43. I have a lot of ways to keep you happy and safe!

Matilda nearly shattered all the items in Xander's room, never imagining that he would prefer to boast about his fake marriage with that woman to the whole world! No! I won't allow her to have everything! She grabbed an expensive vase and didn't hesitate to smash it, creating a loud noise. She surveyed the room, which was now cluttered with broken furniture, uncaring if that was what Xander would find. She wanted to convey her anger and displeasure at what he had done. Furthermore, she couldn't allow herself to be ruined here! Xander managed to escape negative comments from netizens after their fake announcement when she secured the contract with Sun Glow Fashion. He saved himself by suddenly appearing at Briella's launch. Damn it! I should be the one sitting there and admired by the people! I never imagined that woman would outmaneuver me! Her eyes sparkled with rage, her chest heaving with intense anger. She hadn't realized Briella had outsmarted her, seizing Janice's attention. So that's why she suddenly became bold and boastful, thanks to her lesbian backer! How far would those two go? Was that woman really more enjoyable to be with than her? Ha! How can a woman with no experience in sex be enjoyable? She heard the door open, and when she turned, she saw Xander's surprised face. 'What the hell are you doing?!" he exclaimed, stepping angrily toward her. She grabbed a broken piece of furniture and didn't hesitate to cut her palm. 'Matty!" Xander shouted in shock as he hurriedly approached her. 'What's happening to you?!" He snatched the broken piece from her. Despite feeling the pain in her wound, she didn't mind it and pushed the young man away. His shirt was immediately stained with blood from her wound. 'Get off me, you traitor!" she yelled angrily at him. 'Why don't you go to your filthy woman you're so proud of! After all, she's the one you chose, right?!" 'W-What? I did this for us!" he said, looking confused. 'For us?! Cut that fcking bullshit, Xander! You only did what you thought would benefit you! I told you I'd find a way to pay off your two-million debt to that whore, but you still didn't listen and chose to believe her! You fell for that damn woman!" she almost tore her vocal cords with the force of her voice. She was angry—furious! She couldn't accept that Briella had stolen what should have been her fame—even the favor of the people and big companies that should have been clamoring to get her as their brand ambassador! Even the permanent position as the recipient of awards at prestigious model award nights like hers! Sun Glow Fashion was her key to that, and Briella would dare to take it from her! 'Matty, babe, listen to me. I did that to make our ascent easier—" 'No!" she interrupted Xander, pointing at him. 'You listen to me! From this day forward, you'll follow me, and you won't listen to anyone else but me! Do you understand? Only me, Xander!" she glared at him. She saw darkness cloud his face, but she was desperate! She needed to act to secure a spot at the Award's Night; if she relied on this damn Xander, she would gain nothing. 'Don't test my patience, Xander, because I can easily abort this child and leave you for good!" she threatened him. His expression changed immediately, and he was enveloped in fear. His demeanor softened, and in an instant, he seemed like a docile puppy ready to obey whatever she wanted. 'What do you want me to do?" he asked, surrender evident in his voice. She smiled sweetly, indifferent to the fact that the wound on her palm was still bleeding. 'Break up with her," she said, and Xander's eyes widened, ready to contradict her before she could speak. 'Don't tell me you're willing to be fooled by that woman? Haven't you wondered why Janice Ortega suddenly sent her a proposal? Despite the chaos and how badly people look at her? Do you think that was all a coincidence?" she asked him. Xander paused, and she saw him deep in thought; his brows furrowed as he looked at her. 'How did you know all about this?" he asked darkly. She could see the tension in his jaws and the fury in his eyes upon learning about it. 'I have my resources, Xander, you're not the only one who knows how to investigate," she replied. 'Now that you know how dirty the woman you want to marry is, do you still have a reason to continue pretending? Can you still have the guts talking to her or be with such a filthy woman?" 'How did she do this to me?!" he angrily exclaimed. 'You can take back everything you said about your upcoming marriage tomorrow, find a way to tarnish Briella's reputation, and change people's perception of her. You're the only person who could do that," she ordered him. Xander nodded immediately, his face still showing disgust at what he learned about Briella. 'But I need some proof to garner more sympathy from everyone," he said thoughtfully. She smiled sweetly as if all her anger had disappeared, and now she was like a demon with a plan in her mind. 'Leave it to me, I'll call my resources," she said with a devilish grin on her lips. There was a scene playing in her mind that would surely shock everyone when it came out in public. *** 'Wife? Can you come with me for a minute?" Braun poked his head through the small gap in the door of their room. He saw Briella lying down and ready to sleep, but she immediately got up when he called. 'What's that? Do you need something?" she asked him sweetly. He smiled and took her hand. 'I just want to show you something," he said, guiding her downstairs. They went to the garage, his smile never leaving his lips, even though he knew she would refuse his gift. 'Braun, what are we doing here?" she asked, puzzled, as he opened the door and they entered their spacious garage. More than ten different models of cars greeted them, and they walked to the far end of the garage. When they approached, he removed the large cover over his gift to her. 'This is for you," he said with a smile, then carefully took out a small box from the back of his khaki shorts. Briella was amazed at the surprise, and for a moment, she couldn't speak. She couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her. 'I-Is this a new brand of Maserati?" she asked when she recovered from her surprise. He nodded with a smile. 'Yes, it was launched last week in the U.S., and I quickly ordered one for you." 'No way!" she exclaimed again, almost covering her mouth in disbelief. He laughed at her reaction. 'I'm glad you're surprised," he said, taking her hand and giving her the small box containing the key. 'You can have it, wife." 'I don't know what to say!" Briella said in awe as she couldn't take her eyes off the gray sports car. 'You don't need to say anything, wife, just accept it as my gift," he said. 'A gift?" she furrowed her brow. 'For your success, you saw how the Sun Glow Fashion Magazine cover with you caused a stir? They already printed the magazine for the third time, and now they're transporting it out of the country. I bet your company has a lot of emails coming from different companies and wants you to be their ambassador," he explained. Briella hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back. 'I am so happy and proud of you, wife." Briella took a deep breath and hugged him back. 'But isn't two hundred million too much for this kind of car?" Briella asked. 'It doesn't matter to me, wife," he said. Briella glanced at him, smiling, then gently caressed his face. 'Don't think about how much I spent, it's always the thought that counts, right?" She rolled her eyes at him, but since Briella was smiling, he felt relieved. He thought he would have a hard time convincing her to accept his gift. 'Thank you," she said, leaning forward to kiss him on the lips. He let out a sigh of relief as her soft lips touched his. They shared a kiss for a few seconds before smiling and parting, taking in some air. 'Do you want to test it?" he asked with a smile. She nodded eagerly, and he guided her to the car, opening the door for her to sit in the driver's seat while he sat in the passenger's seat. He watched every move she made, seeing her excitement with her new car. He knew Briella liked sports cars, but ever since she got involved with that useless Xander, she lost interest in buying such vehicles. Her reaction to the price of the sports car proved that. Yes, it cost two hundred and ten thousand U.S. Dollars, but that didn't matter to him. For him, her happiness was the most expensive thing in the world—no, it was priceless. If he needed to double or triple his work to give Briella the happiness she wanted, he would do it. They wandered around the compound until midnight, Briella seeming to enjoy her new toy and not wanting to let it go unless he coaxed her. He remembered she mentioned earlier that Xander's company was having a celebration party for him, so she needed to rest. **** The next day, Briella woke up early, immediately showered, and got ready. When she came out of the bathroom, Braun was already sitting on the bed, waiting for her to come out. 'Good morning," she greeted Braun with a smile and approached him to kiss him on the lips. 'Are you leaving already?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her waist. She was only wearing a robe and had no other clothes on. 'Do you need something, President Braun?" she said with a mischievous smile on her lips. She already knew the meanings behind Braun's actions and words, and when he was being affectionate like this, she knew he needed something from her. She giggled as he effortlessly lifted her and laid her down on the bed, quickly hovering over her and peppering her with kisses on the neck. She burst into laughter from the ticklish sensation, especially when he squeezed both her shoulders. 'Can you stay with me for a little longer, wife? I'm too lazy to get up," Braun said in her ear. 'Sure, but on one condition," she said to him. He stopped kissing her neck. 'Okay," he immediately replied. 'What? You haven't even heard my condition yet, and you're already saying yes?" she raised an eyebrow at him. 'Of course, wife. I'll always say yes," he replied, lying down next to her, but his hand was still wrapped around her waist. She turned to face him and pressed one thigh against his, shifting her robe aside, revealing her long and smooth leg. 'What if I said I wanted to see other men? What would you do?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. 'Would you be happy if I did that?" Braun asked with a raised eyebrow as well. She pretended to think for a moment and smiled. 'Of course, not." He gently stroked her thigh, moving upwards along her toned body. 'What are you thinking?" she asked him. 'I'm thinking of getting insurance for your legs and your body. I don't want to see any scratch on it," he replied directly. Her eyebrows shot up, and she couldn't help but open her mouth in surprise again. 'You're not serious about what you're saying, right?" she asked, but he shook his head. He was serious! 'Your body is beyond perfection—no, you are beyond perfection, Briella. You're very fragile and the most precious thing I have. No one can hurt you; everyone who does will go to jail or pay for the damage they've caused," Braun said seriously, looking into her eyes. He carefully massaged her thigh, which was resting on his body. What was going on in this man's mind, and why was he saying all these things? Was he earnest about what he was saying? Jesus! This man is beyond my imagination! 'Are you never running out of things to do when it comes to me?" she asked her husband in amazement. He smiled and kissed her forehead. 'You are my queen, of course, I have a lot of ways to keep you happy and safe. What's the point of having power if I can't punish those who hurt you?"