Sorry, say what now

He tapped his spoon on the table, causing Emily's laughter to abruptly cease.

Michael glanced at Joel for a moment before resuming his meal.

The trio ate their food in silence, occasionally interrupted by Michael engaging in conversation with Emily.

Once they finished eating, the maids cleared the dishes from the table.

Michael bid Emily good night and retreated to his room, while Joel leisurely stood up and made his way towards the stairs.

Emily bit her lip as she observed Joel ascending the stairs. She didn't know how she would approach him about leaving her bag in his car.

She stood up and dragged her feet to her room, feeling restless and unable to sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to find a comfortable position.

After a while, she reached for the rechargeable hand fan on her bedside table and switched it on, hoping it would provide some relief. She blew air into it, letting out a long sigh, berating herself for her foolishness.

She turned off the fan and rolled over to the edge of the bed, her mind still racing. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was already 11:00.

"Everyone should be asleep by now," she mumbled to herself. With a determined expression, she slipped on her slippers, quietly opened her door, and tiptoed out of her room.

🚿🛁🚿

Joel rolled his eyes once again as he stepped out of the shower. It was the third time he had taken a shower that night, unable to find peace of mind.

He tied his robe and muttered, "Oppa?" under his breath, mocking Emily's previous address to his brother. He threw the towel he was holding away and walked over to the window, frustration evident on his face.

"Aishhh!" he exclaimed, gazing out of the window as his eyes wandered aimlessly. Sleep eluded him after hearing the derogatory term Emily had used to describe his brother.

Restlessly, his eyes caught sight of a figure tiptoeing towards his car. His brows furrowed, recognizing her instantly. It was the girl who had kept him awake.

Amusement flickered in Joel's eyes as he watched her hover around his car, seemingly searching for something. He shook his head, knowing well that the car's tinted windows would hinder her from seeing anything inside.

"Dummy," he muttered, clicking his tongue disapprovingly. "The glasses are tinted, you can't see anything in there. Tsk tsk tsk."

He chuckled to himself as he observed Emily futilely fight the air with her fists and stomp her feet in frustration. Eventually, she gave up and returned to the villa, heading back inside.

Emily's annoyance led her to pause by the foot of the stairs, contemplating whether to explore the upper floor. She had never ventured there before. Should she give it a try?

"Aishhh!" she facepalmed, realizing the absurdity of her thoughts. After saying a short prayer, she took a hesitant step onto the first stair, followed by another after a minute. Her heart raced, and her breath hitched as she continued climbing.

To cut a long story short, it took Emily thirty minutes to reach the top of the staircase. Standing in front of Joel's door, she huffed, blowing air out of her mouth. She clasped her hands together, saying another silent prayer.

Emily raised her hand, forming a fist, preparing to knock on the door. Taking a deep breath, she rapped gently, although even someone with the keenest ears wouldn't have heard her. It was as if she was effortlessly stroking the door.

But suddenly, the door swung open, causing Emily to flinch backward, almost tripping.

Joel stared at her coldly. "Wae? What do you want?"

Emily cautiously opened one eye, then the other.

"Do you have a hearing problem?" He bellowed.

"Ahhh, umm... aishhh..." She frantically scratched her head.

She had completely forgotten what she wanted to ask him.

Joel raised an eyebrow and slammed the door shut.

"Ahhhh Ahhhh!" Emily cried out.

She swung her fists through the air, stomping her feet on the floor. Eventually, she slumped to the ground, crossing her ankles as she sat.

When she heard the door creak open again, she quickly stood up.

Joel gave her a stern look that conveyed, 'What do you want now, or I'll close the door again.'

"I erm... my bag... it's in the car... I mean, your car," Emily managed to stumble through her words.

Joel's eyes twinkled. 'Ahhh, so that's what she was looking for...'

"I threw it away," he replied, his gaze unwavering.

Emily couldn't believe her ears. "Sorry?"

"Tch... I threw it... away?" she stammered.

"You're not deaf, are you?" Joel's lips twitched.

"Yah!!!" Emily yelled.

But the moment their eyes met, she regained her composure.

"Errm, I'm sorry... I lost my senses for a second there," she muttered under her breath.

"I know," Joel smirked and shut his door.

Emily glared at his door, her eyes narrowed.

She sneered, pointing her finger at the door. "Deo!... You threw away my clothes!? How dare you!?"

(A/N: Deo means 'you.' Neo also means 'you.')

"Huh!" She scoffed.

"Yahhh, did you buy those clothes for me?... Do you have any idea how much I spent on them? You annoying, arrogant bastard!" Emily yelled at the closed door.

Suddenly, the door swung open again, and she flinched, nearly losing her balance.

Joel scratched his nose with his index finger, examining her from head to toe. "Did you say something just now?"

Emily quickly waved her hands in the air. "Me? Say something?... Ani."

He nodded, his lips twitching. "Then, what are you still doing here?"

"Ahhh..." She nodded slowly, trying to collect her thoughts.

She laughed nervously, gesturing towards the staircase. "I was just about to leave."

She bowed hastily. "Good night."

Turning on her heels, she descended the stairs, mouthing words under her breath.

Joel smirked as he watched her go. Licking the corner of his mouth, he closed his door, satisfied with himself.

He wandered around his room and settled on the couch, his gaze fixed on the bag resting on the table.

Yawning, he stood up and made his way to his bed. Finally, he would be able to get some sleep.

He fell onto his bed with a contented sigh, and soon, sleep embraced him.

Emily paced back and forth in her room, her mouth agape. "How could he?..."

"Aishhh! I can't stand him, I really can't." She bit her lip in frustration.

She sniffed her armpits and grimaced.

"Aishhh!" She stomped her feet on the floor and headed to the bathroom. She would have to change into her clothes again.

"Aishhh, he's so annoying!" Emily pouted.

Daybreak🏘️🏛️🏘️

Emily swung her arms back and forth as she made her way to the kitchen. Little Pumpkin had already gone to school, and she assumed the brothers had left for work as well.

"Aaahhh!" She jumped back when she noticed a figure sitting on the sofa.

Joel raised his eyebrows at her and looked away.

"Erm... deo, aren't you going to work?" Emily stuttered.

Joel rolled his eyes and turned on the TV. "It's my house. I can do whatever I want."

Michael stretched his body, yawning, as he walked into the lounge.

"Ah, Oppa, annyeonghaseyo," Emily greeted him with a smile as soon as she saw him.

Michael smiled and sat down next to Joel. "Annyeong."

Joel clenched the remote control in his hand. 'She didn't even greet me this morning...'

"Oppa, aren't you going to your office this morning?" Emily asked.

"Huh?... No, I'm taking the day off today," Michael yawned.

"Ahhhh..." Emily nodded slowly and headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Wow, this girl is trying," Michael remarked, pointing at the LED TV.

"Pshht..." Joel scoffed.

Michael shrugged. "I'm serious... she's the best in the country."

Joel sneered at the girl on TV, "that's not the best." He sighed, "she's not good enough."

"Yeah, but everyone adores her. She's still the best in the country so far." Michael shrugged his shoulders again.

"I heard she's asking for a pay raise," he said with a smile.

"What!? Another increase? She's already the highest paid newscaster in our agency—she's the highest paid newscaster in the country!" Joel turned to face his brother.

"Correct. But what can we do?" Michael sighed.

He scratched his nose. "There's going to be a news broadcast tonight, and she's the one scheduled to do it. She said she won't go on air unless her pay is increased before then."

"Fuck!" Joel cursed under his breath.

"Uhn!?..." Emily grinned, her gaze fixed on the TV as she walked out of the kitchen.

She quickened her pace and entered the lounge.

"Uwa!" She smiled dreamily as she watched her idol broadcasting live on TV.

Emily had always admired Stephanie Nelson, her favorite newscaster. Stephanie was her idol and role model.

Michael smiled at her. "Wae? Do you like her?"

Emily vigorously nodded her head. "Uhn. I love her."

"Wowwww." He chuckled.

"Awwwn, I've always dreamed of meeting her." She pouted, cupping her cheeks in her hands.

Joel arched an eyebrow, finding amusement in the girl's excitement. Little things seemed to bring her joy...

"You want to see her?" he suddenly interjected.

"Uhn." Emily nodded eagerly.

"Pshht!" He scoffed.

The girl was unaware that she was in the house of the CEO of Empire World Corporation. Instead, she recognized a newscaster—a mere newscaster. Joel shook his head.

"I love her. I want to be a newscaster like her too." Emily sighed dreamily, her eyes fixed on the TV.

"Hahaha." Joel burst into laughter.

He laughed again. "Say what now? A newscaster? You think it's for nitwits like you?”