How to treat your woman

Rosa’s POV

I was in a green satin gown and already seated in the grand hall for the award event. When Alex had mentioned that he would be coming later, I was relieved that I wouldn’t be walking in with him.

The hall was magnificent and decorated to standard. The men at the entrance had mentioned that there was a customised seat for everyone and I was looking around, wondering if I was really going to have a customised chair.

“What are you doing here?”

I heard the voice close to me so I figured the person must be talking to me. When I turned araound, I met Nancy wearing a frown.

“You must be here as an assistant to your boss,” she said, eyeing my dress. “You look horrible in that cheap dress,” she added.

I had two perfect eyes and I had seen the way I looked before stepping out.

“What do you want?” I demanded. “Is Charles Baker missing? Perhaps screwing Taylor in the bathroom and you need someone to lash out on?”

She raised her hand and struck me across the cheeks. Gasps erupted from the room and a few people stared. It must have excited her that she was getting some attention, so she continued to berate me.

“You probably used up all your life-saving to buy that wannabe designer dress, hoping you’d be able to make Charles notice you. But, news flash, he’s done with you. You were just a puppet and now you are no longer needed. So, get lost.”

Despite the fact that my cheeks stung, I held the pain in, and moved away. I didn’t want to cause any scene. So many things were already out of control in my life. And I needed some form of control. I grabbed a glass of wine to steady my nerves and I kept looking around for my chair.

A chauffeur approached me with a sweet smile. “You look lost,” she said.

I nodded and stretched out my golden invite card. “I can’t seem to find where I’m supposed to sit.”

“PAs don’t sit,” I heard Nancy’s voice from behind again.

Why couldn’t she leave me the hell alone?

She pointed at a section where reporters stood. “That is where she belongs.”

She saw the golden card in my hand and scoffed. “That belongs to her boss, Mr. Kane. I’m sure she’s so dense that she thinks she’ll get to sit in the VVIP area with him.”

The chauffeur ignored her and pointed at a different area. “The VVIP area is over there, ma'am," she said. “If you need me to escort-”

“No,” I responded. “I’d be fine.”

I was suddenly feeling dizzy and needed a bathroom break. I broke away from Nancy and headed to the bathroom. My head was aching so badly and I didn’t want to miss this event. I had promised Alex that I would be waiting for him. I stared at my reflection and decided my lips needed more highlighting.

Five minutes later, I stepped out, feeling better. But just as I stepped out of the female section, the door of the male section was opened too.

Charles Baker stepped out and the moment he saw me, he didn’t hide his surprise.

“R-Rosa…what are you doing here?”

Hearing him call my name made my skin crawl. I remembered how he dragged me to the mirror and called me ugly and all the deceptions came flooding my head.

“You should mind your business,” I snapped. “And control your bitch.”

I saw his eyes lingering on me. That look I hadn't seen in years was there. There was a time it made me feel like the best woman in the world. Now, it made my blood boil.

“Excuse me,” I said, brushing past him.

I heard him whisper my name, but I didn’t look back or stop. Charles Baker no longer existed in my world. When I returned to the main hall, I made my way to the VVIP section. There was an array of only ten seats. And I was going to be sitting on one of those!

As soon as I was a few feet away, I noticed Nancy was seated there. I guessed she was Charles’ plus one.

Didn’t he say he was going to announce their relationship during this ceremony?

I braced myself up and moved on, my eyes scanning for my seat, and hoping it wasn’t anywhere near them. But when I found my chair, it was directly beside Charles’.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Nancy snapped the moment I sat down. When I didn’t respond, she stood up and called security. “Show her to her place,” she told the security.

The man walked over to me. “Ma’am, you cannot sit here. Please, move to the standing area.”

“And why should she?”

I recognised the voice immediately.

Alex Kane.

He stepped up to the VVIP, frowning.

He looked so good looking that the thought of being with him for three years didn’t feel so bad at all.

“She is a PA,” the security said.

Alex frowned. “Did she say that?” he asked.

The security pointed at Nancy who had a smug expression on her face. “You should tell your PA to know her place. She should be in the waiting area. How dare she sit in the VVIP area?” She turned to the security. “What are you waiting for? If she won’t cooperate, drag her out. I don’t care if she ruins her fake dress. There’s only three of them in the world.” She scoffed. “No way a lowlife like her could be able to afford one.”

The security nodded and was heading towards me. “Miss, move to the waiting area,” he instructed.

He was about to lay his hand on me when Alex thundered behind him. “Don’t you lay your hand on her!”

He backed away, apologizing

“She’s with me,” he stated.

“She is your PA,” Nancy continued. “She can’t sit here.”

I scoffed and smiled a bit. I couldn’t believe Alex Kane was defending me. I didn’t even have to say a word.

“She is the Tech Specialist at Kane Tech,” he announced. “And my plus one for tonight.”

The look on Nancy’s face was epic.

Total embarrassment.

Thte security immediately apologized to me and I waved it off. Nancy melted out to the background immediately, and suddenly, it was just me and Alex, his eyes boring into me with that look that spoke a thousand words and frightened me.

“This is how you get them, isn’t it?” I asked.

He sat. “This look is only for you, Rosa,” he said. “You look perfect in that dress.”

He had gone shopping for the dress himself. I had been clueless on what to put on for an award’s night. But the moment I put the dress on, it felt like it had been made for me.

And the best part?

It was Velastra.

I heard there were only three of these luxurious gowns in the world. And I owned one.

Charles Baker appeared and took a seat beside Nancy. Even though I wasn’t interested in their conversation, it was difficult to ignore.

“I thought you said she’s only the PA?” she asked angrily. “Why is she in the VVIP and why did Mr. Kane introduce her as his plus one?”

Charles didn’t respond.

Her voice was beginning to feel like a punch on my head and it made the headache worsen.

“Tech specialist?” I heard her hiss.

It must be unnerving being her.

Alex was constantly stealing glances at me and I could tell he wanted to have a conversation with me.

“You have something to say?” I asked when I caught his fifth peek.

“A compliment,” he answered. “But you won’t believe it.”

I found my heart racing and my chest felt warm.

“Do tell,” I said, eager to hear a compliment from him.

He paused for a while as though searching for words. But his gaze held mine in a way that made me forget this was only temporal and I had vowed not to fall in love. “You’re breathtaking,” he said. “...not in a loud way. But in a way that steals my words, Rosa. And I’m usually a man of many words.”

The world quieted for a moment and all I felt was the sweetness of his words. My heart leaned forwards before the rest of me did.

“You have a way with words, Mr. Kane,” I responded, hiding every feeling that was exploding within me.

The event began in earnest, and when I saw Velastra walk up the stage, my heart soared. I was wearing her dress!

She grabbed the mic and her eyes fell on me.

“She should call her out for wearing the fake of her design,” Nancy said, loud enough for everyone in the VVIP area to hear. Whispers followed. But Alex didn’t respond. I bit my lips and shut my eyes.

It wasn’t true.

Alex Kane couldn’t have bought me a fake.

“Ladies and gentelemen,” she started. Her eyes were trained on me and it was difficult to tell if she was smiling or angry. “I’m thrilled that someone here is wearing my limited edition rrelease…you wear it beautifully, Rosa.”

My heart wanted to explode and I couldn’t stop grinning. Velastra just called my name. I turned to Alex, beaming.

“You pulled that up, didn’t you?”

“There’s even more,”he announced.

More?

I faced Velastra, who was still smiling at me. “I have an important news tonight,” she added.