Beauty stood in front of the restroom mirror, staring at her reflection, about to practice her approach to Bruno."Okay, I can't believe I am doing this, but I better be fast else someone will walk in here and that will be really messed up".She sighed deeply and adjusted her blouse, took a long deep breath, and started her practice."Hey, Sir Bruno, would you like to be my... date?"That made her cringed instantly, shaking her head. "No, too forward, too forward."With a loud sigh, she tried again, putting on a more serious expression on her face."Sir Bruno, I was wondering if you'd be interested in... attending an event with me this weekend?"Her reflection stared back, unimpressed. "Event? What event? A funeral? Ugh! Girl be serious".She muttered, rolling her eyes at herself."I told you. This is not going to work, Jessie".A few seconds later, she brushed her hair back and leaned closer to the mirror."Okay, Beauty, just keep it cool. Be confident, remember to be confident. It'
Later that evening, almost closing time.Beauty was at her desk, the glow of the computer screen illuminating her face. She can't stop overthinking about how she would go about asking Bruno to accompany her to the high school reunion. Every time she imagined what his response would be, her pulse raced uncontrollably. Frustrated, she rested her head on the desk, trying to get rid of it all. "Can't wait to go home. Somehow, I had successfully managed to avoid breaking down because of Kathy and her sidekicks harsh insults back then in the restroom".She groaned inwardly.Slowing, her eyes move over to her computer screen."Finally...it's almost time to...go home".She smiled at herself.Just then, someone dropped a folder on her desk.Annoyed by the late work submit, she slowly looks up ready to eat him or her alive, but the person is not a prey for her.He was, in fact, a predator!Her heart reaped as soon their eyes met, her cheeks flustered with embarrassment."Sir.... Sir... Bruno
Beauty barely managed to nod, her mind blank except for the overwhelming presence of him standing there, so close she could smell the faint scent of his cologne. "I-I don't mind," she breathed nervously. She could feel her cheeks burning, her body reacting to every subtle movement of his, every glance that lingered too long. Why does he have to be so close? She was barely holding it together.Bruno's lips parted as if he wanted to say something more, but then he hesitated, his gaze once again landing to her lips before pulling back up to meet her eyes. At this time, she was sure he could hear her heart pounding."Thanks again," he finally said.As he walked away, Beauty exhaled a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Her heart was still racing, her hands trembling slightly. She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm herself down. The entire interaction had left her breathless and dazed.*What just happened?*Whatever it was, she knew one thing for sure: this night was
Impulsively, Beauty kicked at the blurred image, so hard.Then she heard a low groan and snapped fully awake, her heart pounding. Rubbed her eyes and blinked rapidly, her vision clearing just in time to see Bruno stumbling back, clutching his nose, his eyes wide with surprise.He was kneeling in front of her, holding a blanket, his nose was bleeding and the blood trickling between his fingers.Beauty panicked.*He only wanted to cover me up, I ...kicked him and made his nose bleed!*"Oh my God!" she yelped, shooting up from the bed. "Sir Bruno, I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Let me help."She offered but he turned her down politely.Bruno grimaced, trying to smile through the pain, though it was clear his nose had taken quite a hit. "It's... it's fine," he managed to say, his voice strained. "I... didn't think you'd wake up so suddenly."That didn't make her feel any better. Her face turned pale, a mix of embarrassment and guilt flooding inside her.*How can he be so calm about it?*She
Beauty swallowed."I... I... want to continue from where I stopped yesterday".She replied, unable to meet his eye contact, still flustered and embarrassed by the whole thing."It's okay, don't worry, go and rest, I am done with the ones I gave you to work on".He replied.*He worked ok hers while she was fast asleep?*"O...k".Beauty replied sadly about to leave then a sharp gasp, followed by a groan, stopped her.She turned and found him attempting to stop his nosebleed with a few tissues, but he was clearly struggling. The sight of him with blood trickling down made her heart race with a mixture of guilt and something else...something she didn't want to admit.She went to get the first aid box and returned to him, before Bruno could notice.Beauty was right in front of his desk."I... I can help with that," she stammered. She knew it would be risky to be that close to him, but the thought of leaving him to tend to himself felt worse. Plus, this was her fault anyway.Bruno shook h
Just then Bruno's phone buzzed on his desk, breaking the silence.He glanced at it, then looked back at Beauty."Excuse me for a moment," he murmured softly, stepping aside to take the call, tissue still on his nose.Beauty, still feeling the lingering warmth of their closeness, tried to refocus herself. Then, she couldn't help but notice the way Bruno's voice softened as he answered the phone."Hey," he greeted, his tone gentle and affectionate in a way Beauty had never heard from him before.The tenderness in his voice made her heart drop with jealousy."Yeah, I've been working late... but I'm almost done. Don't worry, I'll be home soon. Love you too"*Did he just say love you too? Who was he talking to? He sounded so sweet, so caring, like he was speaking to someone special. He had someone in his life! Could it be his girlfriend? All my hopes are lost!*Beauty was dead curious to know the caller's identity. She can't help but wonder who had Bruno talking so tenderly, and why it hu
However, Beauty didn't respond, she was sad and mad at him for no good reason. Nothing like mood swings at all, for some reason, she is still jealous because of the unknown caller. Besides, her parents traveled again, so he should keep his gifts.Bruno was quite observative, and noticed that she was not in the mood for that conversation. He simply stepped down and went into the mall. After few minutes he came with shopping bags, and he stuffed them into the back seat.The journey continued silently again and was even more awkward than before.Beauty felt stiff and uncomfortable. She didn't want to show her emotions, but it was impossible to keep the bitterness from rushing into her thoughts. And she is also acting rude towards Bruno unintentionally.She noticed the occasional glances Bruno shot her way, sensing something was off.He wasn't good with emotions or reading people...she knew that much...but it seemed even he could tell something was wrong.*You literally ignored his ques
*Well, I guess I am not on the list, that's why he feels more comfortable talking to me than all the pretty girls at the company. Kathy was right. Here I am thinking I was special because I was able to engage in a conversation with him*Beauty cried inwardly.Her throat tightened, but she forced a smile at Bruno, nodding as if she understood, but inside, her heart was sinking, hurting, breaking!She had hoped for more, maybe even some hidden affection from him, but instead, he friend-zoned her."Thanks," she said quietly, staring out the window to avoid looking at him. She couldn't let him see how much his words had crushed her. *He is not sexually attracted to me.Nothing new Beauty, nothing new. At Least he is being honest*Bruno frowned slightly, sensing her mood didn't change at all in fact she seemed more upset now, he wasn't sure how to address it. He knew so little about these kinds of situations, especially when it came to women. He didn't intend to make her uncomfortable,
"I know I said some awful things to you. I doubted you, and I pushed you away when you were only trying to be there for me. And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."She swallowed hard, her throat tightening as tears rolled down her cheeks."I judged you wrongly, Bruno. I let my insecurities and fears get in the way, and I didn't give you a chance to explain. I should've trusted you. I should've listened. You were the only one who never treated me like trash, yet I doubted you. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."She covered her mouth, trying to keep going, but her voice was drowned in emotion.Bruno said nothing. She knew he could hear her. She had to say everything anyway; she couldn't stop now."I was so scared, Bruno. I've been hurt before, and I thought you were like them. I thought you were just another guy who would hurt me. But I was wrong. And now I've ruined everything. I love you, Bruno... I do... I know you can hear me. I love you so, so much... I love you."She sobbed, waiting, hoping fo
Beauty sat on the edge of her bed, her phone trembling in her hands. Jessie sat beside her, watching her friend."I don't think he would want to hear my voice, Jessie. Maybe I'll do it later.""When it's too late?" Jessie asked gently. "You have to tell him, Beauty. You can't just cry. At least try. If he ignores you, then... you know you tried, at least."Beauty took a deep breath, her chest tight with a mix of fear and anxiety."Just take a deep breath, in and out. You're good to go," Jessie said.Beauty nodded and did as she said. Afterward, with trembling fingers, she unlocked her phone and pulled up Bruno's contact.She stared at his name for what felt like an eternity, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the lump in her throat, her anxiety rising.However, she knew she couldn't wait any longer. Like Jessie said, if she let more time pass, she might lose him forever.Finally, she tapped the call button.One ring. Two rings. Three rings."Come on, Bruno, pick up," she
Beauty wiped her eyes again, though the tears continued to fall. "You don't understand, Jessie... I didn't give him the chance to explain. And when he did... I said terrible things. I... I'm afraid he's done for good." Her voice cracked.Jessie sighed deeply, then knelt in front of Beauty, taking both her hands. "Listen to me, honey. People do make mistakes, and when i say people I meant everyone, literally. If you really want to make things right with Bruno, you have to try. Don't let this one mistake stop you from fixing what you both had. You're human; you have a past. It's understandable why you doubted him. He should understand if he truly cares. I'll talk to him, too."The doorbell rang, interrupting them. Jessie and Beauty exchanged a glance.Beauty quickly wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks, trying to compose herself before the unknown visitor get to see her in such a state."Beauty! I'm home!" her mother called from the doorway."Mom?" Beauty gasped, rushing upstairs
Jessie was sitting on the couch, focused on her novel app,when Beauty walked into the house, her eyes swollen from crying.She definitely cried all the way home, Jessie thought.Then she sighed. "I told you going to work wouldn't help. What happened?" Jessie asked gently, rising from the couch and walking over. "You look... devastated. Talk to me. Did you get to talk with Bruno?"Beauty shook her head, her lips trembling as she tried to hold back the flood of tears. She couldn't even form the words. Jessie took her hand and led her to the couch.Beauty let her bag slip from her hand."Beauty talk to me please... what happened?" Jessie asked again.But instead of answering, Beauty broke down. Tears spilled from her eyes, and her body shook with sobs she could no longer contain. She buried her face in her hands.Jessie quickly sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her. "Shh, it's okay, honey, it's okay," she whispered, rubbing her friend's back in comfort.It took a few minutes for
Lana, a stunning and popular model with a flawless complexion and long, dark hair, was dressed in a sexy, figure-hugging jumpsuit that highlighted her curves in all the right places.His brows furrowed as he realized what Abigail was trying to do, even though she knew he had someone-well, not anymore, but still... she wasn't aware of that.Lana took the chance and stood up gracefully, offering him a warm smile as she approached."Hi, Bruno," she said, her voice silky smooth. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Lana Queens."She stretched out her hand for a handshake.Abigail prayed silently that he wouldn't ignore her.But Bruno wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. His frustration was written all over his face, and before he could stop himself, he snapped, his voice harsh and cold."I don't have time for this," he growled, barely looking at her as he brushed past and headed toward the stairs.Lana froze, shocked by the sharpness of his words. She had never heard him sound so harsh. Fo
Abigail and her friend, Lana, sat on the plush sofa in the living room, laughing as they chatted."Girl, it's funny, but fan pages are annoying," Lana complained as she continued scrolling through her phone."I don't know. I like some of my fan pages," Abigail shrugged."Oh, not until someone gets scammed by one of those fake profiles claiming to be Abigail Hathaway," Lana pointed out."Well, I can live with that. The real issue is the blogs and their bullshit. I found one talking about my ass expecting a baby with a secret lover-who is a married man."Lana burst into loud laughter."Sorry, so sorry, but why a married man, though?"Abigail shook her head."I mean, I may fantasize about older men, but come on!"Lana laughed again."Well, that's an annoying one. I saw this on the Channel official page last week. Have you checked it out?""It's nice, but my father will kill me if I don't stick to F&F unless it's business," Abigail rolled her eyes."You have a tough old man," Lana replied
"How am I supposed to know? I didn't go with them," Monica replied defensively."You must know something! What did their body language say?" Kathy snapped, unwilling to let the topic drop."I am sorry. I don't know what you are talking about".Monica stood her ground."Well, you are his assistant,you must have seen something notice something,come on Monica. You don't want me to be your enemy".She persuaded.After a short silent."Well... they both looked... devastated when they got back," Monica admitted hesitantly.Kathy leaned in closer with interest. "What do you mean 'devastated'? Like a couple having a misunderstanding?"Monica shrugged."I don't know, okay? I mean, we all rate Beauty so low, but what if she's in a secret relationship with Sir Bruno? He's so soft with her. He was the reason she got the job in a big company as F&F without being the company's standard. It's something..I mean, you can get anything through to him if you go through her.I even asked her to help m
They arrived back at the company. Bruno drew a deep breath, fighting all his inner demons to resist the urge to steal a glance at her. His mind raced, wondering if she had looked his way. But why does it matter? He is trying to call everything off, anyway.He unbuckled his seatbelt, but before he could step out, Beauty opened the car door herself and walked straight into the building, never once looking back. Bruno's eyes followed her as she disappeared into the company, his eyes blinded to anything else around him, even missing his assistant, Monica, who stood at the entrance, waving at them."Oh, you're back, Beauty," Monica said with a smile, but Beauty ignored her, walking briskly inside without a word."Well, that's rude," Monica muttered, rolling her eyes. She brushed it off before turning her attention back to Bruno.Once Beauty had disappeared completely inside the building, Bruno blinked, swallowed hard, and noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. He threw his head ba
With a deep breath, he started the car again and made a U-turn, heading back in the direction of Eden Lovers Estate.He convinced himself he wasn't ready to forgive her yet. He would take her back to the company, but that was it.He wouldn't let this go further or try hard anymore.Yet, deep down, part of him wondered if he was lying to himself._______________"What do you want?" Beauty snapped angrily, her grip tightening around the phone. "Bruno made me call. He said... he said the only way he won't upload my video or sue me for assault is if I apologized to you and that I should tell you the truth. About what happened at the reunion.""And?" Beauty asked, her voice cracking. She already knew, but hearing from Beyoncé sent a cold shiver down her spine.Beyoncé was surprised."You knew about this? You knew that I blackmailed him?" she asked.Beauty's breath caught in her throat. All this time, Bruno had been telling her the truth. He had been blackmailed. She felt her chest tighte