such a nice young man.¡±


    ¡°Mom! Stop acting like this! He¡¯s not nice one bit.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I know he¡¯s a gentleman, you¡¯re the one that¡¯s not nice.¡± She said and I looked at her as if she has gone crazy.


    ¡°Seriously mom, he¡¯s not nice. You can only know his behavior when you¡¯ve gotten close to him.¡± I said, already tired of the conversation at hand.


    ¡°Okay, fine. Whatever you say.¡± She said, a teasing smile on her face.


    ¡°Alright mom. I think I¡¯m gonna go up to my room for a while. I¡¯m feeling a little tired.¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re not going to work?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he gave me a day off.¡± I responded.


    ¡°A day off eh? I told you he¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°You know what mom? Don¡¯t make meugh.¡± I said with a faint smile on my face. I got up from the couch and went up the stairs to my room while listening to mom¡¯s melodiousugh.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

    CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR


    **ADRIAN**


    There¡¯s never a dull moment with Brianna. I mean we don¡¯t really get along but the arguments we have everything time is always fun and I really don¡¯t know why but I love frustrating her.


    Since I wasn¡¯t going to work today, I decided to go and give Manuel a surprise visit at his office. I got to hispany within the period of one hour and I parked my car in the parking lot. I walked into the building and and his employees started greeting me.


    ¡°Good morning Sir.¡± One greeted.


    ¡°Long time Sir.¡± Another greeted.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again Sir.¡± Another one of them said. Those were the series of greetings that I received from them and I nodded at each and every one of them.


    I got to the elevator and waited for a few heartbeats for it to get here before going in. I pressed the button to the floor Manuel¡¯s office was located and waited patiently for it to get there. The elevator dinged and I strode out of it as if I owned the ce. The employees I met on the way kept greeting but I ignored them because I was already fed up of the greetings.


    I met his personal assistant at her post outside of his office. She looked up at me when I was about to open the door to Manuel¡¯s office and she stopped me from opening the door. I rolled my eyes and turned to face her fully.


    ¡°Good morning Mr. Adrian.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you too rice. Is your boss in?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s in but he said he does not want to see any visitor and he doesn¡¯t want any disturbance.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Really? So what you¡¯re meaning to tell me is that I¡¯m a visitor and disturbance to your boss?¡± I asked slightly annoyed.


    ¡°No Sir, I just meant that he¡¯s very busy at the moment and would not like to see anybody.¡±


    ¡°And that ¡®anybody¡¯ includes his best friend?¡± I questioned. She wanted to reply but I shut her up.


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m gonna help you tell your boss that you¡¯re fed up of being his assistant. You don¡¯t need to thank me, I¡¯ll relieve you of your troubles within some minutes.¡± I said with smirk on my face and she began to beg me but it all fell on deaf ears because I didn¡¯t have the ears to listen to her please.


    I walked into Manuel¡¯s office without even bothering to knock just to piss him off. He was really focused on whatever he was doing on hisptop that he didn¡¯t even raise his head up to know who entered.


    ¡°What do you want? I thought I told rice that I didn¡¯t want any disturbance?¡± He asked but I didn¡¯t reply him. He still looked focused on what he was doing.


    ¡°Hmm, whoever you are, can you please tell me why you¡¯re here or get the hell outta my office?¡± He snapped irritatedly. I still didn¡¯t give him a reply and I released a quiet chuckle because of the look on his face. I¡¯ve never seen Manuel so serious before. He¡¯s always been so carefree and I think this is the first time I¡¯ve actually ever seen him so serious and focused. He looked up when he heard my chuckle and his expression changed.


    ¡°Adrian? Why couldn¡¯t you talk when I was asking what you wanted?¡± He asked.


    ¡°And shouldn¡¯t you be at work? It¡¯s a Wednesday afternoon and you¡¯re usually very busy during the week.¡± He stated.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go to work today so I decided toe and give you a surprise visit so¡­ SURPRISE!!!¡± I shouted with feigned enthusiasm and he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°What were you doing that you looked so serious while doing it?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°I was on an online meeting with a very important business associate but you decided to ruin it and now, I have to reschedule the meeting.¡± He said seriously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry man, I didn¡¯t know that was what you were doing and you shouldn¡¯t be angry because you do this to me every fucking time.¡± I said and rubbed his neck with his hand.


    ¡°Oh really? I didn¡¯t know.¡± He muttered.


    ¡°How can you know?¡± I said chuckling and we fell silent.


    ¡°Ah! Before I forget, you need to fire your personal assistant.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Fire rice? Why should I fire her?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°She was really rude to me. She was telling me that I was a visitor and that I was also a disturbance to you. Can you imagine that?¡±


    ¡°She really did that? rice, COME TO MY OFFICE THIS INSTANT!!¡± He bellowed and rice ran into the office like her pants were on fire.


    ¡°You called for me Sir.¡± rice said shivering.


    ¡°Yes, I did call for you. Now tell me, are tired of working with me?¡± He asked staring pointless at her and she squirmed.


    ¡°No Sir, I¡¯m not tired of working with you.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Then why did you stop him from entering?¡±


    ¡°I was just following the orders you gave to me Sir.¡±


    ¡°You should have used your senses and reason that Adrian is not a visitor. Do I have to teach you everything?¡± He said and groaned at the end.


    ¡°What should I do with you?¡± Manuel mumbled.


    ¡°You could just fire her? We don¡¯t want her acting like that to important people, do we?¡± I said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t fire her for now but if she does something like that again, I¡¯ll fire her without thinking twice.¡± He said and she nodded her head.


    ¡°You can get the hell outta my office now but have it in mind that if something like this urs again, I¡¯ll sack you without thinking twice about it. Am I clear?¡± He asked sternly.


    ¡°Yes Sir.¡± She nodded and ran out of the office just as she had came in.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You should have just fired her you know?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I can¡¯t just fire her because of something like that. She does her work efficiently and firing her for something as small as that is not really fair. Besides, I¡¯m not like someone who changes assistants as if they¡¯re changing clothes.¡± He said and I knew who he was talking about.


    ¡°You¡¯re referring to me right?¡± I asked with a yful re.


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t mention anybody¡¯s name.¡± He answered while raising his hands up in mock surrender.


    ¡°That reminds me, how is that assistant of yours? Have you fired her?¡± He questioned curiously.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t fired her,, yet. She hasn¡¯t given me a reason to fire her.¡± I replied, when honestly, Brianna have given me tons of reasons to fire her but I chose not to. Manuel stared at me weirdly because of my reply.


    ¡°You don¡¯t usually have reasons to fire them. You fire them when they make a single mistake.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you that she hasn¡¯t made any mistake.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s surprising. It means she¡¯s perfect.¡± He said.


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ve spent enough time here already. I went to go to one of my restaurants and see how they¡¯re doing.¡± I uttered and stood up.


    ¡°Let mee with you since I have nothing to do at the moment.¡± He said and also stood up.


    ¡°I thought you were busy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not busy anymore thanks to you.¡± He stated and we both walked out of his office.


    ¡°Which one of your restaurants are we going?¡±


    ¡°The one downtown.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the ce where we first met your current PA and got kicked at the balls?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the ce and please don¡¯t remind me of that incident.¡± I groaned and he burst into a crazy and loudughter.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

    CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE


    **MANUEL**


    Adrian parked the car and we both alighted. We started hearing whispers from the mouths of the people lingering around the premises.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those Manuel Collins and Adrian Carter?¡± I heard someone whisper, not so quietly.


    ¡°Wow! They look so handsome!!!¡±


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m seeing them in real life and they both look so hot. What are they doing here tho?¡± One asked her friend whisperingly.


    ¡°This is a public restaurant and don¡¯t you know that Adrian Carter owns this ce?¡± Her friend answered her.


    I smirked as I listened to the differentmentsing from the mouths of various people as we walked into the restaurant. Adrian looked unaffected by thesements andpliments.


    We got inside and sat at a table that was a little far away from the others. We sat in silence for a few moments before a cute waitress came to attend to us.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Patricia and I¡¯ll be your server this afternoon. What would you guys like to have?¡± The waitress asked smiling widely. She looked so beautiful with lips that I wanted to kiss badly.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m in the mood to eat pizza. A pizza you that is!.¡± I flirted and her face turned to a bright shade of red. Adrian just kept quiet and was looking at the both of us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this. As you can see that I¡¯m at work. If my boss catches me with you, I¡¯ll get fired immediately so seriously now, what would you guys like to have.¡± She asked seriously but I could tell that she was affected by my flirtatiousment. She must be new because she doesn¡¯t know who Adrian is. It¡¯s not her fault because Adrian doesn¡¯t really go to his restaurants.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have seafood pizza. It¡¯s been quite long since I ate anything that has seafood in it and you can still give me a pizza you if you like. What about you Adrian?¡± I asked facing him and he shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really here to eat but I¡¯ll have seafood pizza too. Make sure to top it with Pinot Grigio wine.¡± Adrian stated.


    ¡°Okay then. Make the pizzarge size.¡± I ordered and she wrote it in the order pad before going to the direction of the kitchen. Adrian and I talked about irrelevant things before Patricia came back with what we ordered for. She ced the pizza on the table and poured the wine into two ss cups for us.


    I winked at her as she finished setting what we ordered on the table and she blushed and Adrian eyed me. We began eating right after she left. I took asional sips out of my ss of wine. I was eating the third slice of pizza while Adrian was still chewing a slice slowly. By the time I was done eating, I had ate five slices while Adrian ate three. I drank the remaining wine, wiped my hand across my mouth then belched loudly. I patted my stomach because I was full and I can¡¯t even eat anything again today except if I wanna burst. Adrian stared at me in disgust when he heard me belch.


    ¡°Seriously Manuel?! Don¡¯t you have manners?¡± He asked irritatedly.


    ¡°I lost my manners a very long time ago.¡± I replied nonchntly.


    ¡°I know surely that aunt taught you better than this, she must have taught you that it¡¯s a bad habit to belch in front of someone but you just chose not to learn. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been friends with a pig all my life.¡± He grumbled.


    ¡°You love me like that.¡± I said grinning widely and he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m done having this meaningless conversation with you. I wanna go see the manager and I don¡¯t want you sitting here. Go to the car and wait for me there, I don¡¯t want you flirting with the waitresses because I could see how you were flirting with Patricia.¡± He stated sternly and I groaned loudly.


    ¡°Why are you acting as if you¡¯re my father? I¡¯m 27 years old yunno and have you forgotten that we¡¯re age mates?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re age mates but I¡¯m obviously more mature, smarter and have far more manners than you do go sit in the car.¡± He ordered looking me dead in the eyes and I stood up roughly.


    The chair and table scraped against the floor loudly causing a few heads to turn to stare at me. I ignored their looks and stomped out of the restaurant angrily. I didn¡¯t look at where I was going and in the process, someone bumped into me or should I say we bumped into each other and the things the person was holding scattered all over the floor. I looked up at the person that bumped into me with angry eyes. I momentarily forgot about my anger when I saw the goddess in front of me. She was far more beautiful than the waitress back at the restaurant. My eyes trailed from her face to her body, she¡¯s got a perfect body that I wish to caress every part of her body. I was so lost in staring at the goddess that I didn¡¯t know that I was drooling. I only snapped out of it when someone began waving their hand in front of my face.


    ¡°Dude! Are you blind, deaf and dumb?!¡± The goddess snapped angrily but I was too speechless to give her a reply.


    ¡°Fool, you just bumped into me and broke the screen of my phone and it¡¯s not even switching on again.¡± She screamed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bump into you, you were the one that bumped into me.¡± I said when I finally found my voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that but all I know is that you broke my phone and you¡¯ve gotta buy me a new one.¡± She shouted.


    ¡°Hey goddess! Calm the fuck down, you¡¯re attracting unwanted attention to us. It could ruin my reputation if the press finds out that ady is shouting at me in public, they¡¯ll think it¡¯s something serious that happened.¡± I said when I noticed that people were beginning to stare at us and she calmed down a little.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care about that. You look rich so you¡¯re going to have to buy me a new phone.¡± She said looking very serious.


    ¡°How am I sure that your phone didn¡¯t fall before I bumped into you? That you¡¯re not just doing this so I can buy you a phone?¡± I asked smirking.


    ¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯m not a gold digger dude.¡± She snapped.


    ¡°Okay, whatever! If I promise to buy you a new phone, will you stop attracting unnecessary attention to us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and you have to buy the phone for me right now.¡±


    ¡°Right now? I¡¯m waiting for someone and we came in the same car and I can¡¯t leave without informing the person, he¡¯ll be worried.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck about that. Just get me my phone!¡± She yelled.


    ¡°Fine! Just calm your fucking tits! I¡¯m taking you to a freaking store now if that will make you shut the hell up.¡± I snapped and she smirked.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re making sense.¡± She said and I sighed. I¡¯ll just call Adrian and tell him that I¡¯ve left with his car. He¡¯ll just have to take a cab. Thank God he forgot to lock his car.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

    CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX


    **MANUEL**


    I took the beauty goddess over to where Adrian parked the car earlier and she started gawking at it. She looked as if she had just seen the most beautiful car ever.


    ¡°Is this your car?¡± She asked dumbly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s for my friend.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Wow, it looks so beautiful. That friend of yours must be super rich.¡± She said dreamily.


    ¡°Wait until you see mine, you¡¯ll faint upon setting your eyes on it.¡± I boasted and she hissed.


    ¡°Whatever fool. Open this fucking car and let¡¯s go buy my new phone. I have to go to work, I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± She snapped while ncing at her wristwatch. Is this the same girl that was staring at the car dreamily? This goddess has really got some mood swing.


    We got into Adrian¡¯s car and I started the car before driving off. I¡¯ll just take her to the store where I buy my phones and get this shit over with. There was silence in the car and it was beginning to get unbearable for me so I decided to break the silence.


    ¡°So¡­ you haven¡¯t told me your name yet.¡± I stated hoping to start a conversation with her.


    ¡°Why do you wanna know my name? It¡¯s not as if we¡¯re going to meet again after you buy my phone for me.¡± She said rudely.


    ¡°Well I have to know your name unless you want me to keep calling you ¡®Goddess¡¯ in my head.¡± I uttered and she nced at me incredulously.


    ¡°Why would you call me GODDESS?¡± She questioned stressing the word ¡®goddess¡¯.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re really gorgeous and you look like a goddess to me?¡± I stated more like a question.


    ¡°Thanks for thepliment but I¡¯m still not telling you my name.¡± She said trying to look indifferent but I could tell she was a bit shaken by thepliment because she turned red a little. I¡¯m shocked, she¡¯s the firstdy that seems a little unaffected by mypliments. She deserves some des for that.


    ¡°Please tell me your name, I want to know the name of the goddess beside me.¡± I pleaded and she sighed.


    ¡°Why do you want to know my name so bad? Are you nning to use my name for something?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I just want to know.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you my name if you promise to tell me yours and stop disturbing me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, no problem.¡± I said. It¡¯s kinda surprising that she doesn¡¯t know my name or who I am.


    ¡°Okay, my name is Cherry Easton.¡± She said as if she was forced to.


    ¡°Wow, nice name you got there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, now tell me yours.¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Alright, my name is Emanuel Collins but I generally go by Manuel Collins. It¡¯s only people who are very close to me that call me Emanuel. I prefer the nickname to the real name tho.¡± I prattled.


    ¡°Wait, so you mean to tell me that your name is Manuel Collins?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I just said.¡±


    ¡°So you THE Manuel Collins? The Manuel Collins that owns the most popr fashion industry ever?¡± She asked looking shocked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me.¡± I responded.


    ¡°This is awesome! I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in the car with one of the most famous men on earth!¡± She gushed and I smirked. I was almost 50% sure that she knew me but didn¡¯t recognize me.


    ¡°This is the most amazing thing ever! I can¡¯t believe this!¡± She squealed.


    ¡°Now, just because you know who I am now doesn¡¯t mean you should start acting differently towards me.¡± I said.


    ¡°Nah, that ain¡¯t possible but hope I¡¯m not in trouble because of the way I behaved in public earlier.¡± She asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe unless someone recorded that disy earlier but I hope it wasn¡¯t recorded .¡± I stated.


    ¡°Alright.¡± She sighed and there was silence once again. A few minutester, we arrived at the store and I stopped the car and we got down from the car. We walked inside and met the cashier at the desk. I nodded at her and Cherry and I went towards the aisles. Cherry browsed through the phones while I just followed her around. Lots of minutester, she finally chose a phone and I sighed in relief. Fina-fucking-lly.


    ¡°Which type did you choose?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I chose this one.¡± She said showing me the phone and I gasped.


    ¡°You chose a fucking Samsung Gxy S21 Ultra?¡± I questioned gaping at her.


    ¡°I thought you said to choose any type of phone I like?¡± She asked innocently.


    ¡°But this is so expensive.¡± I said looking at the price and I gasped.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°1200 dors? I can buy something more important than a phone with that amount of money.¡± I said.


    ¡°I thought you were filthy rich? Shouldn¡¯t this amount of money because small to you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Alright, fine then. Let¡¯s go to the cashier.¡± I said calmly. We went over to the cashier and I handed my credit card to her and she returned it back some secondster.


    ¡°Thanks for patronizing us. Doe back next time.¡± She said politely and we walked out of the store. I was about to enter the car when my phone began ringing out loud. I took it out of my trouser pocket and saw that it was rice calling then I epted the call.


    ¡°Yes rice? What is it?¡± I asked immediately I answered the call.


    ¡°Mr. Johnson is here. He said he wanted to see you.¡± rice said.


    ¡°I thought he wasn¡¯t supposed toe till tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°He said he said won¡¯t be avable tomorrow so he has toe today.¡± She replied and a sign escaped my mouth.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t hear call beforeing?¡± I grumbled under my breath.


    ¡°Tell him that I¡¯ming. I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡± I told her and hung up. I turned to Cherry when I was done receiving the call.


    ¡°Uhm Cherry, I have to go back to work now so I won¡¯t be able to drop you off. Duty calls.¡± I said to her and she nodded her head absentmindedly.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Use this money to take a cab to your destination.¡± I stated, taking a few dor notes out of wallet and gave it to her. She counted the money and saw that it was more than the amount of money a cab driver would collect.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept this. It¡¯s way too much.¡± She said shoving the money back towards me.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. Keep the change.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Okay then. Thanks for the phone and this money. I¡¯ll be going now. Bye!¡± She stated.


    ¡°Yeah, bye! Hope we can meet again.¡± I said and she smiled slightly.


    ¡°Yeah, I hope so too.¡± She muttered and went to the side of the road while I got into the car and drove off to the direction of mypany. Adrian is so gonna kill me when he doesn¡¯t find his car and knows that I¡¯m the one that took it. This is a kind of revenge tho for the way he treated me like I was some kid in the restaurant earlier.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

    CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN


    HONEY CROWN RESTAURANT **


    MANAGER¡¯S OFFICE**


    **ADRIAN**


    ¡°Good afternoon Sir.¡± Mrs. Williams greeted me timidly. If I had not known her, I would have thought she was a gentle woman but in reality, she is not gentle at all and that is why she¡¯s still working for me.


    ¡°Good afternoon Mrs. Williams. I came to see how everything has been going. How is everything going?¡±


    ¡°Everything has been fine Sir. Lots of customers have beening daily and sales have been going smoothly. We even had to restock the food items twicest week.¡± She said smiling.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s nice. Are the employees performing their duties well enough?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, they are doing great. But there are some of them thateste sometimes and always have excuses for their tardiness.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Who are those people?¡± I asked.


    ¡°One of the cooks and two other waitresses.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Are they present now?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°The waitresses are present but the cook is yet to arrive.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Since when did she startingte?¡±


    ¡°She had only camete twice and had excuses for it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, warn her when shees that you¡¯re going to fire her when next sheeste after today.¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright Sir, I would do that.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s all. I¡¯ll be going now, someone is waiting for me.¡± I said and stood up before walking out of the office with Mrs. Williams behind me. I got to the table Manuel and I were sitting at earlier but didn¡¯t meet him there. I was confused for a moment then I remembered that I told him to go and wait for me in the car. I exited the restaurant and Mrs. Williams followed behind me. At that moment that I came out, ady was also about to enter the restaurant but Mrs. Williams stopped her from going into the restaurant.


    ¡°Hey Cherry! Come over here.¡± Mrs. Williams called out and thedy looked at her beforeing over.


    ¡°Sir, this is the cook that I told you about.¡± Mrs. Williams said and thedy looked puzzled.


    ¡°So this is her, just let her know that if sheeste again, she¡¯ll be fired immediately.¡± I stated before walking away. I walked to where I had parked my car earlier but couldn¡¯t find my car. I checked around but I didn¡¯t see any car that looks like mine. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. My phone decided to ring at that time and I brought it out of my pocket to see that it was Manuel calling and I answered the phone.


    ¡°Hey Adrian!¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Where are you and where¡¯s the car?¡± I asked not bothering to reply his greeting.


    ¡°Something came up and I had to take your car. I would have returned it but I got a call from the office.¡± He exined.


    ¡°What the hell! How did you get into the car? Didn¡¯t I lock it?¡±


    ¡°Well, turns out you might have forgotten to lock it.¡± He said chuckling.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny! How do you expect me to get home?!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°You can just take a cab or walk if you feel like exercising.¡± He said.


    ¡°I¡¯m so gonna get back at you for doing this to me.¡± I said with clenched teeth.


    ¡°Whatever, just take this as a revenge for yelling at me and acting as if you were my dad.¡± He cackled before hanging up and I gritted my teeth angrily.


    ¡°Manuel¡­ I¡¯m so gonna deal with you!¡± I growled angrily. Since when have I taken a cab? I have not even entered a cab since the twenty eight years that I¡¯ve spent on earth and Manuel expects me to take a cab. Okay, I¡¯m gonna take a cab and deal with himter. I went to the side of the road and waited for close to twenty minutes before I finally saw a cab.


    ¡°Good day. Where are you going?¡± The cab driver asked after I had sat down at the backseat. The seat felt hard against my butt. My car seat is way more soft than this.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t really know the address but do you know COLLINS¡¯S FASHION INDUSTRY?¡± I asked and the driver smiled.


    ¡°Of course I know the ce, who wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Okay, take me there please and drive fast.¡± I said and he started the car. During the ride, I used the little time to go through my emails to check if I have new mails and I replied the very important ones. I raised my head when I felt the car shake for some seconds.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sorry about that. The car hit something.¡± He said.


    ¡°Oh okay.¡± I responded and faced my phone again. After some minutes, I looked at the driver when I saw that we were nit there yet.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How long is this ride gonna take?¡± I asked when I started getting impatient.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get there soon.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I thought there was a shorter way we could take to the ce?¡± I stated more like asked.


    ¡°There is a shorter way but there is a heavy traffic there right now.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Okay, just drive more faster. I need to get somewhere.¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m going as fast as I can. If I go faster than this, we could be told to pull over and I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want that.¡± He said and it sounded reasonable.


    ¡°Fine, just drive.¡± I said and sat silently. Some minutester, we finally got to my destination and I got down fro the cab immediately. I closed my eyes and inhaled the fresh air and smiled contentedly. It felt as if I was suffocating in there. I¡¯m never entering a cab ever again.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t paid my money yet.¡± I heard the driver say and I opened my eyes.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± I said and brought a few dor notes outta my wallet before giving it to him.


    ¡°This is way more than the amount you are supposed to pay.¡± The driver said.


    ¡°Yeah, I know that. You can keep the change.¡± I said and walked away without waiting for him to thank me. I walked into the building and took the elevator to Manuel¡¯s office floor. I entered his office and it was empty. I sat down at his chair and waited impatiently for him to get here.


    ¡°Yo Adrian, what are you doing here?¡± He asked in a surprised tone when he entered his office and met me.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to collect my car keys. Where is it?¡± I asked coldly and stretched my hand to the front. He dipped his hand in his pocket and brought it out before dropping it in my hand.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have toe here just for this, I could have just told my driver to drive it to your ce.¡± He said.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m here now and I¡¯ve collected what I came here for so I¡¯m going now. I don¡¯t have time to exchange words.¡± I said and stood up.


    ¡°Wait¡­ don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re angry.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am. You fucking made me enter a cab today. A whole ME!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°See, I¡¯m sorry about that okay? It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Keep your apology to yourself. I¡¯m done here.¡± I stated and red at him hardly before I walked out of his office and I made sure to bang the door loudly.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

    CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT


    **BRIANNA**


    I woke up from a three hours nap and I felt great. I released a loud yawn and I immediately perceived a bad smell. I looked around to check where the smell wasing from before I realized that it was my breath that was smelling like that. Geez! I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth since morning and I ate with an unbrushed teeth. I haven¡¯t even taken my bath yet. Damn! I feel very dirty today. I better go and get myself cleaned up.


    I stood up and went to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and took my bath, I also made sure I washed my hair because it has been quite sometime since I washed it. After freshening up, I blow-dried my hair with my old hair dryer and got dressed in a top and jean shorts before going downstairs. Mom was sitting on the couch and was focused on reading and outdated magazine.


    ¡°Hey mom, do you find anything interesting in that magazine?¡± I asked teasingly before sitting next to her and she nced at me.


    ¡°Oh please Brianna, you know fully well that I¡¯ve gone through this magazine for over a thousand times. There¡¯s nothing interesting in it.¡± She murmured and I chuckled quietly.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, since you¡¯re not doing anything except reading your ¡®very interesting¡¯ magazine, why don¡¯t you let me braid your hair?¡± I suggested and her eyes lit up with excitement.


    ¡°Ooh, I¡¯d love that. It¡¯s been long since you braided my hair.¡± She gushed and I smiled.


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ve been very busy that¡¯s why. Now let¡¯s start braiding your hair.¡± I said cheerily and she stood up from the couch and sat on the floor between my legs enthusiastically.


    ¡°Which type of braid are you doing?¡± She asked excitedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise. You¡¯ll see when I¡¯m done.¡± I said and began working on her hair immediately.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Marianna. Isn¡¯t she back from school?¡± I asked my mom while braiding her hair.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t back yet but she¡¯ll be here very soon.¡± She replied after looking at the clock.


    ¡°Brianna, do you know about the examinations going on in their school?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°Hmm I think so. I think she mentioned something about examinations some days ago.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Well, Marianna¡¯s school is conducting a schrship examination and the first twenty students that pass the exams will get a schrship to a great and popr school. What¡¯s the name of that school again?¡± She said and thought for a moment then snapped her fingers when she remembered the name of the school.


    ¡°Yeah, you know that school ROYAL GATE HIGHSCHOOL. That is where the students that pass the examinations will go.¡± She stated and I was amazed.


    ¡°Really?! That¡¯s awesome! I¡¯m very sure Marianna will be one of them.¡± I said assuredly and mom nodded her head.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m also very sure of it.¡± She said too and we got silent. I continued with her hair and was done after some minutes.


    ¡°Tada! I¡¯m done with your hair. Go check it out in the mirror.¡± I uttered and she stood up immediately. She rushed to her room and came back a few momentster with wide smile on her face.


    ¡°Wow! I love this braid. What is it called?¡± She asked while her hand was moving all over her long hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a French Braid.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Cool! Your braiding skills have improved a lot since thest time you braided my hair.¡± Sheplimented and I blushed a little,


    ¡°Why thank you mom.¡± I replied and we giggled like little kids. She sat down on the couch again and took her outdated magazine and began reading it all over again while I just sat quietly with nothing to do.


    I was about to go to the kitchen to fix some lunch for mom and I when the door opened and Marianna sauntered in. She looked around and her eyesnded on me. She dumped her bag on the floor and ran over to meet me. She checked me out from head to toe and turned me sideways as if to check if I am hurt.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Marianna, why are you acting as if I got hurt?¡± I askedughingly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to confirm you know. Why didn¡¯t youe home yesterday? Mom and I were really worried. I almost thought that you¡¯ve been kidnapped but I remembered that you were too tough to be kidnapped.¡± She said.


    ¡°I was caught up with something and I couldn¡¯te home again yesternight.¡± I replied.


    ¡°What were you so caught up with that you couldn¡¯te home?¡± She asked and I told her everything I had told mom some hours ago.


    ¡°That¡¯s far better that what I had thought. That boss of yours seems very nice.¡± Marianna stated and I red at her yfully.


    ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± Mom chipped in and I turned my re towards her then they burst into a very loudughter.


    ¡°Stop it guys, it ain¡¯t funny.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Okay fine. We¡¯ll stopughing now.¡± They said simultaneously and they stoppedughing immediately.


    ¡°So Marianna, mom told me about that exam in your school.¡± I said trying to change the topic and she got serious immediately.


    ¡°Yeah, she must have told you that the best twenty students will get the schrship?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes, she did. All I want to tell you is that you should study like there¡¯s no tomorrow so that you can be one of those students. But it is certain that you¡¯ll be one of them and I want you to make mom and I proud.¡± I stated calmly and she bobbed her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Brianna, I won¡¯t let your efforts on me go to waste. I would make you and mom proud.¡± She said determinedly and I smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s my sis! Now go change your clothes. I want the three of us to take a walk to the park to get some air more fresh than this and also have some fun.¡± I uttered and she jumped up.


    ¡°Yay! It¡¯s been years since I visited the park.¡± She shouted and carried her bag before running to the room. I grinned at the way she was acting like a kid.


    ¡°Brianna, do you think I¡¯m strong enough to walk there?¡± Mom asked after Marianna left.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that mom, you¡¯re very strong and you¡¯ll be able to go there. I¡¯ll even buy cotton candy for you guys.¡± I said suggestively and she gave in.


    ¡°I¡¯m in! I¡¯ve missed eating cotton candy!¡± She squealed and I burst intoughter.


    ¡°Okay mom, we¡¯ll get going immediately Mariannaes out.¡± I said and she shouted at Marianna to be quick so that we can go and Marianna also shouted back that she is almost done. I just watched on in amusement as mom is acting like a kid. She sure is feeling very happy today. I¡¯m d she got over that foolish Marcus but I know that she still harbors a deep love for him somewhere in her heart. I hope she gets over himpletely some day.


    TBC

 CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

    CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE


    FEW DAYS LATER**


    #EVENING


    **MARIANNA**


    We are finally through with our exams and I am feeling so excited. The twenty students that won¡¯t the schrships will be announced tomorrow and I can¡¯t wait to find out who the students are going to be.


    I came back from school and hour ago and did the necessary things I had to do before I got dressed to go to work. Mom was taking a nap while Brianna was still at work. I left a short note on mom¡¯s bedside table to let her know that I have gone to work so that she won¡¯t be wondering where I went to when she wakes up.


    My workce is twenty minutes or so away from here so I chose to walk there instead of wasting money to take a bus. It would also be a sort of exercise for me. I got to work some minutester and was sweating profusely because of the hot sun outside. I shed a smile at Rosalind, and olderdy who was sitting behind the receptionist¡¯s desk and she smiled back at me. I went to the backroom and changed into the uniform. I folded the clothes I was putting on before and ced it in my locker alongside my handbag before walking back out to meet Rosalind.


    ¡°Hi Rosa, it¡¯s been a while.¡± I hollered and she smiled.


    ¡°Marianna! I¡¯ve missed you, why didn¡¯t youe to work since all these days?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We were actually doing exams in my school and I couldn¡¯t take the burden of studying and working so I took permission from boss not toe to work for some days.¡± I exined.


    ¡°Oh! You didn¡¯t tell me tho. Work was boring without you.¡± She said.


    ¡°I would have told you but you didn¡¯te that day.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Ah! I can remember now, that day was my day off.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± I said and that was how we engaged in a conversation. She asked me about my exams and my family and I was d to tell her about everything. We talked for a long time since the boss was not around and there were no customersing to disturb us.


    Our conversation was interrupted when we heard the sound of the door opening. We looked towards the door and my jaw dropped when I saw the person at the door, like my jaw was literally on the floor. Someone I¡¯d like to describe as Adonis himself, with jet ck hair and green eyes, looking at his eyes reminded me of the forest. He looked as if he was posing for a photoshoot. His face looked as if God spent a long time sculpting his face and I felt like staring at his face all day long. Don¡¯t let me even talk about his body. I¡¯m sure you can tell what his body will look like with a face like that, he was on fire! I snapped out of my daze when someone shook me.


    ¡°Marianna, you have to close your mouth, you¡¯re drooling.¡± Rosalind whispered and I closed my mouth before wiping the drool from my mouth and I switched to professional mode.


    ¡°Good day, how can we be of help to you?¡± I asked with a professional smile on my face.


    ¡°Keep the greetings to yourself. Are you blind to see that I¡¯m holding clothes in my hands or isn¡¯t this ce a dry cleaning shop?¡± He snapped rudely and I was shocked for a moment. He sure is hot but he is too arrogant for my liking.


    ¡°Sure, this is a dry cleaning shop. What¡¯s wrong with your clothes.?¡± I asked tried hard to keep my cool.


    ¡°I need you to clean these clothes for me. It was stained with some substance and my maids washed it with the washing machine but the stain is still there so I believe you guys can remove the stain.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Yes we can remove it. When will youe and get it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time toe back for it. You¡¯ll have to deliver it to my house.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t do deliveries.¡± I protested.


    ¡°Well, you have to make an exception for this one.¡± He stated.


    ¡°How much is washing the clothes gonna cost?¡± He asked and I collected the clothes from him before examining the stain.


    ¡°Normally, we charge five dors forundry but because we don¡¯t know what kind of stain it is, the cost will be ten dors.¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright, this is your money. Make sure my clothes are delivered tomorrow.¡± He stated rudely and gave me the money before turning towards the door.


    ¡°Come back here mister, you didn¡¯t give me your address. How do you expect me to deliver your clothes them?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Oh! So stupid of me.¡± He muttered under his breath but I heard him.


    ¡°Yeah, so stupid of you.¡± I mumbled and he nced at me.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± He asked and I turned red knowing he heard what I said.


    ¡°I said so smart of you.¡± I replied with a false sweet smile on my face and he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Do you have a sheet of paper I can write the address on for you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No I don¡¯t. Rosa, can you give me a sheet of paper and a pen please?¡± I replied him and asked Rosalind who had been quiet since the hot and rude guy arrived.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Oh, yeah sure.¡± She said then tore a sheet of paper before giving it to me with a pen.


    ¡°Here, have it.¡± I handed over the paper and pen to him and he scribbled his address on it and returned the items. I looked at his address and nodded.


    ¡°Good, but you¡¯ll have to pay for the transportation.¡± I demanded and he groaned.


    ¡°How much?¡± He asked impatiently.


    ¡°That will be twenty dors.¡± I responded and he brought out the money.


    ¡°Take this.¡± He said and shoved the money in my hands roughly.


    ¡°With the amount of money you¡¯ve collected from me, make sure my clothes are clean. If you ruin my clothes, I¡¯ll sue you guys.¡± He threatened.


    ¡°Whatever, you¡¯ll have your clothes delivered tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I mean it, the clothes can buy your entire generation. Ruin it and you¡¯ll regret it.¡± He warned before turning around and he walked out.


    ¡°Phew! That was one rude customer.¡± I exhaled immediately after he left.


    ¡°Yeah, he is cute and all but he has a very bad personality.¡± Rosalind who has been quiet all this while spoke up.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Why didn¡¯t you talk tho?¡±


    ¡°I was enjoying the show you guys were putting up. It was interesting.¡± She said and I giggled.


    ¡°He was too rude and I couldn¡¯t just let him trample upon me like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡± She squealed and we bothughed.


    ¡°I better go start washing his clothes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do that and be careful with it. He sounded serious with the threat.¡± Rosa stated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll be extra careful with it.¡± I assured her and she nodded. I walked out of the reception and went into theundry room to start washing his clothes.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY

    CHAPTER THIRTY


    *AC ORGANIZATIONS*


    *BRIANNA¡¯S OFFICE*


    **BRIANNA**


    I was in my office, busy replying some important emails that needed to be replied on behalf of Mr. Adrian when suddenly, the inte buzzed. I already knew the person that was calling before I picked it up. I answered the call and ced it on my ear.


    ¡°Good day boss.¡± I greeted coldly. Since that incident outside my house, where Mr. Adrian and I argued, I had been ignoring him since I came back to work. I only talked to him whenever it is work-rted.


    ¡°Come to my office now.¡± He spoke rudely without even bothering to acknowledge my greeting and he hung up immediately. I rolled my eyes at his rudeness but I shouldn¡¯t really be surprised because that is how he is.


    I closed myptop and stood up. I walked out of my office and went to his office. I knocked on the door once and walked into the office.


    I moved closer to his desk and he raised his head to stare at me. I squirmed a little under the intensity of his stare but I managed to look indifferent.


    ¡°You called for me?¡± I stated, more like asked when I finally got in front of him.


    ¡°Yes I did. What¡¯s on my schedule?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Well, you have a meeting with the production department in the next twenty minutes. After that, your brunch meeting with the Ace family is by 12 p. m. and then you have to meet with Mr. Thompson to sign a deal with him by 2 p. m.¡± I spoke out breathlessly and panted a little at the end.


    ¡°Alright, is that all?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes Sir, that¡¯s all.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Okay, you can go back to your office now. Get ready for the meeting. You¡¯ll be in the meeting too and make sure you take a notepad along with you so you can jot down the important things that you hear there.¡± He stated and I nodded.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I said and exited his office.


    *TWENTY MINUTES LATER*


    I went to Mr. Adrian¡¯s office to inform him that it was time for the meeting. He got up and we walked towards the meeting room with me walking a few steps behind him. Mr. Adrian strolled into the meeting room like he wasn¡¯t bothered about anything in the world while I stood outside and performed a breathing exercise. I exhaled and wiped my sweaty palms on my skirt. I was a little nervous since this is the first time I would be attending a meeting.


    I pulled myself together and summoned a little bit of courage before stepping into the meeting room. Everybody seemed to stop what they were doing and snapped their eyes towards me. I got a little ufortable that I couldn¡¯t move for some seconds. ¡®Why were they all staring? It isn¡¯t like I did just started working here today.¡¯ I thought while still standing transfixed in one spot.


    ¡°Miss Jackson? Are you just going to stand there or you¡¯ll have your seat so we can start this meeting?!¡± I heard Mr. Adrian¡¯s voice prate my daze and I snapped out of it. I saw close to twenty eyes staring at me and my face heated up. I walked briskly to an empty seat which was beside Mr. Adrian¡¯s. I sat down and ced my notepad and pen in front of me. Everybody took their eyes off me some minutes after I settled down.


    Mr. Adrian rolled his eyes and stood up then cleared his throat loudly so that the chatter in the room will stop and it died down immediately.


    ¡°Good morningdies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce someone to you guys. She¡¯s been here for some days. Her name is Brianna Jackson and as some of y¡¯all might know, she is my personal assistant and she¡¯ll be joining us for today¡¯s meeting. Hope you can wee her and work together.¡± He introduced me and I stood up while feeling a little shy. I waved at them and some people weed me while some people red at me with jealousypletely visible on their faces. Those who red at me were females who must have felt jealous of my beauty and the fact that I am Mr. Adrian¡¯s personal assistant but is there really anything to be jealous about?


    My thought was cut short by Mr. Adrian¡¯s voice, again.


    ¡°Now that that is over, can we start the meeting already?!¡± He asked rhetorically and waved his hands dramatically for effect.


    ¡°Thomas, show us the sketch please.¡± Mr. Adrian motioned towards a guy who was at another side of the room and the guy nodded and did some things before an image appeared on something that looks like a big screen. I looked at the device and was surprised at how an an image suddenly appeared on it out of nowhere.


    ¡°That is a projector.¡± A male voice whispered in my ear and I almost jumped out of my chair. I turned towards where the voice came from and found a very handsome man grinning at me. He was handsome but not as much you-know-who.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked with a puzzled look on my face.


    ¡°I said that that is a projector. You looked confused when you were staring at it. A projector is an optical device that project an image onto a screen. Do you get it now?¡± He exined to me and then asked.


    ¡°I get it now, that was why an image suddenly appeared on it!¡± I eximed a little too loudly and people turned to stare at me and Mr. Handsome, they stared at me especially since I was the one that eximed.


    ¡°Miss Jackson, care to tell us what caused the ruckus?¡± Mr. Adrian gritted out angrily but I kept my mouth shut and he rolled his eyes after a few seconds of me not saying anything.


    ¡°I thought as much.¡± He grumbled and continued with the meeting.


    ¡°As I was saying before some immature people interrupted me.¡± He said ring pointedly at me and Mr. Handsome before he continued again, ¡°We all know that the image on the projector is the sketch of our next invention. This is a robot that will help people do their chores like tidying up the house; washing clothes, dishes and anything you can think of, as long as it¡¯s a house chore.¡± He paused to look at the reaction of the people in the room.


    A petite woman raised her hand and stood up shyly. ¡°I have a question to ask about the robot Sir.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡± Mr. Adrian said simply.


    ¡°Will the robots do the chores like we humans do? Won¡¯t they malfunction?¡± The woman asked.


    ¡°That was a good question you asked Jenny


    Have your seat.¡± Mr. Adrian stated and thedy sat down.


    ¡°As Jenny asked, the robots will do the chores perfectly and maybe even better if they are fully charged. And to avoid any malfunctioning, the robots wille with manuals so the owners will know how to operate them¡­¡± He kept talking and talking that I began to doze off.


    ¡°Miss Jackson, wake the fuck up!¡± I heard someone yell and I jumped.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake! I¡¯m awake!¡± I shouted and heard people snickering before looking around to realize that I was still in the meeting room. I face-palmed myself and wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole for this humiliation I caused by myself.


    ¡°This meeting is over.¡± Mr. Adrian stated and everybody began packing what they brought and walked out of the meeting room but not without pointing orughing at me. This is the worst day ever. I stood up and picked up my notepad and pen then remembered that I was asked to take notes. ¡®Oh well, the worst thing he can do is to yell his lungs out for not writing the notes.¡±


    I was about to walk out of the meeting room as well as the others but I was stopped by Mr. Adrian.


    ¡°Come here Miss Jackson, you¡¯re not allowed to go yet.¡± He said and I and I released a string of curses before stopping in my tracks. He waited for everyone to walk out beforeing to stand in front of me.


    ¡°What were you and Lewis talking about earlier?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Who is Lewis?¡± I asked confusedly.


    ¡°The guy you were talking to earlier.¡± He replied.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh! His name is Lewis? What a nice name he¡¯s got.¡± I said and his pupils seemed to dte.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s his name. I just said that. Now, what were you talking about?¡±


    ¡°That was none of your business.¡± I responded.


    ¡°It is my business. I have the right to know what is going on between my employees.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°And I said it¡¯s none of your fucking business! Must you know?!¡± I raised my voice a little.


    ¡°Fine! Don¡¯t tell me then. Did you take the notes I asked you to?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t, I kinda forgot.¡± I said sheepishly.


    ¡°Seriously?! I was going to need it.¡± He yelled.


    ¡°Then you should have just taken the notes by yourself!¡± Ished out back.


    ¡°Ugh!!! You know what Brianna? You¡¯re a bone in my throat!¡± He bellowed.


    ¡°And you Mr. Adrian, are a pain in my ass!¡± I screamed back at him and we red at each other dangerously.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

    CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE


    **BRIANNA**


    I stormed out of the meeting room in anger. Mr. Adrian always has a way to rile me up but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m gonna quit this job because of his silliness and teach him lessons he¡¯ll never forget to always remind him that he can¡¯t behave anyhow towards everybody.


    I was walking to my office when somebody suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into a dark corner. I was about to scream but a hand mped over my mouth. I bit the hand but the person refused to remove the hand from my mouth.


    ¡°Shah, don¡¯t scream and stop biting my hand. It¡¯s me.¡± A slightly familiar voice whispered and I recognized it almost immediately.


    ¡°I recognize you now. Can you take your hand off now?¡± I attempted to say but it came out muffled so I hit his hand and he brought his hand down.


    ¡°Phew! Why did you mp your hand over my mouth like that Lewis?¡± I groaned.


    ¡°You know my name? I didn¡¯t remember telling you.¡± He asked looking surprised.


    ¡°Is that the only thing you heard me say?¡± I asked while rolling my eyes. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°Oh sorry! I just wanted to talk to you privately. That was why I mped my hand over your mouth and dragged you here.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Ohhh¡­. Okay. What do you want to talk about? We just met some minutes ago.¡± I asked then stated.


    ¡°Well, I know that this might seem too forward but I wanted to ask if we could eat lunch together? It¡¯s not a date or anything but just a friendly lunch and if you don¡¯t wannae you can just reject¡­¡­¡± He ranted while scratching nervously but I cut him off gently


    ¡°Hey slow down! I¡¯ll go to lunch with you as long as it¡¯s just a friendly lunch. Around what time will it be and which ce?¡± I asked him calmly.


    ¡°It will be during lunch time and the location is the Company cafeteria downstairs.¡± He said and I nodded.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there. Expect me by lunch.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°That was a relief, I thought you were gonna reject me. It would have been a bruise to my ego.¡± He said looking relieved and I chuckled.


    ¡°You were not rejected so your ego is still intact.¡± I said and hit his chest slightly before realising what I did and it became awkward between us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going to my office now. See you by lunch.¡± I stated awkwardly.


    ¡°Yeah, see you by lunch¡±. he responded and I walked out of the dark corner toward my office again.


    I got back to my office and sat on my chair. I continued with replying the emails and finished within a matter of some minutes. After sitting for minutes, without doing anything, I got very bored. It is moments like this that makes me wish I was still working in the restaurant, I would have been chatting with Cherry whenever there was no customer to attend to. How much I¡¯ve missed working in the restaurant despite Mrs. Wims hot temper.


    Well, since I don¡¯t have anything to do right now, I better get up and go make some friends so that I can have people to talk to and work will be less boring for me.


    I stood up and exited my office to look for potential friends. I walked further away from my office and saw twodies talking. They both looked beautiful and were also in the meeting earlier and one of them were also part of the people that weed me so I decided to go and meet them and try to make friends with them.


    ¡°Heydies!¡± I greeted cheerfully when I got closer to them and they stopped talking to look at me. One of them smiled at me while the other one looked me up from head to toe before rolling her eyes. What is wrong with her?


    ¡°Hi! You are Brianna right?¡± The one who looked nicer among them asked with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My name is Cassandra but you can call me Cassie.¡± She said grinning at me. I like her already, she seems free-spirited unlike her friend who has been ring at me all this while.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Unexpectedly, her friend hissed and we both turned to look at her. ¡°What exactly are you here for? You just interrupted our conversation.¡±


    ¡°Well, I came to ask if you guys would like to be friends with me.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Ummm¡­..¡± The hostile one pretended to be thinking. ¡°No, we won¡¯t like to be friends with you.¡± She said.


    ¡°Lauren, that was harsh! You need to be less unfriendly and start making more friends.¡± Cassie said to Lauren.


    ¡°Really Cassie? You¡¯re insulting me in front of a stranger? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ll choose a low-life over me.¡± Lauren said with lividity before walking away angrily and Cassie exhaled loudly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about what happened now Brianna, Lauren is usually like that to people she just meet. She¡¯lle around.¡± Cassie stated.


    ¡°No probs. So¡­. Will you like to be friends with me?¡± I asked once again.


    ¡°Yeah sure! See youter, I have to go and talk to Lauren.¡± She said hurriedly and hugged me.


    ¡°See you too. By the way, I love your shirt.¡± Iplimented and she looked at her shirt before shaking her head then smiled.


    ¡°¡±Oh this old thing?! I also love your shirt, it looks great on you.¡± She alsoplimented me before scurrying off.


    ¡®Yeah! And that¡¯s how you make a new friend!¡¯ I said to myself inwardly. It should be time for lunch break already, I thought and checked my wristwatch to see that it was indeed lunch time.


    I quickly went to the elevator and pressed some buttons. The door slid open and I stepped into it and it took me to the first floor. I looked towards the receptionist¡¯s counter to find it empty. Kristen must have either gone to the restroom or went to the cafeteria.


    I strolled to the cafeteria which was in another building entirely but it is still on the premises. I entered the cafeteria and eye-searched for Lewis. I saw him sitting at a table which was located very close to the ss wall and I walked over to him. I sat down on the chair opposite him and that was when he noticed me. (He had been engrossed in pressing his phone).


    ¡°Sorry I waste, I got caught up with something.¡± I said immediately I sat down.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you actually came on time. I just got here too.¡± He replied with a smile.


    ¡°Let us go get our food then we¡¯ll talk after that.¡± He suggested and I nodded.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± I said and we stood up. We went over to where we¡¯ll pick up our trays before going to the counter where different varieties of foods were ced on. Since we were supposed to serve ourselves, I went to the African food section and got myself a te of Fried rice, Jollof rice ( A type of rice that ismon among Africans), fried chicken and sd before I finally topped it all up with a bottle of apple juice (my favourite).


    Lewis looked at my tray that was full of food and was shocked at the amount of food in my tray.


    ¡°Are you going to eat all that?!¡± He asked wide-eyed.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m starving and I have a big appetite. Besides, we¡¯re not paying for the food so why not take advantage of it?¡± I statedughingly.


    ¡°That¡¯s one huge appetite you got there and you¡¯re right, you gotta take advantage of something when you have the chance.¡± He said as we got back to our table and we began eating.


    ¡°So¡­ Tell me about yourself.¡± He said after a few minutes of eating in silence.


    ¡°Well, as you must have known, my name is Brianna, I¡­¡­..¡± And that was how we started talking about our lives andughed loudly at funny things.


    **ADRIAN**


    I was standing in my office looking outside the ss walls at the things going on around when my eyes caught a man and ady in the cafeteria eating, talking andughing all at the same time. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t be concerned but when I looked closer, I found out that that the people were Brianna and Lewis. I got infuriated when I saw them together again. Why are they together? What are they talking about that¡¯s making themugh like that? She has neverughed like that when I¡¯m talking to her. Why is she with Lewis of all people? Most of all, why am I feeling jealous when I see both of them together? I¡¯m running crazy!


    I didn¡¯t realize when I stormed out of my office to the elevator and arrived at the cafeteria. It all happened within the blink of an eye. Different eyes turned to stare at me when they noticed my presence. They were probably surprised since this was the first time they will be seeing me in the cafeteria.


    I went straight to where Lewis and Brianna were sitting and she was already looking at me.


    ¡°Miss Jackson, what are you doing here?¡± I asked as if it was not obvious.


    ¡°I am eating as you can see.¡± She responded rudely.


    ¡± You are busy eating here when you clearly know that the brunch meeting is in some minutes time.¡± I said as an excuse but it was indeed almost time for the meeting.


    ¡°What has that got to do with me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one going to the meeting or something.¡± She uttered nonchntly.


    ¡°You¡¯re really a fool. Am I supposed to inform you that you¡¯re going to follow me to all the meetings I go unless I say otherwise?¡± I spoke when I got irritated at her behaviour.


    ¡°Why?! Can¡¯t you do anything by yourself?!¡± She cried out.


    ¡°Take it or leave it Brianna, you have to follow me everywhere I go unless I say otherwise.¡± I said with an arrogant smirk on my face.


    ¡°Now,e with me if you¡¯re not ready to lose your job but you can stay and continue whatever you¡¯re doing if you don¡¯t need your job anymore.¡± I stated sternly and she grumbled before standing up reluctantly and muttered something like *He always loves to frustrate me. Always threatening me with my job as if he derives a form of joy from getting frustrated* before walking out of the cafeteria angrily.


    I was also about to turn around and exit the cafeteria before I remembered something.


    ¡°Lewis, stay away from Brianna. She¡¯s not like the otherdies you¡¯ve yed with. I won¡¯t allow you to try to mess with her and go Scot free.¡± I said to Lewis who had been watching the scene unfold amusedly.


    ¡°What is so special about her? Is there something between you two?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us but don¡¯t mess with her.¡± I said again.


    ¡°With the way you¡¯re talking like this, it is making me wanna mess with her.¡± He uttered with a smirk and I felt like wiping that smirk off his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you now Lewis. You mess with her then you¡¯re messing with me.¡± I stated dangerously.


    ¡°Ohhh, I¡¯m scared.¡± Heughed. ¡°What would you do if Valerie gets to know about her?¡± He said and I froze momentarily.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare. Besides, there¡¯s nothing between Brianna and I.¡± I spoke icily.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I think with the way the both of you are behaving towards each other. She insults you and you don¡¯t do anything about it.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Whatever, you can run to her and tell her but just keep it in mind that there¡¯s nothing between us. Moreover, if there is indeed something between us, you don¡¯t have a single evidence to back it up.¡± I said with a smile and his face fell.


    ¡°But you can still run to her and tell a about it like a jobless idiot.¡± I stated and with that, I inserted my hands into the pockets of my trouser and walked out of the cafeteria stylishly.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

    CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO


    CRESCENT VALLEY HIGH**


    MARIANNA¡¯S CLASSROOM**


    **MARIANNA**


    ¡°Genes are hereditary units or basic units of inheritance. They are located in chromosomes and are responsible for the transmission of characters from parents to offsprings¡­¡± Our biology teacher, Mr. Edward read out of the biology textbook. I was already getting sleepy because the ss was very boring and Mr. Edward was not even doing anything to make the ss lively and entertaining. All he was did was just reading out of the textbook.


    I rested my head on my hands and dozed off for some time before Mr. Edward¡¯s booming voice woke me up.


    ¡°Marianna Jackson, are you sleeping in my ss?¡± He asked coldly.


    ¡°No sir, I wasn¡¯t sleeping.¡± I lied through my teeth.


    ¡°What were you doing then?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°I was just resting my head for some seconds.¡± I responded and the students beganughing.


    ¡°Silence!¡± He yelled and the ss got silent immediately. ¡°Okay, if you were not sleeping, what was thest thing I said?¡± He questioned and that was when my mind went nk.


    ¡°Err¡­ you said that¡­ hmm.¡± I uttered dumbly and Mr. Edward face-palmed himself.


    ¡°So you mean to tell me that I¡¯ve been wasting my energy all this while and nothing is entering your head? I wonder how you¡¯re one of the best students in this school.¡± He said frustratingly and I giggled a little.


    ¡°You can have your seat, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll still go back to the topic and study it.¡± He stated and I sat down.


    ¡°Thank you sir.¡± I appreciated.


    ¡°You always seem to get away from trouble, teachers pet.¡± Vanessamented with feigned jealousy and I chuckled.


    ¡°As if you¡¯re not also a teacher¡¯s pet.¡± I responded and weughed shortly before facing the teacher again.


    ¡°So, as I was saying earlier, a zygote is a single cell formed as a result of the union of a male gamete with a female gamete. They¡­..¡± Mr. Edward was saying before a voiceing from the loud speaker cut him off.


    ¡°All the students should report to the hall immediately. We would be announcing the students that passed the schrship examinations now.¡± The principal announced and upon hearing that, all the students including Vanessa and I rushed out of the ssroom leaving Mr. Edward gaping at our backs.


    ¡°You guys should wait! The biology ss is not over yet!¡± He shouted after us.


    ¡°We know the ss is not over yet but there¡¯s an announcement and we can¡¯t miss it. Moreover, the ss was so boring and we¡¯re taking a break from it.¡± A random student shouted and we all bursted into a very loudughter.


    We arrived at the hall and everyone went their separate ways to find somewhere to sit. I looked around for empty seats and saw Julia (one of my friends) waving her hand for me toe over. I called Vanessa and we went to meet Julia. Turns out there were two empty seats and our other friends were also there so we took our seats.


    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Vanessa and I greeted in a chorus.


    ¡°Hey Vanessa, hey Marie!¡± They also greeted simultaneously.


    ¡°They are gonna announce the lucky students now. I¡¯m kinda nervous to find out.¡± Damien, the second male in our squad, said while rubbing his hands together nervously.


    ¡°Chix bro, you don¡¯t have to be nervous. Just have faith.¡± Anthony said to Damien and he calmed down slightly.


    ¡°I have faith but I can¡¯t help being nervous. It would be awesome if we¡¯re among those students.¡± He exhaled deeply.


    ¡°Calm down Damien, we¡¯ll find out¡­.¡± I said to Damien while trying to tell him to rx when the principal¡¯s loud voice stopped me.


    ¡°Good day students, as you all know, the students that passed the examinations will be announced now.¡± The principal stopped then continued, ¡°So we havepiled the results of all the students that wrote the examinations and we now have have the names of the lucky students. Their names are¡­..¡± The principal trailed off and someone switched on the 146-inch television and the names appeared on the screen.


    I peered at the screen closely and saw series of names and their scores that were not of any concern to me before I started seeing my friends names and their scores and the scores were very impressive. My face fell when I didn¡¯t see my name after looking at close to fifteen names and I almost felt like crying. But when I got to thest name, my whole life lightened up. Guess what the name was? It¡¯s my name and a very loud squeal escaped my mouth. I didn¡¯t know when I jumped from my seat and hugged my friends. There was a sudden uproar from the students who saw their names on the TV screen.


    ¡°Ok students, calm down! I can tell that y¡¯all are excited about this. But let me remind all of you that you¡¯re going to a school far better and bigger than this one even though I hate to admit it so you have to be in your best behaviours till you graduate or else you¡¯ll be expelled and you won¡¯t be epted in any other school again, they will make sure you¡¯re not epted in other schools again. So I¡¯ll advice you to behave well and not cause any unnecessary ruckus over there.¡± The principal said and we all nodded.


    ¡°Okay ma¡¯am. Thanks for the advice.¡± We all chorused.


    ¡°Yeah, so before I forget, you are all expected to resume next week Monday and if you don¡¯t know before, the school fees, uniform and textbooks will be taken care of so you don¡¯t need to worry about those.¡± She said.


    ¡°Okay ma¡¯am.¡± We chorused again.


    ¡°Alright students, that will be all. You can all go back to your sses. Have a nice day.¡± The principal stated and left.


    After she left, the students started leaving the hall in groups. I also left with my friends and we started talking.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this! We all the passed the examinations!!!¡± Vanessa shrieked.


    ¡°Yeah we did! We¡¯ll soon be students of ROYAL GATE HIGH SCHOOL.¡± Julia shouted excitedly.


    ¡°Yes baby! We are the soon to be students of ROYAL GATE HIGH SCHOOL. They should look out for us.¡± Katherine said happily.


    ¡°This really calls for celebration guys, we did it! Those studying in the night were totally worth it.¡± I said grinning widely.


    ¡°We should really celebrate this. You guys shoulde to my house after school for celebration. I¡¯m sure my mom wouldn¡¯t mind and we can even drink some of the alcoholic drinks in the basement.¡± Vanessa suggested and we all nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯d be cool, I can¡¯t say no to a little alcohol. Expect us at your house.¡± Damien said cheerfully.


    ¡°Yeah, we would be at your house by evening. I can¡¯t miss drinking a little.¡± Anthony also said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get home and tell my mom and Brianna about this, they¡¯d be really excited. Brianna will even be relieved of the burden of paying my school fees till I graduate high school.¡± I stated happily.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. All of our parents will be very proud of us. I mean who wouldn¡¯t?¡± Julia said smilingly.


    ¡°I would suggest that we stop this jubtion now and return to our sses before our teachers decide not to allow us not to enter the sses.¡± Anthony said as the most responsible one among us and we all groaned in response.


    ¡°Vanessa, let¡¯s go back to the most interesting ss in the whole world!¡± I said sarcastically and Vanessa rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah! The most interesting ss indeed.¡± She replied and we splited into three groups (Damien and Anthony, Julia and Katherine, Vanessa and I) to go to our different sses.


    FEW HOURS LATER**


    The bell for closing time rang and everybody wasted no second in carrying their bags and ran out of the ssroom. I walked out of the ssroom and exited the school and waited outside for my friends. They arrived outside in no time and we began walking to our houses. We chatted during the walk to make it more lively.


    We got to the junction where we¡¯ll go to our different ways and bade ourselves goodbye before separating. I continued walking and got home in no time.


    I strolled into the house and met mom picking beans. She raised her head when I entered and smiled upon seeing it was me.


    ¡°Hey mom!¡± I greeted and slumped down on the couch.


    ¡°Hey sweetie, how was school?¡± She asked with a smile.


    ¡°School was interesting. I have something to tell you mom.¡± I stated.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked curiously and stopped picking the beans.


    ¡°You remember the schrship exams I told you about?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°The names of the students that passed the examinations were announced today.¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes? Were you among them?¡± She quizzed.


    ¡°Uhm¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t put me in suspense Marie, were you among them?¡± She quizzed again.


    ¡°Yes mom. I was among them and all of my friends too. We¡¯ll be resuming on Monday!¡± I squealed.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s so amazing!! I¡¯m so proud of you darling. We need to celebrate it.¡± Mom shrieked.


    ¡°Yeah mom, we¡¯ll totally celebrate it. I¡¯ll tell Brianna about it when shees home. She would be d to hear it.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Yes she will. She¡¯ll be relieved of the burden of paying your school fees till you graduate high school and get a better job.¡± Mom said.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling so sorry for making you and Brianna pass through all these. If it weren¡¯t for my health status, we¡¯ll probably be better than this and your sister would not be struggling like this.¡± Mom stated sadly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think like that mom. Cheer up. We are definitely getting better than we used to be some years back.¡± I said soothingly and she brightened up a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ll order pizza tonight to celebrate mom. Bills on me.¡± I said and stood up.


    ¡°Where will you get the money?¡± She asked.


    Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll take it out of my savings.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± She responded.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°I wanna go freshen up. I¡¯ll soon go to Vanessa¡¯s house now. I¡¯m meeting with my friends there.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Sends my regards to her mom.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± I replied before walking up the stairs.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

    CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE


    *NEXT DAY*


    **MARIANNA**


    I woke up to the loud noiseing from the blender. Mom must be making her fruit juice already. I looked towards Brianna¡¯s bed and saw that she was not lying on it and the bed was already made. She must have left for work. I remembered when I told Brianna about the schrship stuff. She was really happy.


    ~~FLASHBACK~~


    ¡°Hey sis! What are you doing?¡± I asked when I entered the room and sat beside her.


    ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m just going through these files that needs to be cross-checked.¡± She groaned.


    ¡°Oh okay. There¡¯s something I have to tell you though.¡± I said solemnly.


    ¡°Okay¡­ What is that?¡± She asked halfheartedly, her sole attention on the files in front of her.


    ¡°I passed the schrship exams and I¡¯ll be resuming in ROYAL GATE HIGH SCHOOL on Monday.¡± I dropped the bombshell and Brianna tore her focus away from the files to look at me.


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re joking!¡± She eximed, looking at me disbelievingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯m so damn serious.¡± I said seriously and she shrieked.


    ¡°That¡¯s my sister, I¡¯m so proud of you. I knew you would make me proud. Does that mean you won¡¯t be paying school fees anymore?¡± She said then asked cautiously.


    ¡± Yup! You can finally have more money to do other things.¡± I stated.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome! God bless them for hosting the examinations.¡± She said with a smile.


    ~~END OF FLASHBACK~~


    I got up from bed and stretched my limbs. I looked at the wall clock and saw that I have two more hours before it is time for me to go to work. I put on my flip-flops and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. I saw mom sitting on the kitchen stool with a te of spaghetti and a cup of pineapple juice in front of her. I went over to her and gave her a peck on the cheek before sitting on another stool.


    ¡°Morning Mom. Did you sleep well?¡± I greeted then asked.


    ¡°I slept well. How did your night go?¡± She asked back.


    ¡°It was splendid. Did you cook breakfast?¡± I questioned as if it was not obvious by the smell of spaghettiing from the pot.


    ¡°Yes I did.¡± She responded.


    ¡°You should have woken me up to cook for you. I don¡¯t want you to stress yourself.¡± I scolded and she smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disturb you. Besides, I was really hungry and that was why I decided to cook by myself.¡± She defended herself and I shook my head.


    ¡°You should have disturbed me. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you mom.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t stress myself anymore. Happy now?¡± She said jokingly.


    ¡°¡±Yeah, I¡¯m happy now. Let me go and do my chores before I go to work.¡± I said standing up.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you eat before you start working?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯ll make me feelzy. I will eat once I¡¯m done with the chores.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± She nodded and I walked out of the kitchen.


    An hour and some minutester, I was done with my chores so I took my bath and put on a shirt and a trouser. I went to the kitchen and ate my breakfast. I informed mom that I was leaving and then I left for work.


    I got to work some minutester and Rosalind was not present. It was Mia, a teenage girl, same age as me that was behind the receptionist¡¯s desk. I didn¡¯t bother myself to acknowledge her since we were not on good terms. She eyed me with disdain as I walked past the desk but I just pretended as if she didn¡¯t exist.


    I went to the backroom and changed into my uniform. I sat down with nothing to do for some minutes before I remembered that I had clothes to deliver to a certain arrogant and cute dude. I stood up and went to the room where we put already washed and packaged clothes and took out his clothes before leaving the room.


    I should have delivered his clothes some days ago but I didn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t remember and the examinations were the things I had on my mind. He should havee to get his clothes if he really needed them but he didn¡¯t even bother. He¡¯s really an asshole. I was about to walk out of the building when Mia¡¯s shrill voice stopped me.


    ¡°Where are you going Marianna? You just got here few minutes ago and now you¡¯re going out again.¡± She stated loudly.


    ¡°Where I am going to is none of your freaking business.¡± I snapped back a reply.


    ¡°It is my business when you don¡¯t take permission from the boss before going out.¡± She said.


    ¡°You can run along and go and tell her that I left work to have fun with my friends you this fool!¡± I insulted her and she looked like she was about to explode.


    ¡°You this bitch, I¡¯ll make sure you lose this job¡­.¡± She was saying but I cut her off.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not blind and can see clearly, you would see that I¡¯m holding clothes with me and your peanut sized brain should have told you that I want to go and deliver these clothes to a customer.¡± I said angrily.


    ¡°Oh really? Since when did we start delivering clothes to customers?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°Since today bitch!¡± I shouted and walked out of the building without looking back.


    I stayed by the side of the road for a few minutes before I finally saw a cab. I boarded the cab and sat downfortably at the backseat.


    ¡°Where is your destination miss?¡± The driver asked.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­. I don¡¯t really know but this is the address.¡± I replied and brought out the wrinkled sheet of paper the guy had written the address on then gave it to the man. He looked at the paper and nodded.


    ¡°Okay, I know the ce, you will have to pay five dors for this.¡± He said.


    ¡°No problem, let¡¯s go.¡± I stated and he started the car then drove off.


    After a thirty to forty minutes drive, the car stopped. I looked out of the window of the car and we were in front of a mansion. A very huge and beautiful mansion that I wondered if the driver took me to the right ce. This ce is literally a FREAKING CASTLE!!!


    ¡°We are here miss.¡± The driver said.


    ¡°Really? Are you sure this is the right ce sir?¡± I questioned with uncertainty.


    ¡°Yes miss. If the address on the sheet of paper is correct then this is your destination.¡± He replied calmly.


    ¡°Woah! This ce can definitely pass for a pce!¡± I screamed absentmindedly.


    ¡°Miss, you can ogle over the mansionter. I have to get back to work now, I need my money please.¡± The driver said impatiently.


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry. Have your money.¡± I apologized and gave him his money and he didn¡¯t waste another second before he zoomed off.


    I turned back to the mansion and was faced by a gigantic metal gate. I looked around the gate to see if I would find a doorbell because if I knocked from now till next week, I¡¯m sure nobody will hear. I finally saw a doorbell and rang it. I continued ringing it until someone finally opened the gate.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who are you? Where are you from and what is your business here?¡± The huge man that opened the gate, dressed in a three piece ck coloured suit and dark sunshades asked with a gruff voice immediately after opening the gate.


    ¡°I.. I¡¯m Marianna. I came from a drycleaning shop and I¡¯m here to deliver these clothes to someone.¡± I said and showed him the clothes with a slight feeling of fear.


    ¡°And who is that ¡®someone¡¯?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t know his name but I can describe him to you.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Describe him then.¡± He said with a harsh re.


    ¡°Okay. He¡¯s tall with a good build. He has pink lips, jet ck hair and green eyes. He shouldn¡¯t be older than 18 years old.¡± I described.


    I¡¯ll


    ¡°Oh, that must be Young Master. Let me get him for you. Come inside and stay over here.¡± He uttered and moved away to give me space and I entered.


    My jaw dropped to the floor immediately I saw the full view of the mansion. There was a beautiful fountain situated a few kilometres metres away from the gate. Trees and colourful flowers were lined up along the sidewalk. The huge mansion I¡¯d rather call A CASTLE stood tall and proud with the rays of sunlight reflecting on the ss walls.


    ¡°Can you close your mouth please? You are embarrassing yourself.¡± The man¡¯s gruff voice snapped me out of my reverie and I blushed hard in embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the Young Master for you now.¡± The man said and went towards the mansion while I kept looking around. How I wish I could take a tour around this Castle. Colourful butterflies were flying from one colourful flower to another.


    I looked towards the entrance and saw Adonis and the huge maning out. As Adonis got closer, I saw that his hair was dishevelled and his face looks somehow. Seems like he just woke up from a nap. Lucky dude, sleeping while other people are busy working their asses off to make ends meet.


    ¡°The drycleaning girl? You¡¯re just delivering my clothes? Is this the right time for you to do that?¡± He questioned when he got closer to me.


    ¡°d you remember me. These are your clothes. I wasn¡¯t able to deliver them because I was very busy but here they are now.¡± I said and raised the clothes that were inside a stic bag.


    ¡°Hope you didn¡¯t ruin them because I¡¯m still standing on my threat.¡± He stated.


    ¡°You can check for yourself if your eyes are still working perfectly.¡± I said with a sweet smile and he red at me.


    He snatched the stic bag that contained the clothes from my hands and brought them out before inspecting them and he bobbed.


    ¡°You at least, managed to not stain the clothes. You can leave now.¡± He uttered dismissively but I still stood there, unmoving.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? If I can remember clearly, I gave you the money for your services the day I came.¡± He stated.


    ¡°I know but I need money for transportation back to my shop.¡± I said.


    ¡°Money for transportation? I also gave you that!¡± He scoffed.


    ¡°Yeah you did. But I¡¯ve used it to take a cab to this ce.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Really? Then walk back to your shop.¡± He said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t! Do you even have an idea of how far your house is from my shop?! It¡¯s like, very very far.¡± I said too.


    ¡°Fine, what do you want me to do?¡± He asked looking resigned.


    ¡°I want you to give me some money for transportation. That¡¯s all.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Fine.¡± He said simply and inserted his hand into his pocket but he didn¡¯t find anything.


    ¡°Shit! My wallet is inside. rk, can you help me with twenty dors? I¡¯ll give it back to you when I get inside.¡± Adonis said to the huge man who had been standing behind him all along.


    ¡°No problem, Young Master.¡± rk stated and gave Adonis twenty dors which he brought out from his pocket.


    ¡°This is the money. Now leave my house and don¡¯t cross my path ever again. I¡¯ve argued with you more than I¡¯ve ever argued with anyone in my whole life.¡± He stated and I giggled uncontrobly.


    ¡°Same here dude. Hope we never meet again because your attitude irritates me.¡± I replied him and walked out of the beautiful mansion hurriedly before he¡¯ll think of aeback.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

    CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR


    *MONDAY MORNING*


    **MARIANNA**


    ¡°Marianna, Marianna. Wake up. It¡¯s time for school.¡± My mother¡¯s voice prated my deep sleep.


    ¡°Ugh mom! Five more minutes please.¡± I moaned and snuggled closer to my pillow.


    ¡°Five more minutes? It¡¯s 7:55 and you¡¯re still sleeping. Have you forgotten that today is your first day at ROYAL GATE HIGH SCHOOL and you¡¯re runningte already!¡± Mom snapped and I groaned loudly before what she said finally registered in my mind and I woke up immediately.


    ¡°Did you say the time is 7:55 mom? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up sooner?¡± I cried loudly while scrambling to get off my bed because my nket was somehow tangled with my leg.


    ¡°The time is 7:57 now and don¡¯t put the me on me. I have been trying to wake you up since but you kept on telling me to give you five more minutes.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Oh shit! I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m gonna bete on my first day of school.¡± I said and was finally able to be free from my nket and literally ran to the bathroom. I hastily got rid of my clothes and took my bath before I quickly brushed my teeth. I dried my body with the towel and wrapped it around my body before stepping out of the bathroom and saw that mom was not in the room again.


    I went straight to the wardrobe and picked out my underwear and put it on. I selected a blue mid-thigh denim skirt, ck tank top and a blue denim jacket. Ipleted my dressing with white sneakers which I got as a present on my birthday.


    I braided the front part of my hair and packed it in a high ponytail. I applied lip gloss on my lips and I was ready to go. I picked up my school bag from a corner of the room and walked out of the bedroom. I went to the kitchen and saw mom and Brianna eating.


    ¡°Morning sis, morning mom.¡± I greeted the two of them.


    ¡°Morning darling. Morning sis.¡± They replied simultaneously.


    ¡°I can see you¡¯re ready for school.¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Yes I am.¡± I replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Sit down and eat. Brianna served your food already.¡± She stated.


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat right now. I¡¯mte already.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t go to school on an empty stomach. Sit and have a few bites before you go.¡± She said convincingly but I was about to decline when Brianna said something.


    ¡°I prepared pancakes.¡± And that was when I saw what they were eating. Pancakes and maple syrup, one of my favorite food.


    ¡°Damn, you know I can¡¯t say no to pancakes.¡± I smiled and licked my lips before taking my seat. Mom and Brianna chuckled at my reaction.


    ¡°Foodie.¡± Briannamented and I giggled.


    ¡°A man can¡¯t ignore his favorite food when he sees it.¡± I stated and they bothughed as I began eating.


    Within some minutes, I had finished devouring the tower of pancakes (just kidding). I drank a cup of water and a loud burp escaped my mouth.


    ¡°Excuse you youngdy.¡± Mom said with a yful re.


    ¡°Pardon me.¡± I said to her and Brianna innocently while patting my tummy.


    ¡°Silly girl. You can go now, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to beter than you already are.¡± Mom stated.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I¡¯m also going to work.¡± Brianna said and picked up her handbag that was on the floor.


    ¡°Bye mom.¡± Brianna and I said simultaneously.


    ¡°Bye girls. Have a nice day.¡± She said to is as we walked out of the house.


    We took a taxi when we got to the main road and Brianna alighted first since we would get to her ce of work first before we get to Royal Gate High School. As we got closer to the school, a nervousness that I had not been feeling before suddenly washed over me. Different thoughts filled my head. Royal Gate is a school for the rich only. How would I behave among them? Would I blend in with the students? Are they friendly? Would they want to be friends with me if they know that I¡¯m poor? Thoughts like this fueled my nervousness and I couldn¡¯t shake them off.


    ¡°We¡¯re here miss.¡± The taxi driver¡¯s gentle voice interrupted my train of thoughts and I exhaled deeply. I was about to open the door of the taxi when the voice of the man stopped me.


    ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re nervous miss, and I can also tell that this is your first day in this school. You don¡¯t have to be nervous, just act like yourself and I¡¯m sure you will be okay.¡± The man said kindly.


    ¡°Thanks a lot for this sir. This is exactly the motivation I needed.¡± I uttered with a smile and he smiled back at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Now go in there and just be yourself.¡± He encouraged me and I felt calm immediately. All the feelings of nervousness I was feeling suddenly died down.


    I got down from the car and the driver gave me a thumbs up before he drove away. I faced the gate of the school and entered. ROYAL GATE HIGH SCHOOL was written in a gold in big and bold letters on the tallest building. The walls of the buildings were mostly made of ss that you could see what was happening in the rooms.


    Students were moving around with books in their hands. Some were in groups and they were probably talking about how they spent their weekendsvishly. Oh well! I looked around the area I was in to eye-search for my friends. We decided to meet at the school gate this morning so that we can all go in together but I can¡¯t find them. Seems like they left when I didn¡¯t arrive on time. Well then, I have to find the principal¡¯s office myself and collect the necessary things I¡¯ll be needing.


    I walked deeper into the school and some students stopped to stare at me. It was as if they were staring deeply into my soul. They might be wondering who the new girl is. I continued walking aimlessly around the school without finding the principal¡¯s office. I thought I could get to his/her office without any help but I think I might be needing someone¡¯s help right now.


    ¡°Need some help?¡± Someone asked behind me and my heart jumped out of my chest. It¡¯s just as if the person was reading my mind. I turned around and was met with the someone¡¯s chest. I moved back a little and looked at the face of the guy in front of me. He looked really cute and I got lost in staring at him for a little while.


    ¡°Do you need some help?¡± The guy asked again.


    ¡°No, uh I mean yes. Yes I need help.¡± I answered nervously.


    What do you need help with?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°I need help in finding the principal¡¯s office. I can¡¯t seem to find it and it seems like I¡¯ve been walking around in circles.¡± I said and he chuckled.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll help you. Come with me and I¡¯ll take you there.¡± He said and I obliged. He led the way and I followed behind him quietly. We soon arrived at a door with PRINCIPAL¡¯S OFFICE written on it. The cute guy went to meet ady who was sitting at her desk that was beside the door and said something to her. Thedy entered the office and came out some secondster.


    ¡°You can go in now.¡± Thedy said and I nodded.


    ¡°Thanks for bringing me here.¡± I said to the guy.


    ¡°Anytime. You can go and meet the principal. I¡¯ll be waiting here for you.¡± He said and I smiled before entering the principal¡¯s office.


    A middle-aged man was sitting behind a mahogany desk and he was busy writing something.


    ¡°Good morning sir.¡± I greeted and he stopped what he was doing to look at me.


    ¡°Good morning. Have your seat please.¡± The principal said curtly and I sat down.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re Marianna Jackson, one of the schrship students from Crescent Valley High School right?¡± He stated.


    ¡°Yes I am, sir.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Okay. Wait a minute.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Miss Courtney!¡± He called calmly and thedy that was sitting outside the office entered.


    ¡°You called for me sir.¡± She said.


    ¡°Yes I did. Help me give Marianna here her time table, locker number and school uniforms and the other necessary things.¡± The principal said to Miss Courtney.


    ¡°Alright sir. Come with me Marianna.¡± Miss Courtney stated simply and I stood up.


    ¡°You¡¯ll havee backter to collect your textbooks.¡± The principal said to me and I nodded.


    ¡°No problem sir.¡± I said and walked out of the office with Miss Courtney. The guy that brought me to the office was still waiting patiently.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you have a ss?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I still have twenty minutes before my first ss begins.¡± He said after looking at his wristwatch.


    ¡°Oh okay.¡± I stated simply.


    ¡°Marianna.¡± Miss Courtney called.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I answered and turned around to face her


    ¡°You¡¯re a science student right?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes I am.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Okay. Have your timetable and school map so that you can know your way around the school. This is your locker number. When you get to your locker, you¡¯ll set up a code that only you will know to prevent other people from getting ess to your locker.¡± She said and gave me three pieces of paper where my timetable, school map and locker number were on.


    ¡°Okay ma¡¯am. Thanks.¡± I appreciated.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Come with me so that you can collect your uniforms.¡± She stated and I followed her to a room.


    She entered another room and came back with three transparent stic bags.


    ¡°This is the uniform you¡¯ll be wearing on Mondays.¡± She said and showed it to me.


    ¡°This one is your sportswear for Wednesdays.¡± She also showed it to me.


    ¡°And this one is your uniform for Thursdays.¡± She showed me that one too and I nodded.


    ¡°What of Tuesday and Friday?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tuesday and Friday are no uniform days.  You are expected to wear your normal clothes.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± I said and collected the stic bags from her.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for now. Come back for your textbookster.¡± She uttered.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded and went back outside to meet the cute guy.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± He questioned when I got to his ce.


    ¡°Yes I¡¯m done. All I have to do now is to find my locker. Can you help me in finding it? I don¡¯t want to get lost again.¡± I told him and he chuckled.


    ¡°Sure, what¡¯s the locker number?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s locker 356.¡± I responded and he nodded.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± He said and I followed him.


    ¡°Your name is Marianna?¡± He asked suddenly.


    ¡°Yes. How did you know?¡± I asked back.


    ¡°I heard Miss Courtney calling you that. You can¡¯t even ask for my name?¡± He questioned feigning an offended face.


    ¡°Pardon my manners please. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Aiden. Aiden Walter.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Oh, nice to meet you Aiden.¡± Iughed and heughed along with me.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He stated and stopped in front of a locker. I tried to open it and it was unlocked. I dumped the stic bags that contained my uniforms and set up my code before locking it.


    ¡°Phew!¡± I sighed and dusted my hands.


    ¡°What subject are you having first?¡± Aiden asked when I was done. I checked the timetable and my first subject was Chemistry.


    ¡°I¡¯m having Chemistry.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Oh really? I¡¯m also having Chemistry.¡± He said.


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Let me grab my books and we can go to ss together.¡± He said and I followed him to his locker. He grabbed the books he will be needing and we were on our way to Chemistry ss. Different sets of eyes stared at us as we passed by them but I just ignored them. We soon arrived at the door leading to the Chemistry ss and I stopped walking immediately, Aiden looked at me.


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Aiden questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda nervous.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°How do students in this school react towards new students?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, they stare at new students as you must have noticed, they often make fun of their dressing andugh at new students when they make mistakes. There are some that bully new students if they find out that the new students are from poor families. Only few of us in Royal Gate High are nice.¡± He exined and I sighed.


    ¡°Okay. Thanks for the info.¡± I said.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Cam we go in now? It¡¯s almost time for ss.¡± He stated and I bobbed my head.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready.¡± I replied and he opened the door and we entered the ssroom together.


    The ss that was noisy before became quiet immediately I entered the ssroom with Aiden and then they all began whispering amongst themselves.


    ¡°We have another new student.¡±


    ¡°Wow, she looks beautiful.¡±


    ¡°What is she doing with Aiden tho?¡±


    ¡°Do they know each other from somewhere?¡±


    These were the different types ofments I heard from the students.


    ¡°Why are they standing so close to each other?¡± Another studentmented and I moved a little farther from Aiden.


    ¡°Wow Aiden, seems like you¡¯re popr.¡± I whispered to Aiden and heughed a little.


    ¡°Yeah I guess.¡± He said with a smile.


    ¡°I can clearly see that you¡¯re popr. Thanks for helping all this while. Let me find myself a seat.¡± I said to him and walked deeper into the ss.


    ¡°Marianna! Marianna!¡± A female voice called. Who knows my name here? I looked towards where the voice wasing from and it turned out to be Vanessa. I smiled upon seeing her.


    ¡°Come and seat here. There¡¯s an empty seat here!¡± She shouted and I went to the empty seat that was beside her and settled down.


    ¡°You guys couldn¡¯t wait for me toe?¡± I asked with feigned anger after I had sat down.


    ¡°We waited for some minutes but you didn¡¯t arrive on time and the students were already beginning to stare at us and saying things so we stopped waiting and found our way to the principal¡¯s office.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Oh okay.¡± I bobbed my head.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They are in there respective sses.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Who was that guy?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Which guy?¡± I asked back.


    ¡°The one that came in with you.¡± She stayed.


    ¡°Oh Aiden? He was the one that helped me in finding the principal¡¯s office and my locker. He¡¯s really nice.¡± I stated.


    ¡°He¡¯s really cute!¡± She gushed.


    ¡°Yeah sure.¡± I said simply.


    ¡°What¡­..?¡± She was saying but was interrupted by the voice of the Chemistry teacher.


    ¡°Silence!¡± The teacher shouted when they refused to keep quiet and the ss became as quiet as a graveyard immediately.


    ¡°Bring out your Chemistry textbooks and open to page 97.¡± She said and the students began bringing out their textbooks.


    ¡°Where are your textbooks?¡± The teacher asked Vanessa and I when she noticed that we didn¡¯t have textbooks with us.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have textbooks yet. We were told toe and collect our textbookster.¡± Vanessa said for the both of us.


    ¡°Alright. You two are part of the schrship students right?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Vanessa and I answered simultaneously.


    ¡°Okay. Introduce yourselves to the ss.¡± She instructed and the students turned their heads to face us.


    ¡°Hi guys! I¡¯m Marianna Jackson. I hope we can all get along and do well together.¡± I introduced myself and waved and some chorused ¡®Hi¡¯ and ¡®Hellos¡¯.


    ¡°Hi my fellow students! The name¡¯s Vanessa Hathaway. I hope we would be friends and interact with one another.¡± Vanessa introduced herself and the students said ¡®Hi¡¯ and ¡®Hellos¡¯ to her too.


    ¡°You can sit down now.¡± The teacher said and we sat down.


    ¡°Let the ss begin.¡± She said and began teaching.


    *TWO HOURS LATER*


    Two sses after and we finally have a free period. Vanessa and I used that free period to go and collect our textbooks and we were on our way back with a tower of textbooks in our hands.


    ¡°How do you like the school so far?¡± Vanessa asked me as we walked.


    ¡°I love it already. There are very good teachers and teach very well.¡± I answered.


    ¡°I also love it. There are very cute guys here too.¡± The slut in Vanessa said and I shook my head.


    ¡°Seriously?! You bitch! Did youe here to learn or to chase cute guys?¡± I askedughingly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me. I particrly have eyes for that Aiden from this morning.¡± She stated seriously and Iughed again.


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re joking. You don¡¯t even know¡­¡± My speech was cut short when I bumped into someone and my textbooks went flying in all directions.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± I eximed and immediately bent down to start picking up the textbooks.


    ¡°What the hell is this? Can¡¯t you watch where you¡¯re going or are your eyes not working well?!¡± An angry voice shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry but it¡¯s not entirely my fault. You should have also watched where you¡¯re going too.¡± I said also.


    ¡°You must be crazy. Seems like you don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking to in this manner.¡± The person uttered


    ¡°Who the hell are you that I can¡¯t talk to in this manner? Are you God or are you the freaking President that I can¡¯t talk to you this way?¡± I questioned and raised my head to look at the person that was shouting like a maniac.


    ¡°You!¡± I eximed wide-eyed.


    ¡°You!¡± The person eximed too.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

    CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE


    **MARIANNA**


    ¡°You!¡± I shouted wide-eyed.


    ¡°You! What the hell are you doing here?!¡± The cute but arrogant guy from my workce asked loudly with a shocked face.


    ¡°What does it look like I am doing here?¡± I asked back rudely and stood up straight after I had finished picking up my textbooks that were all over the ce.


    ¡°How the hell did you get into this school? How can a drycleaner like you get into Royal Gate High? Did you bribe your way through it?¡± He questioned looking surprised.


    ¡°Hey mister! Drycleaners are humans too and I didn¡¯t bribe my way through getting into this school. I got here like any other student did and if you were smart enough,  you would know that I am here as a schrship student!¡± I snapped angrily and hissed.


    ¡°You¡¯re here on a schrship? I thought only brilliant students that passed the examinations would be allowed into this school? A dumb bitch like you could have never passed the exams. I¡¯m pretty sure you cheated.¡± He stated. I was about to give him a reply but Vanessa beat me to it.


    ¡°Hey there dude, I don¡¯t know who the fuck you are or where the fuck you¡¯re from  but you just can¡¯te from nowhere and insult my best friend in my presence. You bumped into her so you need to apologize. I don¡¯t care of there was something between you two before but apologize to her and get out of our sight. You¡¯re wasting our time.¡± Vanessa said to him rudely and I felt proud of my best friend. The rude guy turned to face Vanessa after her outburst.


    ¡°Who is this sharp mouthed bitch? Weren¡¯t you taught not to join a conversation when other people are talking unless that asked for your opinion? There¡¯s no difference between you and this drycleaner. Birds of the same feathers flock together. I shouldn¡¯t be here exchanging words with bitches like you but this petty drycleaner needs to apologize for bumping into me and staining my shoe.¡± He ranted and demanded arrogantly. The students were already forming a crowd and were watching what was happening.


    ¡°Who did you just call a sharp mouthed bitch?¡± Vanessa asked angrily.


    ¡°Who else? It¡¯s you of course.¡± He replied impolitely.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna make you regret calling me that.¡± Vanessa said, dropped her textbooks on the floor and was going to raise her hand to p him but I stopped her.


    ¡°Leave him to me Vanessa. I got this.¡± I whispered in her ears and she calmed down slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to apologize to you because you were the one who bumped into me in the first ce. You should be the one to apologize.¡± I turned to the guy and said.


    He opened his mouth to reply but a very loud voice cut him off.


    ¡°What is going on here?!¡± A male teacher that appeared from the crowd of students demanded loudly but when he saw the arrogant guy in front of me, his demeanor changed immediately.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Tyler, what is going on here? Is there a problem between you guys?¡± The teacher asked the arrogant guy who I now know his name to be Tyler.


    ¡°This girl here bumped into me and stained my shoes and instead of them to apologize, this girl and her friend are busy raining insults on me.¡± Tyler said smoothly.


    ¡°What? You were the one that bumped into me. He¡¯s lying sir.¡± I said to the teacher.


    ¡°Shut up you brat! You just got here today and you¡¯re already causing troubles. You better apologize to Tyler now if you don¡¯t want any more troubles for yourself.¡± The teacher snapped.


    ¡°But sir, Tyler is the one that is supposed to apologize. He bumped into her and all of her textbooks were all over the ce.¡± Vanessa protested.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. The two of you have to apologize or you¡¯ll both get yourselves into a deep mess.¡± The teacher said warningly and I remembered what our former principal from Crescent Valley High said when the name¡¯s were being announced ¡®¡­. you have to be in your best behaviours till you graduate or else you¡¯ll be expelled and won¡¯t be epted in any other school again if you cause troubles¡­.¡¯ I won¡¯t get expelled just because of a mere issue. I would rather apologize to this arrogant fucker than to stop schooling because of a petty matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for bumping into you and staining your shoes, Tyler. I am also sorry for insulting you. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± I apologized through gritted teeth and anyone with good eyes would clearly see that the apology was not sincere. Tyler smirked cockily and Vanessa looked at me disbelievingly.


    ¡°What are you doing Marianna? You shouldn¡¯t be apologizing to this dude, he¡¯s too cocky to be apologized to.¡± Vanessained.


    ¡°I also want your proud friend to apologize. She has been very ride to me.¡± Tyler said to me and I nudged Vanessa with my elbow.


    ¡°Nuh uh dude! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m apologizing to you!¡± Vanessa spat.


    ¡°Just do it Vanessa, please. I¡¯ll tell you the reasonter.¡± I whispered in her ears and she agreed reluctantly after a few seconds of grumbling some profanities under her breath.


    ¡°Sorry for everything Tyler.¡± She mumbled and another cocky smile escaped Tyler¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Good! Wasn¡¯t that easy? Y¡¯all were just making a fuss over nothing.¡± He said. As if he wasn¡¯t the one making a fuss over nothing.


    ¡°Sorry for the trouble they caused you Tyler. It won¡¯t repeat itself again.¡± The teacher said to Tyler and Tyler nodded before walking away with his hands in his pocket.


    ¡°What are y¡¯all looking at?! Go to your sses!¡± The teacher yelled at the students that were lingering around and watching the drama and they slowly dispersed. The teacher then faced Vanessa and I.


    ¡°The both of you couldn¡¯t even stay a little longer in the school before you started causing troubles. Anyways, you should have just apologized to Tyler when all these happened. Don¡¯t you know he is the son of the owner of this school? He could order for your expulsion if you had refused to apologize to him even if he was the one at fault.¡± The teacher said to us and we were shocked.


    ¡°Seriously?!¡± I asked loudly.


    ¡°Yeah. My own little piece of advice to you is that you should just go about with your studies and stay away from trouble. Tread carefully because only few schrship students graduate from this school without getting expelled or suspended.¡± The teacher advised and we bobbed our heads.


    ¡°Thanks a lot sir. We¡¯ll try to steer clear from trouble.¡± I said and the man nodded before walking.


    ¡°Jeez! What was that all about? Who was that crazy guy? Do you know him from somewhere? Did you have a conflict with him before?¡± Vanessa asked all at once.


    ¡°Sorry about that Vee. I never knew I would cross paths with that cocky guy again. He is just one guy who came to my workce like any other customer and wanted to get his clothes dry cleaned¡­¡± I narrated everything that happened between me and Tyler to Vanessa and she shook her head in amusement.


    ¡°Gosh! He really is crazy. Why did we even apologize to him and why did you stop me from pping him? I really wanted to ruin his handsome face.¡± Vanessa whined and I chuckled.


    ¡°We would have regretted it if you had pped him. I apologized to him because I remembered what our former principal told is before we left Crescent Valley High. Even though it was a blow to my ego, I apologized to him to avoid further troubles and you also heard what that teacher said right? I wonder what we¡¯d be saying now if we had pped him.¡± I exined to her and her mouth curved into an ¡®O¡¯ shape.


    ¡°Ohhh. I just remembered her advice now. Thanks for stopping me from pping him.¡± She giggled.


    ¡°No problem Vee. Thanks for defending me too even though you almost got into trouble because of me. You didn¡¯t even know him and if I was the one at fault but you took my side. You¡¯re the best friend ever.¡± I said sincerely and she smiled at me.


    ¡°Aww thanks darling. I¡¯m sure you would have done the same if I was the one in your shoe.¡± She cooed as we got to our lockers and dumped out textbooks into the lockers. Her locker was about four lockers away from mine.


    ¡°What happened to you guys? We heard that you both got into trouble.¡± Julia stated as soon as she reached our ce with the rest of our friends.


    ¡± Yeah, what¡¯s up? We heard some group of students saying that two new female students were insulting one guy like that.¡± Damien said.


    ¡°News really travels fast in this school.¡± I said.


    ¡°It sure does.¡± Vanessa replied with a chuckle.


    ¡°What happened? Tell us!¡± Katherine shouted and some of the students in the hallway nced at her.


    ¡°What are y¡¯all staring at? Face your business!¡± She snapped at them and I shook my head.


    ¡°Calm down guys. It all started like this¡­.¡± Vanessa began narrating what happened and they all listened as if their lives depended on it.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

    CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX


    **MARIANNA**


    ¡°All of these happened some minutes ago and I was not informed about it? Someone should have sent for me and I would havee and reshape his ugly face.¡± Julia said lividly after Vanessa and I finished narrating what had happened to them.


    ¡°He¡¯s not ugly Julia, he¡¯s actually very handsome. It is his behavior that is very bad.¡± Vanessa pointed out.


    ¡°That is not the point Vee. The point is that I would have reconstructed his face with my fist and make him ugly.¡± Julia stated seriously and the rest of us bursted intoughter.


    ¡°Why are y¡¯allughing? Do you guys think I¡¯m joking?¡± She asked with yet another serious face and that just intensified ourughter. The reason behind ourughter is that we all know that Julia cannot kill an ant not to talk of reconstructing someone¡¯s face with punches.


    ¡°You guys should stopughing. You¡¯re all making fun of me.¡± Julia moaned and theughter died down.


    ¡°You need to stop bluffing Julia. We know that you can¡¯t hurt a fly not to talk of reshaping someone¡¯s face.¡± Damien scoffed.


    ¡°How do you know that? I can start with your face, you know? I¡¯ve been learning karate secretly for some months now and I have always wanted to practice it on someone. I can practice it on you and Anthony right now.¡± Julia said pointing at Damien and Anthony and they both raised their hands as a sign of surrender.


    ¡°Nah I¡¯m good. You can try it on Damien tho, he¡¯s got a pretty good face.¡± Anthony stated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him Julia. You can practice it on him. His face is far better than mine.¡± Damien uttered and I chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough guys. Nobody is practicing karate or Kung Fu or whatever on anybody.¡± I spoke up and sighs of relief escaped the guys¡¯ mouths.


    ¡°Can you imagine? Two boys that are taller than me are afraid of a little girl like me. I can¡¯t believe the two of you fell for my petty lie and are even scared.¡± Juliaughed crazily and the guys stared at her with their mouths wide open.


    ¡°So you mean you were just joking?¡± Anthony aske and red at Julia.


    ¡°Yup and you guys fell for it.¡± Sheughed again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept this. I just got fooled my a short girl.¡± Damien said and advanced towards Julia, probably to smack her but Katherine stopped him.


    ¡°You guys should stop. We came to listen to what happened between Vanessa, Marianna and that guy and now the three of you want to start your own too. I can¡¯t stop any fight right now. If you want to start fighting, let me eat first so that I¡¯ll have the strength to stop the fight.¡± Katherine who had been quiet all this while ranted and we all looked at her.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m feeling hungry too.¡± Vanessa also uttered.


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Anthony also said.


    ¡°What time is the lunch break?¡± Vanessa asked.


    ¡°Let me check the timetable.¡± I replied and was about to open my locker when the bell for lunch break rang and some students that were lingering in the hallway started walking towards a direction which I guessed the school cafeteria was located. Students who were having sses started trooping out of the ssrooms.


    ¡°Guess it is time for lunch.¡± Damien said.


    ¡°Yeah. Who knows where the cafeteria is?¡± Katherine questioned but none of us seemed to know where it was located.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow those group of students.¡± I said pointing at some sets of students. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re going to the cafeteria.¡± And we followed behind the students.


    It turned out that the students were going to the cafeteria and we entered as if we had known the ce before. The cafeteria was really big and beautiful. The whole ce looked like a restaurant on its own. There were lots of students in the cafeteria, sitting in groups at different tables. Some were focused on eating their foods and some were chatting and eating at the same time.


    Lots of students were staring and pointing at us and they were saying things like:


    ¡°Look at those two girls in the front. They were quarreling with Tyler some minutes ago.¡± One said to her friend.


    ¡°Really? How dare they? They just came today and they¡¯re already fighting with the prince of the school. Who do they think they are?¡± The friend scoffed angrily.


    Different ride remarks were being thrown out way and I was beginning to get angry. I opened my mouth and was about to give them a piece of my mind but Vanessa mped her hand over my mouth.


    ¡°Swallow what you wanna say Marie. Remember Principal Jane¡¯s words.¡± She said to me and I calmed down.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m calm now. Take your hand off my mouth.¡± I said but it came out muffled because of her hand so I licked her hand and she took her hand off immediately and she red at me while I smiled at her sweetly.


    ¡°Eww, gross! Couldn¡¯t you tap my hand or something? Why did you have to lick my hand?¡± She questioned and wiped her hand on my jacket.


    ¡°I just felt like.¡± I shrugged nonchntly and she scoffed.


    ¡°Guys, are we going to look for a table or not because hunger is killing me here.¡± Katherine uttered with a frown.


    ¡°Oh yeah! Let¡¯s search for a table.¡± I said and we walked further into the cafeteria.


    ¡°Wait guys, shouldn¡¯t we get our foods before finding somewhere to sit?¡± Julia asked thoughtfully.


    ¡°Right, seems like it had skipped our minds.¡± Vanessa chuckled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the counter then.¡± Katherine groaned and walked ahead of us and we followed behind her. We got to the counter and we picked up our trays. We got our lunch and eye-searched for a vacant table. I was still looking for one when I heard someone shout my name.


    ¡°Marianna!¡± I looked towards the direction of where the shout came from and it turned out to be Aiden yelling my name.


    He beckoned me toe over and I called my friends and we went over to the table. Aiden and three other people were sitting at the table and there were still six empty chairs so I and my friends each took a seat.


    ¡°Hey Aiden.¡± I greeted cheerfully.


    ¡°Hey Marianna. Who are your friends?¡± He asked looking at my friends.


    ¡°Hmm, these are Julia, Damien, Katherine, Anthony and Vanessa. Guys, this is Aiden.¡± I introduced them to each other and they exchanged pleasantries


    ¡°Won¡¯t you introduce us, Aiden?¡± The only girl out of the people that were sitting with Aiden nudged him with her elbow and he groaned.


    ¡°I was about to.¡± He gritted out and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Guys, these are my friends Liam, Lucas and Juliet.¡± He red at the girl while mentioning thest name and she smiled sweetly.


    ¡°Nice to meet you guys.¡± The three of them said simultaneously and we began eating a few secondster.


    ¡°So Marianna, I heard what happened between you and Tyler. Did you know him from somewhere?¡± Aiden asked after a few minutes of eating in silence.


    ¡°I knew him from my workce but I can assure you that it was not a pleasant experience and I got to know that he is a cocky asshole.¡± I stated.


    ¡°He is cocky alright. But I don¡¯t know why girls don¡¯t notice his cockiness all because of his wealth and physical appearance.¡± Aiden said.


    ¡°Not all girls will fall for his physical appearance. To me, of a boy has a bad behavior, he would be ugly to me no matter how handsome he looks.¡± Julia uttered.


    ¡°Exactly! Finally, someone who thinks the same way I do!¡± I eximed and we bumped our fists


    ¡°I like you girl. I feel like we would be very good friends.¡± She said smilingly.


    ¡°Same here.¡± I responded with a smile and the boys groaned loudly.


    ¡°Why are y¡¯all groaning?¡± Juliet questioned.


    ¡°Girls and their way of making friends.¡± Damien grunted and the boys chuckled.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I rolled my eyes and continued eating.


    ¡°Guys, Delh and her crew areing towards our table.¡± Juliet whispered and we looked at her.


    ¡°Who? Is it Delh that betrayed Samson in the Bible?¡± Vanessa questioned dumbly and we bursted intoughter.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that Delh but this one is almost like the one in the Bible. Look , she¡¯s here already.¡± Juliet said and focused on something or someone behind me.


    ¡°What have we done to deserve a visit from the queen of hell?¡± Juliet uttered sarcastically.


    ¡°I am not here for you, bitch. I came for this slut seated here.¡± A voice that I assumed belongs to the so called Delh stated and yanked my hair.


    ¡°Hey! Who¡¯s the fool that just yanked my hair?!¡± I questioned angrily and looked behind me to see three girls. From the way they were standing, you would know that the one standing in the middle is Delh.


    ¡°Are you calling me a fool?¡± She asked furiously but calmed down. ¡°If it isn¡¯t because I am in a good mood today, I would have pped you but I¡¯m Ina very happy mood.¡± She said with a smile but I could tell that it was faux.


    ¡°Anyways, I didn¡¯te here to fight with you or anything, I just came here to give you a simple warning. I don¡¯t care if you know Tyler from somewhere or if he is the one that offended you on the first ce but the next time I hear that you exchange words with him or you insult him, I will deal with you mercilessly that day and you will regret ever knowing someone like me and Tyler. Have a bad day people. Let¡¯s go girls.¡± She said and turned around to leave with her friends or should I say sidekicks but she didn¡¯t leave without ring at me dangerously.


    ¡°What just happened? And who the hell was that bitch?¡± I questioned wide-eyed.


    ¡°That was Delh Kingston and she is the queen bee of Royal Gate High.¡± Liam answered.


    ¡°Ohhh. Why was she threatening me? I don¡¯t remember crossing paths with her. Is she rted to Tyler?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s threatening you but it must be because of what happened between you and Tyler and she is rted to him in some way.¡± Lucas answered.


    ¡°Is she is bodyguard or something?¡± Katherine asked.


    ¡°Nope, she is his girlfriend.¡± Lucas replied.


    ¡°Oh, that exins it.¡± I bobbed my head.


    ¡°Yeah. You seem to have joined her list of people to be dealt with, Marianna. You better watch your back and avoid crossing paths with neither her nor Tyler and Delh is very mean. There¡¯s no telling what she can do to you.¡± Liam stated and I smiled at him.


    ¡°Thanks Liam. I¡¯ll try to be careful but I¡¯m not scared of her. If she says that she¡¯s gonna deal with me, I¡¯m also going to show her that I¡¯m not someone to be messed with.¡± I said confidently.


    ¡°Yeah baby! That¡¯s our girl!¡± Katherine, Vanessa and Julia said simultaneously and I smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re not afraid of her Marianna. If Delh brings it hot we¡¯re gonna give it to her hotter. We are with you on this one.¡± Juliet stated.


    ¡°Thanks babe.¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright guys. Let¡¯s eat our lunch before lunch break is over.¡± Aiden said loudly and we continued eating our lunch in total silence.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

    CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN


    *AC ORGANIZATIONS*


    *BRIANNA¡¯S OFFICE*


    **BRIANNA**


    My head was on my desk, I was taking a nap since there was nothing for me to do when the buzzing sound of the inte prated my sleep. Why is he calling me now? Just when I started enjoying my nap. I picked up the inte and ced it on my ear


    ¡°Good day boss.¡± I greeted gruffly. I have not set my eyes on him since I got to work this morning and this is also the first time he¡¯s calling me today.


    ¡°Good day Brianna. Why is your voice sounding like this? Were you sleeping?¡± He asked, but I did not reply him because it was a little embarrassing.


    ¡°That aside, I need you toe to my office. If you can remember, we have a meeting with Mr. Sergio at ¡®Dine with Diana¡¯ by 2:00 p. m. and this is 1:30 p. m. so we have to start going. Remember to take the necessary we¡¯ll be needing along with you.¡± He said all of this with a m voice and I was a bit surprised at the tone of his voice. Since when did he start talking to me calmly? Moreover, I am the one that ought to be reminding if we have a meeting but here we are, him reminding me that we have a meeting, how ironic.


    ¡°Sir, are you okay?¡± I asked unknowingly.


    ¡°Yes I¡¯m okay. Why did you ask?¡± He asked back.


    ¡°Nothing sir. I just wanted to confirm something.¡± I replied and quickly hung up before he could say anything.


    I stood up and stretched my limbs. I took my handbag that was sitting on a side of my desk and put on my phone, notepad, pen and some other things before zipping it and I walked out of my office. I got to Mr. Adrian¡¯s office and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come in Brianna.¡± He said with his sonorous voice and I walked into his office to see him on his feet and ready to go.


    ¡°How did you know I was the one knocking?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because I know how you knock and who else am I expecting in my office right now if not you?¡± He replied in a duh tone.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I chuckled, finding what he said funny.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± He said with a roll of his eyes.


    ¡°Have you gotten everything we¡¯re going to be needing?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Yes I do.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re good to go.¡± He stated and we walked out of his office with him walking behind me. I can swear that I could feel his eyes on my ass but I dismissed the thought, thinking that why would he be staring at my ass when there are lots ofdies at his beck and call that have bigger asses than mine.


    We got to the car park and Mr. Adrian led me to where his car was parked. He peered into the car through the tinted window and started knocking on the window aggressively when somebody winded down the window from inside. It turned out to be his driver and he looked as if he just woke up from a nap. His eyes widened when he saw Mr. Adrian.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Adrian. I¡¯m so sorry for keeping you waiting sir. I was just a bit tired and I didn¡¯t know when I dozed off.¡± He quickly exined himself even though we had not been waiting for that long.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Brandon. Unlock the doors of the car, we¡¯re going out.¡± Mr. Adrian stated gently and the driver looked at him weirdly while I also nced at him in surprise.


    ¡°Sir? You¡¯re not angry at me for keeping you waiting? You¡¯re supposed to be yelling at me or something.¡± The driver uttered looking puzzled and I giggled quietly. Seems like I¡¯m not the only one who thinks he¡¯s acting weird. Maybe he is in a good mood today? Who knows?


    ¡°Why should I be angry? Everyone gets tired and deserve to rest. Unlock the doors so that we can be on our way already. We¡¯re runningte, Brandon.¡± Mr. Adrian said impatiently and Brandon quickly went into the car and unlocked the doors from the inside.


    Mr. Adrian opened the door to the backseat and got inside. I was about to walk around the car and sit at the passenger seat but Mr. Adrian called me back.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°We¡¯re do you think you¡¯re going, Brianna?¡± I heard him ask.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the passenger seat of course.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Passenger seat?¡± He scoffed and continued, ¡°Come back here and seat beside me.¡± He ordered and I grumbled before stomping to the back and sat down with a sour face and folded arms.


    ¡°Okay, start the car, Brandon. We¡¯re running out of time.¡± Mr. Adrian said to Brandon and he started the car and then drove out of the car park.


    As soon as Brandon drove out of thepany¡¯s premises, Mr. Adrian took out his phone and got focused on it while I just sat down doing nothing. I would have also take out my phone but there¡¯s really nothing for me to do with it.


    ¡°Mr. Brandon?¡± I called for his attention.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Brianna?¡± He nced at me through the mirror before focusing back on the road.


    ¡°Sorry that I¡¯m disturbing you but can you y some music for me please? I¡¯m dying of boredom here.¡± I stated pleadingly and he chuckled a little.


    ¡°No problem Miss.¡± He said and yed Motorsport by Migos, Cardi B and Nicki Minaj.


    ¡°Oooooooh Brandon, you yed the right song. I love this song soooo much.¡± I squealed and heughed as I began rapping along with Cardi B when it got to her verse.


    ¡°Wow Miss, you sure can rap.¡± Heplimented.


    ¡°Thanks, Mr. Brandon.¡± I grinned widely.


    ¡°You listen to these type of songs?¡± Mr. Adrian asked, after minutes of being focused on his phone.


    ¡°Of course, I do. Any problem?¡± I answered and asked back.


    ¡°No, no problem. I was just asking.¡± He uttered and got back to his phone.


    A few minutester, Brandon pulled over in front of a ssy and beautiful restaurant which seemed to be a five star from the appearance.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, sir.¡± Brandon announced.


    ¡°Thanks Brandon, we¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Mr. Adrian said to Brandon. ¡°Let¡¯s go Brianna.¡± Mr. Adrian said to me before he alighted  from the car and I followed behind him.


    We walked into the restaurant and a well-dressed waiter came to meet us immediately.


    ¡°Good day sir and ma¡¯am. How may I be of help to you?¡± The waiter asked with a nice smile on his face.


    ¡°Good day to you too. I have a meeting here with Mr. Sergio, and ording to him, he has made reservations already.¡± Mr. Adrian uttered.


    ¡°Oh right! Follow me sir and ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll lead you to him.¡± He stated and we followed behind him. We arrived at a table a d the waiter excused himself when we got there. Two men were sitting at the table ¡ª one old man and a younger man.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Adrian! Good to see you.¡± The older man who I assumed to be Mr. Sergio, stood up and shook hands with Mr. Adrian enthusiastically.


    ¡°Good to see you too, Mr. Sergio. Sorry that we kept you waiting.¡± Mr. Adrian stated.


    ¡°No problem, we haven¡¯t been here for that long. Please have your seats.¡± Mr. Sergio offered and we sat down.


    ¡°Mr. Adrian, who is this beauty beside you?¡± Mr. Sergio questioned while staring at me.


    ¡°¡±Oh yeah, Mr. Sergio, this is Brianna, my personal assistant.¡± Mr. Adrian introduced me to him.


    ¡°Good afternoon, sir.¡± I greeted politely.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Brianna. I must say, you look very beautiful.¡± Heplimented me with a sort of flirtatious smile and I looked at him as if he had gone insane. There¡¯s really nothing wrong with himplimenting me buting from an old man like him and with a flirtatious smile, it felt weird.


    ¡°Err, thank you sir.¡± I said unsurely and Mr. Adrian cleared his throat loudly.


    ¡°Who is this guy sitting with you, Mr. Sergio?¡± Mr. Adrian asked, looking at the guy that had been quiet all this while.


    ¡°Right! This is Simeon, my personal assistant.¡± Mr. Sergio stated and the guy finally acknowledged our presence.


    ¡°Good day sir. Good day mis miss.¡± He greeted and drawled the ¡®miss¡¯ part.


    ¡°Okay! Now that that¡¯s over, let¡¯s begin what we came here for.¡± Mr. Adrian uttered authoritatively and the atmosphere around us changed to a professional one.


    ¡°So¡­.. Mr. Adrian, you said that you would like to buy part of the shares of Aluminum Rolling Mill. How many percentage are we talking about here?¡± Mr. Sergio enquired.


    ¡°Hmmm. Considering the amount of profit the industry makes, I¡¯ll like to buy thirty percentage.¡± Mr. Adrian responded.


    ¡°Oh really? That¡¯s a lot of shares you¡¯re willing to buy there and I must say that it¡¯s going to cost you a whole lot of money.¡± Mr. Sergio stated.


    ¡°Of course, I know that already and I am ready to pay any amount you mention.¡± Mr. Adrian said.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯ll pay any amount?¡± Mr. Sergio asked with a surprised face but the surprise on his face quickly vanished.


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Mr. Adrian replied.


    All this while, that Mr. Adrian and Mr. Sergio had been discussing, I could feel Simeon¡¯s staring at my cleavage and my face consecutively without stopping and I could see drool in the side of his mouth. Wow, I never knew that I was so beautiful that I could make men drool to this extent.


    ¡°Simeon! Simeon!¡± Mr. Sergio called his PA but the fool didn¡¯t hear because he was busy staring at my cleavage.


    ¡°Simeon? Can¡¯t you hear that I¡¯m calling you?¡± Mr. Sergio queried and Simeon snapped out of the daze he was in.


    ¡°Seriously Simeon? What were you thinking about that you didn¡¯t hear me calling you.¡± Mr. Sergio asked Simeon.


    ¡°I was thinking about how Brianna¡¯s boobs will feel in my hands. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be very soft.¡± He blurted and three sets of eyes stared at him in shock before he realized what he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean¡­..¡± Simeon was saying but Mr. Adrian¡¯s booming voice cut him off.


    ¡°What the hell dude?!¡± Mr. Adrian eximed loudly.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a very important meeting and you¡¯re busy fantasizing about my personal assistant¡¯s boobs. Are you mad or something?¡± Mr. Adrian suddenly red up and I was amused as well as shocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry sir.¡± Simeon apologized but I could tell that the apology was not sincere.


    ¡°Well you can¡¯t really me him Mr. Adrian. You PA is too beautiful and I wonder why she¡¯s working as someone¡¯s personal assistant when she is supposed to be a runway or Victoria¡¯s secret model or something.¡± Mr. Sergio stated and I gaped at him. This man is such an old pervert, he¡¯s old enough to be my uncle, even my father.


    ¡°Not you too, Mr. Sergio! If your PA is senseless then you, the boss ought to have an iota of sense. You know what? I¡¯m done with this useless meeting. You can go sell your shares to other people who are willing to buy.¡± Mr. Adrianshed out and stood up from the chair he was sitting on angrily before storming out. I stood up and was about to follow behind him but Mr. Sergio held my arm firmly.


    ¡°Where are you going, pretty damsel? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going after him.¡± Mr. Sergio stated frowningly.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going after him!¡± I snapped while trying to get my arm out of his grasp.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go after him. Cone with me and I¡¯ll be paying you monthly without having to do any work.¡± He said.


    ¡°No thank you. I don¡¯t want your stinking money. Fucking let me go.¡± I growled lowly.


    ¡°What exactly do you see in him? I heard that he¡¯s not nice to his employees.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°He might not be nice to his employees but he surely is not a perverted old fool like you. And you Simeon, are a disgrace to young boys. You are an idiot.¡± I snapped angrily, and at that moment, I freed my arm from his grasp and ran out of the restaurant without looking back.


    ¡°What were you doing there after I left?¡± Mr. Adrian asked immediately I got into the car.


    ¡°I was making the old man and his assistant have a rethink about their lives.¡± I responded simply.


    ¡°Well you see what happened in there? I don¡¯t want such things to repeat itself. Wear clothes that will cover your body as from tomorrow.¡± He stated and I stared at him as if he had grown two more heads.


    ¡°I should wear clothes that cover my body? Is this one that I am putting on showing a lot of skin or a girl can¡¯t show a little bit of cleavage?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°All I know is that you should start wearing conservative clothes. If you want to show your cleavage, then you should go work in a strip club.¡± He snapped.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that they couldn¡¯t control their libido but if you want me to start wearing conservative clothes to work then fine, I¡¯ll start dressing like a nun. Hope you¡¯re satisfied.¡± I stated angrily and faced the window as Brandon began driving out of the premises of the restaurant.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

    CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT


    AFTER BRIANNA RAN OUT OF THE RESTAURANT


    ¡°Jeez! That girl is sooo beautiful.¡± Simeon stated dreamily, the image of Brianna¡¯s cleavage still in his head.


    ¡°She sure is. But you shouldn¡¯t have blurted out that statement that you made earlier. You made me lose a billion dor.¡± Mr. Sergio said and red hard at Simeon whose cheeks became red.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that, boss. But you can¡¯t really me me, she¡¯s the most beautiful girl I¡¯ve ever set my eyes on.¡± Simeon uttered.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s true. She¡¯s even more beautiful than my wife was when she was still young. Too bad that she didn¡¯t consider my offer of paying her monthly without having to work. I would have spoiled her with money but she chose to go with that young, handsome but rude Adrian. That¡¯s her loss tho.¡± Mr. Sergio said with loathfulness.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her loss indeed.¡± Simeon agreed with his boss.


    ¡°What are we still doing here? Let¡¯s leave since we don¡¯t have any business here again.¡± Mr. Sergio said and they both stood up and left.


    **BRIANNA**


    Brandon drove the car into thepany¡¯s premises and I didn¡¯t wait for him to stop the car before I jumped out of the car without thinking twice.


    ¡°Brianna! Do you want to kill yourself?!¡± I heard Mr. Adrian yell but I acted as if I didn¡¯t hear him.


    I walked into the building without looking at where I was going and I bumped into someone. I looked up at the person I bumped into and it turned out to be Lewis.


    ¡°Sorry for bumping into you, Lewis.¡± I apologized in a low tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Brianna. What¡¯s wrong? You look like someone just offended you.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Oh, someone just offended me alright.¡± I answered grumpily.


    ¡°And let me guess, that someone is Mr. Adrian.¡± He said looking at something or rather, someone behind me.


    ¡°Brianna, why did you jump out of the car like that? Do you want to injure yourself?¡± Mr. Adrian queried.


    ¡°Why do you care? Whether or not I¡¯m nning to injure myself, it should be none of your business.¡± I snapped and walked out on him.


    ¡°Wait Brianna, I¡¯lle with you. Seems like you¡¯ll be needing somepany.¡± Lewis said and came to me.


    We both stepped into the elevator and thest thing I saw before the doors slid close was Mr. Adrian¡¯s frowning face and ring eyes.


    The elevator stopped at the floor my office was in and I stepped out with Lewis. We then walked to my office in total silence. We got to my office and I slumped down heavily onto my chair while Lewis sat down on one of the chairs in front of my desk.


    ¡°Are you okay Brianna?¡± Lewis asked after we sat quietly for a few seconds.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m just a bit pissed off at Mr. Adrian, that¡¯s all.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Okay, can you tell me what happened?¡± He asked again.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a serious matter.¡± I said.


    ¡°It might not be a serious matter but I just want to know.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Okay¡­.. So this is what happened¡­.¡± I began narrating what urred and he listened attentively.


    ¡°¡­¡­ And then he told me to start wearing clothes that covers my body, aren¡¯t the clothes I¡¯m wearing conservative enough? Does he want me to start dressing like a nun? I¡¯ll show him tomorrow. He wants me to wear conservative clothes, then I¡¯ll give him conservative clothes.¡± I finally finished ranting and took a deep breathe.


    ¡°Personally, I don¡¯t see anything bad in the clothes you wear to work, they suit you perfectly and they¡¯re not really exposing. I do t think you should listen to him. Keep on wearing the clothes you wear, don¡¯t start dressing like a nun because of him. It wouldn¡¯t suit you.¡± Lewis said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m gonna dress like a nun. I¡¯ve got to listen to my boss, right?¡± I said with an overly sweet smile.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so. But this smile if yours is creeping me out. I hope I am safe.¡± He stated cautiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re safe. You¡¯ll be wowed tomorrow when you see the type of dress I¡¯lle to work in, you¡¯ll probably think that I¡¯m mentally ill.¡± I cackled like a witch, ideas already forming in my head.


    CLOSING HOURS


    I walked out of the building like a kid who was just given a lollipop. I can¡¯t wait for tomorrow, I¡¯ll show Mr. Adrian that I¡¯m crazy. He isn¡¯t the only one that is crazy.


    I checked the time on my phone and it was some minutes past five. I should really visit Cherry today, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen her and we haven¡¯t talked on phone either. I dialled her number and it rang for some time before she finally answered.


    ¡°Hello, who is on the line?¡± Her groggy voice rang out. She must have been sleeping.


    ¡°Hey Cherry, it¡¯s me, Brianna.¡± I said.


    ¡°Hey girlfriend! How are you doing? I¡¯ve really missed you. We don¡¯t really call each other like before . How¡¯s work and that crazy boss of yours?¡± She said all at once.


    ¡°Calm down Cherry.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, work has been really hectic and that¡¯s why I don¡¯t really call you and I know that you must be very busy with work too. And my crazy boss is still crazy.¡± I answered her questions.


    ¡°Good to hear that.¡± She sighed.


    ¡°Are you less busy? I actually called to ask if we could meet.¡¯ I stated.


    ¡°I¡¯m not busy, you coulde meet me at home, let¡¯s catch up a little.¡± She said.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± I uttered and hung up.


    Before I got on my way, I dropped a text for mum, telling her that I wanted to go and see Cherry and that I¡¯ll get home a littleter than usual.


    I set out for Cherry¡¯s house and got there after some minutes. I rang the doorbell and heard footstepsing towards the door.


    ¡°Who is there?!¡± Cherry yelled


    ¡°Who are you expecting?!¡± I retorted loudly and she swing the door open.


    ¡°Brianna!¡± She eximed loudly as if she wasn¡¯t expecting me and enveloped me in her arms.


    ¡°Hey Cherry!¡± I stated and hugged her back.


    ¡°Come on in.¡± She said after we had disengaged the hug and I went inside with her.


    ¡°What of your aunt?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine, she¡¯s not yet back from work.¡± She replied as we settled down oh the sofa.


    ¡°How have you been? Hope the restaurant is not stressful and boring without me?¡± I asked teasingly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good and yes, the restaurant is boring without my best friend. I miss you a lot, it feels like it¡¯s been ages since west saw each other.¡± She stated.


    ¡°A sorry. I¡¯m here now. By the way, I need your help with something.¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Something happened today and my crazy boss told me to start wearing conservative clothes to work. I actually want to listen to him and dress like a nun. Do you have any cloth I can borrow?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Which type of conservative clothes are we talking about here?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You know those clothes that when one wears them, the clothes will be sweeping the floor,. that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Nah, you know I don¡¯t wear those types of clothes. By the way, why would he want you to wear clothes like that? Did you dress in a slutty manner or what?¡± She queried.


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t. This was the clothes I was putting on when the incident happened.¡± I replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with it.¡± She said.


    ¡°Me too but he failed to see that the men were the promiscuous ones. You have any idea where I can get clothes line that?¡± I stated and she thought for a second.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask mom? She wears  those types of clothes right?¡± She mused.


    ¡°Yes she does but wouldn¡¯t the cloth be too big on me?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°It would be a little big but not too big. Besides, your crazy boss wants conservative clothes, you¡¯ve gotta give him conservative clothes.¡± She stated.


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I knew that if I came to meet you, you¡¯ll give me the best advice. The bestest friend ever.¡± I eximed and hugged her.


    ¡°I know, you don¡¯t have to remind me.¡± She said with a chuckle.


    TBC

 CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

    CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE


    **BRIANNA**


    I left Cherry¡¯s ce around some minutes past seven, after we had finished catching up. I got to our house and entered.


    ¡°Mum! Marianna! I¡¯m home!¡± I hollered immediately I entered and saw that nobody was in the sitting room.


    ¡°Wee Brianna, we¡¯re in the kitchen.¡± Marianna yelled and I went to the kitchen.


    ¡°Hey mom, how are you?¡± I asked, hugging her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Brianna, how was work?¡± She responded and then asked after we disengaged from the hug.


    ¡°Work was fine but stressful mom but we thank God.¡± I said.


    ¡°You went straight to your mom. You didn¡¯t see me. Am I a spoon or a potato?¡± Marianna asked, feigning a frowning face.


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re neither a spoon or a potato. You¡¯re aplete set of cutlery.¡± I replied with a giggle and the frown on her face became deeper.


    ¡°Mum! Brianna is bullying me!¡± She whined like a kid and I burst intoughter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, baby. Acknowledge your sister¡¯s presence now.¡± Mum said with a serious face.


    ¡°No mum, she should be the one to wee me home.¡± I kvetched.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Acknowledge her presence now.¡± Mom said again.


    ¡°Ugh fine!¡± I groaned and turned to Marianna with a fake scowl.


    ¡°Hey sissy, how was your day?¡± I asked, my scowl turning into an overly sweet smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you asked about my day, but my day was fine.¡± She replied with a wide grin.


    ¡°Good.¡± I sneered yfully and turned to mum.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done it, happy now?¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m happy. It wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡± Mum asked.


    ¡°It was sooo hard, I forced myself.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Whatever. Go and freshen up so that you can eat dinner.¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Okay mum, I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡± I replied and ran up to my room


    FEW MINUTES LATER


    I came downstairs after I had finished taking my bath and changed intofy clothes. The table has been set and we seemed to be eating baked potato and baked beans tonight.


    ¡°That was fast.¡± Mommented when I showed up in the kitchen.


    ¡°Of course it was, I¡¯m starving and with the scent of the meal invading my nose, there¡¯s no way I won¡¯t be fast.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Foodie.¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Marianna, say the Grace before we start eating.¡± Mom said to Marie and she did as she was told before we dug in.


    ¡°Hmm mom, I need your help with something.¡± I said after a few minutes of eating in silence.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Can you lend me few of your long gowns? You know those gowns that you wear that are a little big on you? I need them.¡± I stated and she looked at me weirdly.


    ¡°Why do you suddenly need my long gowns? I thought you didn¡¯t like them? And why will you want to wear my clothes?¡± She quizzed.


    ¡°I just need them mom. I developed a sudden likeness for them and I¡¯ll like to wear one tomorrow.¡± I replied, hoping to convince her with my answer but my mom being the ever inquisitive one was not convinced.


    ¡°You know me Brianna, I¡¯m not going to be convinced with that answer.¡± She said looking unmoved. ¡°Now tell me, why do you want to wear my clothes?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed. ¡°I was told that the clothes I wear to work are not conservative so I want to start wearing conservative clothes to work as from tomorrow.¡± I exined briefly.


    ¡°Who said such a thing? I¡¯ve never seen you dress unprofessionally to work before.¡± Marianna spoke up.


    ¡°Exactly, who said so?¡± Mom seconded.


    ¡°A crazy person said so but he¡¯s going to take back his words tomorrow. I just need those long gowns.¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you the gowns. Remind me tomorrow morning when you¡¯re ready.¡± She stated.


    ¡°I will. Oh, and please I¡¯ll need one of your scarves too.¡± I uttered and she bobbed her head.


    ¡°Okay, just remember to remind me.¡± She said and we continued eating.


    NEXT MORNING


    I had just finished taking my bath and got into my underwear when mom called me toe to her room. I quickly tied a towel around my body and went to her room.


    ¡°Good morning mom.¡± I said.


    ¡°Morning Brianna. I¡¯ve got the clothes you need.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Pick the one that you want.¡± She said pointing at her bed where different types of gowns were on disy. I went closer to the bed and checked the gowns out one by one.


    After I was done checking them out, I chose the one that seemed to be the biggest and longest one.


    ¡°I choose this one.¡± I said to mum and raised it up.


    ¡°Okay, have this scarf, it goes with the gown.¡± Mum handed over a scarf to me and it indeed goes with the gown.


    ¡°Thanks mum. You¡¯re the best.¡± I hugged her and gave her a peck on the cheek before sauntering out of her room happily.


    I untied the towel and got dressed into the gown. It was very big and long for me and I smiled satisfactorily, exactly what I wanted. I looked at myself in the mirror attached to our wardrobe and saw that I looked like I had been thrown into a big sack of potatoes. The gown was even sweeping the floor. It was as if I was dressed in an agbada (a long, flowing robe with wide sleeves worn by men in some parts of West Africa, often decorated with embroidery).


    I took the scarf and tied it around my head like a hijab. ¡®I look so conservative right now.¡¯ I thought and chuckled to myself. Mr. Adrian would be so shocked when he sees me.


    After I was satisfied with my dress, I picked up a heel from the shoe rack and slipped it on so that I would be a little taller and the gown wouldn¡¯t sweep the floor too much. I grabbed my handbag and walked out of my room with a wide smile.


    I got downstairs and mom was sitting on the couch with a newspaper in her hand.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m ready to leave for work now.¡± I announced and she looked up from the newspaper. She took in my dress for some seconds.


    ¡°Alright, I must say, you look really weird. I wonder what people would say when they see you on the road.¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°They should say whatever they want to. Besides, you should be the first person to know that I don¡¯t care what people think or say about me.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Won¡¯t you eat before you go to work?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not really hungry. I¡¯m runningte and I¡¯ll get to eat in the cafeteria when it¡¯s lunch time.¡± I said.


    ¡°Still, you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.¡± Mom pressed.


    ¡°I know but I¡¯ll have to miss this one. Love you mom!¡± I blew her a kiss and ran out of the house before she could convince me to eat.


    I got to the bus stop and boarded the bus. The people at the bus stop were looking at me and whispering amongst themselves but I cared less. The passengers on the bus were not excluded.


    I arrived at work forty five minutester and the staff in the lobby began murmuring immediately I entered.


    ¡°My gosh! What is she putting on?¡±


    ¡°Has she lost her mind?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she know that she¡¯s in a business environment? What kind of dress is that?¡±


    I turned deaf ears to theirments and went straight to the receptionist¡¯s desk. Kristen¡¯s mouth was wide open as I approached the desk.


    ¡°Close your mouth babe, there are flies around.¡± I said to her and she slowly closed her mouth.


    ¡°What are you wearing!?¡± She whisper-yelled.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°A dress.¡± I replied simply.


    ¡°This is not a dress. You look like you have been thrown into a sack of rice.¡± She said.


    ¡°That is exactly how I wanted to look like.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Are you okay? Is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡± She asked, using the back of her palm to check my temperature.


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. Is the boss in?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Yes, he is. Are you sure you¡¯re okay Brianna?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°I¡¯m absolutely fine.¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you during lunch.¡± I uttered and turned to the elevator. I go into it and it took me to the floor my office was located. I got into my office and dropped my bag on my chair.


    ¡°How can I make Mr. Adrian see my dress quickly?¡± I thought briefly and the answer pooped up in my head.


    ¡°Ah! Let me go and get him his coffee. It¡¯s been a while since I got it for him and he has not been asking either.¡±


    I went back to thest floor and left the building to get him his coffee at ¡®Tatiana¡¯s Cafe¡¯. I came back and went to Mr. Adrian¡¯s office instead of mine and stopped at his door. I knocked on the door tentatively and took a deep breathe when his sonorous voice said toe in. ¡®It¡¯s now or never. I can¡¯t wait to see his reaction.¡± I thought and opened the door before stepping inside.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY

    CHAPTER FORTY


    **ADRIAN**


    I heard a knock on my door when I was in the middle of going through some files and I told whoever that was knocking toe in. The door opened and closed and I knew that the person that was knocking had gotten inside. I was expecting the person to talk but he or she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Okay, who is this? Can¡¯t you say whatever you are here for and get out of my office?¡± I spoke up and looked up at the person that walked in and was met with a huge shock. A shock in form of Brianna dressed in


    ¡°Brianna?¡± I asked speechlessly.


    ¡°Yes boss. Good morning, I brought your coffee for you.¡± She said and approached my desk with a cup of coffee in her hand. Yet another shock because she had not been bringing my coffee to me again.


    ¡°Is this really Brianna?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°Yes boss, it¡¯s me. Don¡¯t I look like Brianna?¡± She asked with a smirk.


    ¡°You have her face and body but you don¡¯t dress like her.¡± I stated as a matter-of-fact.


    ¡°You seem to have forgotten, Mr. Adrian. You told me to start dressing conservatively yesterday and I am following your orders.¡± She replied and I remembered that I told her to start wearing conservative clothes.


    ¡°I did tell you to start wearing conservative clothes but I didn¡¯t tell you to dress like a¡­ like a¡­.¡± I thought of the best thing to say and it came to my mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to dress like a masquerade and scare people away.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not very lucky because these are the only conservative clothes that I can get and you¡¯ll have to let me wear them whether you like it or not. Or you¡¯ll have let me wear my less conservative clothes.¡± She said with a little bit of authoritativeness in her voice.


    ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to in that manner? Have you forgotten that you¡¯re talking to your boss?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize that I was talking to my boss.¡± She retorted sarcastically.


    ¡°You¡¯re really growing wings these days. I¡¯ve been merciful enough not to fire you since all this while but you¡¯re crossing your boundaries and I won¡¯t be so merciful the next time you disrespect me.¡± I warned dangerously and she seemed to relent.


    ¡°Ugh whatever! He always gets to boss people around but they can¡¯t stand up for themselves.¡± She muttered underneath her breath but I heard her loud and clear.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Nothing. I said nothing.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Good, I thought as much. You brought the coffee for me, right? Drop it and leave.¡± I ordered and she dropped the cup of coffee on my desk. I peered into the cup suspiciously.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t poison the coffee?¡± I asked, looking at her with dangerous eyes.


    ¡°Only a wicked person would think that his drink was poisoned but I wish I could poison it tho. I would have been so happy.¡± She smiled liked a maniac.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Jeez! You¡¯re creepy as fuck. Were you a murderer or a serial killer in your former life? Because you¡¯re exuding the vibe of a serial killer.¡± I said and she paused to think a little.


    ¡°I think I was and I still have a little bit of it in me.¡± She grinned crazily and I must not lie, fear gripped me a little.


    ¡°What the hell! Get out of my office, you creep! I can¡¯t believe my personal assistant is a serial killer, you could have killed me all this while.¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re scared of me. I should have recorded this moment and use it against you in the future.¡± She giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you. I was just kidding. How will I be scared of a girl?¡± I retorted, after gaining back myposure.


    ¡°You were scared, I saw fear in your eyes.¡± She said with certainty.


    ¡°I was not scared! Now get out of my office and go and get prepared, we have a meeting with the inventors concerning the invention of the robot.¡± I said simply.


    ¡°Okay sir.¡± She nodded grumpily and stormed out of my office.


    She never cease to amaze me. Wear conservative clothes I said but she¡¯s dressing like a psychopath. She¡¯s even behaving like a serial killer. I can¡¯t believe I was scared of her. There was some kind of dangerous glint in her eyes.


    I think I¡¯m going crazy, I thought and ruffled my hair.


    **BRIANNA**


    I stormed out of his office angrily. My n didn¡¯t work. I thought that if I dressed crazily today, he¡¯d tell me to continue wearing my former clothes again but the n failed. I¡¯ll have to be wearing clothes like this till God knows when.


    Because of the anger that I was feeling, I didn¡¯t notice that someone wasing in front of me till I bumped into the person. What¡¯s with me and bumping into people these days??


    ¡°Brianna??¡± The person called and I looked up at the person¡¯s face to see that it was Lewis. I bumped into him yesterday and today again. What the hell? And it¡¯s always when I¡¯m angry.


    ¡°Hey Lewis. Sorry for bumping into you. I was not looking.¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He stated and looked at me from head to toe before shaking his head in amusement.


    ¡°You said that I would be wowed when I see you today and indeed, I am very shocked. You really did what you said.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°What can I say? I always go by my words.¡± Iughed, my mood lifting a little.


    ¡°I can see that. But you don¡¯t look that bad in the dress. It looks good on you or should I say that you look good in it?¡± Heplimented and I smiled.


    ¡°Either way you say it, thanks for thepliment.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°Anytime. I would have loved to chat more with you but I have a lot of work on my table.¡± He said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m also going for a meeting in some minutes time. I¡¯ve got to prepare.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll catch youter.¡± He said and we went our separate ways.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY ONE

    CHAPTER FORTY-ONE


    **BRIANNA**


    It was already time for the meeting and Mr. Adrian and I were on our way to the meeting room with him walking a few feet ahead of me. The staff that I met lingering around were staring at me and saying different things about my dress.


    ¡°My gosh, what the hell is she putting on?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she know the difference between clothes meant for work and the other types of clothes?¡±


    ¡°The cloth is too big on her.¡±


    ¡°Well, she doesn¡¯t really look bad on it.¡±


    Those were the different types ofments I was getting because of my dress but I turned deaf ears to thements as usual because they wouldn¡¯t remove or add money to my ount (as if there¡¯s even money in the ount).


    Mr. Adrian entered the meeting room and I entered after him. This time around, I was not nervous like the first time I came to this meeting room, I have gotten over the  nervousness.


    The people present stood up to acknowledge Mr. Adrian¡¯s presence when he entered and he nodded at them, took his seat at the head of the table and then the others sat too. I also took my seat at the right hand side of Mr. Adrian. The people present were staring at me strangely, seems like it¡¯s the first time they¡¯re seeing ady in her mother¡¯s dress, I thought while chuckling quietly.


    I raised my head and looked around to check if Lewis was here but he wasn¡¯t. Maybe he¡¯s not needed in this meeting. Mr. Adrian looked around too and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the meeting.¡± He announced and the once noisy meeting room became so quiet that you could hear if a pin dropped. The atmosphere of the room changed to a professional one and then Mr. Adrian began talking.


    ¡°As we all know, we are here to see how far the inventors have gone with the robot. But unlike thest time that we came to see the sketch of the robot, we would be seeing how the robot works.¡± He stated, looked at the expressions on their faces and then continued, ¡°Where is Miss Santiago?¡± He asked and as of on cue, a Spanish woman that seemed to be in her mid-twenties came in while pushing a wheelchair that was covered with a big piece of clothing. Four other people followed behind her. One was holding a broom with a dustpan, another one was with a vacuum cleaner, the third person was holding a mop with a small bucket of water, and thest one was holding a trashcan that was filled with garbage. The five of them were all putting onb coats and it was very obvious that the Spanish woman was the leader of the team.


    At this rate, I was sure that everybody in the room were curious about what the inventors were doing with cleaning equipments and a trashcan that was filled with garbage. I was also wondering what was under the big piece of clothing. Well, it seems like our questions will soon be answered.


    The Spanish woman cleared her throat and began talking.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good day everybody, my name is Amelia Santiago and these are the members of my team.¡± She said and gestured towards the four other people behind her, ¡°We are very sorry for keeping you all waiting, but we were just trying to get everything ready for the presentation.¡± She stated.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss Santiago, let¡¯s get this presentation started.¡± Mr. Adrian uttered and Miss Santiago nodded.


    ¡°I know that y¡¯all will be wondering what is under the clothing and what my team members are doing with cleaning equipments but your questions will be answered soon enough.¡± She stated and we all stared with curious eyes.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s start with what is on the wheelchair¡­¡± She trailed off and yanked off the big piece of clothing away from the wheelchair, revealing a robot that still looked like it has not beenpleted.


    The robot¡¯s head was facing downwards and it was as if the robot was dead. The robot was like a skeleton, one could see the wires that were inside, the steel that that was supposed to be the body of the robot was not covering the entirety of the robot so you could see everything that was inside the robot.


    ¡°As we all can see, the robot is not on yet so you have to press the power button at the top of its head¡­¡± She trailed off and press the button she had pointed at, and the robot¡¯s head raised. Its eyes opened and it glowed a bright yellow color. It stood up from the wheelchair and it did something that shocked me.


    It. Freaking. Talked.


    ¡°Hello Master,¡± It said while looking at Miss Santiago, ¡°I¡¯m ready to carry out your orders.¡± It stated and everyone in the room stared on in surprise.


    ¡°The robot has been activated now so you can order it to do any of your chores. Let me demonstrate.¡± She uttered and collected the small bucket of water from one of the people that followed her here.


    ¡°Uhm, Mr. Adrian, I¡¯ll be wetting the floor but I can assure you that the robot will mop it.¡± She said to Mr. Adrian and he told her to go ahead. She went ahead to pour the water on the floor and faced the robot squarely.


    ¡°Robot, I need you to mop the floor for me,  I want the floor void of water.¡± She ordered and handed over the mop to it. It collected the mop from her and within a matter of some seconds, it had finished mopping the spot where the water had been poured on. ¡°Wows¡± and ¡°awesome¡± left the mouth of the people in amazement.


    ¡°I¡¯m done, master.¡± It stated when it had finished mopping the floor and Miss Santiago nodded at it.


    ¡°That was cool, right? I know. But that¡¯s not all it can do. There¡¯s more.¡± She said.


    ¡°Owen, can you please litter the floor with the garbage in the trashcan?¡± She requested and the guy that held the trashcan did as he was told.


    ¡°Christiana, hand over the broom and the dustpan to the robot.¡± She said and thedy did so.


    ¡°Sweep the floor and dispose the garbage into the trashcan.¡± Miss Santiago and the robot got to work. Within three minutes, it was done.


    ¡°I¡¯m done master.¡± It said and everyone in the meeting room except Mr. Adrian pped but I could see in Mr. Adrian¡¯s eyes that he was impressed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the other things that it can do¡­¡± Miss Santiago continued.


    TWENTY MINUTES LATER


    ¡°¡­ And that is all the robot can do, for now. We will still install the feature that will give it the ability to operate a washing machine and the ability to wash dishes.¡± Miss Santiago stated.


    ¡°Thanks for your patience. We¡¯re done with the presentation.¡± She said again and we all pped.


    ¡°I must say, Miss Santiago, you and your team did a really good job with the robot. I¡¯m very impressed.¡± Mr. Adrian stated and Miss Santiago smiled.


    ¡°Thank you sir.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to give you and your team a time limit of two weeks toplete the robot so that we can get it into the market. Will the two weeks be enough?¡± Mr. Adrian said then asked.


    ¡°Yes sir, it will be more than enough.¡± Miss Santiago nodded.


    ¡°Alright. The meeting has ended. You can all start leaving.¡± Mr. Adrian uttered and everybody started standing up and exiting the meeting room. Mr. Adrian stood up and I stood up after him.


    The both of us walked out of the meeting room with me following behind him.


    ¡°Did you jot anything down during the meeting?¡± Mr. Adrian asked when I had fallen into steps with him.


    ¡°Uhm, I didn¡¯t. I was carried away by the presentation.¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t let it repeat itself again.¡± He muttered and I nced at him in surprise.


    ¡°Okay sir.¡± I bobbed my head.


    ¡°And about your mode of dressing, seems like this big dress of yours is not really good and you¡¯re getting badments about it, and I won¡¯t want us to go out while you¡¯re putting on this type of dress, you might just scare people away so you can go back to your old style of dressing.¡± He said and I thought that I had heard wrong.


    ¡°Are you for real, sir?¡± I asked just to be sure.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m for real. But just don¡¯t wear clothes that expose the body.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Thank you very much sir. I was not reallyfortable in this dress.¡± I thanked him but muttered thest part.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. You can go to your office now. I¡¯ll call for you when I need you.¡± He uttered and went on his way while I fist bumped the air happily.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to my old style of dressing.¡± I thought loudly.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY TWO

    CHAPTER FORTY-TWO


    SAME DAY¡­ LUNCH TIME


    **BRIANNA**


    I had just finished working on some files that were given to me by Mr. Adrian. A loud yawn escaped my mouth and at the same time, my stomach grumbled. I patted my stomach and cooed at it like I was cooing at a baby, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, dear stomach. I¡¯ll fill you up soon enough.¡± Iughed at myself when I realized how stupid I must have looked when doing that.


    ¡°What¡¯s the time? It should be time for lunch already.¡± I thought aloud and looked towards the clock on the wall. It was already five minutes into lunch time.


    I got up, arranged the files I had just finished working on and made my way to Mr. Adrian¡¯s office. I knocked on the door tentatively and was told toe in. I entered and strode towards his desk. He was not sitting though, he was standing by one of the ss walls in his office and was staring at the busy city below him.


    ¡°I came to submit the files you told me to work on, sir.¡± I voiced out.


    ¡°You¡¯re done with them?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Yes sir, I am.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Alright, you can drop the files on my desk and leave.¡± He stated and waved me off. I did as he told me before walking out of his office.


    I took the elevator to the first floor and looked towards the receptionist¡¯s desk to see that Kristen was not there. I walked out of the building to the cafeteria, entered and got my food. I scanned the ce to look for a table and saw Kristen waving for me toe over and I strode towards the table. Kristen was not the only one sitting there. Cassandra, Lauren and Lewis were also sitting at the table.


    ¡°Hey guys!¡± I hollered cheerfully.


    ¡°Hey Brianna!¡± They chorused, except Lauren who had a sneer on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw you, Brianna.¡± Cassandra said as I dug into my food


    ¡°Ah true! Work and those stuff. You know I always go out for meetings with Mr. Adrian and all.¡± I stated and heard Lauren scoff.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t help but to notice the dress you¡¯re putting on. It looks good and weird on you at the same time.¡± Cassandra uttered with a chuckle.


    ¡°Oh this dress? I wore it because of Mr. Adrian to rile him up.¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you are dressed like this! Is there a reason behind it?¡± Kristen chipped in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why she dressed like this. She obviously has a bad sense of fashion.¡± Lauren said under her breath but I heard her clearly because she was sitting right beside me.


    ¡°Excuse me? Did I just hear you say something?¡± I faced her and asked with a slight re.


    ¡°Yes, I said something.¡± She replied, and my eyes.


    ¡°I dare you to repeat what you said.¡± I dared.


    ¡°I said that you have a bad sense of fashion. What do you want to do?¡± She said and then asked with defiance.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not going to do anything but it¡¯s very obvious that you¡¯re dumb.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Did you just call me dumb?¡± She quizzed angrily.


    ¡°Yes I did. Have something to do about it?¡± I taunted with a sneer. She was about to stand up and do something, maybe p me when Lewis who was sitting at her other side held her.


    ¡°Okay girls, that¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t want to watch twodies fighting each other.¡± Lewis said and Lauren calmed down slightly.


    ¡°So¡­ you wanted to tell us the reason you dressed like this.¡± Kristen uttered, in an attempt to ease the tension in the air.


    ¡°Oh yes. So it happened like this¡­¡± I began and they listened carefully except Lewis who I¡¯ve told about it before and Lauren who ate her food and turned deaf ears to us.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something.¡± Cassie chuckled.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But that isn¡¯t enough for him to tell you to dress like thedies in the 70s. Those men were the one at fault.¡± Kristen uttered.


    ¡°I know, right? But he has told me to start dressing the way I dress before. He said he doesn¡¯t want me to scare people away with my dressing.¡± Iughed and heard a grunt from Lewis.


    ¡°But the dress wasn¡¯t really bad. Y¡¯all are just exaggerating about how bad the dress is.¡± Lewis stated.


    ¡°What do you know, Lewis? Only we the girls can tell if a dress is bad or good looking on a fellow girl. Y¡¯all men don¡¯t know anything.¡± Cassandra saidughingly.


    ¡°I know a lot of things about women¡¯s fashion!¡± Lewis tried to defend himself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about women¡¯s sense of fashion, so rest!¡± Kristen uttered with a loudugh but Lewis didn¡¯t look like he was going to back down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prove to you that I know things about women¡¯s fashion. Ask me any question.¡± He said surely.


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± Kristen warned yfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go easy on me.¡± He smirked. Cassandra leaned towards Kristen and whispered something into her eyes and Kristen¡¯s eyes lit up mischievously. Kristen cleared her throat loudly.


    ¡°So Lewis, my question for you is¡­¡± She trailed off, putting Lewis in suspense.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put me in suspense, Kris. Go straight to the point.¡± He snapped.


    ¡°Alright, list three types of bras that we have.¡± Kristen stated and his eyes widened.


    ¡°What the fuck? I thought we are talking about fashion here!?¡± He eximed.


    ¡°Bras are part of fashion too.¡± Kristen smirked and I burst intoughter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about bras. Ask another question.¡± He demanded.


    ¡°You have to answer this one.¡± I said.


    ¡°I know nothing about bras.¡± He cried and Cassandra, Kristen and Iughed at him. Lauren who had been eating her food quietly suddenly stood up and her chair scraped loudly against the floor.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡± I asked Cassandra while staring at Lauren¡¯s back as she walked away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Cassandra shrugged carelessly.


    ¡°Back to the question. Now, list three types of panties that you know.¡± Kristen said again.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it! I admit it now, I don know anything about women¡¯s fashion. You girls are demons.¡± He cried and weughed at his misery.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with the girls, bro. Mess with boys your own size.¡± I stated and shared an high-five with the girls and we continued eating while Lewis red at us with feigned anger, he¡¯ll be feeling like strangling us right now.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY THREE

    CHAPTER FORTY-THREE


    SAME DAY¡­ CLOSING HOURS


    **BRIANNA**


    It was way past 7 p. m. when I walked out of the building and the sun had set already. It was dark but the streetlights made everywhere bright. I was about walking down the street towards the bus stop when a sleek ck car pulled up in front of me. I was going to act like I didn¡¯t see the car when the person sitting at the back seat winded down the window and it turned out to be Mr. Adrian.


    ¡°Get in.¡± Hemanded.


    ¡°No thank you.¡± I replied and continued with my walk.


    ¡°That¡¯s amand, not a request.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Thanks but no thanks. I¡¯ll rather go to the bus stop and take the bus.¡± I replied and took a step further when he said something that made me stop.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to threaten you with your job, Brianna. Get in the car and I¡¯ll drop you off, I¡¯m even helping you save the money for the transport fare you know.¡± He said and I thought about it for some seconds, it will save me some money indeed, I can use the money for another thing. I sighed and groaned in frustration. Mr. Adrian can be relentless sometimes.


    ¡°I¡¯m only agreeing to this because you gave me no other choice.¡± I grumbled with a harsh re and a smirk crept up on his face as I opened the door and slid into the backseat, just beside Mr. Adrian.


    ¡°You have no other choice, I¡¯m pretty sure your job is very important to you. I¡¯m even nice for wanting to drop you off, I didn¡¯t  do that for any of my former personal assistants.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t offer them a ride because you like them more than me. You¡¯re only giving me a ride because you feel like tormenting me but it¡¯s in my favour though.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± He said with a roll of his eyes and continued, ¡°Where are you going? You should tell Brandon¡­¡± He was saying when my phone rang right at that moment. I took it out of my bag and Cherry was disyed on the screen and I clicked on the answer button.


    ¡°Hey babe!¡± She hollered from the other end of the phone.


    ¡°Hey bestie, what¡¯s up?¡± I stated.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Have you left work?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes I have, why?¡± I quizzed.


    ¡°I want us to have dinner together. I¡¯ve missed you.¡± She whined.


    ¡°But we still saw each other yesterday, just yesterday evening, Cherry.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°I know but I just miss you, I want to see your face.¡± She said with a whine.


    ¡°You can be a baby sometimes, Cherry. How did I be friends with a baby?¡± I uttered and she burst intoughter.


    ¡°You love me like that, Brianna. You love me like that.¡± She said as a matter-of-fact.


    ¡°Whatever, I wish I can deny that.¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°You know you can¡¯t!¡± She eximed with a giggle, ¡°We can even gossip about that crazy boss of yours.¡± She said and I sneaked a nce at Mr. Adrian to see if he heard but thankfully, he did not hear.


    ¡°Shush Cherry!¡± I cautioned as if she was beside me.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to gossip about him?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± I uttered, ¡°By the way, where are we meeting?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°That restaurant in your street.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Okay, expect me, I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡± I said and hung up.


    ¡°Who was that you were talking to?¡± Mr. Adrian asked, turning to face me.


    ¡°Why are you asking? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any of your business.¡± I replied with a re.


    ¡°It is my business. What if you were nning my downfall with the person at the other end? Or you were probably nning my death with the person?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Jesus Christ! You really have to work on your trust issues, Mr. Adrian. Why would I be nning your downfall or death with someone? What will I gain from it?¡± I asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Probably because you hate me and you¡¯re fed up of my existence.¡± He responded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you, yes. But why will I want to kill you? I¡¯m not a murderer, Mr. Adrian.¡± I stated.


    ¡°You want to know who I was talking to on the phone? It was my best friend if you hadn¡¯t heard the part where I said ¡®Hey Bestie¡¯ clearly.¡± I answered the question he asked earlier exasperatedly.


    ¡°Ohhh¡­ So you were talking to your best friend¡­¡± He trailed off.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I snapped at him angrily.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Where did you say you were going again?¡± He asked, trying to change the topic andpletely avoiding my eyes.


    ¡°Erm Brandon¡­¡± I called Brandon who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, driving.


    ¡°Yes Miss?¡± He answered.


    ¡°Just drive down thisne and turn to the left when you get to t-junction. After turning, you¡¯ll enter a street, just drive a little further down the street, you¡¯lle across a restaurant. I¡¯ll be alighting there.¡± I directed Brandon and he nodded.


    ¡°Okay Miss.¡± He stated and increased the speed of the car. After that, there was total silence in the car.


    After some minutes, Brandon pulled over in front of the restaurant I had described to him.


    ¡°Thanks Brandon. Thanks for offering me the ride, Mr. Adrian but you didn¡¯t really have to.¡± I said to the both of them and alighted from the car without waiting for a response from neither of them.


    I took out my phone and dialled Cherry¡¯s number. She picked on the second ring.


    ¡°Hey Cherry, I¡¯m in the front of the restaurant. Where are you?¡± I said when she picked up.


    ¡°Ooh nice. I¡¯m inside already and I can see you. I am sitting in the table beside the ss wall. Look up.¡± She said and I looked up to her waving at me.


    ¡°Okay, I can see you. I¡¯ming in now.¡± I said and hung up. I looked behind me to see if Mr. Adrian¡¯s car and I saw that they had left. I proceeded to the entrance of the restaurant and walked in. A bell that was probably situated at the top of the door jingled immediately I opened the door. I strode to the table Cherry was sitting in.


    ¡°You can be a a baby sometimes, do you know that?¡± Was the first thing I said when I sat that at the table and dropped my bag.


    ¡°Pfft whatever! You love me like that either ways. And just for the records, I love you too so you don¡¯t need to say it, I know already.¡± She stated smugly.


    ¡°Ew! That sounds disgusting.¡± I said with a feigned irritated face and scrunched up my nose.


    ¡°I feel like smacking you across the face right now.¡± She said seriously.


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly do that!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Watch me do it.¡± She said with the same serious expression on her face and suddenly, out of nowhere we bursted into a loud hystericalughter that made a few heads turn to look at our table.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I asked, sobering up from theughter.


    ¡°Are you asking me? I also don¡¯t know.¡± She said trying to stopughing but she failed miserably because she kept chortling. But after a while, she sessfully stoppedughing.


    ¡°I lost my job at the restaurant.¡± She dropped a bombshell.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY FOUR

    CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR


    **BRIANNA**


    ¡°I lost my job at the restaurant.¡± Cherry dropped a bombshell and I stared at her in surprise, trying to wrap my head around what she said.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± I asked, what she said not fully registering in my head.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I said that I lost my job at the restaurant.¡± She said with a sad smile ying on her lips.


    ¡°How did that happen? When did that happen?¡± I asked the two questions that were on my mind.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything offensive, I swear. I was just 20 minuteste because my aunt dyed me, I was helping her to do something. And not to talk of the traffic jam I met on the road. Mrs. Williams said something about the owner of the restaurant telling her to fire me the next time I camete to work and I guess today was not my lucky day.¡± She exined sullenly, trying to smile but failing miserably, and my mind went to Mr. Adrian when she mentioned the owner of the restaurant. I wouldn¡¯t me Mrs. Williams for firing her, it¡¯s all Mr. Adrian¡¯s fault.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, babe. I wouldn¡¯t me Mrs. Williams for that, the owner of the restaurant is to be med.¡± I uttered and patted her backfortingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t me Mrs. Williams too, it¡¯s that Adrian¡¯s fault. I won¡¯t call him Mr. Adrian anymore, he doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± She said and I chuckled a little even if I knew that I shouldn¡¯t have when the situation was like this.


    ¡°When have you ever called him Mr.? You always addressed him as crazy boss and here¡¯s more proof that he¡¯s crazy.¡± I stated.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± She giggled, ¡°I haven¡¯t addressed him as Mr. before because he wasn¡¯t my boss. He is your boss. He¡¯s just handsome for nothing, he¡¯s crazy!¡± She said and eximed at thest two words and I chortled loudly.


    ¡°I wonder how you cope with his craziness evryday.¡± Cherry uttered.


    ¡°Oh me? I show him that he¡¯s not the only crazy one. He¡¯s crazy, I¡¯m crazy so we show each other pepper.¡± I said with a smug smile and Cherry bursted intoughter for the first time since she told me about her lost job.


    ¡°Oooh, I trust my best friend. I trained you well.¡± She giggled and I looked at her like she grew a second head.


    ¡°You mean I trained you well right?¡± I asked and sheughed boisterously.


    ¡°I know, I know, you trained me but let me pretend like I trained you.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Better let that be pretense.¡± I smirked and sheughed harder.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do about your job now? Working in the club wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± I stated after I had calmed down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I starting looking up for jobs online after I was sent out of the restaurant and I saw that the CEO this popr fashion industry M. Collins Fashion Industry was looking for a secretary so I¡¯ll be going for an interview tomorrow.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s so fast, you didn¡¯t even waste time at all.¡± I eximed.


    ¡°You know me, girl, I do my things as quick as possible.¡± She said proudly.


    ¡°Oh shut it, you idiot. I wish you luck on your interview.¡± I said.


    ¡°Thanks bestie.¡± She smiled.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s talk about you. Who was the person that dropped you off? I saw you alighting from a car that didn¡¯t look one bit like a cab.¡± She said, waggling her eyebrows.


    ¡°That was nothing.¡± I tried to wave her off but she didn¡¯t relent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that that was your boyfriend!¡± She whisper-yelled with round eyes and I facepalmed myself.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my boyfriend, Cherry. That was my freaking boss who insisted on giving me a ride for God knows what and he didn¡¯t give me a chance to object. Happy now?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Fine, I had a hunch that it was that crazy boss of yours but I wanted to hear it from your mouth.¡± She stated


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I rolled my eyes in tiredness.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been sitting here for over twenty minutes now, let¡¯s eat something before we leave.¡± She said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Bills on me.¡± I uttered and she nodded before we waving for a waitress to cone over. My phone decided to ring at that time and it turned out to be my mom calling. Shit! I forgot to inform her that I¡¯ll being homete tonight.


    ¡°Hey mom.¡± I said after answering the call.


    ¡°Brianna, are you okay? You should have gotten home by now but you¡¯re nowhere to be found.¡± She uttered over the phone, her voice dripping with worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, mom. I¡¯m with Cherry in that restaurant that¡¯s in our street. I forgot to call you to tell you that I¡¯ll being homete.¡± I said apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Your sister and I were just worried a little.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be worried, I¡¯ll be home soon.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Is that aunt?¡± Cherry mouthed to me and I nodded yes.


    ¡°I want to speak with her.¡± She mouthed again and I told mum before handing the phone over to Cherry.


    ¡°Good evening aunt.¡± Cherry greeted mum.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Brianna, she¡¯s with me. So be rest assured that nothing is wrong with her.¡± She stated and I heard mum reply her but I couldn¡¯t make out what she said.


    ¡°Bye aunt. My regards to Marianna.¡± Cherry said and returned the phone to me.


    ¡°I ordered for you already since you were busy on the phone.¡± Cherry said and I looked down on the table to see two tes of cheeseburger pasta and two ss of water.


    ¡°You ordered correctly.¡± I gave her two thumbs up before digging into my food, it was looking and smelling too delicious for me to keep staring at it so I started eating.


    I was halfway through eating the food in front of me when I heard a male voice call my name.


    ¡°Brianna?¡± I heard the voice and I stopped eating, looking confused as to why somebody that wasn¡¯t Cherry was calling my name. Who knew me here?


    ¡°Brianna.¡± The person called and this time he was standing in front of the table. I looked up at the person¡¯s face and it didn¡¯t look familiar.


    ¡°Excuse me but do I know you?¡± I asked and I must have looked funny because my mouth was filled with food


    ¡°Ouch, you don¡¯t remember me?¡± The guy asked back.


    ¡°Have we met? Cos this face doesn¡¯t look familiar to me.¡± I stated.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really forgotten me.¡± The guy said again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this guy, you can see that I¡¯m eating. Either tell me who you are of get out.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°Hey, hey. It hasn¡¯t gotten to that yet.¡± He said.


    ¡°Then tell me who the fuck you are.¡± I stated.


    ¡°It¡¯s me Carlos, the guy that gave you a ride to an estate the other day.¡± He responded.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY FIVE

    CHAPTER FORTY FIVE


    **BRIANNA**


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Carlos, the guy that gave you a ride to an estate the other day.¡± The guy said.


    ¡°Which day was that?¡± I asked, trying to remember when he gave me a ride.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really remember the day but you said that it was your boss that sent you on an errand and the sun was scorching that very day.¡± He exined. I thought back to that day and I remembered. How could I have forgotten so fast?


    ¡°Oh! Carlos, I¡¯m sorry for not remembering you. Foolish me.¡± I said apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There must have been a lot on your mind,¡± He replied, ¡°How have you been doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing great, thanks for asking. What about you?¡± I stated then asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well too. Is Adrian still acting like the asshole that he is? Is he sending you on stupid errands? Has he changed?¡± He asked all at once.


    ¡°Hey, calm down!¡± I chuckled before replying his questions, ¡°Yes, Mr. Adrian is still being an asshole. No, he is not sending me on Stupids errands. And no he has not changed, I don¡¯t think that man can change to save his life.¡± Heughed at thest part.


    ¡°You¡¯re very right, he¡¯s been like this for as long as I can remember. It¡¯ll be really good if he can change though but I doubt if he can change.¡± He uttered and Iughed out loud.


    ¡°Anyways, I came here to meet with someone and saw you, I thought tgat you looked familiar and decided toe see closely. And now that I¡¯ve seen that you¡¯re the one, I can go now.¡± He said.


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡± I smiled at him.


    ¡°Do you mind if I can have your contact? Who knows if I¡¯m ever going to see you again after this or not?¡± He questioned. Carlos doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad person and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give him my contact so I decided to give him. I called out my phone number to him and he pressed it on his phone, he dialled my number and my phone rang out a secondter. I


    ¡°That¡¯s my number, do well to save it,¡± He grinned boyishly, ¡°And thank you for giving me your number, I¡¯ll give you a callter. Bye!¡± He said and waved before turning around and he walked away while I stared at his back until he was out of sight. I took my phone that had rang out and saved his number with his name.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Cherry who had been watching the exchange between Carlos and I quietly, finally spoke up.


    ¡°Oh, he was the guy that gave me a ride to a particr estate the day Mr. Adrian sent me on an errand without me knowing that it was a prank.¡± I told her and continued eating my food which I had abandoned because I was speaking with Carlos, the food was getting colder by the second.


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s quite handsome.¡± She grinned as she wiped her mouth with a napkin that was on the table before she chugging down the ss of water in front of her.


    ¡°Almost every man you meet are handsome to you, Cherry.¡± I said boredly.


    ¡°Not all of them. This one is handsome, really.¡± She said.


    ¡°Fine, he¡¯s handsome. I¡¯ve admitted it, now let me eat in peace before I lose interest in this food, it growing cold.¡± I practically begged her and she nodded before acting like she zipped her mouth shut.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I sighed and began eating my food again. Within a span of some minutes, I was done with the food and I downed a ss of water, an almost inaudible belch escaped my mouth.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± I said to no one in particr as it was already a part of me to say that whenever I belch.


    ¡°You can unzip your mouth now, I¡¯m done.¡± I said to Cherry who had been watching me quietly the whole time and she made a sign of unzipping her mouth, she exhaled loudly.


    ¡°Phew!¡± She eximed, ¡°That was pure torture and nothing else.¡±


    ¡°No, that was not torture. It¡¯s an act of learning to keep one¡¯s mouth shut sometimes.¡± I replied with a smirk.


    ¡°It was torture!¡± She argued, ¡°It was so damn hard for me but I had to stay quiet to let you eat in peace. I¡¯m never doing that shit again in my life.¡±


    ¡°You should learn to do that more, it helps a lot. In no time, you¡¯ll stop being a parrot.¡± I told her smirkingly, intentionally calling her a parrot because I knew that she was going to get upset about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a parrot!¡± She whisper-yelled, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make the atmosphere cheerful since you can be an antisocial idiot sometimes. You¡¯ve hurt my feelings.¡± She said with tears welled up in her eyes. My gosh, I was just joking with her and now she¡¯s close to tears. What¡¯s wrong with me?


    ¡°Hey Cherry, don¡¯t cry please, I was just joking with you. You¡¯re not a parrot, you¡¯re theplete opposite of a parrot.¡± I apologized, moving closer to hug her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the opposite of a parrot?¡± She huped, her eyes still filled with tears.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ uhm¡­ I don¡¯t know, I was not taught what the opposite of a parrot is when I was in school.¡± I cried out and she giggled.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°A parrot doesn¡¯t have an opposite, idiot, or does it?¡± She wondered.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m sorry for calling you a parrot, I was just kidding, I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± I apologized again.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not angry.¡± She said and blinked her tears away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you fell for that. Ah, I got back at you!¡± She suddenly said and I disengaged from the hug quickly. I looked at her face to see that the teary eyes were now reced with a mischievous glint, she was even smiling widely.


    ¡°Wait¡­ that was a prank?¡± I asked with round eyes.


    ¡°Yes it was. I got an instant revenge.¡± She giggled and I stared at her as if she had grown a second head.


    ¡°You totes with my feelings.¡± I stood up.


    ¡°It was payback.¡± She replied. Why am I even getting angry when I was the one that started it? It¡¯s a draw already, 50-50.


    ¡°Fine, you got your revenge now. Let it end here.¡± I said to her and she nodded.


    ¡°Fine with me.¡± She agreed.


    Since we were done with our meal, I waved the waitress over and I asked her for our bill, she told me and I paid. I picked up my bag, Cherry did the same and we walked out of the restaurant.


    When we got outside, we bade each other goodbye.


    ¡°Good night Brianna.¡± She said.


    ¡°Good night, bestie. Good luck with your interview.¡± I waved and we went our separate ways.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY SIX

    CHAPTER FORTY SIX


    **CHERRY**


    I woke up very early this morning and did all the necessary things that I had to do. I also prepared breakfast before taking my bath. When I was done in the bathroom, I came to my room and put on my panties and bra before wearing a white fitted button-down short sleeve shirt with a ck on-the-knee frill peplum skirt. After I was done dressing up, I packed my hair into a ponytail since I didn¡¯t have time to style it. Then I did a little makeup of lipgloss, powder and mascara. I went to my shoe rack and slipped on a pair of cutout heels that has been at home for some time now without me using it, well it¡¯s time hase.


    When I was done dressing up, I took out a ck handbag from my wardrobe and put in the essential things that I¡¯ll be needing for the interview. I also put in my small purse and phone before I walked out of my room. I had eaten breakfast before I went to take my bath so I didn¡¯t have any reason to wait behind.


    I saw my aunt and uncle eating in the dining room so I went to meet them and inform them that I was ready to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m already leaving for the interview, aunt and uncle.¡± I said to the both of them and my uncle just nodded.


    ¡°Wish you luck on your interview, you¡¯ll get the job.¡± Aunt Linda said enthusiastically and I smiled.


    ¡°Thanks aunt, bye!¡± I pecked her on the cheek and proceeded to walk out of the house.


    I walked all the way to the side of the road and I had to wait for a few minutes before I saw a taxie. I entered the taxi and told the driver my destination.


    ¡°That will be ten dors, miss.¡± The driver said.


    ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s go.¡± I replied and he revved up the engine of the car.


    After a thirty minutes drive, the taxi driver stopped the car in front of a huge building that I almost wasn¡¯t sure if this was the ce I wasing to.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, miss.¡± The driver said and that stopped me from doubting.


    ¡°Uhm, thank you sir, here¡¯s your money.¡± I said, handed over a ten dor bill to him and stepped out of the taxi, the driver zoomed off immediately I alighted.


    I beheld the huge building in front of me. It was made up mostly of ss walls, the sun hitting and reflecting on the walls. ?.??????? ??????? ???????? was boldly written in serif font on top of the building.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I took a deep breath and did the sign of the cross before proceeding to walk through the gate of the industry. I came across a security man when I entered and he stopped me from going further.


    ¡°Good morning sir.¡± I greeted him respectfully as he looked way older than me.


    ¡°Good morning, youngdy,¡± He responded to my greeting, ¡°What is your purpose foring here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the interview.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Alright, you can go.¡± He nodded and I walked into the building.


    I entered the lobby and saw ady who I assumed to be the receptionist, sitting behind a desk.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I called loudly, so that thedy could notice me since she was immersed in whatever she was doing on herputer.


    ¡°Good morning, how may I help you?¡± She replied, looking up from herputer.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the interview.¡± I said curtly.


    ¡°Okay,¡± She nodded, ¡°Take the elevator right over there, press the button of the fifth floor, when you get to the floor, you would have seen a small crowd of people, that¡¯s where the interview is taking ce.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I smiled at her and went to the elevator. I pressed a button and had to wait for a few seconds before it arrived, the doors slid open, I stepped in and pressed the button for the fifth floor, the doors then slide close.


    Within two to three minutes, the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.  I stepped out of the elevator and true to what the receptionist said, I saw a small crowd of about five people waiting outside an office.


    I moved closer to them and sat on an avable reception chair. I had to wait for a few minutes before it got to my turn to be interviewed. Judging from the gloomy looks of the people that went into the office and came back outside, it looked like they were not epted. Lord help me, I thought before walking into the office when I was called upon.


    ¡°Good morning sir.¡± I greeted the man that I saw behind a desk, his face buried in theptop in front of him.


    ¡°Good morning, have your seat.¡± The man replied, his voice sounded kinda familiar but I still haven¡¯t seen his face to confirm if I knew him from somewhere.


    ¡°May I take a look at your credentials?¡± He stretched his hand forward and I quickly brought out my credentials and handed it over to him. He raised his head right at that moment and I gasped loudly upon seeing his face. He looked at me when he heard me gasp.


    ¡°Beauty goddess?¡± He called, a look of realization crossing his features.


    ¡°Manuel?¡± I called back, equally looking shocked. No wonder the voice sounded familiar.


    ¡°I was wondering why your voice sounded familiar, I didn¡¯t know it was you,¡± He stated, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the interview, obviously,¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I am the interviewer, obviously.¡± He matched the tone at which I had replied him with and I chuckled.


    ¡°Whoa, I¡¯m shocked.¡± I stated, still not quite believing him.


    ¡°You¡¯re shocked that I¡¯m the CEO of this industry? Don¡¯t be.¡± He said with a smirk.


    ¡°You¡¯re funny, showoff.¡± Iughed, almost forgetting that I was here for an interview.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the interview,¡± He uttered, ¡°On a second thought, you¡¯re hired.¡±


    ¡°What?! That¡¯s not really fair, you didn¡¯t even go through my credentials.¡± I eximed with wide eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s not really necessary. At least I¡¯ve known you before and I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re not here to seduce me like the other girls that havee to this ce.¡± He said.


    ¡°But¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°There¡¯s no buts. Infact, you¡¯re starting work right now.¡± He stated, leaving no room for me to object.


    ¡°Wow, really? Thank you very much, Manuel. Or should I call you Mr. Manuel?¡± I asked with a raise of my eyebrows.


    ¡°You can call me Manuel when we¡¯re alone.¡± He smiled and I grinned at him, he¡¯s so cute.


    ¡°Thanks for hiring me. It means a lot.¡± I said again.


    ¡°Anything to see my beauty goddess everyday. I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you again after that day but here you are now, right in front of me.¡± He said and my face turned beetroot red.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going to my office now, so you have toe with me. Your post is right outside my office.¡± He said, standing up and he gave me back my credentials which I put back inside my bag, I stood up and walked out of the interview room with him.


    And just like that, I got a new job, a high paying one at that.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

    CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN


    | ROYAL GATE HIGHSCHOOL|


    | LUNCH TIME|


    | CAFETERIA|


    *MARIANNA*


    I walked into the cafeteria with Vanessa, the rest of our friends were already here. We camete because of the chemistry teacher who thought that it would be nice to take some minutes out of lunch break to teach us, it wasn¡¯t that nice because all I kept thinking of was the food that will be served at the cafeteria today.


    We went straight to the counter to get our food before we headed to the table where we sit for lunch break now, the table had be our favorite spot to eat. Vanessa and I took our seats and started gobbling up our food without as much as saying hi to the others that were also present at the table. I felt numerous eyes burning into my head and looked up to see them staring at me.


    ¡°What?!¡± I asked loudly but it sounded funny because of the food stuffed into my mouth.


    ¡°Slow down with the food or you¡¯ll choke.¡± Damien was the first to speak up and that was when I realized that I was eating too fast.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I mumbled and swallowed the rest of the food in my mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you guys? Y¡¯all just came without saying hi.¡± Julia said, looking between Vanessa and I.


    ¡°Oh sorry about that,¡± Vanessa uttered and continued, ¡°Nothing was up, the chemistry teacher took longer than expected for her period and we were starving, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Oh okay.¡± They all nodded and we continued with our food.


    A few minutester, after I had eaten to my fill, I stood up with my tray in hand. I wanted to go return it to the counter. As I made my way to the counter, my leg got ensnared with another person¡¯s leg which was on the way. I tripped and fell because I didn¡¯t see the person¡¯s leg. A sharp wince left my mouth as my knee collided with the tiled floor of the cafeteria, I would have fallen on my face but I braced myself with my hands. That didn¡¯t mean that I didn¡¯t get injured because I was start to feel an ache in my left knee. I was starting to hear murmurs around me.


    ¡°Oops, sorry.¡± The person whose leg was on the way said, but judging from the way the apology sounded, it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t sorry.


    I looked at the person¡¯s leg and traced it to his face and guess what? It was Tyler. Of course, it would be him, that motherfucking piece of shit.


    I stood up with a wince, as the ache became a little severe and faced Tyler squarely.


    ¡°You ced your leg on the way intentionally because you saw meing.¡± I said as a matter-of-fact, with a frown on my face.


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t. My leg had been there and I didn¡¯t see youing.¡± He denied but I could tell that he was lying, the smirk on his face said it all.


    ¡°Oh spare me the bullshit, I know that you did that intentionally and now I¡¯ve gotten injured.¡± I snalled and pointed at my knee that had gotten a bit darker as a result of the fall.


    ¡°You¡¯re using me of making you fall. How do I know that you¡¯re not the one that intended to kick my leg in the first ce?¡± He uttered and I red at him angrily.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°You¡¯re the biggest piece of shit I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± I fumed and as a result of the anger that I was feeling, I didn¡¯t think twice before picking up the te of unfinished spaghetti and sauce in front of him and emptied the content in the te on his head. I watched as the meatballs in the food cascaded down from his head to his body, sauce staining his uniform in the process.


    He looked furious as he red a hole into my face with his red eyes. You know how those cartoon characters look like when they are angry, that steam emanates from their head and their face turns red, Tyler looks like those cartoon characters right now.


    Uh oh, seems like I got the bull angry but I¡¯m not scared of him, he brought this upon himself.


    ¡°You poured food on me.¡± He stated the obvious, his tone clipped.


    ¡°Yes I did. Whatcha gonna do about it?¡± I asked fearlessly, the pain in my knee was beginning to spread slowly but I kept my brave stance. Tyler doesn¡¯t intimidate and he will never intimidate me.


    He stood up with leaden wings, snatched a half eaten piece of cake on one of his friend¡¯s te and threw it towards my direction. As soon as I saw the piece of cakeing towards my face, I ducked at thest minute. The cakended on one of the students behind me, a loud ¡®Hey!¡± leaving her mouth. From nowhere, I felt cakend on my face and it it slid down my face, the icing sugar making my face get messed up.


    Within a matter of some seconds, food was flying in all directions of the cafeteria. And thatdies and gentlemen, was how a food fight ensued in the cafeteria.


    ¡°WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!!!¡± The booming voice of Principal Raymond made me freeze with a bowl of sd in my right hand, I was about aiming it at Tyler¡¯s face. I looked around to see that the other students too had frozen from shock. I quickly dropped my hand to my side and stylishly put the bowl of sd on the table closest to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking for the second time, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!¡± He demanded for the second time but no one spoke up, we were all too terrified to the guts.


    ¡°So none of you guys is going to give me a reply but it¡¯s obvious that y¡¯all had a food fight,¡± He said, ¡°Fine, who is the mastermind behind this thoughtful activity?¡±


    No one replied and Principal Raymond was not happy about that.


    ¡°Anybody that tells me the mastermind behind this activity will be spared from the punishment.¡± He stated tactically but still, nobody gave him an answer until a feeble male voice was heard.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll tell you the mastermind.¡± The boy said, I looked towards his direction to see that it was Stanley, he is one gentle boy that gets bullied often.


    ¡°Alright, Stanley, go on.¡± Principal Raymond urged him and I shivered as a result of fear, he¡¯s surely going to mention my name, I can feel it.


    ¡°Tyler is the one behind all of these.¡±


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

    CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT


    **MARIANNA**


    ¡°Tyler is the one behind all of these.¡± Stanley spoke up and loud gasps rang out throughout the cafeteria. Even I was shocked that he mentioned Tyler¡¯s name.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one behind this?!¡± Tyler eximed loudly, disbelief evident on his face and his voice too.


    ¡°Really? Tyler is the one behind this?¡± Principal Raymond asked as he gestured at the cafeteria that was covered with all sorts of foods. Surely, Tyler have not done this sort of thing before.


    ¡°Yes Sir, Tyler is the one.¡± Stanley bobbed his head.


    ¡°But Sir! This stinky girl here called Marianna was the first person to empty a te of spaghetti and sauce on me. Have you seen me?¡± Tyler pointed at his head and clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one behind this?¡± Principal Raymond turned his using re towards me and I squirmed as a result of fear.


    ¡°Erm¡­ huh¡­¡± I stuttered, not quite knowing what to say with that scary re of his that is focused on me.


    ¡°Answer me with well-formed words!¡± He barked and I jumped in fright.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sir, it is Tyler¡¯s fault. He put his leg on the way and made me fall. I even hurt my knee in the process and that was why I dumped the spaghetti on him.¡± I exined frightfully.


    ¡°He made you fall, agreed. But you shouldn¡¯t have taken judgement into your own hands, you should have reported him to a teacher that would have handled this properly.¡± He stated and I snorted inwardly. As if a teacher would to do anything to Tyler if I reported him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that sir.¡± I apologized, even if I was not feeling remorseful about what I did.


    ¡°Sorry won¡¯t be enough. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to do more than that.¡± He said.


    ¡°What is that, Sir?¡± I asked, already scared of what he might ask us to do.


    ¡°You have to clean this entire cafeteria. I must not see even the slightest molecule of food in this ce.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°But Sir! I can¡¯t possibly clean this ce on my own.¡± I cried out loudly, not minding the fact that my fellow schoolmates were present in the cafeteria with me.


    ¡°Of course you won¡¯t be cleaning alone. Tyler will be joining you.¡± He said and Tyler shouted exasperatedly.


    ¡°SIR!!!¡± Tyler yelled.


    ¡°That¡¯s my final judgement,¡± He said and then continued, ¡°For the rest of you that thought that it would be fun for you to join in the food fight, two hours detention for you all after school.¡± Loud groans and protests followed that.


    He turned to walk out of the cafeteria but then, he stopped.


    ¡°Oh, Tyler and Marianna, the both of you are not exempted from the detention too.¡± He uttered and finally walked out after that.


    ¡°You see what you caused?!¡± Tyler shouted when it looked like Principal Raymond was out of sight.


    ¡°All of these wouldn¡¯t have happened if you didn¡¯t make me trip and fall in the first ce.¡± I shouted back at him and he stopped talking for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to clean anything.¡± He uttered with a scowl.


    ¡°Just because you¡¯re the son of the owner of the school doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re not going to clean up this plece with me, we¡¯re going to serve this punishment together.¡± I said while ring at him.


    Soon after Principal Raymond walked out, the students started dispersing slowly, leaving me, Tyler and some other people left inside the cafeteria.


    ¡°Marianna, are you okay?¡± Vanessa asked,ing over to meet me along with the others.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Vee.¡± I smiled slowly, even though my knee was still hurting, I tried not to let it show.


    ¡°I saw you fall, how¡¯s your knee?¡± Aiden asked, looking at my knee.


    ¡°I bruised it but I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°You need us to help you clean up the ce? It¡¯s too big for the both of you to clean alone.¡± Damien suggested and I almost took the offer but they all have to go to ss, they can¡¯t miss this period because of me.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be great if you join us but you have to go to ss so don¡¯t bother. Tyler and I will clean the ce up.¡± I responded, throwing a secret re towards Tyler¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I mean, other students were also part of the food fight but you¡¯re the one that¡¯s going to be suffering to clean up.¡± Juliet grumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine guys, really. I¡¯ll see you guyster, go to ss.¡± I said and urged them to leave and they all exited the cafeteria hesitatingly while grumbling their displeasures.


    I faced Tyler when we were the only ones left.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this cleaning started!¡± I said with feigned enthusiasm and threw a mop towards him, he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°How do you use this thing?¡± He asked, raising up the mop in his hand.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to use it?¡± I asked, surprise evident on my face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t use it. We have maids that clean for us at home, duh.¡± He said with a roll of his eyes and I got reminded that he¡¯s from a rich family.


    ¡°Oh please,¡± I scoffed and continued, ¡± You don¡¯t have to rub your wealth in. Everybody knows that you¡¯re a rich ass motherfucker.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± He eximed loudly.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Nevermind. Show me how to use this thing, will ya?¡± He asked and I moved closer to him to exin how to use it.


    ¡°You dip the mop into a bucket of water,¡± I did as I said, ¡°and then you squeeze it before bringing it out to start your mopping.¡±


    I showed him how it was done and he nodded. I handed his mop back to him.


    ¡°Do what I showed you.¡± I said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this, a whole me.¡± He groaned in disgust and dipped the mop into the bucket of water.


    ¡°You brought this upon us, now we¡¯re suffering for what you did.¡± I reminded him and he grumbled some profanities that I didn¡¯t bother toprehend.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with!¡± I said loudly, tied up my hair and got to work.


    THREE HOURS OF CLEANING AND LOUD COMPLAINTS LATER


    ¡°We¡¯re finally done.¡± I sighed loudly and plopped down heavily on one of the cafeteria seats. I was feeling weak all over. The cafeteria was looking sparkling clean, no molecule of food was seen, just as Principal Raymond wanted.


    ¡°Finally!¡± I heard Tyler sigh from the seat opposite of me. He looked like shit, but he was still handsome at the same time. Where did that thoughte from?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for the detention, they must have started already.¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to go yet. I¡¯ll stay here and rest for a while, just for some minutes.¡± I uttered and he seemed to agree with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to rest for a while too, I¡¯m so fucking tired.¡± He responded and just like that, he rxed on his seat while I put my head on the table. I¡¯m just going to close my eyes for a while. Cleaning this cafeteria was not an easy job. Well-done Principal Raymond, thanks for wearing me out.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FORTY NINE

    CHAPTER FORTY NINE


    **MARIANNA**


    ¡°Marianna!¡±


    ¡°Marianna!¡± I heard someone¡¯s voice prate my sleep. I mumbled some inaudible things before I turned my head. I was drifting off to sleep again when the person shook me.


    ¡°Marianna! Wake up!¡± The person said loudly and I opened my eyes slowly. The person that was trying to wake me up was Tyler.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I raised my head from the table and rubbed my eyes.


    ¡°You slept off and it¡¯ste already. There¡¯s nobody left in the school. The students have served their detention and left.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± I sprang up when I heard that. I winced in pain when I felt the effect of how I sprang up in my knee. For a moment there, I forget that my knee was bruised.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me?¡± I asked, ignoring the pain in my knee as we walked out of the cafeteria together.


    ¡°You were tired and you seemed to be enjoying your sleep.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Acting like a gentleman, eh?¡± I quizzed teasingly.


    ¡°Fuck being a gentleman,¡± He rolled his eyes, ¡°I was just taking a little pity on you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say.¡± I mumbled and we fell silent.


    We arrived at the detention room a few minutester to see that there was no single student present inside. The only person we saw was a teacher, Mrs. Bensoj sitting behind a desk.


    ¡°Good evening madam.¡± I greeted her while Tyler stayed quiet.


    ¡°Hey, you guys are here for detention right?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Where have you been? Your fellow students havee for theirs and they¡¯ve gone home already.¡± She stated.


    ¡°We were caught up with something, ma¡¯am. But we¡¯re here now.¡± I responded, wishing she could stop asking questions already so that we can get this detention over with.


    ¡°Well, the Principal told me to inform the both of you that you won¡¯t be serving the detention anymore. You¡¯re free to go home.¡± She said.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, hoping that I heard what she said clearly.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re free to go home.¡± She replied and I junoed in happiness.


    ¡°Thank you ma¡¯am.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°You should thank the Principal, not me.¡± She said snottily as she picked up her bag, ¡°The both of you made me spend extra hours today, I won¡¯t even get paid for it and my kids will be waiting for me at home.¡± With that, she walked out.


    ¡°What is up with her?¡± I asked no one in particr,  ¡°Thank God we are not staying for this detention, we can finally go home now.¡± I said to Tyler and walked towards our ssroom. I picked up my bag that was already zipped up, my friends must have done that because my books were all over my desk.


    I sauntered out of the ssroom after taking my bag, the whole ce was quiet since there was no single student in the school, except Tyler and I of course. A few minutester, I was outside the school, about to begin the long journey of walking home since I didn¡¯t have money for cab on me.


    A red sports car came beside me, the window was winded down and Tyler¡¯s face came into view, he was in the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Get in.¡± He said.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± I said.


    ¡°Get in now, it¡¯s prettyte for an highschool girl to be going home by this time.¡± He stated.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not thatte yet.¡± I argued.


    ¡°I¡¯m offering you this ride now, you should know that I¡¯m not that nice. And nobody says no to me.¡± He groaned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you for a ride in the first ce so you can take your disy of niceness to another ce. Who knows of you¡¯re gonna do something bad to me when I¡¯m alone with you in the car?¡±


    ¡°I might be a bad boy but I don¡¯t go around molesting or harassing girls sexually,¡± He said with a look of annoyance and continued, ¡°See, if you know that you don¡¯t want me to take you home, it¡¯s fine. No need for the indirect insults.¡±


    He was going to start driving away when I stopped him with what I said next. I summoned courage and dropped the hard expression on my face.


    ¡°I think I need that ride, I don¡¯t even have the money for a cab and my house is pretty far from here. I¡¯m sorry for insulting you.¡± I uttered, thest sentence feeling sour on my tongue.


    ¡°If you feel like I¡¯m forcing you, you can choose not to get in.¡± He stated.


    ¡°You¡¯re not forcing me, I want to get in since you¡¯re helping me.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Good, hop in.¡± He inclined his head and I moved closer to the door of the back seat.


    ¡°What are you trying to do? Get in the passenger seat, do I look like a cab driver to you?¡± He said and asked. I chuckled at the question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me.¡± I responded chucklingly and rounded the car to get to the passenger¡¯s seat, I opened the door and slid in, right beside Tyler.


    He revved the engine after I had settled in my seat.


    ¡°What¡¯s your address? I don¡¯t know where your house is located.¡± He asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll direct you.¡± I told him and he faced the road.


    After a couple of minutes of Tyler driving and me doing the directing, we entered our street. I suddenly remembered that our house was not the best to look at and Tyler can mock me about it since his own house was a magnificent one to look at and one can even stare at his house all day long.


    ¡°Erm¡­ drop me here Tyler, we¡¯re already close to my house.¡± I said when he was already close to our house.


    ¡°Is this your house?¡± He pointed at a house that was not really far from us.


    ¡°No but I¡¯ll find my way to my house, just drop me here.¡± I stated.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not dropping you here. I insist on taking you to your house.¡±


    ¡°But I can find my way from here!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°I insist.¡± He pressed on and I got tired of  the conversation.


    ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t you dareugh or mock me when we get there.¡± I warned him a re.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, cross my heart.¡± He did the sign of the cross on his chest with his left hand that was not on the steering wheel.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I sighed and continued, ¡°Just drive down a little further and turn to the left, you¡¯ll see my house up ahead.¡±


    Soon enough, he pulled over in front of my house and I alighted, he came out too and rested his back on the car.


    ¡°So this is your house, huh?¡± He asked while looking around.


    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong with it?¡± I asked back with a slight sneer.


    ¡°Hey! Calm down tigress, I never said anything was wrong with it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it, your facial expression says it all.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Well, maybe you¡¯re not a good expression reader.¡± Heughed loudly, hisughter enhancing his boyish look, making him look cuter and hotter at the same time. Damn, what¡¯s wrong with me?


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I heaved a breath.


    ¡°You¡¯ve dropped me now, you can go.¡± I said, in a bid to get him to leave.


    ¡°Oh yeah, bye.¡± He said and stood straight before he got into the car.


    ¡°Bye, thanks for the ride.¡± I smiled slightly.


    ¡°No biggie.¡±


    I watched him drive off before I walked into the house. I saw mom in the sitting and she looked sheepish, like she had been caught doing something bad.


    ¡°Good afternoon mom.¡± I greeted, looking at her suspiciously.


    ¡°Wee back, Marie. How was school?¡± She stated.


    ¡°School was fine.¡± I replied and plopped down on the couch.


    ¡°Why did youe backte?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we were doing some projects which took a lot of time.¡± I lied through my teeth, hoping that she didn¡¯t catch on that I was lying.


    ¡°Oh okay.¡± She said but she looked like she wanted to say more.


    ¡°Alright, spill it mom.¡± I stated with a roll of my eyes.


    ¡°Who was the boy that dropped you off?¡± I knew this was the question she was going to ask, I just knew it.


    ¡°He¡¯s a friend.¡± I answered, even though I won¡¯t consider Tyler my friend.


    ¡°Are you sure that he¡¯s just a friend?¡± She asked teasingly.


    ¡°Yes mom, just a friend!¡± I said loudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s good then. I¡¯m not ready to be a grandmother.¡± She said with a giggle.


    ¡°Mom!¡± I shouted loudly as she burst into a hystericalughter.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY

    CHAPTER FIFTY


    **BRIANNA**


    ¡°Brianna, report to my office right now.¡± Mr. Adrian¡¯s voice rang out from the inte and then it got silent, no greetings, just an order. What was I expecting?


    I stood up and left my office begrudgingly. I didn¡¯t feel like doing anything today. I just want to sit and do nothing but that¡¯s not possible since I had to work. I got to Mr. Adrian¡¯s office and went inside without bothering to knock.


    ¡°Good morning sir.¡± I greeted grumpily.


    ¡°Good morning, Brianna,¡± he responded coolly, ¡°take a seat.¡±


    He gestured towards the chairs that are in front of his desk and I sat down on one of them. I hope I am safe this morning with the way he offered me a seat. If he tries to kill me, I¡¯ll scream so loud everybody in the building will hear my screams, even though it means losing my voice.


    ¡°Is there something wrong, Sir?¡± I spoke up when the silence in the room was bing ufortable.


    ¡°I have something to ask from you but let¡¯s start with this first.¡± He said before opening a drawer and he brought out an envelope.


    ¡°This is your sry.¡± He handed the envelope to me. I collected it from him and a loud gasp left my mouth when I saw that it was filled with money. Is this my sry or he made a mistake?


    ¡°Uhm Sir¡­ are you sure this is my sry? You didn¡¯t give me the correct envelope?¡± I asked just to be sure.


    ¡°That¡¯s your sry and I gave you the right envelope.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Wow, this is really much and too good to be true.¡± I stated, looking at the envelope in my hand, already thinking of the things I was going to buy with the money, foodstuffs, mom¡¯s drugas and the others.


    ¡°Alright, enough drooling over the money.¡± Mr. Adrian¡¯s voice broke through my train of thought and I snapped out of it.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re done gushing over that money that is not up to what I pay for my cologne by the way, I need your help with something.¡± He uttered and I sat straighter.


    ¡°How can I be of help to you?¡± I asked curiously. I don¡¯t think someone like him will need help from someone like me.


    ¡°There¡¯s this g that I was invited to and I am expected toe with a date¡­¡± He trailed off.


    ¡°Okay¡­ so why are you telling me?¡± I asked, slightly on edge.


    ¡°I need you to go with me to the g. Be my date for the night.¡± He stated without mincing words.


    ¡°Erm Sir¡­ you¡¯re talking to me, Brianna, your crazy personal assistant, the girl that kicked you the other day.¡± I bbed nervously.


    ¡°I know, I also have not forgiven you for kicking me that day. The memory is still very fresh.¡± He said and red at me a little while I tried my hardest not tough.


    ¡°Don¡¯t re at me like that. You made me kick you. I¡¯m usually gentle and easygoing, I don¡¯t go about kicking people in their private parts.¡± I stated seriously but inwardly, I wasughing very hard.


    ¡°Whatever, witch.¡± He muttered.


    ¡°Witch? Really? Since when did you give me a name? And why are you calling me a witch?¡± Iughed out loud.


    ¡°Since today, and I¡¯m calling you a witch because you act like one, not only that, you are one.¡± He continued ring at me while I just keptughing.


    ¡°Enough of theughter, let¡¯s get back to what I called you for.¡± He snapped and myughter died down slowly.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ve stoppedughing.¡± I said in-between chortles.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t quite look like that to me.¡± He sneered and I put more effort in stopping myughter.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done now.¡± I said soberly, all traces ofughter gone even though I still felt likeughing.


    ¡°Good,¡± He stated, ¡°Now that you¡¯re sober like a normal human being, let¡¯s go back to what we were talking about.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you were the one talking.¡± I said.


    ¡°Right, so about the date stuff, you¡¯ll just be my date, no feelings attached, infact, I¡¯ll be paying you for your services.¡± He uttered and the thought of concurring to this offer instantly came to my mind. I mean, this is another way to make more money, without much stress, just for me to be his date for a night. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± I said after thinking about it and a look of surprise shed on his face.


    ¡°Really?¡± He asked disbelievingly.


    ¡°Of course, as long as you fulfill your promise of paying for my services, then I¡¯ll go with you.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯ll agree easily.¡± He said.


    ¡°As long as it involves money and doesn¡¯t involve me killing people, then count me in on anything.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Anything that doesn¡¯t involve killing? What about prostitution? Can you do it for money?¡± He quizzed.


    ¡°Eww, of course not. I would never sell my body for money.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Good for you then.¡± He stated.


    ¡°So, do you have a dress fit to wear for a g?¡± He suddenly asked and I mentally went through the type of clothes I had in my wardrobe.


    ¡°Erm no.¡± I answered sheepishly.


    ¡°What were you nning to wear then?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of it but I would definitely figure something out.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re unbelievable,¡± He scoffed loudly, ¡°We¡¯ll be going to shop for a perfect dress with shoes and purse or do you have those?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± I replied, still feeling sheepish.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re going to get all of those then, meet me at the parking lot in the next two hours.¡± He said and I nodded.


    ¡°Okay sir.¡± I responded.


    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡± He stated. Back to his rude state I see.


    ¡°Whateves.¡± I said under my breath and stood up.


    ¡°Dis you say something?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I could swear I heard you say something.¡±


    ¡°You heard wrongly then.¡± I rolled my eyes and literally ran out of his office before he coulde up with aeback or maybe an insult.


    I got to my office and plopped down on my chair. I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m going to be Mr. Adrian¡¯s date to a fancy g. I can¡¯t even believe that I epted in the first ce, anything for the money.


    Let me call Cherry and gist her about it.


    I picked up my phone and dialled her number. It rang for a few before she answered the call.


    ¡°Hey girlfriend!¡± I hollered.


    ¡°Hey babe. How are ya?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m great, you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine too.¡±


    ¡°So I wanted to tell you something.¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s that?¡± She asked and I could hear the curiousity in her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to a g.¡±


    ¡°A g? What¡¯re you going to do there?¡± How did you get invited in the first ce? And this better not be a joke.¡± She said all in one breath.


    ¡°Calm your tits, Cherry¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Answer me, bitch.¡± She snapped jokily.


    ¡°Okay, so I was not invited but Mr. Adrian asked me to be his date so I¡¯m going to a g.¡± I exined.


    ¡°Your crazy boss asked you to be his date and you epted? What the fuck?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s paying me for it, I¡¯m only gonna be his date for the money.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°Yes it is.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°So do you have a dress for the g?¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t, but he¡¯s taking for shopping in the next two hours.¡± I responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool. You¡¯ll tell me all about it when you¡¯re back and you must take a lot of pictures.¡± She said with a hint of authority in her voice.


    ¡°Yes mummy.¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Good girl. I have to go now, my boss is calling me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, bye Cherry.¡±


    ¡°Bye Bee.¡± She said before hanging up.


    I dropped my phone and switched on theputer. I should do the rest of my work before the time to go and meet Mr. Adrian reaches.


    TWO HOURS AND TEN MINUTES LATER


    I made my way to the parking lot, when I got there, I stood in a spot and tried to figure out which of the cars that belonged to Mr. Adrian but I couldn¡¯t even get it. The man changes his cars. and one can¡¯t know the specific one he will use in a day. I was still trying to get the right one before a voice called my name.


    ¡°Brianna!¡± The voice called, I looked towards the direction that the voice wasing from to see that it was Brandon calling me, his head was peeking out of a car window. I walked towards the car and stood by the window.


    ¡°Hey Brandon, thanks for calling me, I was having a hard time figuring out which of the cars was Mr. Adrian¡¯s.¡± I said.


    ¡°No biggie, Mr. Adrian is in the backseat,e on in.¡± He stated. I opened the door to the backseat and sat down. Mr Adrian was indeed inside and he wasn¡¯t smiling one bit.


    ¡°You kept me waiting.¡± He said in a monotonous voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, I got carried away with the work on my desk.¡± I replied.


    ¡°And you couldn¡¯t check your time or even set an rm to the next two hours from the time you left my office?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you making a big deal out of it? It isn¡¯t as if I was ying, I was working on the things you gave me to do.¡± I responded with a roll of my eyes.


    ¡°I could have used the minutes you dyed me with to do something precious. My time is special to me if you must know.¡± He said.


    ¡°Oh please. Time is special to everyone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is to you.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Can we just drop this please? Isn¡¯t your time precious to you anymore?¡± I asked with a hint of rudeness in my voice.


    ¡°Oh shush it,¡± He said and diverted his attention away from me, ¡°Brandon, drive us to the mall downtown.¡±


    Brandon did as he was told and drove out of the parking lot, down the street, and off to the mall.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY ONE

    CHAPTER FIFTY ONE


    **BRIANNA**


    After more than a hour of driving on the road, the car finally pulled over in the parking lot of the mall. It was by far the biggest mall I have ever seen, people were trooping in and out of the mall and it made me wonder who the owner was, the person will be so freaking rich.


    ¡°Are you going to get down or you¡¯re just going to keep staring at the mall like you haven¡¯t seen one in your life?¡± Mr. Adrian¡¯s voice came up and snapped me out of my reverie and I rolled my eyes at his ridiculous statement. He never ceases to get me angry and that makes me want to punch his handsome face or give him a brain-reseting p.


    ¡°Oh please, like seeing a big mall is a sort of achievement.¡± I said coolly.


    ¡°Seeing one is not an achievement but owning one is.¡± He said with a smug smirk on his face and got down from the car.


    It clicked in my head at that moment that he was the owner of the mall. Just how many industries are under his name? He has a techpany, automobile industry, restaurants and now he has a mall? I¡¯m working for him and I don¡¯t know much about him. Way to go, Brianna! I should literally start making researches about him.


    I quickly alighted from the car before he would yell for me to get down and jogged towards him so that I could fall into steps with him.


    ¡°You¡¯re the owner of this mall, right?¡± I asked him even though I already knew the answer but I wanted to hear him say ut, we were now walking side by side.


    ¡°What does it seem like to you?¡± He replied me with a question.


    ¡°It seems to you that you¡¯re the owner of this mall.¡± I said simply.


    ¡°Exactly! Never thought you were so smart to figure it out so quickly.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Is that supposed to be an insult or apliment?¡± I quizzed.


    ¡°Take it anyhow it sounds to you. It might sound like apliment to you but it is definitely an insult to me.¡± He grinned mischievously. Gosh, I so much feel like wiping that shitty grin off his face and also strangle him. I feel like cutting off his tongue too, this man just brings out the crazy side of me. Anything to get him unarrogant and quiet.


    ¡°I won¡¯t give you a reply to what you just said.¡± I stated.


    ¡°You literally just gave me a reply.¡± He rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I replied that one but I ain¡¯t gonna reply this one.¡±


    ¡°You just replied again,dy.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did!¡±


    ¡°No, I did¡­¡± I was saying but he cut me off with a loud voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Just shut the fuck up,¡± he sneered, ¡°two grown ass adults are exchanging words like little kids in front of a mall, look at how people are beginning to stare and point at us.¡±


    I looked around and indeed people were staring and murmuring.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go inside, get what you need and leave. I don¡¯t want to read or watch news tomorrow and see headlines like Billionaire Businessman Adrian Carter seen acting like a kid in front of a mall.¡± He snapped and walked ahead of me, leaving me to jog after him.


    We finally entered the mall and I followed Mr. Adrian to meet thedy behind the counter.


    ¡°Good afternoon Sir.¡± She greeted him respectfully immediately she set her eyes on him and Mr. Adrian just gave a slight wave.


    ¡°Where is Isabe?¡± Mr. Adrian questioned thedy.


    ¡°She¡¯s in her office, sir.¡± Theady replied.


    ¡°Ring her up for me and tell her that I¡¯m here.¡± Mr. Adrian ordered and thedy did as told.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be here in a minute, sir.¡± The counterdy said and Mr. Adrian simply nodded.


    A few seconds ticked by and a beautifuldy came into view. She had brown hair braided into a fine looking French braid with an oval shaped face. She was putting on a red dress with ck heels. She was pretty tall and had a body shape of something between slim and curvy.


    ¡°Adrian!¡± She eximed with twinkling eyes upon seeing him, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for keeping you waiting.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Isa. Long time no see.¡± Mr. Adrian smiled slightly and they embraced each other.


    Huh, is there something between them? Cos they looked cosy and all.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you came here. What brought you here today? And you even have a guest with you.¡± Isabe asked with a teasing smile on her face, making her look more radiant.


    ¡°Work has been strenuous as ever and I didn¡¯t have time for visits.¡± Mr. Adrian replied her.


    ¡°I understand. Even if work is not strenuous, you still won¡¯te visit me, I know you.¡± She said with a yful re and a deep rich chuckle verberated from Mr. Adrian¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the beautifuldy?¡± Isabe averted her gaze to me and asked. Mr. Adrian nced at me for a second before proceeding to reply her.


    ¡°That is my personal assistant, Brianna.¡± He said simply.


    ¡°Hi.¡± I gave a small wave and smiled slightly at her.


    ¡°Hey there, Brianna. I¡¯m Isabe, nice to meet you.¡± She moved closer and engulfed me in a hug that caught me by surprise while I reciprocated the hug awkwardly. She sure is a hugger.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough hugging, Isa.¡± Mr. Adrian snapped and Isa slowly disengaged from the hug.


    ¡°Killjoy.¡± Isabe muttered underneath her breath but I heard her clearly since she was close to me and a silent giggle left my mouth.


    There seems to be something more than the formal kind of rtionship between them. It looks like they have known each other for a very long time.


    ¡°So what brought you here?¡± Isabe directed the question to Mr. Adrian.


    ¡°We¡¯re here cos of her,¡± he pointed at me, ¡°I need you to help a get a beautiful red dress for the g, alongside shoes and purse.¡±


    ¡°You came to the right person.¡± Isabe said gleefully.


    ¡°Of course. These are one of the things you do best.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Come with me Brianna. Let¡¯s go get the perfect dress for you.¡± Isabe squealed and took a hold of my hand. She was about to practically drag me off before Mr. Adrian stopped us.


    ¡°Oh, and Brianna, you can get some more dresses and shoes aside from the ones you need for the g. You look like you need a change of wardrobe.¡± He said and I was stuck between taking it as an insult or a favour. Well whichever way it is, I¡¯m getting new clothes.


    With that being said, Isabe grabbed my hand and dragged me to God knows where.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY TWO

    CHAPTER FIFTY TWO


    **BRIANNA**This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Apparently, it turned out that Isabe dragged me to a secluded room that was different from the main mall. The room was filled with lots of racks and different varieties of clothes were hung on the racks, ranging from fancy to formal and to casual clothes. And let me add that they were all designer clothes. I was awestricken by the different types of clothes in the room. The amount of clothes here could start up a boutique meant for females only on its own. That¡¯s how much the clothes are.


    ¡°So this is where we are going to get you a perfect dress for the g.¡± Isabe stood in the middle of the room and gestured around with her arms spread wide.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m in dress heaven.¡± I said gushingly and she bursted intoughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± She giggled and a grin broke out on my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m ttered, you¡¯re one of the few people that have ever told me that. Thank you.¡± I uttered with a small smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. Now let¡¯s start looking for your dress. We can check out the otherster.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Alright, what do I have to do?¡± I asked, feeling a little eager.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything for now. All you have to do is sit down on that chair over there,¡± she pointed at the chair and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll pick out some dresses for you, you¡¯ll try them on and show them to Adrian, he¡¯ll decide the one that looks better on you.¡±


    ¡°Oh okay.¡± I responded and went to sit on the chair she pointed at.


    ¡°So I can see that you¡¯re curvy, you have the hips, ass and boobs so we¡¯ll be needing a dress that¡¯ll bring out your curves in all the right ces. Don¡¯t mind use of my vulgar words.¡± She chuckled towards the end of her statement.


    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t mind.¡± I said with a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± With that, she disappeared behind the racks and I was left to sit alone in silence, anticipating the type of dress that she would bring.


    ¡°So, you and Adrian are pretty close huh?¡± Isabe¡¯s voice rang out from behind the racks.


    ¡°Close? In what way?¡± I asked in a loud voice so that she could hear me.


    ¡°This is the first time he¡¯s bringing ady here to shop for dresses and I¡¯m pretty sure that you¡¯re the first ever assistant that he has asked to be his date.¡± Isabe exined.


    ¡°Wow really? Well if you would count him frustrating my life and me paying him back as close, then we are close.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°Oh, so you are as crazy as he is? And he has not fired you? That¡¯s a first.¡± She stated, still ransacking for the perfect evening dress for me.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he haven¡¯t fired me too because I receive a lot of threats from him.¡± I giggled.


    ¡°Seems like he likes you. There¡¯s no assistant that has worked this long for him without getting fired and considering how crazy you said you are, you should have been fired the next day.¡± Sheughed towards the end of her statement.


    ¡°Mr. Adrian definitely doesn¡¯t like me. It¡¯s obvious that he hates me and I hate him just as much.¡± I responded.


    ¡°I bet he likes you, you just wait and you will see.¡± She stated, sounding very sure about what she said.


    ¡°I highly doubt that, but whatever you say.¡± I chuckled and silence fell between us.


    ¡°Uhm, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, what¡¯s the rtionship between you and Mr. Adrian?¡± I asked unsurely.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked,ing out from behind the racks with a heap of red dresses in her hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way but the both of you seemed pretty cozy together, more than the professional rtionship.¡± I said.


    ¡°Adrian is my cousin. His mom and mine are sisters.¡± She answered before dumping the clothes on a chair thayvwas close to me.


    I can¡¯t believe that they are cousins. No wonder they were so cozy together, and I was thinking they were something totally different.


    ¡°Wow, I never knew.¡± I smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°Wait, what did you think we were?¡± She quizzed puzzledly.


    ¡°I kinda thought that you were his girlfriend. I¡¯ve never seen him so close with someone before.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°Eww, I can never be a girlfriend to that bigheaded brat.¡± She shuddered and a giggle left my mouth.


    ¡°Sorry for the wrong assumption.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem,¡± she said before pping her hands eagerly, ¡°now, I will need you to try on these dresses and you¡¯ll show them to Adrian. He will be the judge and pick the one that suits you best.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start.¡± I stood up and she handed over one of the dresses to me.


    I held the dress out in front of me and examined it. I knew that I wasn¡¯t going to be the judge of the dress I was going to wear but I still wanted to examine it.


    The dress was made of chiffon material and it was very beautiful.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Go change.¡± Isabe pushed me towards a room that looks like a dressing room and I walked inside.


    The dressing room was empty aside from a bench and mirror that was in the room.


    I stripped out of my work clothes and I was left in my ubderwears. I put on the dress and looked at myself in the mirror. The dress was brought out too much skin and I felt very ufortable in it. My whole back, boobs andthughs were exposed since the gown had a slit that went way up to the top of my left thigh.


    I walked out of the dressing room feeling ufortable in my own skin. Isabe stared at me in surprise as I walked out.


    ¡°Damn gurl! Is this the shape that you have been hiding under those work clothes of yours?¡± She whistled with wide eyes and I blushed crazily.


    ¡°If I was a lesbian, I would have fallen for you right away.¡± She went on saying and I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to turn to an overripe tomato or a beetroot at this rate, Isabe.¡± I giggled shyly.


    ¡°You deserve all the hype, babe.¡± She uttered.


    ¡°Oh please, Isa.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Mr. Adrian would like the dress? It looks too revealing to me.¡± I asked nervously since I had been warned by Mr. Adrian to not wear revealing clothes.


    ¡°It¡¯s revealing alright but not too much. Let¡¯s hear what he¡¯ll say about it.¡± She stated and proceeded to walk out of the room while I followed behind her.


    We came out to the open where there was a posh sofa that I had not noticed when we passed here earlier. Mr. Adrian was seated on the sofa with a magazine in his hand and he seemed pretty focused on it.


    ¡°She¡¯s here, Adrian. Check her dress out.¡± Isabe said loudly so that he could hear and be slowly raised his head from the magazine in his hand.


    Not to be proud but I can proudly tell you guys that his jaw dropped upon setting his eyes on me. Saying that his jaw dropped is even an understatement but let¡¯s stick with that for now. The way his gaze raked my body from head to toe made me feel self conscious and shy and I squirmed on my feet.


    ¡°Close your mouth, Adrian. There are flies all around.¡± Isabe uttered in a singsong voice and Mr. Adrian quickly snalled his mouth shut, a blush creeping up his neck. I tried my hardest to refrain from giggling but a slight giggle managed to escape my mouth, making Mr. Adrian nce at me for a second before he quickly looked away.


    ¡°What are you putting on?¡± Mr. Adrian asked looking a bit flustered after getting himself together.


    ¡°Huh, I¡¯m putting on a dress.¡± I said in a duh tone.


    ¡°Are you sure that this is a dress? It looks to me like you¡¯re putting on a slut¡¯s attire.¡± He said emotionlessly and I wondered if he was the same man that was openly ogling my curves some seconds ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a slut¡¯s attire, stupid!¡± Isabe stepped in and smacked him at the back of his head and he red at her.


    ¡°You should have found a more concealing dress for her. We¡¯re going to a g, not a club.¡± He snapped at Isabe.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t like the dress on her then you should have tomd her to change in a polite manner and don¡¯t you dare act like you weren¡¯t just drooling when you saw her in that dress.¡± Isabe snapped back at him. He looked embarrassed for a second before masking his expression.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t drool. Now please go get her another dress. This one is a no no.¡± He said in a slightly polite manner and Isabe walked over to me and took me by my hand towards the direction of the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind what the brat said, you look gorgeous in the dress.¡± Isabe cooed and I smiled.


    ¡°Thanks Isa. I¡¯ve learnt to not always believe what Mr. Adrian says, I know that the dress suits me perfectly.¡± I said as we entered the room once again.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s pick out a dress that¡¯s less revealing but still brings out your curves.¡± Isabe chirped and we got to work, looking for the perfect dress that will suit Mr. Adrian¡¯s taste.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY THREE

    CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE


    **BRIANNA**


    After trying on more than one thousand dresses (I¡¯m just exaggerating, I¡¯ve only tried on like fifteen dresses) and showing them to Mr. Adrian with him rejecting them because they were either too revealing, too concealing, too long, too short or whatever, I finally came out of the dressing room for the umpteenth time with a scowl on my face. I was even sweating as a result of putting on a dress and stripping right back out of it because he was not satisfied with it, it felt like I was doing a sort of exercise against my wish.


    The dress that I¡¯m putting on now is a red velvet fishtail dress with thin straps. The upper part is ck with sweetheart neckline, pearls adorned the upper part. The dress showed a little bit of cleavage but I was okay with it. The dress came along with lush forearm length ck satin gloves that felt good on the skin and a snow-white arctic fur boa shawl scarf.


    Isabe raked her eyes over my body and nodded with a smile ying on her lips, ¡°this dress suits you perfectly. It is not too revealing nor concealing and it brings out your curves in the right ces.¡±


    ¡°I love it too but we have to show your cousin before we decide.¡± I said and she nodded before we walked out of the room together. Mr. Adrian was not reading the magazine again, now he is focused on his phone.


    ¡°Check this one out, Mr. Adrian.¡± I said loudly so that I could get his attention because he seemed to be very immersed in whatever he was doing on his phone. He slowly raised his head to stare at me and I saw a look of approval and awe cross his expression before his face became a nk canvass that portrayed absolutely no emotion.


    ¡°There was a dress like this and you were dressing up in dumb dresses? You kept me here for over two hours.¡± He snapped with a slight look of anger on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re really ming me for keeping you waiting? I am not the one that told you to not be satisfied with the past fifteen dresses that I have tried on!¡± I snapped back at him because what he said pissed me off.


    ¡°You know what? There¡¯s really no time for us to have this argument, you of all people should know how precious my time is to me.¡± He said and red at me.


    ¡°The both of you should cut it out already, there¡¯s no need for you to start fighting here!¡± Isabe said loudly and Mr. Adrian calmed down a little.


    ¡°This is the dress you¡¯re going for, get a purse and shoes that goes along with the dress. Also get yourself some things you might need, and do that fast.¡± He said and I walked away from him, back into the room.


    I entered the room and removed the dress; I got back into my own clothes and folded the one I just stripped out of. Isabe came in at that moment with a red purse and heels in her hands.


    ¡°I found these and they looked like they wouldplement the dress perfectly.¡± She gushed like a high school girl and I smiled at her giddiness. It was like she was the one going to the g and not me, she looked so energetic and excited that I sort of envied her of it.


    ¡°You¡¯re the fashion expert here but let me see it.¡± I said and she brought it to my view. The purse was very beautiful and it seemed to be very expensive, I must say.


    The purse was definitely designer, it is a cranberry red color and it was encrusted with ruby red gem stones, making it glitter; it had gold chain strap. The heels were an eight inches stiletto with tform and it was also in the red color. Guess I¡¯m going to be ¡°The Lady in Red¡± but not the literal one, if you know what I mean.


    ¡°These are very beautiful but am I the one that is going to be wearing those heels? They look monstrous.¡± I said with a hint of fear in my voice. I have never worn heels that were more than four inches tall and this pair of heels are twice as tall.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re the one that will wear them or do you expect me to wear the heels for you?¡± She asked looking at me with amusement, I could tell that she wanted tough so bad but she was holding it in.


    ¡°Wait a minute, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re scared of wearing these heels.¡± She stated and finally let out theughter she was holding in and I turned red.


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh at me, this is the first time I¡¯ll be trying on eight-inch heels.¡± I said frustratedly.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯tugh again. I¡¯ll teach you how to walk in them, just put them on first.¡± She said and put the heels on the floor, right in front of me. I removed my shoes, sat on a chair on slid on the heels. I tried to stand up and walk around in them but I was scared that if I did, I would trip and fall.


    ¡°Isabe, can you please hold my hand? I¡¯m afraid that I might fall.¡± I said, feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°No problem.¡± She chuckled and helped me up.


    She held my hand and helped me to walk in them and after a few minutes, I got a hang of it.


    ¡°Thanks Isabe.¡± I said to her after taking off the heels.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. Now let¡¯s go get the extra clothes he said you should get.¡± She uttered and we moved to the main mall after she had finished bagging the g things.


    We finally finished shopping, Isabe helping me choose the best clothes. She also helped me choose some jewelries, shoes, perfumes and even makeup. Mr. Adrian said to shop for clothes but he didn¡¯t say anything about not shopping for other things too. Isabe packaged everything and they filled six whole bags.


    Mr. Adrian came by when we finished getting all the things I needed.


    ¡°It¡¯s right about time.¡± Mr. Adrian said with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I said, not even feeling sorry in anyway.


    ¡°Have my card, Isa and take out the total amount of the things she bought.¡± He said to Isa, totally ignoring my apology.


    After paying, we went to his car, some workers helping me with the bags since I couldn¡¯t carry seven bags on my own. They put the bags in the back of the car and I went into the car.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Drive to Brianna¡¯s house, Brandon.¡± Mr. Adrian said in a monotonous voice and Brandon began driving.


    We didn¡¯t say anything to each other during the drive and when we arrived at my house, I was left alone to take out the bags on my own.


    ¡°Thanks for today, Sir.¡± I said to him and he just responded with a hum.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send makeup artists to do your makeup by 4 p. m. and I¡¯lle pick you up by 5:30. You don¡¯t have toe to work tomorrow.¡± He said simply and didn¡¯t wait for my reply before he told Brandon to drive.


    I grumbled underneath my breath and struggled to carry the seven bags on my own and walked to the door. I opened the door with my leg since it was not locked and dumped the bags on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± I announced loudly and mom stared at me in shock, Marianna also turned and gasped at me.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get all these bags from?¡± They asked simultaneously and I grinned.


    ¡°I went shopping.¡± I smiled and their eyes grew wide in surprise.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR

    CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR


    **BRIANNA**     I exined everything to my mom and Marianna and they were surprised, they were especially shocked at the part where I told them that he asked me to be his date to a g. I told them that I¡¯ll be his date but excluded the part where he¡¯ll pay me for my services.


    ¡°Wow, I like your boss. He¡¯s so nice.¡± Marianna gushed and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s not nice, he¡¯s crazy.¡± I said simply.


    ¡°Shush, you don¡¯t talk about somebody that did you a favor that way.¡± Mum scolded and I grumbled underneath my breath. If only they knew how he acts.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one that dropped you off, right? I heard the sound of a car.¡± Mom quizzed with curiosity evident in her voice.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s the one.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°I knew it. And you¡¯re telling me that he¡¯s not nice, he¡¯s the perfect definition of a gentleman.¡± Mom grinned.


    ¡°Oh mom, if only you know how he really is. I¡¯m the one that has to deal with him every day so I know how he truly behaves.¡± I uttered, already tired of them praising my annoying boss.


    ¡°Enough of talking about him already. Let¡¯s talk about another thing.¡± I sighed in exhaustion.


    ¡°The things that you and mom have been talking about are of no concern to me. My own concern is that I¡¯ll take some out of your clothes, Brianna. I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re bigger than me, even though I know that they won¡¯t be too big one me.¡± Marianna said with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Just because we have simr body shape doesn¡¯t mean that you can wear my clothes. I¡¯ll break your head if I see your hands on those clothes.¡± I red yfully at her but she didn¡¯t take me seriously because she knew that I was joking.


    ¡°You obviously can¡¯t break my head. And I¡¯ll take the clothes tomorrow, when you¡¯re not at home. If you find any of the clothes missing, just have it in mind that I¡¯m the thief. I might steal some shoes and makeup too.¡± She said with an impish glint in her eyes and I didn¡¯t know when a loudughter rumbled from deep within my belly.


    ¡°Just tell me that you want to steal every single thing in the bag.¡± I said, stillughing at her disy of silliness.


    ¡°If I am given the permission to take everything, I will dly take them.¡±


    ¡°Do you even need permission to steal again?¡± I asked, staring at her in beguilement.


    ¡°Oh right, I don¡¯t need to ask you before I take them. Mu ha ha ha.¡± She did the viinousugh thingy and grinned like the viins that we see in movies and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from bursting into a hystericalughter, mom who was silently watching the disy between us also startedughing.


    ¡°You¡¯re cracking me up so bad, Marie. My ribs are hurting at this rate.¡± I chortled noisily.


    ¡°I better stop then; I don¡¯t want to be the reason you end up in the hospital with broken ribs.¡± She smirked and I didn¡¯t know when I startedughing again.


    ¡°Damn girl, where are all theseing from?¡± I askedughingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough girls. You need to go to bed, Marianna. There¡¯s school tomorrow.¡± Mom said to Marianna and Marianna¡¯s cheerful expression turned sour.


    ¡°But mom¡­¡± Marianna was saying when mum cut her off.


    ¡°No objections. Go to bed, youngdy; it¡¯s past 10 already.¡± Mom uttered, her voice fierce and leaving no room for objections. Marianna stood up begrudgingly, mumbled some incoherent stuff before attempting to storm up the stairs but mom stopped her.


    ¡°Where are your manners, youngdy? Have you said your ¡®good night¡¯?¡± Mom questioned her with a re.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good night.¡± She said and finally stomped off.


    ¡°Moooom.¡± I called, giving her a look.


    ¡°Whaaat?¡± She drawled.


    ¡°You were too hard on her and the time is not even 10 yet.¡± I told her and she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I had to tell her that so that she¡¯ll go to bed early.¡± She spoke.


    ¡°Okay. Before I forget, I got my sry today.¡± I told her with a small smile.


    ¡°Wow really? How much is it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°10000 dors.¡± I uttered and her eyes grew wide in shock.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money, it will go a long way in getting the things we need.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it will. We¡¯ll go for grocery shopping tomorrow and also get your drugs.¡± I said, a small grin ying on my lips.


    Mum teared up when I said that, ¡°thanks a lot sweetie, I don¡¯t want to imagine how we¡¯ll live if I didn¡¯t have a daughter like you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay mum, you don¡¯t need to cry.¡± I moved closer to her and hugged her.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t I cry? Any mother would be blessed to have a daughter like you, I sure am blessed.¡± She smiled tearily.


    ¡°Cry all you want then.¡± I joked and she startedughing instead.


    ¡°That¡¯s the smile I love to see.¡± I pulled her cheeks and sheughed harder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start smiling more often then.¡±


    ¡°You should, your smile brightens up my day.¡± I stated and she giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling sleepy, I have to go to bed now.¡± She yawned sleepily and stood up after a few minutes of silence.


    ¡°Me too, today has been so stressful for me.¡± I got on my feet and stretched my body.


    ¡°Good night darling.¡±


    ¡°Good night, mum.¡± I responded and we went to our different rooms.


    I took a quick shower and changed into my nightdress. Iid on my bed and picked up a novel that I had been reading for months now but never got a chance toplete because of limited time. I turned to the page that I bookmarked and began reading from there.


    I was getting immersed in the novel when my phone started ringing, I took it from the bedside table and it turned out to be Cherry calling. I answered it and ced it against my ear.


    ¡°Babe! Guess what?!¡± Cherry squeaked loudly from the other end.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, curious about what is making her very excited.


    ¡°My boss also asked me to be his date to the g and I think it¡¯s the same one you¡¯re going to.¡± She said cheerfully and I didn¡¯t realize when a small squeak left my mouth.


    ¡°Woohoo, that¡¯s good news. I would not be so bored then because I can¡¯t imagine what it would be like being in the midst of rich ass people.¡± I spoke.


    ¡°Yeah baby, see you at the g.¡± She said excitedly.


    ¡°See ya.¡± I replied and she hung up.


    Tomorrow would be a little bit fun, I guess.     TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE

    CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE


    (NEXT DAY); 3 P. M.


    **BRIANNA**


    It is afternoon now; mom and I came back from shopping some minutes ago and we also bought her drugs. Now, we are resting while I was also anticipating the arrival of the makeup artists. I was feeling all jittery as the time Mr. Adrian was going to pick me up drew closer and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the g would be like.


    I went upstairs to take a shower beforeing back downstairs to await the arrival of the artists. I didn¡¯t realize when I slept off on the couch and ventured into a dreamless nap. I woke up to my mum calling me.


    ¡°Brianna, Brianna!¡± She called and I opened my eyes, allowing it to slowly adjust to the afternoon sunlight seeping in from the open curtains before proceeding to close my eyes again.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I hummed in askance, rubbing my eyes with hands.


    ¡°The makeup artists are here.¡± She said but I couldn¡¯t quite clearly make out what she said because of sleepy haze I was in.


    ¡°What?¡± I murmured sleepily.


    ¡°The makeup artists you were expecting are here!¡± She said a little more loudly and the sleep immediately vanished. My eyes cleared and I sprang up. The first ce my eyes went to was the wall clock and I saw that it was a few minutes past four. Then I scanned the room, my eyes again settling on three beautifuldies, each of them dressed neatly and holding a box each.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Brianna.¡± They greeted simultaneously and I returned their greetings with a small wave. My cheeks suddenly turned red when I remembered that they must have seen me in one of my most embarrassing positions, sprawled out on the couch and looking udylike, but who cares?


    I looked at mum and thanked her with my eyes for waking me up, she nodded and continued watching the television.


    ¡°Heydies, let¡¯s go up to my room and get this started.¡± I announced looking enthusiastic on the outside but very nervous on the inside. This is the first professional makeup I¡¯ll ever do in my life and before now, I didn¡¯t even possess any makeup except lip gloss, mascara and powder. But now, I have different makeup materials and that means I¡¯ll start making up very often. I was also a little worried about what the makeup artists will think about my room, it isn¡¯t the most beautiful thing to look at, but then again, who cares what they think? They¡¯re just here to make me up and I¡¯ll never even see them again after this.


    We arrive at the bedroom and I noticed them looking around with an expressionless face and I shrugged it off, not caring about what they thought of the room. I quickly scrambled towards the only chair we had in the room and dragged it to the front of the mirror. I also cleared the bedside table and dragged it to the same ce I put the chair. The both of them were directly in front of the mirror so it looked like a makeup vanity. The threedies just watched me in silence as I made the arrangements. I settled on the chair and breathed in deeply.


    ¡°Are you ready, ma¡¯am?¡± One of them asked after I had sat down.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready.¡± I said and they moved closer. They dropped their boxes on the floor and began working on my face, first beginning with wiping my face.


    TWO HOURS LATER


    Thedies were finally done with my hair and makeup after two torturous hours of me sitting down and them turning my head to their desired angle.


    ¡°We¡¯re done, ma¡¯am.¡± They chorused and stepped back. I was finally able to get a clear view oof myself in the mirror. The girl in the mirror almost looked nothing like me but she was me, she looked so damn beautiful with the makeup enhancing her facial features. They did the soft smoky eyes look, drew the eyeliner and even fixedshes for me. They also painted my lips in red matte lipstick and styled my hair in a half-up half-down ponytail. I couldn¡¯t help but gush at how I looked.


    ¡°You look so beautiful, ma¡¯am.¡± One of themmented and I couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I responded with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to put on your dress, ma¡¯am. Mr. Adrian will be here any time soon.¡± Another said and I looked at the time on my phone, the time was twenty minutes to seven. I stood up, went to the wardrobe and brought out the dress from where I hung it yesterday.


    ¡°Uhmdies, can you turn around please?¡± I spoke up shyly and I was so darn sure that I saw them smile before they turned around. I quickly stripped out of my clothes and put on a pair of new underwear that I bought yesterday and put on the dress. I told them to turn around when I was done.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± I quizzed.


    ¡°Now you sit down while we put on your jewelries and shoes for you.¡± One said and brought out a box and I assumed that it contains jewelries, I was proven right when she opened it and I was met with a glittering diamond ne, a pair of earrings and bracelets. She put the jewelries on for me and I gazed at myself in the mirror. The jewelries looked good on me. After that, another one of them put on the heels for me and I stood up on my feet. I twirled and checked myself out in the mirror, I was satisfied with what I saw. The only thing left toplete my dressing is the fur boa shawl scarf so I took it out and ced it on the table so that I won¡¯t forget it.


    ¡°Thanks a lotdies, I really appreciate.¡± I grinned at them.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, ma¡¯am. We¡¯re just doing our work.¡± They said and began to pack up their boxes. When they were done, they informed me that they would be leaving.


    ¡°We would be taking our leave now.¡±


    ¡°Alrightdies, thanks once again.¡± I said and they left my room.


    I put a few things in the purse that I also bought yesterday and I went down to the sitting room, awaiting Mr. Adrian¡¯s arrival because I was sure that he¡¯d be here any minute from now.


    ¡°You look so beautiful sweetie.¡± Mom gushed when she set her eyes on me.


    ¡°Thanks mum.¡± I replied with a smile. I was about to sit down on the couch when I heard the loud honk of a car, I didn¡¯t need anybody to tell me that it was my shithead boss.


    ¡°Mum, I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± I told mum and pecked her on the cheek.


    ¡°Alright darling, take care and don¡¯te back toote.¡± She spoke.


    ¡°Okay mum, bye!¡± I rushed out of the house when I heard the car honk again. Well, it turned out that it wasn¡¯t a car honking after all, it was a fucking limousine. A sleek ck one and Mr. Adrian was standing beside it.


    ¡°Took you long enough, I was going toe up there and drag your ass out.¡± Was the first statement that came out of his mouth when he saw meing.


    ¡°Oh please, you didn¡¯t have enough manners toe up to my doorstep and knock on the door!¡± I snapped at him.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Are you calling me mannerless?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, you said that by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, just get in the limo and don¡¯t make me angrier than I already am.¡± He said, looking tired and I calmed down slightly before I got into the limo and he came in after me. He told the driver to drive and soon, we were on the road. He didn¡¯t even bother topliment my looks but I didn¡¯t stress myself on it. I shouldn¡¯t have expected him topliment me in the first ce.


    ¡°You look stunning by the way.¡±


    TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY SIX

    CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX


    **ADRIAN**


    I stared at Brianna as she walked down the steps of her not-so-pleasant house. She looked so damn beautiful in that dress, it hugged her killer figure and brought out her curves in the right ces. The makeup artists did a good job, the makeup they did for her enhancing her facial features. To cut the long talk short, she looked like a goddess. I would haveplimented her but she ruined the small moment of admiration with her obnoxious attitude. I was kind of wrong for just telling the driver to honk so that she could know that I was here already but I¡¯m not going to admit it neither will I apologize for it.


    ¡°Took you long enough. I was going toe up there to drag your ass out.¡± I said when I saw hering.


    ¡°Oh please, you didn¡¯t have enough manners toe up to my doorsteps and knock on the door.¡± She snapped at me.


    ¡°Are you calling me mannerless?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, you just said that by yourself.¡± She uttered.


    ¡°Whatever, just get into the limo and don¡¯t make me angrier than I already am.¡± I said tiredly and she got into the limo.


    When we got into the car and I ordered the chauffeur to begin driving and silence fell between us, I didn¡¯t realize when I blurted a statement.


    ¡°You look stunning by the way.¡± The moment I said that, her head snapped towards my direction and she stared at we wide-eyed. her face turned red when her brain seemed to have registered what I said and she whispered a small ¡®thank you¡¯.


    ¡°You look good too.¡± She whispered that I almost didn¡¯t hear what she said.


    ¡°Good, eh? You¡¯re telling me that I just look good?¡± I asked teasingly, not knowing what pushed me to tease her.


    ¡°Actually, you look so damn hot in that suit.¡± She said and I couldn¡¯t almost believe my ears. This might as well be the first ever time Brianna will say something good about me and I felt sort of happy. That was the first time I wouldpliment her too so really; I don¡¯t me her.


    ¡°Oh really? I wear suits everyday so what¡¯s so special about this one?¡± I quizzed, deciding to continue teasing her to keep the ride to the g lively since it was an hour and thirty minutes¡¯ drive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, this looks better on you than the ones you wear to work every day.¡± She said with a shrug.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I questioned with a small smile, yet again teasing her and wanting to know her answer at the same time.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I think.¡± She nodded and silence fell in the car for a few minutes before I broke the silence since I didn¡¯t want the both of us to be bored so resorted to us having a light conversation.


    ¡°You know, I just realized that this is one of the few times we¡¯re having a conversation without arguing. I think this is the first time even.¡± I uttered after thinking about it, every of our conversations always end with an argument. We even had an argument some minutes ago.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right but it¡¯s not my fault that we argue every freaking time.¡± She stated defensively.


    ¡°Whose fault is it then?¡± I asked, staring at her in amusement.


    ¡°Yours, obviously.¡± She said in a duh tone, as if it was very obvious that I am always the cause of our arguments.


    ¡°Me? In what way?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Promise that you won¡¯t be angry if I say what¡¯s on my mind.¡± She uttered.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be angry. Let me know what you think of me and I¡¯ll tell you what I think of you.¡± I spoke.


    ¡°Alright. The thing about you is that you¡¯re bossy, arrogant, egocentric, act like you know it all, don¡¯t answer greetings and to top it off, you¡¯re crazy.¡± She said all of those and took in a breath before she bowed her head, looking at me from the corner of her eye. To say that I was surprised at was she thought about me was an understatement, I was shocked to the bones. So, these were how lowly she thought of me. I think I need to start working on my attitude. Normally, I don¡¯t care what people think about me but Brianna¡¯s opinion on my attitude made me feel somehow.


    ¡°Are you angry? You promised not to be angry.¡± Brianna said when she noticed how quiet I have been, just staring at her, unblinking.


    I snapped out of my train of thoughts and said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry, I¡¯m just surprised at how you think of me.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you have it,¡± she said awkwardly while fiddling with her fingers, ¡°let me know what you think of me.¡±


    ¡°You really want to know?¡± I asked, with a raise of my eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She replied sounding slightly unsure and sucking on her bottom lip. I suddenly felt the urge to remove the lip and suck on it myself. What the heck is wrong with me tonight?


    ¡°You asked for it,¡± I paused for a while before I began talking, ¡°you¡¯re obnoxious, sassy, disobedient and you always like to argue with me, you don¡¯t ever listen when I tell you to do something unless I threaten to fire you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right but I¡¯m not always obnoxious and disobedient, you always make me act like that when you start being all arrogant and bossy.¡± She said looking sincere and I believed her.


    ¡°I noticed that you only act that way towards me. I see the way you behave around others guys at work, especially Lewis, the both of you seem really close.¡± I said with a hint of jealousy in my tone but I didn¡¯t know if she noticed it.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing between me and Lewis, we¡¯re just work friends.¡± She said nervelessly, waving her hand as if indicating that the topic was irrelevant but I pressed on.


    ¡°There might be nothing between the both of you now but Lewis wants something from you, I know him more than you do and inform me when he tries something with you.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Alright, Mr. Adrian.¡± She responded and I couldn¡¯t tell if she was being sarcastic or serious.


    ¡°Oh, and Brianna?¡± I called.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Adrian, ¡®Mr.¡¯ is not part of my names you know.¡± I said jokingly but I actually meant it.


    ¡°Really? What would people say at work when I call you by your name? They¡¯ll think we have an affair going on.¡± She stated.


    ¡°They should think whatever they want to think, I don¡¯t give a flying fuck. Just call me by my name.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°Okay, Mr. Adrian.¡± She spoke.


    ¡°What did I just tell you?¡± I raised a brow at her.


    ¡°Oh sorry, Adrian.¡± She said as if testing the name on her tongue and then smiled afterwards.


    ¡°That¡¯s better, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It actually is.¡± She said with a smile.


    Just then, the chauffeur informed us that we had arrived at the venue of the g. That was when I looked around to see that we had indeed gotten there. The whole ce was filled with reporters and cameras shing here and there. I nced at Brianna and saw that she was squirming.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± I asked even though the answer was very obvious.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± She answered lowly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be, I¡¯ll be with you throughout.¡± I assured her and she rxed slowly.


    ¡°You ready?¡± I quizzed when I saw that she had calmed down.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded, ¡°let¡¯s get this g started even though I don¡¯t know what to expect in there.¡±


    Iughed at that and said, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN

    CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN


    **BRIANNA**


    Immediately we got down from the limousine and onto the red carpet, we were greeted by camera shes from different angles, the shes partially blinding me that I had to shield my face with my hands for a few minutes. I even froze because of the sudden nervousness that gripped me, I thought I had stopped being nervous but apparently, it hasn¡¯t left. This is the first time I¡¯ll be the focus of so many people so it¡¯s quite understandable.


    My hands were held up until Mr. Adrian ced his hand on my shoulder and whispered into my ear.


    ¡°Lower your hands, the reporters are taking pictures and you don¡¯t want them to take a bad picture of you, do you?¡± He asked but I could tell that he was also teasing me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the picture, the shes are blinding me.¡± I whispered back.


    ¡°Just lower your hands, it won¡¯t affect you anymore.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Really?¡±I quizzed.


    ¡°Yeah, trust me.¡± He said softly and I slowly lowered my eyes. The reporters were still taking pictures but it didn¡¯t have any effect on me as it did earlier.


    ¡°How¡¯s it now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better.¡± I responded.


    ¡°I told you,¡± he said smugly then continued, ¡°let¡¯s get inside.¡±


    He ced his hand on the small of my back and we walked into the mansion where the g was taking ce together. The reporters would have gotten closer to us and in our faces if bodyguards dressed in dark suits and shades didn¡¯te to our rescue.


    We went up the short flight of stairs that led to the mansion. Golden lights were seeping out of the big windows of the mansion and you could hear the soft musicing from the band that must be ying.


    The guards opened therge golden double doors and we walked in together, his hand still on the small of my back. I looked around when we got inside, I saw men dressed in cool tuxedos and the women were dressed in elegant evening gowns. They all looked gorgeous that I almost felt inferior but I remembered that I probably looked more beautiful than most of the women here.


    Adrian led me to a table with six chairs around it and it was already upied by two people, a man and a woman. I recognized the man to be Manuel, Adrian¡¯s friend and the woman turned out to be Cherry. She looked gorgeous in her dress.


    ¡°Hey buddy!¡± Manuel, Adrian¡¯s friend greeted Adrian and they shared something that looked like a secret handshake.


    ¡°Hey, Manny.¡± Adrian said to him and took a seat.


    ¡°Cherry, hey girl!¡± I called and she raised her head, a smile appearing on her face. She stood up and we embraced each other like we haven¡¯t seen each other in years, whereas we saw each other a few days ago.


    ¡°Brie! You¡¯re finally here, I was bored out of my mind, nobody to talk to and  I feel so out of ce.¡± She whined like a baby.


    ¡°Hey! I was here and we were talking, weren¡¯t we?¡± Manuel protested in the same manner. The both of them are kids in adult bodies.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot you were here with me.¡± Cherry sheepishly grinned at him. I rolled my eyes at their disy.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Manuel.¡± I waved at him.


    ¡°Hey Brianna! Please call me Manuel, call me ¡®Mr.¡¯ makes me feel kinda old.¡± He said and I couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re funny, Manuel.¡± I giggled.


    ¡°Being funny is one of the things I do best.¡± He replied with a wink.


    ¡°Okay, okay, that¡¯s enough between the two of you.¡± Adrian uttered coldly with a frown on his face after a few seconds.


    ¡°You should try loosening up, Addy. Frowning makes one look old and you¡¯re too young to have wrinkles on your face at this age.¡± Manuel pulled Adrian¡¯s cheeks, making Adrian re at him dangerously like he would swallow Manuel any second from now.


    ¡°I told you to stop calling me Addy. Especially when we¡¯re in public!¡± Adrian shouted at Manuel.


    ¡°Oh please. Addy is a far better name than Adrian. Do youdies agree with me?¡± Manuel faced us and asked.


    ¡°Of course, of course. Addy sounds phenomenal.¡± I responded exaggeratingly.


    Manuel faced Adrian and pulled his cheeks once more before saying, ¡°see? Even thedies agree with me. Addy is far better and suits you so well.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone, Manny. We¡¯re in a public ce for fuck¡¯s sake. Stop embarrassing us.¡± Adrian sighed in exhaustion.


    ¡°What¡¯s the magic word?¡± Manuel asked childishly.


    ¡°Please, Manny.¡± Adrian rolled his eyes and Manuel finally released his cheeks. Adrian straightened out his suit and sat well on his chair.


    Never knew Mr. Adrian could get this yful with somebody, even telling the person ¡®please¡±. I¡¯m really shocked.


    Manuel faced Charry and the both of them began chatting. I couldn¡¯t help but think that the two of them will look cute together as a couple. They looked like they were made for each other, no cap.


    ¡°So¡­ what do you think about this g so far?¡± Adrian asked after a few minutes, in an attempt to break the silence between us.


    I looked around, there were chandeliers with golden lights, the atmosphere was calm and tables were around with people sitting around them. Let¡¯s just say the theme for the g is Gold because I can see gold everywhere, I don¡¯t know why I expected less. A live band was also ying and I sighed after looking around.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m enjoying it so far. The atmosphere, music and everything just makes me feel calm. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this in all my years of living on this earth.


    ¡°Wow, really? I¡¯m d to be the first person to bring you to this type of ce then.¡± He mock-bowed and Iughed at him.


    A waiter came to drop four sses of champagne on our table, shortly interrupting our conversation but we continued after he left.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    After a few minutes of talking about some unimportant stuff, someone came to our table and toom a seat for himself without bothering to ask.


    ¡°Well, hey there everyone!¡± The familiar voice hollered.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT

    CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT


    **BRIANNA**


    ¡°Well hey there, everyone!¡± The familiar voice hollered. We all raised our heads to see who it was and it turned out to be none other than Carlos, with a pretty petite brte girl sitting beside him.


    I was surprised to see him, I wasn¡¯t expecting him to be here but the look on Adrian and Manuel¡¯s faces says otherwise. It looks like they knew that he would be here. Some sort of tension built up immediately he joined us.


    ¡°I just greeted everyone and no one replied, that¡¯s a rude thing to do, guys.¡± He said, his eyes moving from each and every one of us.


    Cherry said a small ¡®hi¡¯ and he responded with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, hi Carlos.¡± I gave a small wave and Adrian¡¯s eyes darted to me and he raised an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°How did you know his name?¡± He asked with a surprised expression on his face.


    ¡°Erm, I know him.¡± I responded awkwardly.


    ¡°What? How did you get to know him? Where did you even meet him?¡± He asked again, eyeing Carlos with something that looked like disdain in his eyes but Carlos didn¡¯t notice because he was talking to his date who had been quiet all along.


    ¡°He helped me once, when you sent me on an errand to fetch a file for you from your house which turned out to not belong to you,¡± I paused and red at him a little while he turned red and scratched his neck sheepishly, then I continued, ¡°He gave me a ride to the address you gave me when he saw how I was walking under the scorchingly hot sun.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Sorry about that time though, I guess I was immature but you kind of deserved it.¡± He said smugly and I didn¡¯t realize when I hit his chest whileughing. I cleared my throat awkwardly when I realized what I did.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± I apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He responded and we fell silent.


    ¡°Adrian, Manuel, haw have you guys been doing?¡± Carlos asked, interrupting the conversation that Manuel was having with Cherry.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been doing fine, obviously.¡± Adrian replied with a roll of his eyes.


    ¡°Why so rude, huh? I¡¯m just trying to start a conversation.¡± Carlos stated but Adrian and Manuel scoffed simultaneously.


    ¡°A conversation? Have one with your date. We¡¯re not interested in having any mind of conversation with a pest like you.¡± Manuel soat harshly and I was shocked to the bones.


    This is the first time I¡¯m seeing Manuel being harsh and all, the Manuel I know is a carefree and yful guy. If there was any one that I knew to be the most yful and fun loving guy, that would be Manuel. There¡¯s definitely something up between these three men.


    Cherry ced an hand on Manuel¡¯s and started talking to him to calm him down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel shameful about yourself? You even have the balls to see us ande to meet us after everything you had done to us. You¡¯re a goat in human body.¡± Adrian said angrily.


    Now, this has confirmed my suspicions that shing was goinv on between them and I¡¯ll make sure to ask Adrianter.


    The table became silent after Adrian and Manuel¡¯s outburst. Carlos kept quiet after that like he was too stunned to speak.


    The band began ying a catchy tune and people started keaving their seats to go to the dance floor to dance. Manuel saw what was going on and took Cherry to the dance floor.


    Adrian looked at them as they walked away before he faced me and asked, ¡°wanna dance?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but I don¡¯t really know how to dance though. I have two left feet.¡± I replied and he chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯ll teach you how to dance. I¡¯m a oreety good dancer and with my teaching skillls, you¡¯ll know how to dance with minutes.¡± He bragged and I let out a scoff.


    ¡°Yeah right! You, a dancer? I don¡¯t believe that one bit.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°What is there not to believe?¡± He asked with a shortugh.


    ¡°Mr. Adrian, the grumpy and bossy man knows how to dance, I highly doubt that.¡± I rolled my eyes.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Alright, seems words can¡¯t convince you. How about I show you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Show me then.¡± I said and took thest sip of champagne in my cup. Adrian offered me his hand, I took it and stood and he led me to the dance floor.


    We got to the dance floor and we stood close to each other.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded in response.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll be cing my hands on your waist now and you¡¯ll ce yours on my shoulder.¡± He said and I did as he said. He ced his hand on my waist and an electric feeling surged through me that I flinched a little.


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I replied in a small voice.


    ¡°Okay then. So you¡¯ll sway to the rhythm of the music. From the left to the right, from the left to the right and then you¡¯ll twirl and it goes on and on like that.¡± He exined and within a few minutes, I had gotten a hang of it.


    ¡°See? I told you that you would know how to dance if I taught you.¡± He said with a smug look on his face.


    ¡°Yeah yeah. It wouldn¡¯t have been this easy if I wasn¡¯t a fast learner though.¡± I responded, my hands wrapped around his neck this time.


    ¡°Whatever. You can¡¯t ever agree with me, can you?¡± He asked with a raise of his eyebrow.


    ¡°Never?¡± Iughed loudly.


    ¡°You stubborn little witch!¡± Hemented and left me to twirl before catching me back in his arms.


    This time, his hands had moved lower and they were on my ass. My ass, I tell you! I didn¡¯t know if he noticed it but I didn¡¯t want to mention it to him because I was enjoying the feel of his hand on my butt.


    ¡°Brianna¡­ you look gorgeous.¡± He stared into my eyes that it felt like he was staring deep into my soul.


    ¡°I know, you said it before.¡± I responded breathily.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m saying it again. You look like a goddess.¡± He said, his voice turing deeper than it was.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± A breathy sigh escaped my mouth


    Is it just me? Or it¡¯s getting hot and stuffy in here? We¡¯re so close now that we¡¯re practically grinding against each other. It was as if we were the only ones in the room. My consciousness was telling me that people were around and they were probably staring at us but I pushed it aside and focused on what I was feeling with Adrian.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kiss you now.¡± He said and before I knew it, his lips descended on mine.


    TBC

 CHAPTER FIFTY NINE

    CHAPTER FIFTY NINE


    **BRIANNA**


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kiss you now.¡± Adrian said and his lips descended on mine. I froze for a moment before I started reciprocating the kiss. Our lips moved in sync that soon, we got lost in each other¡¯s embraces. I held his neck in a very tight manner because my legs were beginning to feel like jelly and I would fall if I didn¡¯t hold on to something.


    His tongue snaked into my mouth and our tongues began a battle of dominance with his tongue dominating within a few seconds. The kiss got more intense as we continued moving our lips without stopping to breath. His hands were still on my waist, kneading and not daring to move past that.


    We were so deep into the kiss that we forgot that we were on the dance floor filled with so many people but we didn¡¯t care. We just wanted to continue sucking on each other¡¯s lips like it was our life support, we were lost in a world where there was only the two of us, no one else to disturb or interrupt us.


    After like about ten minutes of me and Adrian kissing, he slowly let go of my lips and I opened my eyes to find him already staring at me. His eyes full of different mixed emotions, the only one I could identify was the look of admiration in his eyes.


    My whole face was on fire when I realized what just happened. I just freaking kissed my boss, my BOSS. It was like I had lost my mind. Who would have thought that we¡¯ll be sharing a kiss for the second time after the one we had in the elevator? And I enjoyed the kiss so damn much that I wish it would never end but we had to stop.


    I looked around to see that some of the people on the dancing floor had stopped dancing and were staring at us with interest. I blushed harder and buried my face in Adrian¡¯s chest.


    ¡°They¡¯re all staring at us.¡± I whispered to him and a deep rich chuckle rumbled from his chest that I felt the vibration against my face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind them. They¡¯re all busybodies.¡± He said and stroked my hair.


    ¡°Do you want to continue dancing or we should go back to our seats?¡± He asked, my face still buried in his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rather we go back to our seats.¡± I mumbled but he heard me clearly.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back to our seats then.¡± He said and I raised my head from his chest, my face still red as I looked around and saw that people had already shifted their attention away from us, a sigh left my mouth when I saw that. Thank goodness.


    Adrian got a hold of my hand and the both of us walked back to the table. Cherry and Manuel were back at the table and Carlos and his date were still sitting there. His date doesn¡¯t really seem happy though.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I sat down on the chair I was sitting on before the dance and Cherry attacked me with questions almost immediately.


    ¡°What was that kiss all about?¡± She asked, her eyes filled with questions and eagerness.


    ¡°Jeez! You couldn¡¯t even wait for me to like catch my breath or something?!¡± I red at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m too curious about the kiss to care about that.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°What was the kiss all about? I was shocked to the bones when I saw the both of you kissing, on the dance floor of all ces!¡±


    She¡¯s being so dramatic right now. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised because she has always been a drama queen.


    ¡°The kiss just happened, Cherry. I don¡¯t know anything else asides from that.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s got to be something behind that kiss. Who would have thought that you¡¯ll be kissing Adrian, your crazy boss? The one that loves making you work crazily and makes you miss lunch sometimes?¡± Cherry quizzed all at once, but she made sure that no one else could hear except me.


    ¡°Yes, I kissed him and I think I¡¯ll like to do it again. His lips felt so soft against mine and even thought I haven¡¯t really kissed a lot of people, I know that he¡¯s a very good kisser.¡± I said, toucking my lips and thinking about the kiss that we had just some minutes ago.


    ¡°Girl, you¡¯re in love!¡± She said with a teasing look but it felt like she was serious.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I just like the feel of his lips on mine, nothing serious. Besides, I don¡¯t n on falling in love with a man after what one has done to my mother.¡± I responded, remembering the asshole of a father I have, who doesn¡¯t even remember us anymore.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry about bringing back the past.¡± Cherry apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± I smiled but it came out more like a grimace.


    We were still conversing when a man began talking on the stage, a spotlight focusing directly on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the presentation of awards!¡± His voice boomed from the microphone he was holding and the people pped.


    The presentation of awards was over in thirty minutes and after that, the g was over. Apparently, Adrian is going home with five awards to his name. The only ones I can remember being ¡®Richest CEO of the year¡¯ and ¡®Best CEO Humanitarian of the year¡¯.  He was the only one with five awards and I noticed that it made Carlos angry, which he tried so hard not to show but he failed.


    We went back to the limousine after everything was over and we drove back to my house. Adrian and I didn¡¯t really say anything to each other during the drive, probably because we didn¡¯t have anything to say or we didn¡¯t know how to say it.


    The limousine came to a stop in front of my house and I was about to open the door and alight when Adrian held my hand, stopping from doing so.


    ¡°Did you have a good time at the g?¡± He asked, still holding onto my hand and I nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. It¡¯s not really my type of thing but I enjoyed it.¡± I responded with a smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s your type of thing?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Probably a party where you don¡¯t have to dress up like this¡­¡± I paused and gestured at our dresses then continued, ¡°A party where you can dress up casually but not too casual.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get what you¡¯re saying. Maybe we can go to something like that in the nearest future.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡± I bobbed my head.


    ¡°So¡­ good night?¡± I uttered, more like a question and he brought his head closer to mine before he ced a kiss on my lips but quickly pulled away as fast as he kissed me.


    ¡°Yeah, good night and sleep tight.¡± He smiled at me and I alighted from the limousine, my face red and a full-blown smile on my face. I feel like a highschool girl that just got her first kiss from her longtime crush right now.


    The driver brought the engine to life and I kept waving at it till the limousine was out of sight.


    Then, I turned around and walked to the front door.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTY

    CHAPTER SIXTY


    **BRIANNA**


    It was Monday morning, I got up early with happiness and energy coursing through me. I was still very much happy about the kiss at the g and the memory was still fresh in my head. I don¡¯t think I can forget any time soon.


    I did the house chores and cooked breakfast for mom and Marianna before both of them could wake up. When it was getting bright outside, I took my bath and dressed in one of the clothes that I got at the mall Adrian took me to. The dress was a short sleeve bodycon dress with a V neck. It was ck in color and it brought out my curves. I couldn¡¯t help admiring myself in the mirror. I did my hair into a messy bun and applied makeup on my face. I was ready to go after I put on matching ck heels and bag.


    I walked out of the room when I was done and went to mom¡¯s room to tell her that I was going to work. I had breakfast before dressing up so there was nothing left for me to do again. I took a cab by the side of the road and in no time, I arrived at thepany. I walked straight to the receptionist¡¯s desk and greeted Kristen with arge smile on my face.


    ¡°Good morning, Kristen. How was your weekend?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Morning Brianna, my weekend was good. How was yours? I can already tell that it was fine with the big smile on your face.¡± Kristen responded and the both of usughed.


    ¡°What do you mean? I smile every day.¡± I responded.


    ¡°You do, but this one look bigger and you seem extremely happy this morning.¡± Kristen said. ¡°Mind telling me the secret behind it?¡± she asked with a teasing look in her eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s no secret behind it. I¡¯m just happy today.¡± I wave the topic off.


    ¡°Is the Boss in?¡± I asked carefully, making sure that I didn¡¯t address him by his name.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s in.¡± She said with a nod.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be going now. We¡¯ll have lunch together if I¡¯m chanced.¡± I stated as I got ready to walk over to the elevator.


    ¡°Alright, no problem.¡± She uttered and I turned towards the direction of the elevator. I got in and the doors were about to close when someone¡¯s leg stopped the door from closing. The person¡¯s face came into the view and it turned out to be Lewis. He entered the elevator with an expressionless face. The elevator started moving and the silence was ufortable.


    ¡°Hey Lewis!¡± I greeted cheerily and he just replied with a cold ¡®hey¡¯.


    ¡°I saw you and Adrian together in the news. The both of you went to the g together, holding hands like a couple when you¡¯re not. You shouldn¡¯t be close to Adrian; he¡¯s just using you to pass time.¡± Lewis stated after some seconds of silence.


    I got angry when I heard him say that. How dare he tell me what to do? Who the fuck does he think he is?


    I faced him with an angry look on my face.


    ¡°Listen up, Lewis! You¡¯re in no ce to tell me who I can or cannot be with. I¡¯m a grown ass woman and I can make my own decisions by myself. Who the fuck do you think you are? My father? Even he cannot tell me what to do.¡± I snapped at him angrily, letting him know that I was very angry at him but he wasn¡¯t even fazed.


    ¡°You can snap at me all you want. I¡¯m just being a good friend by advising you. I don¡¯t want him to use you.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Well, you can keep your friendship. I¡¯m not benefitting anything from it anyway.¡± I snapped once more and at that moment, the elevator dinged open and I stormed out of it without bothering to look back at his face.


    I made my way to my office in anger. I was upset by what Lewis told me and it was sort of confusing to me because Adrian also told me to stay away from Lewis and now, Lewis is telling me to stay away from Adrian. What the heck is going on?


    I got to my office and dumped my bag on the table, and plopped down heavily on my swivel chair. A deep sigh left my mouth as I sat straight and opened myptop. I opened my emails and saw a bunch of them before I started replying. I did some other work after that before my eyes drifted to the door of my office, a post-it note was sticking to the door.


    Howe I didn¡¯t notice that when I came in? I must have been too angry to see it. I stood up and went to the door and tore the post-it note away from it.


    My eyes skimmed through the note and I immediately recognized the handwriting to be Adrian¡¯s. The note said: e to my office when you see this¡± and I did exactly what I read in the note. I went to his office and knocked on the door before entering.


    He wasn¡¯t doing anything, he was just sitting casually in his swivel chair with his tie loose and the first three buttons of his shirt undone, the chest hair trying to peek out. Don¡¯t ask me what my eyes were doing there, I don¡¯t know either.


    ¡°Good morning, Adrian.¡± I greeted huk cheerfully.


    ¡°Morning Brianna. You saw my note, right?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if I didn¡¯t.¡± I joked and he chuckled, that deeo rich sound that I¡¯m beginning to like so much.


    ¡°Actually, I told you toe because I have something to tell you.¡± He said.


    ¡°Oh? What is that?¡± I asked, curiosity filling me already because of the tone in which he said it.


    ¡°Tell me, Adrian!¡± I demanded when he hadn¡¯t answered me after about thirty seconds of silence.


    ¡°You¡¯re moving to my office today.¡±


    TBCText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

    CHAPTER SIXTY ONE


    **BRIANNA**


    ¡°You¡¯ll be moving to my office today.¡± Adrian said and my eyes grew wide in surprise. Why would he want me to move into his office all of a sudden?


    ¡°What? Why do you want me to move into your office?¡± I asked, still surprised that he would say something like that.


    ¡°There¡¯s really no reason. I just want to see your beautiful self always and watch you while you¡¯re working.¡± Adrian said with a shrug while my insides melted. I couldn¡¯t control the way a blush crept up my neck and my faced turned beetroot red, I wondered how he could say that so nonchntly while I was here struggling to keep my blushing in check.


    I quickly got a hold of myself and tried to calm down. Adrian has changed a lot over the cause of a few days, maybe he didn¡¯t change towards everybody but he did change towards me.


    ¡°Who is this new Adrian? Has he been possessed or a new one hase from a multiverse?¡± I asked him jokingly and his face turned serious.


    ¡°There is no old Adrian or new Adrian, and I sure as hell have not been possessed. I just decided to change when I realized how bad I have been treating you and I¡¯m trying to change for you. Or am I doing something wrong?¡± He stated before asking.


    ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s good as you decided to change and you¡¯re actually doing a pretty job and I like the improvement.¡± I told him with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks for the kind words.¡± He replied with a smile of his own. And that was when I realized that this is one of the first times that I¡¯m seeing him with a real smile, one that disyed his pearly white teeth and brightened up his face.


    I quickly attempted to change the topic when I realized how I was start to simp for his gorgeous smile.


    ¡°Since I¡¯ll be moving to your office now, what about my desk and chair? Which will I be using?¡± I asked, in an attempt to divert the topic.


    ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to worry about those and you can forget about the one in your former office. New ones will be brought in for you today and then we can set up for space for you since this ce is big enough for the both of us. Another person will be moving into your former office¡± Adrian took his time to exin and I bobbed my head in understanding.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with your decision, as long as none of us get hurt.¡± I grinned at him.


    Seriously, I¡¯m okay with anything he says or decides as long as I get to see and stare at his handsome face almost every hour of the day. I¡¯ll literally follow whatever he says at this point, as long as it¡¯s not harmful though.


    I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how fast our rtionship took a change. Some weeks ago, we fight almost every time and now, we¡¯re so close that we¡¯re even kissing! Who would have thought that something like this could happen between us? I¡¯m shocked at everything that¡¯s happening right now but I¡¯ll just go with the flow because I¡¯m enjoying everything pretty well.


    ¡°Brianna! What are you thinking about?¡± Adrian¡¯s voice snapped me out of my train of thoughts.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Nothing really, I¡¯m just wondering how we moved from fighting like cat and dog to talking like civilized human beings. It¡¯s pretty shocking if you ask me.¡± I said with a chuckle towards the end of my sentence.


    ¡°It¡¯s surprising to me too, but hey! People say enjoy things will itsts and go with the flow.¡± He uttered with that charming smile of his. Oh my gosh, since when do I find smiles charming? Lord, save my soul!


    ¡°Enough of the thinking. Come sit here till the new set of desk and chair are brought in.¡± Adrian said to me, patting hisps in the process.


    My eyes grew wide at his request but I was shy at the same time. Does he want me to sit on hisps? Like seriously?


    ¡°Are you for real?¡± I asked, almost in a whisper but he heard me.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m for real. You¡¯re asking to much questions. Come sit.¡± He grinned at me and I willed my legs to move, I walked slowly to his chair, wishing that it would take me a long time to get to him when he¡¯s just a couple of feet far from me.


    I got to his chair and convinced myself that I¡¯ll only be sitting on hisps for some minutes, and that nothing else will happen asides me sitting.


    ¡°Brianna? What are you waiting for? Don¡¯t you want to sit?¡± He asked and was about to do something but I quickly stopped him.


    ¡°No, no. I want to sit.¡± I responded and quickly perched my butt on hisps, I could feel his strong thigh muscle.


    ¡°Sit and make yourselffortable.¡± Adrian whispered hotly against my neck and I sucked in a sharp breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I might break your legs with my weight. I¡¯m not a skinny person yunno.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about breaking my legs, I¡¯m not a weak person too, yunno. Just sitfortably.¡± He said and I adjusted myself.


    ¡°Do you mind if I kiss you?¡± He asked after a few seconds of me siting on hisps. I knew that I promised myself that I would just be sitting and nothing else but the manner in which he said that made me shiver.


    ¡°Err¡­ I don¡¯t mind.¡± I managed to mumble a response.


    ¡°Good.¡± He said and with that, he turned his head towards me and locked his lips with mine. We soon engaged in a very deep kiss with exchange of saliva and stuff and man, was it enjoyable as fuck. (Sorry to y¡¯all that don¡¯t know what a kiss feels like.)


    As the kiss got more intense and our hands began to roam around each other¡¯s bodies, the door to the office barged open and I froze in shock. Oh my world! Have I been caught in a romantic situation with my boss? Is it one of the workers that opened the door? But they wouldn¡¯t dare open Adrian¡¯s door without knocking. Who could it be?


    As these thoughts were running through my head, Adrian didn¡¯t let go of my lips, as if he want bordered that someone just walked in on us kissing so I broke off the kiss to see who barged the door open.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTY TWO

    CHAPTER SIXTY TWO


    **BRIANNA**


    The door was barged open and I quickly broke off the kiss to see who was at the door. I was expecting to see one of my coworkers but instead, I saw a beautiful middle-aged woman and I hastily got off Adrian¡¯sp at the thought of the woman being a client or his business partner. y face went red. I sneaked a nce at Adrian and he doesn¡¯t even look fazed in any way. I nced at the woman too and she was just staring with wide open eyes.


    Adrian straightened his clothes and sat up before facing the woman.


    ¡°Mom, what are you doing here? You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing.¡± He uttered and my heart skipped a beat.


    Did he just call her mom? She¡¯s his mother? And she just caught us kissing?! Oh my fucking gosh! I feel like the ground should open up and swallow me whole right now. I might die of embarrassment at this rate.


    I sneakily looked at the woman and saw that she and Adrian did have some features inmon. Like the hair and eye color. He also has the shape of her nose. She must be the one Adrian got his looks from.


    ¡°What am I doing here? Must I ask for your permission before visiting you?¡± She asked as she strode towards Adrian¡¯s desk. She was staring at me the whole time.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask for my permission but I just wasn¡¯t expecting you.¡± Adrian grumbled.


    ¡°Why are you getting all worked up? Is it because I caught you kissing?¡± She asked, her tone indicating that she was teasing him.


    ¡°Mom! Stop embarrassing me!¡± He whined in frustration and I almostughed at his disy but I couldn¡¯t, I was too embarrassed tough.


    ¡°Erm¡­ Mr. Adrian, I¡¯ll be going now.¡± I mumbled with my head bowed and proceeded to walk out of the office.


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am.¡± I greeted slowly and was going to walk past her when she stopped me.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± She uttered and I stopped in my tracks, not bothering to raise my head up because I was still in a deep moment of embarrassment that I didn¡¯t think I would be getting over anytime soon.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am?¡± I managed to voice out and turned to face her, but with my eyes facing the floor like there was something interesting about it.


    ¡°Are you my son¡¯s girlfriend?¡± She asked and I snapped my head upwards so fast that I¡¯m so sure I got whish.


    ¡°Mum!!!¡± Adrian protested in a loud voice, the same time a loud ¡°No!¡± left my mouth.


    ¡°What?! I have to know if you have a new girlfriend now or not.¡± She snapped at him before facing me.


    ¡°He¡¯s not your boyfriend? Then why are you kissing him? In his office of all ces?¡± She asked all of the questions at once that I grew nervous. I looked towards Adrian for help but he just shrugged. Seems like he¡¯s helpless in this situation too, avoiding getting snapped at. His mom is the only one I¡¯ve seen that he looks slightly scared of.


    ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend ma¡¯am.¡± I answered with a scratch of my neck, choosing not to answer the rest of her questions because of how nervous and embarrassed I was.


    Her eyes seemed to take my dressing in and she spoke up after a few seconds.


    ¡°You work here, don¡¯t you?¡± She asked. Ah, my mode of dressing must have gave me away.


    ¡°I do work here, ma¡¯am.¡± I responded with a nod of my head. It feels like I¡¯m getting investigated by a detective right now, almost like Imitted a crime and I¡¯m being probed because of it.


    ¡°I thought as much.¡± She said and went quiet for a second. ¡°Are you trying to seduce my son so that he can give you a promotion?¡±


    My jaw dropped when she asked such an outrageous question. How could she think of me that way? Do I look like some cheap employee that would do anything to get a promotion? So much that she would even seduce the boss? I¡¯m definitely not that type of person.


    ¡°What? No!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from shouting out the reply.


    ¡°Jesus! That¡¯s enough mom!¡± Adrian shouted at his mom and she just shrugged.


    ¡°I was just making sure she¡¯s not using you for her own gain.¡± She uttered.


    ¡°Your overprotectiveness can be unbearable sometimes.¡± He grumbled in annoyance but she ignored him.


    ¡°Come with me. I want to see you privately.¡± She said, directing that statement to me and I wondered what she has to say to me. Does she want me to stay away from her son? I¡¯ll do that to avoid further embarrassing moments.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°On second thought¡­ Adrian, get out of this office ande back in the next five minutes, I want to have a talk with this girl over here.¡± She said to Adrian and he groaned loudly.


    ¡°Why? This is my office, you can just talk to her outside. What do you even have to tell her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! Now get out.¡± She red at him dangerously and he got up from his seat and stormed out of the office like a kid, grumbling incoherent profanities under his breath. He listened to her, wow. Guess she¡¯s the only one that can order him around.


    Lord, I¡¯m the only one left with her. What does she have to say to me though? I¡¯m curious.


    ¡°First of all, what¡¯s your name?¡± She asked after Adrian left the office.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Brianna, ma¡¯am.¡± I responded.


    ¡°I hope all the answers you gave me earlier are true? You¡¯re not trying to seduce my son to give you a promotion?¡± She quizzed.


    ¡°I can never do that! Not to him, and not to anybody else.¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Good. I was just making sure.¡± She bobbed her head.


    ¡°And you said that the both of you were not dating. What are you two then?¡± She asked again. This woman would be perfect for the job of am investigator. She sure knows how to ask a lot of questions.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re not dating. We¡¯re just a¡­¡± I trailed off, searching my brain for the best word to describe what we are even when I knew that there was nothing serious going on between us, ¡°we¡¯re just a thing.¡±


    ¡°A thing?¡± She chuckled and shook her head. ¡°I can never understand how the children of these days think. If you say that you¡¯re a thing then fine.¡±


    I breath a sigh of relief when I saw that she was off my neck. Guess she was just trying to protect her son.


    ¡°Well, I need your help with something.¡± She uttered and I wondered what she could need my help for.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, ma¡¯am?¡± I asked in curiosity.


    ¡°Before I go on, don¡¯t call me ¡°ma¡¯am¡± please. That makes me feel old. Call me Ste, that¡¯s my name.¡± She said and I nodded.


    ¡°Okay, Ste.¡±


    ¡°Good. I need you to help me persuade Adrian toe home for the family dinner. He¡¯s been avoiding it for ages and always change the topic when I try bringing it up on phone, that¡¯s why I decided toe here in person today.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I¡¯m not sure I can persuade him toe. If he doesn¡¯t listen to you, his mother, them how will he listen to me?¡± I said incredulously.


    There¡¯s no way I will be able to convince Adrian to go to a family dinner that he has been skipping. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t even listen to me.


    ¡°I have a hunch that he will listen to you. Please just try to persuade him for me. I want him toe and you should alsoe along with him.¡± She stated pleadingly.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± I said nervously and scratched my neck, my eyes darting all over the ce.


    ¡°Please, just do this for me. We really want him toe. We miss him at home. Please Brianna.¡± She begged me and I had no choice but to give in with that puppy eyes and the way she was begging me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to persuade him toe, but I¡¯m not promising because Adrian doesn¡¯t really listen to people, I¡¯m sure you know that. I¡¯ll try to convince him though.¡± I said to her and she enveloped me in a bear hug.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you. And pleasee along with him. The dinner is on Friday, you have plenty of time to convince him.¡± She uttered, still holding me in her embrace.


    ¡°Okay ma¡¯am¡­ I mean Ste.¡± I responded and she broke off the hug.


    ¡°Thanks once again. By the way, you¡¯re so beautiful and nice, I¡¯ll like it if you and my son mice from being ¡°a thing¡± to being a couple. You¡¯ll be so perfect for each other.¡± She gushed and I moved from one foot to the other.


    ¡°Uhh, I¡¯m not sure about that¡­¡± I stuttered, not knowing how to reply to that.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be going now. I think I¡¯ve kept Adrian outside long enough.¡± She said and I chuckled.


    ¡°Bye Brianna, take care.¡± She said and began walking to the door.


    ¡°Bye Ste.¡± I uttered with a wave and watched her walk out of the office. Adrian woulde back to the office any second now. His mom sure has a way of ordering him around and he looked like a big baby when she was here.


    Oh well, I have to think of ways to convince Adrian to go to his family dinner that he¡¯s been avoiding for reasons only known to him.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTY THREE

    CHAPTER SIXTY THREE


    **ADRIAN**


    I waited outside my office for minutes, pacing around because I couldn¡¯t dare to go inside unless my momes out of calls me toe inside. She finally walked out after some minutes.


    ¡°Hey son, hope I didn¡¯t keep you waiting for too long?¡± She asked, even though she knew that she had me standing for close to an hour.


    ¡°You kept me waiting for a long time, mom. And it was my office. My own office.¡± I grumbled loudly. I sound like q kid right now but who cares?


    ¡°Sorry about that, son. I was discussing something with Brianna.¡± She said, walked closer to me and pulled my cheeks like a squishy little baby.


    ¡°Mommmm, stop pulling my cheeks! I¡¯m not a baby anymore!¡± I whined childishly.


    ¡°No matter how old you get, you will always be my baby.¡± She red at me but I ignored that statement.


    ¡°What were you even discussing with Brianna for almost an hour? That y¡¯all made me stand here for a long time?¡± I quizzed with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say. Brianna will tell you by herself.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you say it? Does Brianna have to be the one to tell me?¡± I asked, already getting curious about what it was that she couldn¡¯t tell me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough, from Brianna of course.¡± She said and patted me on my back.


    ¡°Pfft, whatever you say.¡± I responded.


    ¡°I left lunch for you on your desk. I didn¡¯t know that someone would be with you, I would have packed more than that but you can share that with Brianna. I know that you don¡¯t eat much so that should be enough for the both of you.¡± She uttered.


    ¡°Thanks mom. But you really shouldn¡¯t be packing lunch for me anymore, I moved out of the house a long time ago and I¡¯m not ran elementary school kid anymore, I can just order food or go down to the cafeteria to eat.¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh shut it. Restaurant or cafeteria food are not as good as homemade ones! Do you know the ingredients they used in cooking them? They might be expired for all I know.¡± She stated with a roll of her eyes.


    ¡°Okay! Okay! Thanks for the lunch mom, I have to get back to work now. Also, thanks foring to check up on me.¡± I said and turned on my heels, to go into my office.


    ¡°Get back to work, huh? Or get back to devouring Brianna¡¯s lips?!¡± She said loudly, her tone an obvious indication that she was teasing me.


    ¡°Mom! Stop embarrassing me and go home.¡± I replied back in an equally loud voice, my voice dripping with frustration. I didn¡¯t even bother to turn around to see if she left or not but I heard the sound of herughter and fading footsteps.


    I opened the door to my office and met Brianna sitting on the couch. She was staring up ahead like she was lost in thought and was ying with her fingers, an act that I hade to know that she does whenever she was nervous.


    ¡°Brianna.¡± I called but she didn¡¯t hear me.


    ¡°Brianna!¡± I called for the second time and her eyes snapped towards me.


    ¡°Oh hey. I didn¡¯t hear youe in.¡± She said and rose to a standing position.


    ¡°Yeah you didn¡¯t. You seemed like you were lost in thought. What¡¯s up?¡± I uttered and sauntered towards the couch before plopping down on it.


    ¡°Oh, nothing really.¡± She answered, like she was waving off the topic.


    ¡°You sure? Does it have anything to do with what whatever mom talked to you about?¡± I quizzed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Something like that¡­¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°Is it something bad? Did she insult you? Say something bad to you?¡± I asked, even though I knew that my mom wasn¡¯t that type of person but she¡¯s pretty unpredictable, you don¡¯t know what to expect from her in some situations.


    ¡°No¡­ None of that. She didn¡¯t insult me but it would have been better if she did that. I don¡¯t think I can do what she asked of me, it¡¯s a very difficult task.¡± She said, stumbling around with her words.


    Now I was overly curious about what mom must have told her that got her as nervous like this. This would be like the first time I¡¯ve seen her so nervous that she¡¯s stuttering. The Brianna I havee to know is not nervous or scared of anything.


    ¡°What exactly did she tell you? Did she tell you to kill me and bring back my head to her?¡± I asked jokingly, trying to calm her nerves and it seemed to work as she burst into a fit ofughter.


    ¡°Jeez Adrian! Why would your mom want to have your head?¡± She asked, herughter never dying down and I enjoyed every second of listening to that melodious sound.


    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know.¡± I responded with a chuckle.


    ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± She giggled.


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± I said with a smug look.


    ¡°You¡¯re so full of yourself.¡± She hit my chest before standing up.


    ¡°I know that too.¡± I replied teasingly and she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re insufferable!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare reply that with ¡®I know¡¯.¡± She red at me and I raised my hands in mock surrender.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    ¡°So, what did my mom tell you?¡± I asked after the yful mood had went down.


    ¡°She told me that¡­¡± Brianna was saying when a knock sounded at the door.


    ¡°Who is that? Come in!¡± I shouted so that whoever it is could hear me. The door opened to reveal a man with a notepad in his hand.


    ¡°Mr. Adrian, we¡¯re here to deliver the desk and chair as you requested.¡± The man said.


    ¡°Ohh, I¡¯ve been expecting you guys. Just set it up over there.¡± I said and showed them where they were to set up the desk and chair.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Okay sir.¡± He nodded. He and his crew walked into the office and began setting it up.


    I moved to stand beside Brianna that was watching the whole thing quietly.


    ¡°So, what were you saying?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Huh? What is that?¡± She asked in confusion.


    ¡°You were telling me something before these guys came in.¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± She said and scratched her head nervously.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ That.¡± I raised my eyebrows and said.


    ¡°Okay¡­ So the thing is that your mom said that she has been inviting you over for dinner but you haven¡¯t beening for reasons that nobody knows except you. She asked me to help convince you toe to dinner on Friday because she believes that we¡¯re very close and that you will listen to me if I persuade you.¡± She said all in one breath and my entire demeanor changed when what she said registered in my brain.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR

    CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR


    **BRIANNA**


    ¡°Okay¡­ So the thing is that your mom said that she has been inviting you over for dinner but you haven¡¯t beening for reasons that nobody knows except you. She asked me to help convince you toe to dinner on Friday because she believes that we¡¯re very close and that you will listen to me if I persuade you.¡± I said all in one breath.


    I noticed his demeanor change when I was done talking. His face became expressionless, like I had just said something I shouldn¡¯t have said in the first ce.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to any family dinner. I have my reasons and I¡¯ll rather keep them to myself.¡± He replied coldly.


    ¡°But your mom insisted. ording to her, she has been trying every means possible to get you toe but you didn¡¯t listen. I¡¯m her only hope for you toe home.¡± I said calmly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re her only hope or not. I¡¯ve said this to myself that I won¡¯t be going to the family house and you¡¯re not going to change my mind.¡± He uttered, the same expressionless look on his face.


    ¡°Adrian¡­ I know that I¡¯m not really close to you or mean much to you but please, for my sake and your mom¡¯s sake, go to the family dinner. Your mom looks like she really wants you to be there and I know that she must have missed the family times y¡¯all have. Just go¡­ Please¡­¡± I pressed further, trying my best to convince him.


    ¡°I said that I¡¯m not going!!! There¡¯s nothing you can do to convince me!!!¡± He yelled loudly and I flinched in surprise.


    Thank God the people setting up the desk and chair had left by now, or else, I would have been so embarrassed getting yelled at in front of them.


    ¡°And it¡¯s good as you know that you don¡¯t mean anything to me, so don¡¯t even think you can persuade me to go to that family dinner!¡± He uttered and I stared at him silently, what he said making my heart sting and I didn¡¯t realize when tears filled my eyes.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t mean anything to you?¡± I asked in a low voice, the tears in my eyes threatening to fall but I yed brave and held it in.


    ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± He muttered and slowly advanced towards me but I raised my hand up, stopping him from getting close to me.


    ¡°You just said what¡¯s on your mind. I really don¡¯t mean anything to you.¡± I said with a shake of my head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. It was a¡­ a¡­¡± He paused, probably thinking of an excuse to justify what he said, ¡°it was a slip of the tongue!¡±


    Seriously?


    ¡°Yeah, right.¡± I tsked.


    ¡°Please, I¡¯m sorry if what I said offended you. I didn¡¯t mean it, I swear.¡± He pleaded.


    ¡°How do I know if you didn¡¯t mean it? Or if this will never happen again?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t say such a thing again.¡± He said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold on to your promise if you do one thing.¡± I stated.


    ¡°What is that?¡± He asked, looking like he already had an idea of what I wanted to ask of him.


    ¡°Go to the family dinner, please.¡±


    ¡°Brianna¡­ I¡­¡± He stuttered.


    ¡°Please, your mom will love it if you¡¯re there.¡± I begged with puppy eyes that I know he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist, they work like a charm and nobody has ever told me no whenever I use it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that face.¡± He grumbled, this resistance crumbling right before my eyes.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I pressed on.


    ¡°Fine!¡± He groaned exasperatedly and I leaped for joy.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Yay, thank you.¡± I engulfed him in a hug without thinking twice.


    ¡°I¡¯m only agreeing to this because you begged me, those puppy eyes of yours looked too cute to ignore.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°I know, they work like a charm. I only use them in dire situations like this one.¡± I said with a chuckle.


    ¡°They sure work like a charm, I¡¯m an evidence of how potent it is.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°You sure are.¡± Iughed alongside him.


    ¡°As much as I¡¯ll like us to have fun the whole of today, that won¡¯t be possible because we have to work. Can you read out my schedule for today please?¡± He stated then asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do that. Let me get my things from my former office.¡± I responded before leaving the office which had now be ours. I returned some minutester with my hands full. I dumped the things on my new desk then picked up the notepad in which I wrote Adrian¡¯s schedule in.


    ¡°So¡­ You don¡¯t have much to do today. You just have to meet one Miss Donna at Sky High Hotel to finalize a deal by 2 pm. And you have a conference call with the investors in Italy by 12 pm, which is thirty minutes from now.¡± I read out.


    ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s have lunch before the time for the conference call.¡± He said and stood up.


    ¡°Okay. Are we going to the cafeteria to have lunch?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nope. Mom brought lunch for me, so we¡¯re going to eat together.¡± He said and picked up the bag Ste dropped on his desk when she came earlier.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that there was food in the bag. Will the food be enough for the both of us? I have a big appetite if you must know.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Yeah, it will be enough. Mom usually packs food that will feed three people for one person so yeah, we¡¯ll be okay.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡± I bobbed my head and went to meet him on the couch where he was currently sitting. He had already set the food on the coffee table that was situated in the front of the couch. The food looked inviting and the smell was delicious that I couldn¡¯t wait to dig in.


    ¡°Ladies first.¡± He said as he offered me a spoon. I collected the spoon from him and scooped a spoonful ofsagna.


    I took the first bite and a burst of vors erupted in my mouth. I didn¡¯t realize when a satisfactory moan left my mouth. I kept on eating after taking the first bite, small moans leaving my mouth, and that was when I noticed that Adrian hadn¡¯t even taken a bite yet, he was bust staring at me.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, thinking that I had gotten food on my face.


    ¡°If you keep moaning like that while you eat, I might end up doing something the both of us will regret.¡± He said with a serious look on his face and I went red when my brain registered what he meant by ¡°something the both of us will regret¡±.


    As much as I will want us to do something like that, we will surely regret it like he said so I kept my mouth shut and stopped making the sounds that I couldn¡¯t control. He finally took his eyes off me and dug in when he saw that I had stopped.


    Geez! That was something.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE

    CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE


    FOUR DAYS LATER**


    **BRIANNA**


    It was Friday, the day Adrian finally gets to go to the family dinner that he¡¯s been avoiding for a while, and I¡¯m going with him. How cool is that? I just have to be there because Ste wanted me to, if not, I would rather spend Friday night coiled up on my bed and reading one of the books that I haven¡¯t had time to finish reading.


    I was dressed in a simple brown evening gown with thin straps and a slit that ran all the way up to my thigh. I decided to dress in a simple yet fancy way. I also had on a simple ne and earrings thenpleted the outfit with a ck purse and ck stilettos. My hair was done in a fresh braid and I did a simple makeup too. I¡¯m not really dressing to impress so I was good to go.


    I sat on my bed to wait for Adrian as it seemed like we were beginning to runte. We were supposed to get there by 7:30 and this was 7:00, but I didn¡¯t really know how far his family house is so¡­


    I raised my head when I hear mom knock on the open door to get my attention.


    ¡°Hey, your date is here. He¡¯s in the sitting room.¡± She said and I jumped to my feet. Cool, he didn¡¯t use his horn to bring my house down this time around.


    ¡°Okay mom, I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Alright. You look stunning.¡± She said before walking away.


    I smoothened out my dress, took onest look at myself in the mirror before walking out of the room. Mom and I were the only ones at home. Marianna had gone to her best friend¡¯s house for the weekend. So mom will be the only one left at home after I leave with Adrian.


    I got into the sitting room to see Adrian in his handsome glory. He was dressed in a white button down dress shirt and ck dress pants. He seemed to have styled his hair too and he looked so out of ce in our old rusty sitting room. He looked like he should be in a castle of some sort, not in a poor looking sitting room like mine.


    He and my mom were conversing like old friends and Adrian wasughing at something she had said. Ha, good to see that they were getting along. He appeared to have lost some of his asshole attitude over the days.


    I shook my head to get rid of my thoughts and moved closer to them, that was when Adrian noticed me. He stood up the moment he saw me and let his eyes wander over the length of my body and I saw a look sh in his eyes before they were gone as soon as they came.


    ¡°You look gorgeous.¡± He breathed after burning holes into my body with his hot gaze. I flushed at hispliment.


    ¡°Thank you. You don¡¯t look bad yourself.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s all you¡¯re gonna say?¡± He raised a dark eyebrow, a teasing look appearing on his face.


    ¡°Okay Almighty Mr. Adrian, you look stunningly hot!¡± I said in a bit of an exaggerated manner and he burst outughing. Somehow, mom had managed to slip out of the sitting room without me knowing. It would have been embarrassing having her watch me say that.


    ¡°I knew that was what you thought of me. You just needed a little push.¡± He said, still gazing at me with those eyes of his.


    ¡°If you keep looking at me like that, I might jump you right here and I¡¯m sure we don¡¯t want that to happen.¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°Oh, I sure want something like that to happen, but sadly we have a dinner to get to. I might be taking you up on that offerter though.¡± He said with a wink towards the end.


    ¡°Whatever, Mr. Adrian.¡± I said, whirled and began to walk towards the door. I could swear that I felt his eyes on my ass the entire time we walked to his car.


    ¡°Brianna, you didn¡¯t even bother to inform me that you guys were leaving.¡± I turned when I heard mom¡¯s loud voiceing from the open window.


    ¡°Oh shit, I kinda forgot mom.¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You guys have fun, but not too much fun!¡± She shouted from the window side.


    ¡°Okay mom.¡± I yelled back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make sure to be careful with our y, Mrs. Jackson.¡± Adrian said but I sensed the double innuendo in his words.


    ¡°I trust you on that, Adrian. I won¡¯t mind if the both of you decide to make grandbabies for me though.¡± Mom said in a loud voice and my eyes grew so wide, I thought they were going to fall out of their sockets.


    ¡°Jeez! That¡¯s it mom! We¡¯re leaving!¡± I retorted and pushed Adrian into the car before he and my mom said another weird stuff.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you push me? I was having fun with your mom.¡± He whined.


    ¡°Oh, shut it. You just enjoyed making me ufortable.¡± I red at him yfully.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± He grinned.


    ¡°Brandon, drive please.¡± He ordered Brandon who was in the driver¡¯s seat and he revved the engine to life.


    ¡°Oh hey Brandon.¡± I waved at him and he smiled at me through the mirror.


    ¡°Hi, Miss Brianna.¡± He said with a curt smile.


    ¡°You look so good to eat right now.¡± Adrian said after a few minutes of driving in silence, his gaze and been on me the whole time.


    ¡°Really? Are you a cannibal? Because only a cannibal would say that I looked good to eat.¡± I said, batting my eyes at him.


    ¡°You and I know that that wasn¡¯t what I meant.¡± He growled at me yfully.


    ¡°I was kidding!¡± I chuckled. ¡°And you look good enough to lick. Like an ice cream.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, that soundedme, didn¡¯t it?¡± I blushed after realizing the nonsense I had blurted out.


    ¡°A little, I loved that you attempted a line though.¡± He stated with a grin.


    ¡°How long till we get to your family house?¡± I asked, staring out the window at the busy road.


    ¡°In about five minutes, I think.¡± He answered.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told me what your family is like, or what I should expect.¡± I said, pointedly looking at him.


    ¡°Oh yeah. My family¡¯s a family of 4, consisting of my father, mother, me and my baby sister. My sister is in highschool and she¡¯s an angel. I haven¡¯t seen much of her because I don¡¯t go home as you have known.¡± He said, a look of love crossing his features once he mentioned his sister. It was obvious that he loved her.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice. What about your father? I know your mother so you don¡¯t have to tell me about her.¡± I asked.


    ¡°My father¡­ Well let¡¯s just say I¡¯m a younger version of the old man. I would say that I get most of my attitude from him, but more of the looks are definitely from my mother.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Okay. Sounds like you have a nice family.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He was saying when Brandon¡¯s voice cut him off.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He announced and I looked around. I hadn¡¯t even noticed that the car had stopped moving.


    Well, it¡¯s time to face Adrian¡¯s family and I couldn¡¯t stop feeling nervous.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTY SIX

    CHAPTER SIXTY SIX


    **BRIANNA**


    Adrian led me up the short steps that led to the main door with his hand on the small of my back and I calmed down as I felt the heat of his body. He rang the doorbell and Ste appeared a few secondster, a big smile forming on her face when she set her eyes on us.


    ¡°There is my favorite couple!¡± She eximed excitedly as she engulfed the both of us in a bear hug.


    ¡°Mom! I just styled that hair!¡± Adrian huffed as she roughed his styled hair and I giggled.


    ¡°What? I just can¡¯t help myself.¡± She batted ber eyshes at him innocently and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from giggling.


    ¡°Hey Ste.¡± I waved at her with a smile and she grinned widely at me.


    ¡°Brianna! I thought you guys weren¡¯t going to show up.¡± Ste uttered.


    ¡°Why would you think that? I promised to convince him toe and I did. I don¡¯t break my promises.¡± I stated.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°d to see the both of you here. And I wonder how you got to convince Adrian, this dude is a stone!¡± She said and I chuckled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I guess I just convinced him.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Well, you have to tell me your secret so I can use it on him in the nearest future.¡± She said and we bothughed.


    ¡°You both realize that I¡¯m still here right?¡± Adrian huffed out like a little boy.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Ste rolled her eyes at her son. ¡°Let¡¯s go in, the rest are in the dinning room already.¡±


    She practically dragged me inside, leaving Adrian to follow behind us and he did so with a displeased look on his face. We got to the dinning room where a man and a teenage girl were sitting.


    The man was clearly an older version of Adrian, while the girl a younger version of Ste.


    ¡°Guys! Adrian and his girlfriend are here!¡± Ste announced once we entered the room and the people raised their heads. The teenage girl¡¯s face lighted up when she set her gaze on Adrian.


    ¡°Adrian! I missed you!¡± She shouted as she got up from her seat and ran towards him. They hugged each other like they hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long time, which was technically true since Adrian said that he hadn¡¯te home in a while.


    ¡°There is my favorite sibling!¡± Adrian said happily ad he roughed her hair and she hit his hand away as she red at him and tried to arrange her hair. Seems like roughing hair is an habit here.


    ¡°I just straightened that! And besides, I¡¯m your only sibling, so you don¡¯t have a choice than to make me your favorite sibling.¡± She said smugly. She went from cute to smug in a second, I like her.


    ¡°If I had a choice, you wouldn¡¯t be my sibling.¡± Adrian straightened up and said with a serious look but one good tell that he didn¡¯t mean it. Typical sibling fights.


    ¡°Oh please.¡± She said, flipped her hair at him and turned to face me.


    ¡°Hi Brianna, I¡¯ve heard so much about you. Nice to finally meet you, I¡¯m Rachel.¡± She said and embraced me in a hug. The Carters are the ¡°huggy¡± type of people. Nice.


    ¡°Hey Rachel.¡± I smiled at her.


    ¡°Okay guy, y¡¯alle have your seats.¡± Ste called from her seat, she had gone back to sit.


    We walked to the dining table for six. Me sitting with Adrian on one side, Ste sitting with Rachel on the other side and Mr. Carter sitting at the head of the table. He had been quiet ever since we came in and I wondered what was up with him.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Carter.¡± I greeted him with a slight bow which showed respect.


    ¡°Good evening, Brianna. How are you?¡± He said, the first thing I¡¯d heard him say ever since I stepped foot into the house.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine sir, thank you.¡± I replied politely.


    ¡°Hey Pops.¡± Adrian shook hands with him, as they were sitting beside each other.


    ¡°Son, I see you came with your girlfriend.¡± Mr. Carter said, his gaze on me as he seemed to be apprehending me.


    ¡°Uhm Pops, I won¡¯t actually say that we¡¯re a couple. We¡¯re friends.¡± He said. Why did my chest ache a little when he said that? I think I was getting ahead of myself now. I wanted us to be just friends right? But friends don¡¯t kiss and make sexual jokes.


    ¡°Friends you say?¡± Mr. Carter¡¯s eyebrows quirked up in question.


    ¡°Yeah, friends.¡± Adrian bobbed his head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Mr. Carter said and I wondered what he meant by that.


    ¡°Enough of that! We came here to have dinner didn¡¯t we? Let¡¯s get to the eating part.¡± Ste said loudly to get our attentions, a grin stered on her face and I wondered if she ever got tired of smiling.


    She began opening several tes of food that wereid out on the dinning table. There were so much meals, that it could feed my family for a month. It looked like someone was having a freaking feast, when it was just a dinner.


    ¡°As our guest, what do you want first Brianna?¡± Ste asked me.


    ¡°I want the Spaghetti Bolognese first please. It¡¯s been long since I had that.¡± I said, my mouth almost watering as I stared at the delicious meal.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± She said and dished my portion in a te before serving me.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said and dug in. Ste was a great cook. The Spaghetti Bolognese tasted delicious z as I¡¯d anticipated.


    We ate as we made small talk in the dinning room.


    Some hourster, after eating, Adrian catching up with his family and his family getting to know me. We were finally ready to leave. Ste and Rachel escorted us to the car and each of them had hugged us before we got into the car. Adrian had waved them goodbye and promised that we would being back to pay them a visit soon. The time was far spent, as it was almost 12 a. m. and Ste had tried to convince us to spend the night but Adrian protested like the practical Adrian that he was and said that he had to drop me off at home and that we hadn¡¯t prepared to spend the night.


    After more than an hour of driving in silence, Brandon pulled over in front of my house. We had been silent because of how tired the both of us were, and we mostly basked in each other¡¯s embrace. Now, as I got ready to go into the house, Adrian kissed me deeply before releasing me with slightly swollen lips.


    ¡°Good night, Brianna.¡± He whispered, his hand holding onto my cheeks.


    ¡°Good night, Adrian.¡± I replied, gazed into his eyes onest time before getting out of the car and walking into the quiet house.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN

    CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN


    **BRIANNA**


    It was Thursday, Adrian and I were in our office and we were going about our work in silence. The office was so silent that one could hear if a lin dropped. I was engrossed in my work that I didn¡¯t hear when Adrian called me till be came over and stood in front of me.


    I raised my head to look at his handsome self. I saw his lips moving but couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying so I plucked out the earphones from my ear to hear him.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked him. I had been listening to loud music for the past hour as it helped me concentrate more so I didn¡¯t hear what be was saying.


    ¡°So you had earphones in your ears this whole time?¡± He red.


    ¡°Yes, I did. Sorry I didn¡¯t hear what you were saying.¡± I said with a giggle.


    ¡°You¡¯re something else.¡± He scoffed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment. It means that I¡¯m a special creature.¡± I responded with a wink and he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°We have something to talk about.¡± He said seriously, all traces of yfulness gone on his face. So I straightened up and waited for him to start talking.


    ¡°Have you been to Spain?¡± He asked and I stared at him in confusion.


    ¡°No. Why do you ask? And what does that have to do with anything?¡± I asked back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going on a business trip to Spain on Friday.¡± He said and my eyes grew wide in surprise.


    ¡°Spain? On Friday? When will you be back?¡± I asked all at once. This was the first time he mentioned going to a business trip ever since I started working for him so it was surprising.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I just got to know about it yesterday. And we¡¯ll be spending a week there, maybe have some fun after we¡¯re done doing business.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Did you just say we?¡± I quirked an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be going with me. I always need my personal assistant by my side, remember?¡± He said cheekily and I smacked his arm.


    ¡°Ouch! What was that for?¡±, He demanded, rubbing the spot I hit as if it was painful.


    ¡°For not telling me on time! Tomorrow is Friday and we¡¯ll be going to Spain. You should have told me immediately after you got to know so that I could start packing!¡± I said exasperatedly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t me me. I got to know about it in the middle of the night and I couldn¡¯t call you by that time. Plus, I don¡¯t have your phone number.¡± He uttered, giving me a pointed look at the end.


    ¡°Still¡­¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Now I have to figure out how to pack within a few hours. I don¡¯t even have a travelling bag.¡± I groaned in frustration.


    ¡°The travelling bag isn¡¯t a problem, we can get one now. We have to get off work very soon so that we can go home to pack. I¡¯ve booked a flight and we¡¯ll be taking off by 7 a. m. tomorrow.¡± He exined and I stood up quickly.


    ¡°You should pack some formal outfits and few casual ones. We might go out to have fun after we¡¯re done with business. I want our stay there to be memorable. And since it¡¯s your first time, I want it to be extra special.¡± He said and I grinned at him.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cute. Thanks.¡± I gushed.


    ¡°I better go home now then and pack up whatever I will be needing during our trip. Packing takes a long time, I don¡¯t usually know the specific thing to take and I always end up over-packing.¡± I said in frustration. ¡°This is why I hate travelling, even if I¡¯m going to the next state.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll figure something out, don¡¯t stress yourself over nothing. You still have enough time to pack.¡± He said and engulfed me in a hug.


    He went back to his desk and took out a card from his wallet beforeing back and holding it out to me.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my credit card. You can get yourself a travelling bag and any other thing you¡¯ll be needing for the trip.¡± He offered.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I only need a travelling bag, I have clothes that¡¯ll be suitable for it. And I¡¯m sure a travelling bag is not expensive, I can afford to buy one.¡± I declined his offer with a brief smile.


    ¡°I insist. I don¡¯t want you to spend your money, let me do the spending.¡± He said but I shook my head.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ept it, if we were not close now, I would be getting the things I¡¯ll be needing with my own money.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Brianna¡­ I insist.¡± He pressed on, trying to shove the credit card into my hand but I his my hand behind me.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not taking it.¡± I said defiantly and his shoulders slumped as he sighed in defeat.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll keep it.¡± He stated and shoved it into his pocket. I beamed a smile at him.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll quickly round up with my work now and head home to start packing. I¡¯ll also need time to tell my mom and sister that I¡¯m going on an urgent business trip.¡± I told Adrian as I sat back down in my swivel chair.


    ¡°Okay¡­ You still have some time.¡± He bobbed his head and came to sit on my desk and I spared him a nce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to get back to?¡± I raised my eyebrows in question.


    ¡°I¡¯m the boss, I can work anytime I want.¡± He said smugly and I rolled my eyes at him.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Whatever, boss.¡± I mimicked and heughed.


    ¡°Continue your work, I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± He said and I faced myptop.


    He said that he wouldn¡¯t disturb me but throughout the entire time that I was working, he kept disturbing me. If he wasn¡¯t ying with my hair, he was staring at me intensely or ying with my ear. But I managed to finish my work after forty five minutes.


    I gathered my things into my bag and stood up. Adrian stood up with me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now. I have to start my preparations early.¡± I spoke up.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll be going home very soon too. Women are the one that need a lot of time to pack. Men don¡¯t have problem with that.¡± He teased and I hissed yfully.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I said.


    ¡°A hug before you leave?¡± He asked with a cute pout, spreading his hands out in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think that you¡¯re fond of hugging me.¡± I stated and I stepped closer to him and wrapped my hand around his torso. I basked in the feeling of the warmthing from him. I felt him ce his head on mine and inhaled the smell of my hair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop if you don¡¯t like it.¡± He said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! I love hugging you. You¡¯re like my big bear.¡± I uttered with a dreamy smile that I was d he wasn¡¯t able to see because my face was buried in his chest.


    ¡°Aww.¡± He let out and I chuckled.


    ¡°You should let me go now, Adrian or I won¡¯t have enough time to pack.¡± I murmured in a low voice and he reluctantly let go of me.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± He muttered. ¡°Go now before I do something that is more than hugging you.¡±


    I heard the warning in his voice and my face warmed up. He is something else.


    ¡°Bye! See you tomorrow!¡± I said loudly as I hastily walked out of the office before he carried out his threat.


    Soon, I was out of the building and in a cab. I went to a store and got the travelling bag and some other things. I headed home after that then I formed my mother and sister about the urgent business trip. Mom was nervous at first but sheter calmed down and gave me the go ahead. Marianna was cool with it. After that, I went up to my room to start packing.


    We will be going to Spain tomorrow. I wonder what it would be like.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHT

    CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHT


    NEXT MORNING


    **BRIANNA**


    I woke up by 4 a. m. the next morning because of how anxious I was feeling. I took my bath and dressed up. I also checked my travelling bag to make sure that I had everything I would be needing. I didn¡¯t want to leave anything behind.


    I also had a light breakfast because I wasn¡¯t sure if we would be served on the ne. It was 5 a. m. now and I was waiting for Adrian toe and pick me up so that we could leave for the airport. Thirty minutester, someone came knocking on our front door and I instantly knew that it was Adrian because we weren¡¯t expecting anybody else. I got up to unlock the door and saw him standing outside in his handsome glory.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I greeted him with a hug and ushered him inside.


    ¡°Hey, good morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?¡± He asked as he sat on the couch. He seems to have made hi selffortable here, and doesn¡¯t mind what the house looks like.


    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t. I was so anxious that I kept tossing and turning on the bed and I even woke up by 4!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Wow.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s probably because this will be the first time you¡¯re travelling out of the country and you¡¯re nervous about what the flight will be like.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I sighed and sat down. ¡°And I¡¯m also nervous to leave my mom and Marianna alone for a week. I wonder how they¡¯ll cope.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they can cope, they¡¯ll just have to survive a week without you and you can call them from time to time.¡± He said and ced his hand on my back, trying to calm my nervous self.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I can do this.¡± I uttered as I took a deep breath and exhaled a secondter.


    ¡°Okay, so you ready to go?¡± He asked as he got on his feet.


    ¡°Yes, let me go tell mom that we¡¯re leaving.¡± I said and jogged up the stairs then went to mom¡¯s room.


    I met her sleeping on her bed. Of course she was sleeping, it¡¯s freaking 5 in the morning.


    I went over to her bed and tapped her twice, she fluttered her eyes open.


    ¡°Good morning, mom.¡±


    ¡°Morning sweetie.¡± She responded and checked me out. ¡°You¡¯re about to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma, Adrian is downstairs and we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°Oooh, Adrian is here? Let me go say hi to him before the both of you leave.¡± She said as she got off the bed and I wondered if she heard the other things that I said.


    ¡°Mom! You shouldy down, it¡¯s too early for your to be walking around.¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Oh please, I¡¯ll be back in bed in no time. I just want to say hi to Adrian.¡± She waved me off as she walked out of the room.


    Why do I even care? Mom is a drama queen.


    I followed behind her as she walked down the stairs and her eyes lit up when she saw Adrian. Great, he¡¯s about to steal my mom from me.


    ¡°Mrs. Jackson!¡± He hollered cheerfully when he saw her and they engulfed each other in a hug. I rolled my eyes at them. Mom would be telling me that I was jealous if she saw my face right now. She as to engrossed in Adrian to notice.


    ¡°Adrian! How are you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine thank you.¡± Adrian shed a charming smile at my mom and I almost thought that he was trying to flirt with her.


    ¡°Brianna told me that y¡¯all are about to leave.¡± Mom stated.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. We¡¯ll be leaving now, we¡¯re kind of runningte already.¡± Adrian said.


    ¡°Alright, take care of her please. This is the first time she¡¯ll be going out of the country.¡± Mom told him.


    ¡°I will take care of her. She¡¯s my responsibility now.¡± Adrian said and mom smiled.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Mom grinned. ¡°Y¡¯all should leave now before you might your flight.¡±


    I picked up my travelling bag and hand bag then went over to where Mom was standing and hugged her. I smiled as I inhaled her flowery scent that I had grown ustomed to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, mom.¡± I whispered and she patted my back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too, sweetie.¡± She murmured and kissed my forehead.


    ¡°Go now.¡± She said as we broke off the hug.


    ¡°Bye Mrs. Jackson!¡± Adrian uttered as he walked out of the house.


    ¡°Bye Adrian! See you soon.¡± Mom replied loudly.


    ¡°Bye Mom!¡± I shouted as I walked out of the open door.


    ¡°Bye darling! Take care of yourself!¡± She shouted back as she stood outside the house.


    I sauntered over to Adrian¡¯s car and dumped my travelling bag in the back of the car before getting into the backseat with him. I waved at Mom through the window as Brandon began to drive.


    Soon, we hit the road and began the ride to the airport.


    I turned my head to look at Adrian who was sitting beside me. His eyes were closed and he rested his head on the headrest making me wonder if he was sleeping.


    ¡°Adrian¡­¡± I called. ¡°Are you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just meditating.¡± He murmured a reply, his eyes still closed.


    ¡°Hmm hmm.¡± I hummed. ¡°Why are you meditating though? Are you nervous about the trip?¡±


    I teased and he chuckled before finally opening his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not nervous, this isn¡¯t my first business trip. I¡¯m just clearing my head is all.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I said and silence fell between us.


    A few minutester, Brandon drove into the parking lot of a quiet airport. I thought it was creepy that an airport is this quiet but what do I know? This was my my first time in an airport.


    Adrian alighted and I got down after him. Brandon also got down and went to take our bags from the back.


    I moved closer to Adrian because of how nervous I was.


    ¡°Adrian, why is this ce so quiet? I thought an airport is supposed to be a crowdy ce?¡± I asked in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet because this is a private airport. We¡¯re the only ones here.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Oh really? I thought we would be taking a public ne.¡± I said in amazement.


    ¡°Nah¡­ Why would I take a public ne when I had a private jet?¡± He stated and my jaw dropped.


    ¡°You have a private jet?!¡± I shrieked.


    ¡°Yes, I own this airport.¡± He answered with a small smile and my eyes went wide.


    He keeps surprising me. Who would have thought that he had a private jet? I¡¯m sure a lot of people would know because of social media but I¡¯m not a social media type of person.


    ¡°Just how many things do you possess? If you have a private jet, then let me guess you also have a private ind somewhere?¡± I uttered sarcastically.


    ¡°Yeah, I actually have a private ind in Hawaii.¡± He said with a smug smirk and I froze in shock.


    ¡°You keep surprising me, making me remember that I really don¡¯t know anything about you.¡± I stated as we came to the ce where the private jet was and I got another shock of my life.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SIXTY NINE

    CHAPTER SIXTY NINE


    **BRIANNA**


    I got another shock when I set my eyes on the jet. The jet was coated in gold! Gold I tell you!


    I turned to face Adrian in surprise.


    ¡°Is that real gold?¡± I asked him dumbly and heughed.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s real gold. You don¡¯t expect to see me having anything to do with fake gold do you?¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really more richer than I thought.¡± I breathed in surprise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. Let¡¯s go.¡± He said as he intertwined his hand with mine and led me up the steps of the jet.


    I was more amazed when we were inside the jet. From where I was standing, I could see that it had eights seats, each the size of a single seater couch. And they even have tables in front of them. I feel like a viger right now.


    ¡°Close your mouth before a fly finds it way inside. Your jaw is practically on the floor right now.¡± Adrian joked and I snapped my mouth close in embarrassment.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I grumbled and sauntered over to one of the seats. I nted my butt on it and a sigh escaped my mouth. It was like thefiest thing I had ever sat on. Adrian kept watching me in amusement as he also sat down on the seat beside me.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.


    ¡°Your reaction is just so funny right now.¡± He said with a smile.


    ¡°Well, sue me for seeing a private jet for the first time then.¡± Iughed and he did the same.


    A female flight attendant came over and we stoppedughing. She had a professional smile on her face and she dressed the part.


    ¡°Good morning sir and ma¡¯am. Will you like anything before the flight takes off?¡± She asked, the smile still on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a bottle of red wine, what do you want?¡± Adrian said and asked me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have an apple juice, thanks.¡± I said with a polite smile.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡± She smiled and walked away.


    ¡°Wow, it kinda feels like a restaurant.¡± I said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He chuckled too and silence fell between us.


    The flight attendant cane back some minutester with Adrian¡¯s red wine and my apple juice. I thanked her before she walked away.


    I was sipping my juice when I heard a booming voiceing from the speakers. It turned out to be the pilot making an announcement.


    ¡°We ask that you fasten your seatbelts and secure your baggages. We take off in a minute.¡± He said.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I don¡¯t even know what Brandon did with our baggages but I was sure that they were safe. I fastened my seatbelt and sat tight, clutching the armrest of the seat.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be taking off now.¡± The pilot announced once again and I closed my eyes tightly. I could almost hear my heartbeat in my ears.


    I felt someone¡¯s hand on mine and opened my eyes to see Adrian staring at me, his eyes filled with amusement.


    ¡°Calm down Brianna and breathe¡­¡± He uttered as he held me and I held on to him like he was my life support.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± I said shakily as I heard a loud noise and felt the jet moving upwards, into the air.


    My eyes were closed the entire time but Adrian held me. I knew that my nails were digging into his skin and I wondered if it was drawing blood, but Adrian didn¡¯t show any sign of pain.


    ¡°You can open your eyes now. We¡¯re up in the sky.¡± Adrian said and I slowly opened my eyes.


    I could see that we were high up through the window. I dragged my eyes to where Adrian and my hands were entwined to see that my fingernails had pierced him and the area was red and there were hints of blood there. I quickly took my hand away and frantically got a hold of my handkerchief to wipe off the blood.


    ¡°Ohhh Adrian¡­ I¡¯m really sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± I stuttered as I cleaned the blood from his hand and he shushed me.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I get that you were scared as it¡¯s your first time in a ne. And it doesn¡¯t even hurt, it¡¯s just nails.¡± He said as he took away his hand.


    ¡°Still¡­ I apologize.¡± I said in remorse. ¡°What can I do to make it up to you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Brianna.¡± He smiled briefly.


    ¡°No, I insist.¡± I pressed on and he seemed to think for a second.


    ¡°Well, if you insist, you can pay me back bying over here and letting me kiss you till I get tired.¡± He said and my jaw dropped at hoe he said it.


    ¡°Adrian!¡± I eximed loudly as I blushed.


    ¡°What? You wanted to pay me back, didn¡¯t you?¡± He asked with a wink.


    ¡°And that was the only thing you could think of?¡± I quirked a brow at him as I smiled.


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t me me for having a dirty mind.¡± He grinned and I shook my head in amusement.


    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly do that while on the jet, you know. It might be dangerous.¡± I said with a worried look.


    ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous, it can only be dangerous when we¡¯re the ne is about to take off ornd.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Ohhh, so I cane over and kiss you now?¡± I asked shyly.


    ¡°Of course you can.¡± He approved with a nod and I unbuckled my seatbelt. I went over to his seat that was beside mine and nted my butt in his rigid thigh. I grabbed the cor of his shirt and brought his head closer to mine before crushing my lips on his.


    ¡°Hmm, feisty. I like that.¡± He grinned boyishly before reciprocating my kiss with the same energy.


    We kept kissing till we ran out of breath. We stopped for a minute to breathe and attacked each other once more, the sexual tension at its peak between us.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SEVENTY

    CHAPTER SEVENTYN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    **BRIANNA**


    I woke up on a bed a few hourster. I looked out the window to see that we were still flying. The flight from California to Spain takes over eleven hours so it¡¯s understandable. Everywhere was dark and my stomach growled, reminding me that thest time I ate was in the morning.


    I strode to the main area of the jet to find Adrian in hisptop. He must be working. Me eyes raked over his body, stopping at the part where his shirt was unbuttoned and I could see his bare chest with curly hair around it.


    He must have seen mee in or noticed that I was seriously checking him out because he raised his head and our eyes locked. A yful smirk formed on his face.


    ¡°Checking me out, huh?¡± He asked yfully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m all yours and I ain¡¯t going nowhere.¡±


    He said that with a wink and my face went hot.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t checking you out.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Hoe could one look so hot?¡± I muttered to myself and went to sit beside him.


    ¡°Huh huh, in sure you weren¡¯t checking me out.¡± He said with a chuckle.


    ¡°What are yoh doing?¡± I asked after he got back on hisptop.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to set some things up for the meeting with the investors.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Oh okay.¡± I said and my stomach growled again at that moment. Adrian raised a brow in amusement while I tried to cover my face with my hair in embarrassment.


    ¡°You hungry?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I answered quietly. ¡°I only ate some slices of bread this morning and I haven¡¯t had anything else ever since then.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ Let me call the flight attendant to get something for us to eat.¡± He said and picked up a telephone that was on the table. He said some words before dropping it. The flight attendant came some minutester.


    ¡°I got your call sir. What would you like to have?¡± She asked with a polite smile and Adrian faced me.


    ¡°What do you have?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°We have smoked salmon, pastries, sandwiches, pasta, fruits, grilled chicken and potato sd.¡± She listed out and I had a hard time thinking of the one I would like to eat. Adrian came to my rescue though.


    ¡°Brianna, would you like to have grilled chicken and potato sd?¡± Adrian asked me and I bobbed my head.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d love that.¡± I smiled at him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have grilled chicken and potato sd then. Pair that with a bottle of red wine.¡± Adrian said to her and she bowed her head before walking away.


    She came back some minutester with our food and a bottle of red wine with two ss cups. She dropped it on the table in front of us and arranged it.


    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯ll like me to get you?¡± She asked when she was done.


    ¡°No, that will be all for now. Thank you.¡± Adrian told her and she left.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± He said as he switched off hisptop and dragged the food closer to us. I picked up a fork and dug into the delicious food.


    ¡°So¡­ There¡¯s been something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you¡­¡± Adrian stated, his voice muffled because of the food in his mouth.


    ¡°Huh? What is that?¡± I asked through a mouthful of food.


    ¡°It¡¯s about your mom. The first time I came to visit, I noticed her eyes and her face. She looks like she¡¯s sick and I also didn¡¯t see your father the times that I hade to your house.¡± He uttered and I dropped my fork, my happy mood turning sour. Adrian seemed to notice that my mood had changed because he started stuttering.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ Sorry for bringing it up, I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± He stammered and I sighed.


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s fine. You deserve to know since I know about your family while you know little to nothing about mine.¡± I said.


    ¡°About my mom, she¡¯s been sick for years now. She was diagnosed with anemia years ago when we were at the lowest point in our family and she had to starve in order to feed me and my sister. Now it¡¯s at the third stage and I¡¯m struggling to buy her drugs because they are so damn expensive and we can¡¯t even think of going to the hospital to treat her because we cant afford it.¡± I exined to him and tears welled up in my eyes. I struggled to hold the tears in but I failed and they slowly began to fall.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, I¡¯m so sorry. She must be the reason you kept up with my asshole behavior this entire time. I¡¯m sorry for treating you like shit in the beginning.¡± Adrian sympathized with me as he engulfed me in a hug.


    ¡°Yeah, I kept up with your attitude because of her and also because of my sister. I didn¡¯t want her to end up like me. I wanted her toplete her education and have a good job in the nearest future.¡± I said through sobs.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± I sniveled and trued to smile but I looked miserable so I stopped trying.


    ¡°You wanted to know what happened to my father too right?¡± I asked, after I had calmed down a bit.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He bobbed his head and I inhaled.


    ¡°My father¡­ He is an asshole. He always drinks and whenever he gets drunk, he turns my mom to a punching bag and hit her anyhow he likes. After everything, he abandoned us and left us for a rich woman and they left the country together. We haven¡¯t heard from him ever since then but it¡¯s better like that. My mom still loves him though. Sometimes, I catch her with a wistful look on her face and I figured that she was thinking about him.¡± I narrated and sniffed.


    ¡°I witnessed how he treated my mom at a very young age and promised myself that I would never fall in love with a man and let him treat me like a piece of shit.¡± I added.


    ¡°Wow, your father sounds like he¡¯s a grade A asshole.¡± Adrian breathed out and Iughed despite how I was feeling.


    ¡°He really is. And I¡¯m d that he¡¯s out of our lives. Things would have been easier for us if he was in our family but we¡¯re doing fine and his presence was not needed so we¡¯re fine.¡± I stated and he nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bringing up the topic. It must be painful for you to talk about.¡± He apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I needed to tell someone, I¡¯ve been keeping it bottled up all this while and it feels good after I told you.¡± I smiled briefly.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± He smiled back. ¡°Let¡¯s eat out food before it runs cold.¡±


    We picked up our forks and dug back into the delicious meal before us.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SEVENTY ONE

    CHAPTER SEVENTY ONE


    **BRIANNA**


    ¡°We will bending in a minute!¡± The booming voice of the pilot woke me up from my nap. I raised my head from Adrian¡¯s shoulder and rubbed my eyes so that I could see clearly. Adrian was also asleep so I tapped him and he woke up.


    ¡°The pilot said that the ne will bending soon.¡± I muttered to him and he nodded.


    ¡°Flight attendants, prepare fornding please. Passengers, sit tight and buckle your seatbelts, we¡¯ll bending now.¡± The pilot announced once more.


    A few secondster, I felt the pressure of the jet moving downwards and I gripped the armrest tightly, just like I did when we were about to take off. Turns out, I was still scared of flying.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, wee to A. C. Private Airport. Local time is 3:26 a. m. and the temperature is warm at 22¡ãC.


    For your safety andfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate that we have parked at the gate and that it is safe for you to move about. At this time, you may use your cellr phones if you wish and they may only be used once the Fasten Seat Belt sign has been turned off.


    Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight.


    If you require dening assistance, please remain in your seat until all other passengers have dened. One of our crew members will then be pleased to assist you.


    On behalf of AC Private Airlines and the entire crew, I¡¯d like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice day/evening/night/stay!¡± The pilot announced and I wondered how he could talk for that long.


    ¡°Wow, that was a long announcement.¡± I breathed and Adrian chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ They¡¯re usually like that whenever the ne is about tond.¡± He responded.


    ¡°So¡­ It¡¯s morning here in Madrid? I heard the pilot say that the local time was 3:26 a. m.¡± I asked Adrian in amazement.


    ¡°Yes, Madrid is nine hours ahead of California. It will be evening back at home, around 6 p. m.¡± He answered with a small smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± I grinned. ¡°It¡¯s amazing how we all live on the same Earth and have different time zones.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± He bobbed his head.


    ¡°Time to alight from the ne.¡± He said and stood up. He put hisptop in a bag while I picked up my bag, the only thing I had brought onboard with me.


    Adrian walked ahead of me and I followed behind him. We went down the short stairs and within a minute, we were out of the Jet and out in the open.


    I closed my eyes and took in a deep breathe, smile forming on my face as I realized the fact that I was in a ce that wasn¡¯t California for the first time in my life.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Adrian came to my side and held my hand as he walked me to a ck Bentley. A man was standing beside it and he smiled when he saw us.


    ¡°Mr. Adrian! Good to see you again!¡± The man said with a wide smile as he moved closer to us and shook hands with Adrian.


    ¡°Miss Brianna, wee to Madrid. I¡¯m Wilfred Owen, Mr. Adrian¡¯s driver here in Madrid.¡± He brought his hand forward andi shook it.


    ¡°Thank you and Nice to meet you, Wilfred.¡± I smiled briefly.


    Wilfred looked like he would be in his forties. He has salt and pepper hair, and scruffy beard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get into the car.¡± Adrian said as he opened the door to the backseat for me and I got in. He slid inside after me.


    The flight attendants and Wilfred had put our bags in the trunk of the car. Wilfred got into the driver¡¯s seat of the car, revved the engine and drove out of the airport.


    There were not a lot of cars on the road as it was very early in the morning. There were lights everywhere and it sort of looked like the whole ce was bright. I couldn¡¯t stop looking around during the ride to wherever we were going.


    Several minutester, Wilfred pulled over in front of a mansion. It looked so beautiful and I wondered who owned it.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Adrian smiled at me as he got down from the car and came over to my side to open the door. He took my hand into his as I alighted.


    We walked towards the house while Wilfred followed behind us with the bags. Adrian held me as we climbed the stairs that led to the front door. The door was an electronic one and it needed a code to open it. Adrian pressed in the code and the door opened on it¡¯s own.


    The house was dark when we stepped in but as Adrian said ¡°Lights!¡±¡­ The lights came on and whole ce was bright. I couldn¡¯t help but gush at how beautiful the living area was. It looked breathtaking. There was even a bar at one side of the room. And a chandelier was dangling from the center of the ceiling.


    ¡°Woah, this is beautiful.¡± I gushed.


    ¡°Yes, it is. This is one of my many mansions.¡± He said and my jaw dropped for the umpteenth time today.


    ¡°You own this ce?!¡± I shrieked loudly and he smirked.


    ¡°Yes, what did you think?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was rented or something. You¡¯re full of surprises, Adrian.¡± I shook my head in surprise.


    ¡°I have this mansion here in case Ie for business or a vacation. It¡¯s far better than staying at a hotel. And I have housekeepers taking care of the ce when I¡¯m not around.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s awesome.¡± Was the only thing that came out of my mouth.


    ¡°Wilfred, thanks for your help.¡± Adrian said as he faced Wilfred.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Mr. Adrian. I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± He bowed slightly.


    ¡°You can go now. Will call you in the morning when we need you.¡± Adrian stated and Wilfred bobbed his head.


    ¡°Alright sir, will be on my way then.¡±


    ¡°See youter, Miss Brianna.¡± He said before walking out the door.


    Adrian faced me after he left.


    ¡°Do you want something to eat before we go to sleep? There should be some food in the kitchen.¡± He asked.


    ¡°Nah, right now, I just want to sleep.¡± I answered, a yawn leaving my mouth.


    ¡°Alright then. Let me take you to the bedroom.¡± He uttered and walked up the stairs and I followed behind him. We arrived in front of a door.


    ¡°This is the master bedroom, you can sleep here. I¡¯ll go sleep in the guest bedroom.¡± He said as he opened the door.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be the other way round? I should be the one sleeping in the guest bedroom.¡± I replied.


    ¡°No, you sleep here. It¡¯s morefortable than the guest bedroom and you need to rest.¡± He said and I sighed.


    ¡°Okay, if you say so.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Yeah, catch some rest. Our meeting with the investors is by 12 p. m.¡± He said and was going to walk away when I pulled him back and gave him a small kiss on the lips.


    ¡°You can go now.¡± I said and slipped into the room, listening to his rich chuckle as I closed the door.


    I looked at the king-sized bed in front of me and grinned. I bet it would be very soft.


    Time to sleep till whenever¡­


    TBC

 CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO

    CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO


    **BRIANNA**


    ¡°Brianna¡­ Wake up.¡± I felt someone tap me but I snuggled closer to the soft pillow.


    ¡°Five more minutes mom¡­¡± I moaned and I heard a deep chuckle that didn¡¯t sound like my mother.


    ¡°Wake up, we¡¯re runningte.¡± I heard again ad the person shook me and I slowly peeled my eyes open. It took a second for me to remember that I wasn¡¯t at home and the person that was waking me was not my mom, but Adrian. I also remembered that I was no longer in California but in Madrid, Spain.


    ¡°Good morning, sunshine!¡± He smiled at me brightly.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± I said and tried to smile at him, but it came out more like a grimace.


    ¡°Ooh, you¡¯re not a morning person.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°I hate mornings.¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we have to go. It¡¯s almost 11 and the meeting with the investors is by 12. And I know it takes a while for y¡¯alldies to get dressed.¡± He uttered and I quickly got out of bed.


    ¡°Thanks for waking me up. Let me go take my bath.¡± I said and went towards the bathroom.


    ¡°Come down for breakfast when you¡¯re done!¡± I heard Adrian say before he walked out of the room.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to take a shower. When I was done, I dressed in a yellow peplum top with sweetheart neckline and a navy blue pantsuit. Ipleted the look with a ck purse and ck open toe heels. I brushed my hair and let it fall down my back. I also applied a little bit of makeup.


    I went down to the living area when I was done and saw Adrian in the dining room. The table was set already with some food on it. I sat down on the chair closest to Adrian.


    The aroma of the food on the table made me salivate.


    ¡°Wow, who made these?¡± I asked Adrian, staring at the breakfast of croissant, egg toast and coffee.


    ¡°The housekeeper, Nadia, made them.¡± Adrian responded as he dug in and I did after him.


    ¡°This is delicious.¡± I gushed after taking my first bite.


    ¡°Yeah, Nadia is one of the best cooks I know.¡± He bobbed his head.


    A few minutester, we were done with breakfast and were about to leave the dining room when a middle-aged woman came in and I immediately assumed that she was Nadia.


    ¡°Adrian! How was the meal?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°It was delicious as always, Nadia. Thank you.¡± Adrian smiled at her briefly.


    ¡°You must be Brianna, how are you?¡± She faced me and asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Nadia. Thanks for the delicious breakfast.¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving now, Nadia. See you when we get back.¡± Adrian said to her and took me by my hand. We walked out of the house together.


    Wilfred was outside already, standing beside a ck Mercedes Benz this time around, and he had a cool smile on his face.


    ¡°Good morning, Wilfred!¡±I greeted.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Brianna!¡± He smiled at me.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Adrian.¡± He greeted Adrian too.


    We got into the car and Wilfred slid into the driver¡¯s seat after us.


    ¡°Where are we going to, Sir?¡± He asked Adrian.


    ¡°The Emerald Pce.¡± Adrian replied.


    ¡°Okay sir.¡± Wilfred said and started the car before driving out of thepound.


    ¡°The Emerald Pce? Where¡¯s that ce?¡± I asked Adrian some secondster.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hotel. That¡¯s where we¡¯ll be meeting with the investors.¡± He responded and I bobbed my head.


    ¡°Ohh, okay.¡±


    As if realization suddenly dawned on him, his eyes grew wide.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Oh shit! Did I mention that the investors we¡¯re meeting with are Spanish?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ You didn¡¯t mention that.¡± I mumbled. ¡°How am I expected tomunicate during the meeting when I don¡¯t understand thenguage the investors are speaking? Cos I don¡¯t understand one bit of Spanishnguage!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ You shouldn¡¯t really worry about that. You don¡¯t have to say anything during the meeting. I understand and speak Spanish so that isn¡¯t a problem.¡± He paused and continued. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do any speaking, you can just take notes.¡±


    ¡°Take notes? I won¡¯t understand any of the things they¡¯re saying!¡± I said exasperatedly.


    ¡°Oh right! Well maybe you can just sit there and stare at my handsome face.¡± He said smugly and I smacked him.


    ¡°Be serious! I can¡¯t just go sit down there like a dumb person and stare at y¡¯all without doing anything. They¡¯ll probably think of me as a stupid bimbo.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t stress over it. I might actually have a solution, you won¡¯t be so jobless during the meeting¡­¡± He said and I red at him when he said the word ¡°jobless¡±. He raised his hands when he saw how I red at him. ¡°You know what I meant by that.¡±


    ¡°Just kidding. What solution do you have?¡± I quizzed.


    ¡°You can just record the whole conversation and trante it to English. After tranting, then you can edit.¡± He stated.


    ¡°That could work. You¡¯re a genius!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Of course I am.¡± He smirked proudly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my phone can do all of that, though.¡± I said.


    ¡°You can use mine.¡± He offered.


    ¡°And remind me to get you a new phone. You need to get rid of the one you¡¯re using at the moment.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°I will get a new phone when I have the money. I don¡¯t want you spending a lot of money on me.¡± I stated.


    ¡°I¡¯m still going to buy you a new phone, there¡¯s nothing you can do to changed my mind.¡± He argued.


    ¡°Whatever you say!¡± I sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Wilfred announced a few minutester and I looked out the window at the tall building that was obviously The Emerald Pce. It must clearly be a five star hotel.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you when we¡¯re done inside.¡± Adrian told him and got down. I alighted after him.


    We walked into the lobby and went straight to the reception. A female receptionist was behind the counter and she had a professional smile on her face.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Bienvenidos al Pcio Esmeralda. ?C¨®mo puedo ayudarte?¡± She asked in Spanish but I didn¡¯t hear a word that she said because I didn¡¯t understand thenguage.


    (Wee to The Emerald Pce. How can I help you?)


    I looked at Adrian to see if he understood what she said and he seemed to understand.


    ¡°?Puede indicarnos diri¨®n del restaqurante, por favor? Tenemos una reuni¨®n con el Sr. G¨®mez y ¨¦l tiene reservas aqu¨ª.¡± Adrian replied her in Spanish and I stared dumbly while they talked.


    (Can you point us to the direction of the restaurant please? We have a meeting with Mr. Gomez and he has a reservation here.)


    After saying some more things that I didn¡¯t understand, Adrian and I were heading towards a ce where I assumed that the meeting was taking ce.


    Adrian looked around when we were inside the hotel¡¯s restaurant and I figured that he was searching for Mr. Gomez.


    ¡°I found him. Come.¡± Adrian led the way to his seat and I followed suit.


    We arrived at the table and two men were sitting there, the two of them looking to be in their Kate 40s.


    They seemed to greet each other and did the introductions in Spanish while I just smiled when Adrian mentioned my name. Soon, the meeting started and I picked up Adrian¡¯s phone to record the whole conversation.


    I¡¯m so going to learn Spanish when I have the time.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SEVENTY THREE

    CHAPTER SEVENTY THREE


    TWO DAYS LATER


    **BRIANNA**


    After two days of meeting with the investors, Mr. Gomez and his partner finally decided to invest in A. C. Robotics (one of thepanies under Adrian¡¯s name) and now, Adrian and I are going out to celebrate.


    ¡°Adrian, where exactly are we going?¡± I asked him for the umpteenth time. This is the question I have been asking him ever since we got into the car and he began driving to God knows where.


    He sighed exasperatedly at my question.


    ¡°You won¡¯t stop asking me this question till I answer you, right?¡± He grumbled.


    ¡°Nope!¡± I said, popping the ¡®p¡¯.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯re going to a club to celebrate our win.¡± He finally answered.


    ¡°Wow, really?¡± I asked, my eyes lighting up.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going to drink and dance. But nobody is getting drunk, at least not me because I have to drive.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s a cool idea.¡± I pped enthusiastically.


    Minutester, Adrian pulled over in front of a building with ¡°The Dinero Lounge¡± written in neon light. We alighted from the car and met a bouncer at the entrance. He asked for our IDs and we showed him before he allowed us entrance.


    Adrian and I walked into the crowded club, grinning ear to ear. My heart was pounding with excitement as we made our way through the throngs of people to the bar. Even though I worked at a club, that club is nothingpared to this one. This club is bigger and there are much more people here than the number of people we got in one week.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    I almost felt overwhelmed by the shing disco lights and the loud music booming from the speakers.


    We got to the bar and sat on the stools beside each other. Adrian waved over the bartender and the guy came. He looked to be in his early twenties and he had tattoos peeking out of his t-shirt.


    ¡°What would y¡¯all like to have?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I dunno, you?¡± I asked Adrian.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have The Golden Grain 190, a whole bottle.¡± Adrian said to the bartender and he nodded before turning away.


    He came back some minutester with the bottle of alcohol and two shot sses in hand. He dropped them and poured small quantities into the sses.


    ¡°Enjoy.¡± He said simply before walking away to attend to another customer.


    I raised up my shot ss and twirled the content in the transparent ss.


    ¡°Is this a very strong alcoholic drink?¡± I asked Adrian.


    ¡°Yeah, it contains 95% of alcohol. You probably shouldn¡¯t drink much.¡± He said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drink to my satisfaction. I¡¯m a strong drinker.¡± I said boastfully. Yeah, I¡¯m exaggerating but Adrian doesn¡¯t need to know that though.


    ¡°Oh really? You¡¯re a strong drinker, eh?¡± He asked teasingly with raised eyebrows. He looked at me over the rim of the shot ss and I squirmed in my seat for reasons unknown to me. Probably because of the intensity of his gaze.


    ¡°Yes, I am a strong drinker.¡± I said with confidence.


    ¡°You sure?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I said coolly.


    ¡°Then I challenge you to a drinkingpetition. First person to give up has to do what the other person wants.¡± He said with a smirk and I gulped. ¡°You in?¡±


    I thought about it for a moment and came to a conclusion that I had nothing to lose.


    ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± I said with a straight face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He uttered and took a swig of the alcohol. I did so after him, the alcohol drink burning my throat. That didn¡¯t stop me though.


    Four shot ssester, my vision was starting to get blurry and I was spewing nonsense. Adrian didn¡¯t look like he was affected by the alcohol. Either he was drunk and knew how to hide it well or the alcohol had no effect on him.


    ¡°Give up now. You¡¯re obviously drunk.¡± Adrian said with a smirk.


    ¡°Never! I¡­ Won¡¯t¡­ Give¡­ Up¡­¡± I managed to form a sentence.


    ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn. Just give up.¡± He said and I  shook my head. The movement made me feel dizzy immediately.


    ¡°Okay fine, there¡¯s no more challenge. It¡¯s over.¡± Adrian said once again and I lifted my eyes to look at his face.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked while batting myshes.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go back to the house now. You look like a mess.¡± He said with a chuckle towards the end.


    ¡°Nooo, I still want to dance!¡± I squealed and stood up from my stool. The moment I got on my feet, my legs felt all wobbly and it was like the world was spinning.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to fall t on your face, Brianna!¡± Adrian called after me but I didn¡¯t listen. I made my way to the dance floor with wobbly legs. I got there and began moving my body to the beat of the music. It got to a point where I bent with my hands on my knees and began to twerk to the song.


    I felt someone creep up behind me and started grinding against my backside. I didn¡¯t have time to take action before I felt myself being yanked away from the guy¡¯s presence. I looked towards the ce I was standing to see that the guy that was grinding against me was on the floor and Adrian was standing above him. Adrian had punched him and he was ready to do that again so despite my drunken state, I stumbled towards him and held his hand.


    The little scene was beginning to draw the attention of the people on the dance floor.


    ¡°Adrian, don¡¯t punch him anymore, let¡¯s go home.¡± I said to him but his fist was still clenched.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I said and he slowly calmed down.


    ¡°We¡¯re going now!¡± He said and grabbed my hand and dragged me to the counter where he paid for the drink before we went out of the club together, him holding me since I was drunk.


    We got to the car and Adrian helped me into the passenger seat without saying anything. He got into the driver¡¯s seat too and began driving. The car was silent some minutes into the drive so I spoke up first.


    ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± I asked while fiddling with my fingers nervously.


    ¡°No.¡± He replied simply, his eyes focused on the road.


    ¡°I feel like you¡¯re mad at me.¡± I pressed on.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯m mad at you!¡± He grumbled. ¡°If you had listened to me and not go dance on the dance floor, one random guy wouldn¡¯t have grinded and groped you!¡±


    He sounded angry and that made me feel bad. But he can¡¯t really me me for it. I me it on the alcohol.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but he didn¡¯t grope me though. He only grinder against me.¡± I said dumbly as if that made things better. He red at me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± He gritted out. ¡°Remind me to not let you drink again.¡±


    ¡°Yes boss.¡± I grinned at him and I saw a small smile appear on his face before he faced the road again.


    Soon, Adrian drove into thepound and stopped the car. He came over to my side and helped me out of the car. We walked into the house together and he assisted me to my bedroom.


    I was still feeling drowsy so I couldn¡¯t walk or do anything else on my own. Adrian sat me on the bed and helped take my shoes off.


    ¡°Do you need to take off your clothes? Or will you sleep in them?¡± He asked me.


    ¡°I want to take off my clothes. I won¡¯t befortable sleeping in them.¡± I answered slowly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind me taking them off for you, do you?¡± He asked again and I shook my head.


    He stripped me off my clothes and I was left in my underwear. I could see his eyes raking over my body and how his eyes lit up with lust obvious in them.


    ¡°Do you need to take off your underwear too?¡± He whispered in his deep voice and I nodded my head animatedly.


    He took off my bra and panties too and he seemed to take in my naked body. I felt my nipples turn rock hard under his intense stare.


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re so beautiful.¡± He breathed and my face turned red.


    I sat on the bed like a fool without having any idea of what to do.


    Suddenly, Adrian¡¯s lips was on mine and my back was against the bed with him on me. I kissed him back with the same vigour, our lips engaging in a battle of dominance in which he won. His hands roamed all over my body, massaging my boobs and tweaking my nipples.


    My hands found their way to his shirt and I started unbuttoning it. It was like the moment I had been secretly wishing for was finallying through. I finally seeded in taking Adrian¡¯s shirt off and I allowed my hands to roam all over his chest and back, pulling him closer to me. He moved his mouth away from mine and trailed it down my chest to my breast and he took a nipple into his mouth and began sucking like he was expecting milk toe out of it.


    He sucked my boobs for minutes, switching between the right and the left while I yed with his nipples. I was about to unbuckle his belt when he seemed toe to his senses because he suddenly flinched and moved away from me like I was burning him.


    ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± He stated apologizing frantically while I looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Trying to have sex with you when you¡¯re not in your right state of mind. You¡¯re drunk so this might as well be considered rape.¡± He said and it was obvious that he was freaking out.


    ¡°Calm down, Adrian. You¡¯re not raping me. I¡¯m enjoying this just as much as you, so what are you saying?¡±


    ¡°No no no. If we want to have sex, I want you to be in your right state of mind and give me consent. Not when you¡¯re drunk and would barely remember anything in the morning.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°But you¡¯ve made me all wet and horny, what am I supposed to do about that?!¡± I cried out.


    I can¡¯t believe that I just said that. Again, I me it on the alcohol.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just go to sleep. The horniness will go away in a few minutes.¡± He said calmly.


    ¡°This is so not fair!¡± I whined like a kid.


    ¡°Shhh, just go to sleep.¡± He said as he covered my naked body with the duvet.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this.¡± I murmured lowly as my eyes began to flutter close. The alcohol was taking the better of me and made me feel sleepy.


    ¡°I know. I regret not doing this too.¡± I heard him whisper.


    Thest thing I remembered before finally drifting off into a dreamless sleep was Adrian kissing me on the forehead and saying ¡°good night¡± before walking out of my room.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SEVENTY FOUR

    CHAPTER SEVENTY FOUR


    **BRIANNA**


    I peeled my eyes open when I suddenly felt the bright rays of sunshine on my face. The first thing my eyes came in contact with was Adrian who had a small smile on his face.


    ¡°Good morning, Sunshine!¡± He greeted cheerily.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I replied out, my voice sounding like a frog¡¯s that I almost couldn¡¯t recognize it.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± I asked, attempting to get into a sitting position but I quickly decided against it when a strong wave of headache hit me.


    I groaned loudly.


    ¡°You probably shouldn¡¯t do that. You¡¯re hungover.¡± Adrian said,ing to sit beside me with a bottle of water and aspirin in hand.


    ¡°Ugh! How much did I drinkst night?¡± I asked, moaning in pain.


    ¡°Around five shot sses, I guess you¡¯re a lightweight because I wasn¡¯t even affected by the drink.¡± He said with a teasing smile.


    ¡°Geez! How did I drink that much?¡± I eximed and took the bottle of water and aspirin from him when he offered them to me.


    I took the aspirin and gulped down the whole bottle of water after.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember? I challenged you to a drinkpetition and you failed, obviously.¡± He said.


    ¡°Oh wow. I don¡¯t remember.¡± I grumbled.


    At that moment, everything that happenedst night came running through my head like I was watching a movie.


    I remembered Adrian challenged me to a drinkingpetition, when I went to the dance floor to dance after I got drunk, how a guy was grinding against my backside while I was dancing. I also remembered how Adrian punched him and the way he dragged me out of the club. I recalled how we almost had sex when we got here and how he stopped when I was about to unzip his pants.


    My face turned red when I remembered that part and on instinct, I covered my face with the duvet.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Adrian asked in concern.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± I grumbled a loud reply.


    ¡°Oh, you remember.¡± He said lowly in realization. He sounded nervous and embarrassed at the same time.


    ¡°Yeah, I remember.¡± I mumbled a reply.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for trying to have sex with you when you weren¡¯t in your right state of mind, I¡¯m very sorry.¡± He apologized. I slowly took the duvet off my face and looked into his eyes.


    ¡°Hey¡­ You don¡¯t need to apologize. I mean, even in my drunk state, I want you to have sex with me. We both wanted it but you didn¡¯t want to do it when I was drunk. I understand you.¡± I responded. Even I didn¡¯t understand what just came out of my mouth. Oh well.


    ¡°Wait what? You want to have sex with me?¡± He asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ We both can¡¯t deny that there¡¯s been this sexual attraction between us. And we¡¯ve been kissing and stuff, I don¡¯t see anything wrong in us having sex.¡± I said with a careless shrug when in fact, my insides were a mess of jumbled emotions.


    ¡°Wow really? Who would have thought that you were attracted to me in a sexual way?¡± He looked surprised yet again.


    ¡°What? Is it bad?¡± I said in an almost haughty manner.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not bad. But I thought you hated my guts.¡± He stated.


    ¡°I did hate your guts. But that was when you were still a narcissistic asshole. You¡¯ve changed now, and I like this new Adrian.¡± I said with a small smile.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m speechless right now.¡± He said with wide eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± I smiled at him.


    Suddenly feeling bold, without knowing where the confidence came from, I got out of bed without bothering to use the duvet to cover my naked self.


    The sunlight shone on my naked body and Adrian openly stared at me, taking in every inch of me. Instead of feeling self conscious, I felt confident.


    ¡°You can close your mouth now. We don¡¯t want flies in your mouth.¡± I said with a smug smirk and he slowly closed his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking gorgeous.¡± He breathed.


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± I said with a dramatic hair flip.


    ¡°Smug witch!¡± He scoffed and I smiled brightly at him.


    ¡°You like me like that.¡± I grinned and walked towards the bathroom to take a bath since I looked like shit.


    I felt Adrian¡¯s eyes burning holes in my body throughout my short walk to the bathroom.


    ¡°Have your eyes turned tosers, Adrian?¡± I asked him teasingly.


    ¡°I guess. Burning holes in your body, I see.¡± He said with a chuckle and Iughed.


    ¡°What are the ns for today?¡± I asked some secondster.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re done with the investors, we¡¯ll have fun for the next three to four days, then we¡¯re going home on the seventh day.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Okay¡­ So what are we doing today?¡± I asked from the bathroom.


    ¡°Well, I thought we could go to Museo Nacional del Prado, the main Spanish art museum here in Madrid.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Hmm, that would be cool.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Yeah, so when you¡¯re done taking your bath, get dressed in some casual clothes and meet me downstairs. Oh, and we¡¯ll be having breakfast in a restaurant.¡± He said.


    ¡°Alrighty, I¡¯ll be down soon.¡± I replied in a loud voice.


    I heard him leave my room some secondster.


    After some minutes, I was out of the bathroom. It took me a while to take my bath because I also washed my hair.


    I wrapped a towel around myself and sat at the vanity. I dried my hair with the hairdryer. After that, I curled the tips and applied a simple makeup. Then I got dressed in a white tank top and blue jeans and blue denim jacket. Ipleted my dressing with a pair of white sneakers.


    I mey Adrian sitting on the couch. He was busy with his phone. I looked at his outfit and saw that he was also wearing the exact same outfit that I wore, but his was with a ck t-shirt. He even had a blue jeans and blue denim jacket on, also a pair of white sneakers too.


    I quirked an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Did you peep while I was dressing up?¡± I asked teasingly.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Perhaps, did you peep while I was dressing?¡± He asked back in a joking tone.


    ¡°I did not!¡± I eximed with augh.


    ¡°Guess we have the same thoughts then. Great minds think alike.¡± He said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± I giggled.


    We looked like a real couple right now. But I didn¡¯t even know what we were. The sexual tension and stuff is there but we¡¯re not dating. Not like I want the both of us to date.


    ¡°So, you ready to go?¡± He asked, breaking into my train of thoughts.


    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± I responded.


    He nodded and checked something on his phone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The Uber I ordered for is here already.¡± He said and stood up from where he was sitting on.


    I looked at him in surprise when he mentioned an Uber.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Uber? We¡¯re not taking the car?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I want to feel a little more human today.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s new.¡± I bobbed my head.


    ¡°I know.¡± He paused and chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s go before the Uber driver cancels our ride because we didn¡¯te out on time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±


    He held my hand and we walked out of the house together, on our way to a restaurant to have breakfast.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE

    CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE


    EVENING; AROUND 7 P. M.


    **BRIANNA**


    We were just getting home after a long day of visiting Museo Nacional del Prado. I must admit, that was the best museum I have ever been to in my life. Not like I have been to any museum, but I have a feeling that that would be the best one ever.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    We saw a lot of paintings by popr artists. Some of them were The Garden of Early Delights, a triptych oil painting by Hieronymus Bosch; we also saw Las Meninas, a painting by Diego Vzquez and we saw the painting ¡°Saturn Devouring His Son¡± by Francisco Goya.


    Saturn Devouring His Son was the one that captivated me the most and I didn¡¯t even know the reason why.


    Back to the present time, Adrian and I just stepped into the house with me on his back. He gave me a piggyback ride on our way home because of how tired I was. Now, he was helping me take off my sneakers.


    ¡°You¡¯re so sweet.¡± I murmured while ying with his hair as he his sitting on the floor in front of me.


    ¡°I do my best.¡± He joked.


    Silence fell between us and I heaved a deep sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± I groaned and Adrian turned his head to look at my face.


    ¡°Oh? What do you want to do?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I mumbled.


    Like a lightbulb was switched on in my head, I suddenly got an idea. But I didn¡¯t know if I was bold enough to do it.


    Adrian must have noticed the look on my face because he raised his eyebrow in question.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± He quizzed.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I replied sharply and I could see that he got more curious.


    ¡°It definitely is something. Now, spill it!¡± He ordered.


    ¡°Fine. I want to dance.¡± I blurted and he looked confused.


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t see why you found it hard to say.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the normal type of dancing.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Now, he looks puzzled as fuck.


    ¡°You know what? Just wait and you¡¯ll see.¡± I murmured.


    ¡°Sit on the couch.¡± I said and he stared at me in confusion.


    ¡°What? What type of dancing do you want to do that requires me to sit on the couch?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No questions! Now sit on the couch.¡± I ordered and his eyes grew wide in surprise.


    ¡°Geez! Feisty much?¡± He said under his breath but I heard him and chose to ignore it. He got on his feet and sat on the couch.


    I stood up and shrugged out of my jacket. I picked up my phone and went to Spotify and picked the song that I wanted to y: Bad Intentions by Niykee Heaton, Migos and OG Parker. When the song began to y, I moved my waist to the rhythm. I looked at Adrian and saw realization dawn on his face. He knew what I was about to do.


    I gyrated to the music and slowly walked closer to him. I ced my hand on his chest and dragged it down to his thighs. I touched his head, neck, chest for some seconds. Then, I kicked his legs apart with my leg and turned around. I ced my ass on his crotch and whined on it. I rolled and bounced my ass on his crotch area for a while.


    When I had done that to my satisfaction, I turned again and ced my legs on either side if him and straddled him. The jeans that I wore made it a little difficult for me, so I slowly shimmied out if the jeans and pulled my tank top over my head. I was now left in my matching bra and panties.


    I straddled him once more and rolled my hips on his thighs. I could feel his dick poking me through his jeans. Feeling more confident in my newly discoveredp dancing skills, I rose a little bit higher and brought my boobs up to his face. He drew closer to my boobs and buried his face in it. I bounced on his crotch a little more and after a while, I got tired of bouncing on his covered dick, so I got off his thighs and kneeled down in between his legs. I unzipped the jeans and dragged it down his legs. He was left in his briefs and t-shirt so I took those off too.


    I got back on his thighs and humped on his dick. I grabbed his dick with my hand and started giving him a handjob while on hisp. He took the bold step of taking my bra off and he started fondling with my boobs and tweaking my nipples.


    Some minutester, I got on my knees and guided his erect eight inches dick into my mouth. I licked around the cap for a while before finally taking all of it into my mouth. I bobbed my head as I sucked him.


    ¡°Oh my¡­ Have you done this before? You¡¯re an absolute expert.¡± He groaned with pleasure.


    I took his dick out of my mouth for a while and replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t done this before, this is my first time.¡±


    ¡°Years of watching porn and reading smut are finally paying off.¡± I added with a grin.


    When I noticed that he was close to cumming, I was about to mount him and insert his dick into my pussy but he grabbed my hand and stopped me.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, your time of taking control is over. Now it¡¯s my turn.¡± He said with a dark look on his face and I shivered in delight.


    He picked me up easily and threw me unto the couch, then he kneeled between my legs and brought his head to my crotch. I felt him inhale my musky scent. I felt his hand on the waistband of my panties and thought that he was going to take it off me but instead, he tore it off. I gasped in surprise.


    I had a sensation of someone blowing hot breath on my pussy so I looked and saw Adrian staring and breathing it in.


    ¡°Your pussy looks so good to eat.¡± Hemented and I turned red. A secondter I felt a warm mouth on my pussy and he began sucking my juices. My legs quaked and if I wasn¡¯tying on the couch, my legs would have given out.


    After he was done eating me out, he finally took his mouth off my pussy and knelt between my thighs. He dragged his dick around the outer part of my pussy to collect some juices. Then, he prated me with his dick.


    I felt ufortable immediately his dick prated me. I tried to adjust to it but I only felt pain. He tried to get another inch into me but he suddenly stopped when he realized that I was very tight. He eyes grew wide in shock and he stared at me.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± He murmured, still looking dumbfounded.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m a virgin.¡± I responded lowly.


    ¡°Oh my goodness! Why didn¡¯t yoh tell me? Do you want me to stop? I don¡¯t want to be the reason you¡¯re feeling pain.¡± He said with concern and was going to pull out but I clenched my pussy around his dick and crossed my legs around him to keep him in ce.


    ¡°This is the reason I didn¡¯t want to tell you. I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t want to have sex with me if you discovered that I was a virgin.¡± I said in a low voice.


    ¡°Oh Brianna. Well, if you want it, I¡¯ll have sex with you. Do you want it?¡± He asked, a look of concern on his face.


    ¡°Yes, I want it.¡± I nodded my head with a pout and he smiled.


    ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re so beautiful.¡± He inclined his head and took my lips for a kiss.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be gentle. I don¡¯t want you to feel much pain.¡± He said and I bobbed my head .


    He slowly prated me, inch by inch until he was finally inside me. Then, he began to move slowly. For the first two to five minutes, all I felt was pain, like someone forcefully shoved a stick into my pussy. But after that, the pain gave way too pleasure and I was moaning like something else.


    ¡°You like that?!¡± Adrian asked loudly over the sound of my loud moans and the sound of skin pping skin.


    ¡°I love it!¡± I shouted back.


    A few minutester, I felt my orgasm creep up on me and I came so hard that I was almost out of breath. Adrian also came a minuteter and I felt him pouring his seeds into me. I clenched my pussy around his dick and milked him dry.


    After we came, we went two more rounds before we got tired and we slept off on the couch, with my head on Adrian¡¯s chest.


    TBC


    A/N: Hey lovelies, I¡¯ll like to read yourments on this chapter. This is the first ever sex scene I have written and I hope you like it. So please, drop yourments when you¡¯re done reading. (???)

 CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX

    CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX


    **BRIANNA**


    I was woken up by the loud sound of the blendering from downstairs. It sounded like a machine was in the house or something. I looked around me and noticed that I wasying on the blood and was covered by the duvet. I raised the duvet and saw that I was naked underneath it. It was at that moment, I remembered everything that happenedst night. My cheeks med hot when I remembered every single details of what happened. How will I face Adrian after what happenedst night?


    A frustrated groan left my mouth.


    After some minutes, I heard footstepsing towards my room so I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I heard him walk into the room and I also heard the tter of something being dropped on the bedside table. I peeled my eyes open slightly to see what he was doing and I saw him open the curtains, letting the sunlight inside and the room became brighter.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re awake.¡± I heard him say, with his back facing me and I flinched slightly. He must be a wizard, cause what the heck. Does he have eyes at his back?


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± I mumbled. Yeah, that was a dumb thing to do. He suddenly turned around to look at me. My face turned burned in embarrassment at the intensity in which he was staring at me with a type of feeling in his eyes.


    ¡°Good morning, beautiful.¡± He greeted as he came over to my side and kissed me on the forehead.


    ¡°Good morning, handsome.¡± I responded with a smile.


    ¡°I trust you had a good night?¡± He stated, more like asked, with a smirk on his face that I wished to wipe off.


    ¡°Of course, I had the best night of my life.¡± I replied with a chuckle.


    ¡°I brought you breakfast.¡± He said as he picked up the tray from where he dropped it on the bedside table and held it out to me. I sat up on the bed with the duvet clutched tightly to my chest.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to hide it, I¡¯ve seen and felt and even tasted everything, remember?¡± He said with that arrogant smile on his face. That¡¯s one of the things that makes Adrian, Adrian. Smug bastard.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t cover my body when I need to.¡± I said snarkily and red at him but he only chuckled.


    I finally collected the tray of food he had been holding out to me and ced it on myp. There was a te of toast, scrambled eggs and bacon and then there was a cup filled with an orange colored semiliquid thingy.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked Adrian, pointing at the cup.


    ¡°Carrot, apple and orange blended together to make a smoothie. It¡¯s healthy plus it will give you energy in case we want to go for another round this morning.¡± He said thatst bit with a wink and I blushed heavily in embarrassment. I picked up one of the pillows and threw it at him. He easily caught it with one hand.


    ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re a pervert?¡± I asked him with a yful re.


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re not the first one to tell me this, I¡¯ve heard it a number of times.¡± He smiled and I shook my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re insufferable.¡± I said with a roll of my eyes before I began to eat.


    After a few minutes of eating in silence with Adrian watching me like I was the most interesting thing ever, I was finally done with my food.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the n for today?¡± I asked him after wiping my mouth with a napkin. He was still looking at me.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to an amusement park, one of the best in Madrid.¡± He stated and I looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I asked, just to be sure.


    ¡°Yes, why?¡± He asked back.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were the type to go to an amusement park.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Why? Am I too old for it?¡± He quizzed.


    ¡°Definitely not. I guess I assumed that you were too serious for it.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too old and sometimes, o secretly enjoy feeling like a kid again.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get ready then.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Wait a moment, I have something to discuss with you.¡± He said and that made me curious.


    ¡°What¡¯s that? I¡¯m all ears.¡± I stated.


    ¡°About your mother¡¯s condition¡­ You said that there was no money to take her to the hospital to take care of her. So, I¡¯m going to pay for all of her treatments.¡± He said and my eyes grew wide.


    ¡°Are you for real?¡± I asked him in surprise.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied simply.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly ept this¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°You have to. And I¡¯m getting you that new phone today.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°This is too much.¡± I said, tears already beginning to well up in my eyes because this almost seemed unbelievable.


    I had been struggling to pay for my mom¡¯s drugs and now, Adrian offered to pay for her treatments. He is like an Angel sent to me, only that he definitely doesn¡¯t look like an Angel, bit he is my personal Angel.


    ¡°How can I thank you?¡± I mumbled, tears already falling down from my eyes.


    ¡°By giving me that sexyp dance you didst night. That would be the best gift ever.¡± He said with a smirk and for once, I loved the sexy and arrogant smile on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely give you that sexyp dance.¡± I said with a chuckle despite the tears that were falling.


    ¡°That¡¯s my good girl.¡± He winked. ¡°Now go take your bath and dress up. We¡¯ll be leaving for the amusement park soon.¡± He said and stood up.


    He was about to walk out of my room when I stopped him.


    ¡°Erm¡­ Would you like to join me in the bathroom? That¡¯s if you haven¡¯t taken a shower already of course.¡± I said quickly and he turned around with a fiery look in his eyes.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t turn down an offer like that, not even if I¡¯ve taken a shower.¡± He stated as he took of his t-shirt and I was greeted by the sight of his hot chest. Best view ever if you ask me and I¡¯ll like to see that awesome sight for the rest of my life.


    He walked into the bathroom and I got in after him. Well, let¡¯s just say that the shower was one of the best ones I¡¯ve ever had in my life.


    TBC

 CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN

    CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN


    TWO MONTHS LATER


    **BRIANNA**


    Adrian really fulfilled his promise about paying for my mom¡¯s treatment. After we came back from our trip to Spain, Adrian got in contact with his personal doctor and my mom was admitted in their hospital. She has been in the hospital for a month and few weeks now and finally got home today.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have you home, mom.¡± I said as I hugged her again. She was looking more healthy and wasn¡¯t as skinny as she was before.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be home.¡± She chuckled as she hugged me back. I missed inhaling her flowery scent.


    ¡°Thanks for everything, Adrian. I couldn¡¯t imagine this happening without your help.¡± I said to Adrian who was sitting on the couch and he smiled at me briefly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, no need for you to thank me.¡± He uttered.


    ¡°Okay! What do y¡¯all want for lunch? Homemade food or should we order?¡± I asked enthusiastically.


    ¡°We should definitely order.¡± Marianna chipped in excitedly.


    ¡°Pizza and soda, anyone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Everybody answered.


    ¡°Alright people, lunch is on me.¡± I stated as I went to pick up my phone; the new iPhone Adrian bought for me two months ago. I made a call and ordered two boxes of pizza with four different types of sodas ording to each of our preferences.


    I went to sit beside Adrian after making the call. He sped his hand on mine and I looked down at our hands. We fit so we¡¯ll together. After we had sex two months ago in Madrid, we didn¡¯t stop there. We kept having our fun when we got back and we have even done in multiple times in our office. The people at work have caught on that something was between me and Adrian a d they were not wrong. I do hear them gossiping about our rtionship from time to time but I usually just turn deaf ears to the gossips and smile. Despite how close me and Adrian have gotten, I didn¡¯t exactly know what we were. He hasn¡¯t asked me out and I couldn¡¯t tell if we were just hooking up or if it was something more serious. To me though, it is something serious and I remember saying that I wouldn¡¯t love any man or be in a rtionship because of how my mom turned out but I have had a rethink now, and I happen to love this man, this asshole beside me. I haven¡¯t told him and I don¡¯t know he felt about me.


    ¡°What¡¯re you thinking about? You look like you¡¯re troubled by something.¡± He whispered into my ears and that snapped me out of my deep thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just thinking about some meaningless things.¡± I shrugged nonchntly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think meaningless things will make you look worried like that.¡± He stated. Observative smartass.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s really nothing.¡± I said once more and he was about to say something when the doorbell rang.


    ¡°Looks like the pizza is here!¡± I said and practically flew out of my seat to answer the door. Phew! The doorbell saves the day.


    I opened the door and indeed the delivery guy was there with two boxes of pizza and a bag of soda in hand. I collected them from him and paid him, also adding a tip of ten dors. He smiled brightly at me before turning on his heels and leaving our doorstep. I closed the door and got back into the sitting room.


    ¡°Who¡¯s ready for pizza?¡± I asked cheerily as I dropped the boxes and bag on the table. Pizza seems to make everybody happy.


    Mom and Marianna shared a box while Adrian and I shared the other box. I picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite out of it before chewing. Almost immediately after chewing and swallowing, I felt nauseous and began to feel the sensation of the fooding up my throat. I ced my hand over my mouth and hastily ran to the nearest bathroom.


    ¡°Brianna! What¡¯s wrong?¡± I heard mom¡¯s worried voice as I ran to the bathroom.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry ma. I¡¯ll go after her.¡± I heard Adrian say to her before hearing the sound of footsteps running after me.


    I got to the bathroom and puked the content in my mouth into the water closet. I felt someone walk up behind me and held up my hair for me. It has been like this for a while; if I eat some foods, I¡¯ll end up vomiting the food for God knows why. I think I know the reason but I didn¡¯t want to think about that.


    After vomiting everything into the water closet, I flushed and rinsed my mouth with water from the faucet.


    ¡°Are you okay? Are you sick?¡± Adrian asked worriedly when I was done.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. It might just be a fever or something. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I answered weakly and began to walk out of the toilet.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a fever? It might be something worse. Do you want to see a doctor? I can get you to my doctor.¡± He said quickly, worried all over his face and I stopped walking. I ced my hand on his chest and smiled at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t like hospitals, I hate the smell of injections and drugs and stuff.¡± I said.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡± He said and exhaled heavily but he still didn¡¯t look convinced.


    We got back to the sitting room and two pairs of eyes were staring at me worriedly.


    ¡°Are you okay, Brianna?¡± Mom asked and I could swear that she looked suspicious.


    ¡°Yes, mom. I¡¯m fine and if I¡¯m not, I will be.¡± I answered and she hummed, which I found a little weird because mom was only like this when she observes something and doesn¡¯t want to talk.


    ¡°Okay, mom, spill.¡± I sighed and rested my back on the chair.


    ¡°What? There¡¯s nothing for me to say.¡± She said.


    ¡°You and I know that you have something to say, mom.¡± I stated and she chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant.¡± She said simply, without mincing words and my eyes grew on surprise.


    ¡°What? That can¡¯t be. How did you know?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, the symptoms are all over you and it¡¯s only a blind person that cannot see it.¡± She replied.


    She just confirmed my suspicions, I was afraid to admit this. I had been noticing some symptoms for the past two weeks; things like puking, morning sickness, my breasts were tender and I missed my period but I just kept denying it.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I have been noticing the symptoms for two weeks now.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Did I hear this right? You¡¯re pregnant?!¡± Adrian asked loudly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I muttered with a snivel. Tears were beginning to trickle down my face as this was not how I nned my life to be. I didn¡¯t n to fall in love, neither did I n to get pregnant for a man that I¡¯m not dating. Everything¡¯s just messed up.


    ¡°Are you crying? Why are you crying?¡± Adrian got beside me and engulfed me in a hug.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t how I envisioned my life to be.¡± I wailed.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like the fact that you got pregnant for me?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± I paused and sniffed. ¡°All of these, I didn¡¯t n for it to happen. It all just happened all of a sudden. I never wanted to get into a rtionship with a man.¡±


    I was full-on crying at this point.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay.¡± He patted me on the back and kissed me on the forehead.


    ¡°I love you and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± He stated and I raised my head up to look at his face, I was in shock. He just said the ¡°L¡± word.


    ¡°You love me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, I do. You¡¯re the only woman that made me realize how much of an asshole I was, you didn¡¯t worship me like any other woman and most of all, you changed me, that is not something a lot of women can boast about.¡± He uttered and I smiled despite my tears.


    ¡°I promise to love you and our unborn baby no matter what.¡± He added and wiped the tears of my face.


    ¡°I love you so much, Adrian, even though you¡¯re quite an asshole.¡± I said and he chuckled.


    ¡°I am your asshole and I hope I will be your asshole forever.¡± He smiled, dipped his head and took my lips in his for a deep kiss.


    THE END!

 CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT

    ?ADRIAN?


    After I found out that Brianna was pregnant two months ago, I told her to move in with me so that I could monitor her and my baby. She was hesitant at first, giving excuses that she needed to be with her mom and sister, but they told her that she was free to stay with me.


    She even tried to divert me from making her move in with me by telling me that she needed to work but I reminded her that I was her boss and she wouldn¡¯t have to be working. She finally gave in after much deliberation and I was the most joyous man on earth the day she finally agreed.


    Right now, we were on my bed; her head was on myp while I tried to braid her hair which I was terrible at, but I still kept going.


    ¡°Babe?¡± She suddenly spoke up after minutes of silence.


    ¡°Yes? What¡¯s up?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± She mumbled and I look at her in surprise.


    ¡°Starving? But you just ate a full te of Mac and cheese, alongside some fruits and a whole bottle of apple juice about an hour ago.¡± I responded.


    That was a wrong move from my side. I should have kept quiet and listened to her but I just had to open my big mouth.


    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m hungry now!¡± She cried out. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s the baby that wants the food and not me.¡±


    I was about to talk but she cut me off before I could.


    ¡°And need I remind you that you put the baby inside of me? You just had to forget to use a condom, and you couldn¡¯t pull out.¡± She uttered hysterically.


    ¡°Well technically, the egg that turned into the baby was already inside you but I just helped in fertilizing¡­ yeah, I should shut up now.¡± I said, stopping my sentence halfway because of the deadly re she was directing at me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to teach me Biology, I went to school too, even though I didn¡¯t get toplete it.¡± She hissed and I smiled as I tried to hug her to calm her down but she resisted.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Babe. I shouldn¡¯t have questioned why you wanted to eat. You¡¯re  a strong woman and a Queen for carrying a whole human being inside of you. Forgive me, huh?¡± I uttered, apologizing to her with a pout on my face and her expression softened.


    ¡°You¡¯re forgiven.¡± She said with a smile and I grinned.


    ¡°Thanks for forgiving me, Your Majesty.¡± I spoke up with a mock bow and sheughed.


    ¡°Cut it out.¡± She said in-betweenughter and I chuckled.


    ¡°Now, tell me what you will like to eat. I will tell the maids to prepare it for you.¡± I stated and she frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the maids to cook for me. You¡¯ll be the one doing the cooking.¡± She said with authority and I stared at her in surprise.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± I quizzed.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± She replied while bobbing her head and I sighed.


    ¡°Anything for you.¡± I responded coolly even though I was panicking inside. I didn¡¯t know shit about cooking asides from boiling water, scrambling eggs and toasting bread. I prayed she won¡¯t tell me to make someplicated food.


    ¡°So, what do you want to eat? Have you decided yet?¡± I asked her. Ever since she got pregnant, she always had a tough time deciding on what to eat and she usually spent a lot of time thinking of the food, only to end up picking the weirdestbo ever out of the many types of food there are in the world.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve got it!¡± She shouted excitedly and I waited patiently to hear what she had to say.


    ¡°The food I¡¯ll like to eat is¡­ Macaroni and cheese with bacon strips.¡± She uttered and I sighed in relief. Now, that didn¡¯t seem tooplicated.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± I quizzed.


    ¡°Nope.¡± She responded, popping the ¡°p¡± with extra sass. ¡°I want the macaroni to be in, and the cheese should be melted separately. They would be in different bowls. The bacon strips should be fried with olive oil and it should be very crispy.¡±


    ¡°You got it. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I want a smoothie too. You should make that one before you start with the food.¡± She uttered.


    ¡°Alright, any specific fruitbinations you¡¯ll like?¡± I questioned tiredly, but I tried not to let it show on my face. I felt like a waiter at that point and I wasn¡¯t even being paid for it.


    ¡°Apple, banana, hazelnut, ginger, mango, orange¡­¡± I cut her off before she could continue.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re just mentioning random fruits at this point.¡± I stated and she red at me.


    ¡°That is what the baby wants!¡± She snapped and I bobbed my head in agreement.


    ¡°Right¡­ Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is all. You can go now.¡± She said, shooting me off like I was a servant but I wasn¡¯t protesting.


    I got off from the bed and began walking towards the door. I was about to step out of the room when she spoke up, stopping me from taking any steps further.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m bothering you?¡± I heard her ask in a low voice and I turned around instantly, worried that something had happened to her within the seconds that I got up.


    I looked at her and saw that she had tears in her eyes and I ran to her side to give her a hug.


    ¡°No, why would you think so?¡± I questioned and she sniveled.


    ¡°Well, you look stressed and I¡¯m just realizing that I¡¯m disturbing you with my cravings.¡± She replied in the same low voice and I cradled her like the big bay that she was.


    ¡°To answer your question, you¡¯re not bothering me. I¡¯m just doing what any partner in his right mind would do when his girlfriend is pregnant.¡± I said to her softly. ¡°And the pregnancy concerns you as much as it concerns me. You¡¯re already doing so much by carrying the baby, the least I can do is try to satisfy you in every way I can.¡±


    ¡°Aww, you¡¯re too kind¡­ and so sweet too.¡± She said, her voice sounding muffled because her mouth was on my shirt. She was sniffing in my scent as she had been doing for the past few weeks. That was an habit that she developed ever since we started living together.


    ¡°Yeah, only for you though. The rest can fuck a tree for all I care.¡± I responded and she giggled.


    As if suddenly remembering something, the sad expression on her face changed to a stern one.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What are you still doing here? Go and start preparing my food.¡± She whined and I scrambled off the bed immediately, not wanting to get her angry.


    ¡°You have seven minutes to make that smoothie, I¡¯ll be waiting!¡± She shouted from the bedroom and I quickened my steps to kitchen because if I spent more than seven minutes in preparing the smoothie, I would wake up the monster in her.


    As I walked to the kitchen, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I was getting karma for all I did to Brianna when she was working as my personal assistant. If it was, I would face every bit of it because I deserved it.


    Who would have thought that thedy I got fired some months back will turn out to be the mother of my unborn child? If a soothsayer had said it to me, I would have punched him or her on the face for saying crap. But here I am now, being an errand boy for the samedy. A whole CEO being the maid of his former assistant.


    Fate really has a way of doing things.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!