12.Just wait. I’ll make sure to wipe that ugly face of yours!

The next day, Briella prepared for what she was supposed to do, the Public Apology. Xander sent her a complete paper via email that she needed to memorize for the upcoming event, but she didn't pay any attention to it or even read it. She had no intention of following what he wanted her to do, and besides, she had already spoken to her friend's stockholders, who promised to back her up. 'Good morning," President Braun greeted her as he exited the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his lower body. She couldn't help but look at him appreciatively, and she swallowed as her gaze lingered on his well-defined torso. Hello to you too. When she heard his clearing throat, she realized she had been staring at him for quite a while. Her eyes widened as she quickly averted her gaze and tried to hide the blush on her face. I was caught in the act, damn it! She wanted to smack herself for indulging in a few minutes of admiring the blessing before her. 'G-Good morning," she stuttered, adjusting her clothes. She wore an off-shoulder, floral, and multi-colored dress with white pumps. She tied her hair up and left a few strands on either side of her face, accentuating her gentle features. 'You look great," he commented, and she didn't realize he had come up behind her. 'T-Thanks," she said without looking back. 'Today, I'll start waging war between my ex-fiancé and that b*tch." She took a deep breath and faced her husband. 'Wish me luck." 'Well, if you want, I can help you with it. Just say the word, and they'll be in—" 'Braun," she quickly interrupted him. 'I told you, I don't want any help from you. I'm not bragging, but I don't want to involve you in my messy situation. I swear, after I've dealt with them, you can do anything you want." He stared at her husband for a long moment. Husband. It sounded so sweet to her ears that she truly owned the only King of the industry. Too bad, she doesn't deserve to be called his wife… not for now. 'Say my name again, and I'll never let you out of this room," he said, his eyes gleaming as he looked at her. 'H-Huh?" Her eyes widened as she realized what she had said. She quickly covered her mouth and was about to hit herself when she heard him speak again. 'I never thought that hearing you call my name was too good to be true." He said with a smile, tracing her face with his fingers. 'E-Eh?" She asked, confused. His hand traveled down her neck, his fingers brushing against her collarbone and moving toward her cleavage. She swallowed and felt a change in the atmosphere. She knew the air conditioning was on, and she was wearing a sleeveless dress, yet she felt a warmth spreading through her. 'Try wearing a blazer, your clothes are too showy. I don't like it," he said, kissing her before disappearing into their walk-in closet. She was left dumbfounded, unable to believe what he had said. Recovering from her surprise, she examined herself again. It was an above-the-knee dress but not too short, and… okay, it was revealing, indeed. She waited for him to come out of the walk-in closet before entering it herself. She didn't trust herself to lose control if she saw him changing in front of her. Braun finally emerged from the closet, now dressed in his usual business attire. In one hand, he held a white blazer, which he put on her. 'Thank you," she said. She looked at herself in the mirror again, surprised to see that the blazer suited her, enhancing her overall aura. 'Shall we go?" he asked, offering his arm as they left the room. When they reached the living room, Luigi was waiting quietly. He stood up when he saw the two of them approaching. 'Uhm... I won't be riding with you today. I'll just bring my car. There are a lot of reporters out there, so you can't drop me off," she explained, releasing her grip on Braun's arm. 'Okay, but call me if anything bad happens," Braun said. 'Something might happen, but don't worry, I can handle it. Take care," she said and leaned in to kiss him. They left the house together, and he handed her the keys to his black Cayenne S. She hesitated to use it at first, worried that someone might recognize the car, but Braun assured her that his cars were confidential, so she agreed. He drove her to the agency's building and ensured her seatbelt was on before he said goodbye and left. She couldn't help but laugh and scratch her head as she closed the car door. Is it just me, or is this how Braun El Cueva cares for someone? When she arrived at the agency, people immediately noticed the new car she was driving. Since it was brand new, it stood out. She headed straight to her tiny dressing room and again found Chelsey engrossed in her phone. 'Chelsey, is everything ready?" she asked. 'Yes, I've prepared everything and gathered more information about them," Chelsey replied softly. She nodded. 'Good. When Xander calls for me, call Cecile and tell her that my interview is about to start," she instructed, referring to one of the stockholders. 'Cecile? You mean Cecile Damian, one of the stockholders?" Chelsey asked, surprised. 'Yeah, she's one of my friends, and she helped me get what I wanted in the contract I signed," she answered, writing Ella's phone number on a piece of paper before handing it to Chelsey. Chelsey accepted the paper, saved the number on her phone, and then tossed the paper into the trash. 'What's your plan?" it asked, clearly nervous. 'Relax, everything's gonna be fine," she replied with a meaningful smile. They heard a knock and looked at each other before the door opened. 'Where's Briella? Sir Xander is calling for her," Jobert said rudely to Chelsey. 'I'll be there in a minute. I'm just getting things ready," she calmly told him. He didn't say anything further, he just gave her a scrutinizing look before turning and leaving without a word. 'That guy is so irritating! Acting all high and mighty!" Chelsey muttered angrily while closing the door. 'Don't mind him. Focus on what I asked you," she said, getting ready. Once Chelsey nodded, she excused herself and left her dressing room, heading straight to Xander's office. She didn't bother knocking and just opened the door. Upon entering, she caught Xander leaning against Matilda, his arm around her, and she leaned into his chest as they engaged in a lively conversation. The two of them looked surprised by her entrance, and Xander quickly stood up to approach her. She discreetly rolled her eyes and faced them formally. Just as Xander was about to kiss her, she deliberately dodged and stepped back. 'Mr. Cayab, it's nice meeting you again," she greeted him formally. He gave her a piercing look and then returned to Matilda. Xander escorted her to a chair, but she ensured his hand didn't touch her skin. She was afraid he might have some poison on his hand, like the venom of a viper. 'Mr. Cayab, here is Briella. She needs to apologize for what she did to your show. I didn't know she did it to save our agency's reputation and Matilda's," Xander began. Mr. Cayab looked at her and examined her from head to toe. She didn't flinch and kept her gaze fixed on him. 'Well? I want to hear it," he asked, referring to her apology. 'Bri, it's okay. I know Mr. Cayab will understand everything. I explained to him what happened to me and why you decided to go there and pretend to be me. I know you did it for me, and I appreciate it," Matilda said to her in a gentle tone. She looked at the woman and felt like throwing up at her fake sincerity. And Xander planned to achieve this in his conversation with Mr. Cayab? Clear his and Matilda's names? And what about her? Was she supposed to be the fall guy for their lies? They must be dreaming! She shook her head and turned her attention back to Mr. Cayab. 'I'm sorry..." she began. She saw Xander and Matilda exchange glances, and she saw Matilda's lips twitching into a smug smile. Before Mr. Cayab could say anything, she quickly interjected. 'I'm sorry, Mr. Cayab, but I won't be apologizing to you. As I told you before, I was invited by the Fashion Organizer of the Event. I had no idea Matilda would be there, and I had no intention of stealing her show or pretending to be her. I have evidence to prove my innocence and that I have done nothing wrong. What about you, Mr. Cayab? Are you innocent of any wrongdoing?" she questioned him. She wouldn't have had the courage to say that if Braun hadn't reminded her of Xander's theft of copyrights and use of Crown Star's model images. She secretly rejoiced as she saw her threat work. Mr. Cayab's face turned pale and seemed to tremble at her words. 'Briella! What are you doing? That's not what we talked about! Don't escalate the situation. Can't you just apologize to Mr. Cayab?" Xander scolded her. 'He doesn't deserve it. I told you, why should I apologize when I haven't done anything wrong to him?" She answered him coldly. 'Shouldn't it be you who apologizes for deceiving his company?" 'Briella, how dare you say that? Are you going crazy or eaten up by jealousy because you see me succeeding? You pathetic b*tch!" Matilda snapped at her angrily. She raised an eyebrow and gave a meaningful smile. 'Pathetic b*tch? Isn't that title more fitting for you?" 'Stop this nonsense at once, Briella! What you're doing is not right!" Xander shouted at her angrily. She stood up and looked up at Xander. 'You're right, and I need to stop this nonsense and make the right decision. I've got to go; reporters are waiting for me outside." She glanced at Mr. Cayab, who still seemed stunned by what she said. 'If you think you can defeat me, Briella, you're mistaken! I won't lose to a loser like you!" Matilda spat at her, angry and seething. She faced Matilda without emotion and locked eyes with her. I won't back down! Just wait, I'll make sure to wipe that ugly face of yours... in time. But for now, I'll let you make a fool of yourself!