35. Don’t pretend to be reluctant

Briella didn't mind the judgmental looks she received from the employees of Star Agency when she showed up there again after her two-week disappearance. She had intentionally ignored Xander's calls in the past few days because Braun had been clingy, insisting that she attend to him first. They had spent five days in his Penthouse, making the most of their time alone without anyone interrupting. He didn't go to his office and left all his tasks to Luigi. His assistant tirelessly made trips to the Penthouse to deliver urgent documents that couldn't be delayed. Briella almost felt sorry for him, as Braun didn't even allow him to enter the Penthouse; he had to stop at the elevator. Braun indeed upheld his statement that they couldn't be disturbed by anyone, and Chelsey was not allowed to bother them, too. 'Look who's back?" Briella halted when she heard Matilda's voice. She exchanged glances with Chelsey but remained silent and continued walking. Matilda followed them with her assistant, who gave them disdainful looks. 'I heard you went to Bali to breathe some fresh air. Is that why you missed your appointments and your bragged-about contract with that lousy company got postponed?" Matilda asked, clearly wanting to provoke Briella. Briella didn't respond and discreetly warned Chelsey not to be affected by Matilda's words. She knew that if Matilda couldn't find anything on them, she would eventually stop bothering them. They stopped walking when they reached Xander's office. Briella was about to enter when Matilda blocked her path and gave her a sharp look. 'I'm talking to you, Briella. Don't be rude. My position in this company is still higher than yours because I'm one of the respected models and am in demand. Whereas you," she glanced at Briella from head to toe with disgust. Briella raised an eyebrow and sighed. 'Perhaps you've forgotten that I'm the fiancée of the company you're working for. And to remind you, you wouldn't even be in your current position if the two of you hadn't begged me repeatedly to replace you at the events where you should have been the one to represent." Her words took Matilda aback. Her face suddenly drained of colour as she heard various comments from the employees who had stopped due to her attempt to humiliate Briella. 'What are you all looking at? Fck off!" Matilda snapped at the employees. 'Don't boast about being Xander's fiancée because I assure you, you'll just end up hurt in the end." She didn't let Matilda's words affect her, but deep down, she wanted to shut her mouth and reveal the truth about their disgusting behaviour. However, if she did that now, she wouldn't be satisfied with the outcome. 'Chelsey, can you open the door for me? Tell my fiancé I'm here, and I can't come in because someone is blocking my way," she instructed Chelsey while staring straight at Matilda. Chelsey was about to open the door when Matilda's assistant blocked her. 'What the fck? Do you think you can stop me?" Chelsey snapped at Matilda's assistant. 'Orders are orders, Chelsey," Jovert said with a smirk. Chelsey pushed him aside, and from the corner of her eye, she saw him approaching and stepping on his foot hard. Jovert yelped in pain, and they exchanged glances again with the employees before the door opened. Xander looked at them in surprise. 'What's happening here?" he asked, bewildered. 'All of you, inside!" he ordered and entered his office. She saw Matilda's head almost explode, and she shot her a sharp look before the latter entered the office, followed by her assistant, who limped due to Chelsey's action. 'Why didn't you tell them the truth? You're letting that btch insult you. If I were in your place, I would have shut that jerk up long ago!" Chelsey said with frustration. 'We've talked about this, Chelsey. It's not the right time for them yet. I'm just starting, and I plan to handle them on my own terms. Wouldn't it hurt more if they fall flat on their faces?" she reasoned with her. They exchanged glances again and entered the office together. Briella raised an eyebrow when she saw Matilda crying and seeking comfort from Xander. She took a deep breath to suppress her laughter; this was utterly shameless. 'She started it. I told her I wanted to talk to you about my contract signing with Sun Glow Fashion, but she suddenly stopped me from entering," Matilda said between sobs. She inwardly chuckled and grinned. Was Matilda still hoping to win Xander back? Pathetic! Xander let out a frustrated sigh and looked at her. 'Is that true?" he asked. 'Do I need to explain myself?" she raised an eyebrow. 'Even if I say no, would you believe me? We talked about this last night, Xander." Matilda stopped crying and looked at her, then turned to Xander. Does it mean Xander didn't inform Matilda about his call to her and his attempts to reconcile? Matilda's expression changed, but she quickly turned away from her and faced Xander. She wanted to laugh at the man's expression; she knew he was furious. 'Xander, I want to talk to you... in private. You called me last night, and you wanted to fix everything, and I couldn't sleep well because I was thinking about what you said," she said with a tone meant to tease Matilda further. She wanted to convey to the woman that as long as she held the title of Xander's fiancée, she had no right to the man. At the upcoming press conference at Sun Glow Fashion, she would reveal a series of revelations, and that wouldn't happen if she let Xander think she still had a hold on him. She could see the irritation in Xander's eyes and his annoyance with her actions. He wasn't comfortable doing this, but did he have a choice? Could he ignore someone like her for a mediocre and trying-hard Graded B Model? 'If you can't, I'll just leave," she said, signalling Chelsey to leave the office. She couldn't stand the stench of rotting garbage anymore. 'I-I'll call you after," he said to her. She raised an eyebrow and shrugged. 'So you really choose to be with her rather than talk to me?" Xander paused, and Matilda gasped and looked at her. 'What does it matter to you if he chose me over you?" Matilda retorted. She ignored her and looked straight at Xander, waiting for him to speak and decide. 'I won't repeat what I said, Xander. If you've truly changed and you intend to fix our relationship, it's up to you. I'll just let you know that I'm only here now because of what you said. Once I leave your office, you won't be able to talk to me properly anymore. I've had enough of your promises. From now on, you'll have to work hard to earn the second chance you're asking for," she said thoughtfully and emotionlessly to him, then turned to Chelsey. 'Let's go, Chelsey." She turned away and approached the door, about to turn the knob, when she heard his voice. 'Wait," he said. A corner of her lips lifted. 'What?" she said casually, not facing him, waiting for him to speak. She heard him let out a deep sigh, which made her smile even more. 'Come back here, Briella, and we'll talk. Matilda, you can go. We'll talk later," he said. A beautiful smile spread across her lips. She knew Xander wouldn't miss the chance to talk to her again because he knew she wasn't joking anymore. She had made it clear to him last night that she knew he was cheating on her. She didn't mention the name of his other woman, but she made it clear that she would never forgive her, and she would take back the money she lent him to secure his position as CEO of Star Agency. **** Matilda angrily threw her bag on the long sofa upon arriving at her office; she couldn't believe that Xander had chosen to dismiss her over that woman! 'To hell with that btch!" she cursed angrily while pounding her stomach. 'Miss, calm down, don't hurt the baby", Jovert tried to soothe her. She shot him a sharp look. 'Shut your fcking mouth, Jovert! Do you want to expose this matter to the whole world?" she snapped at him. Her assistant cowered and apologized to her. 'Don't you ever talk about this damn thing inside me! You know why I let it live inside me," she said, storming towards the mini-bar in her office. Her dressing room was only on the first floor because the second floor was reserved for Grade A Models, but Xander had it arranged according to her preferences. She had her mini-bar there and could do whatever she wanted. It was spacious and had a bedroom for her to rest in any time she wanted. However, that matter was a secret, purposely arranged by her and Xander to pass the time when they were together. She forcefully exhaled and gulped down the whiskey in her glass; the strong liquid burned her throat, but she ignored it and poured another. Briella's words kept lingering in her mind. Did she talk to Xander? What did they talk about? A second chance?! Why don't I know anything about this? She raged in her mind. Automatically, her hand landed on her stomach; it seemed to have become her pastime when she was this angry. She hit her stomach a few times as if that was her way of letting the child inside her know that she didn't accept it and it was worthless. 'I want to know what's going between them," she said, looking at Jovert, who stood quietly by the door with his head bowed. 'Jovert, I want you to go there and try to overhear their conversation. I want to know what they're talking about and if that jerk is planning to change his mind." Jovert hesitated and looked at her. 'What?" she snapped at him. 'Miss, Sir Xander's office is soundproof. No matter what I do, I won't be able to hear their conversation unless the door is open and—" She cut him off and threw her glass at him. He quickly dodged, but the glass hit the wall, creating a loud noise and shattering on the carpeted floor. The smell of whiskey permeated the room. 'M-Miss..." her startled assistant stammered. 'Do something! I want to know what they're talking about behind my back," she exclaimed, even though she knew her order was impossible to execute since Xander's office was soundproof. Now she wanted to confront Xander and scream at him for doing this in his office! 'M-Miss, why don't you just scare Xander?" Jovert suggested cautiously. She paused and looked at him, straightened up, and spoke again. 'Briella is threatening Xander and using their engagement to control him. You could also use the child in your womb as a threat," he explained. 'And you think I'm not doing that?" she retorted. 'I-I mean, why don't you show him that you're hurting yourself? Maybe if Sir sees it, he'll change his mind and leave Briella for good. If you can secure the Sun Glow Fashion contract, your projects will surely continue. When they see your talent, Miss Janice Ortega will surely recommend you to the judges to be nominated for the Asian Runaway Awards. When that happens, the offers you'll receive will be bigger, and Sir Xander won't need Briella's wealth anymore. You will rise, and you'll be known worldwide as one of the most famous and highest-paid models," Jovert elaborated. She fell into deep thought, processing her assistant's words. Soon enough, a broad smile spread across her lips. 'You have a point there," she said, pouring herself another drink. So all I need to do is call Miss Janice Ortega and offer myself to her. She muttered to herself. Not a bad idea. I'll easily trap her with my charm now that I know something about that woman. 'Jovert, I want you to contact Miss Janice. Do everything you can to persuade her to meet me tonight at a private hotel, and while you're at it, hire a reporter to secretly take photos of Janice entering that hotel. Also, make a public post of me entering the same hotel. I'll talk to Xander about this plan later; I'll show him that I can handle things on my own," she said with a grin, taking a sip from her glass. Jovert nodded and quickly excused himself to carry out her orders. She laughed and poured herself another drink. You're about to be outsmarted, Briella. Prepare yourself! I'll crush you and return you to the rotten area where you belong. I'll make sure even your family will disown you once they find out that the man you chose also left you and made you look like a fool! Meanwhile, inside Xander's office, he and Briella faced each other. She stared at him intensely, her face devoid of any emotion. In truth, he was breaking into a cold sweat, unsure of how to begin explaining to her. He didn't know where she got the evidence that he was with another woman on the day they were supposed to meet. 'Briella, I—" Don't even try to explain yourself, Xander. It's a waste of time. You know how angry I can get," she interrupted him. 'I want to know why you did this to me." He took a deep breath and bowed his head. Damn! What should I do? Should I plead with her or blame her? He clenched his fists under his desk. Why should I beg her? She wants to know the truth. Fine, I'll tell her! He straightened up and leaned back in his chair, putting on a calm facade like her, devoid of any emotion. 'I didn't mean it. That night, I celebrated with my friends at the bar. I met a woman there, and due to my drunkenness and not knowing what I was doing, something happened between us. She invited me to her condo, and we went there..." He paused, struggling to mention that thing. One of Briella's traits that he knew couldn't be changed was that she couldn't stand seeing him helpless and hurt. She loved him, and that's why she had lent him two million before starting this Agency. Briella also gathered some of the stockholders, so she further boosted his company. That's why he couldn't let her go; she could meet his financial needs while Matilda took care of his emotional and physical needs. He had everything and did not intend to let go of the two women. He loved Matilda, but she couldn't provide him with the financial support Briella could, and vice versa. 'I'm a man, Briella, wealthy and the owner of a famous Agency. Temptations surround me, and no matter how much I avoid them, once I'm cornered, I can't escape. But does it matter? We'll be married soon, and once we're married, I'll be all yours," he said, quickly reaching for her hands and holding them tightly. Briella just stared at him, and he couldn't decipher her thoughts. If in the past, he could quickly tell what she was thinking, now it seemed like he was going crazy trying to read her. 'I love you, Briella. Please give me another chance. Tell me what you want me to do to earn your forgiveness," he said, trying to be sincere, even though deep down, he was tired of her repeated theatrics. Don't pretend to be reluctant; I know you'll give in because you love me so much, woman! Tch!