Lahat ng Kabanata ng MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE: Kabanata 271 - Kabanata 280

Damn!!!Pacing the floor of the huge office, Brianna paused for a moment to blow her nose again and rummaged in her bag for her compact, powdering her reddened face and telling herself to hold it together for just a little while longer.She’d surely get another job—but she also needed those three blasted payslips just in case the court ruling went against her mother.It wouldn’t, Brianna consoled herself. Their lawyer had assured them that everything was under control. A moan of horror escaped her lips at the thought of that same lawyer’s bill sitting on the dining room table—a bill that had to be paid before he’d proceed further.What the hell was she going to do?She’d lied to Elmo about a second interview with the Leonardo chain—she hadn’t even had the first interview yet. Her application was still sitting half-typed on her computer! Actually, she’d lied to Elmo about everything. There had been no discussion about a promotion; Gilberto had just been his usual sleazy self. She’d bee

Formality was welcome.Formality she could actually deal with.So she listened as he took her through her new role, blinking at the description of international flights and luxury hotels that would now pepper her existence, at a salary that made her eyes widen, and at the prospect of a life, as Elmo strongly pointed out, that would be basically put on hold to accommodate his."My time is valuable," Elmo said, and she nodded. "Take today—I should not be going to Admin to get forms, and neither will you be able to." That is why you, too, will have an assistant. My former PA has a list of names somewhere of people who can be put through to me without question, people who first you check and people who, like Lucy, you will have to deal with. He gave a tight smile. "At times your work will be menial, and at other times it will be downright boring—such as sitting in a car waiting for me." At other times, the stress and demands will be intense. Each morning we will go through my day; each we

‘Really?’Your new boss has very exacting standards where his staff is concerned. Absolutely, I’ll help you.Standing in the changing room, Brianna stared at her reflection—the safe black suit she’d initially chosen had been tut-tutted away by the assistant and replaced with a slate-grey one, which was gorgeous; a cream linen one, which Brianna wasn’t sure about; and an olive one, which was fab too—although the skirt was just a touch too short for her liking. Now she was wearing a chocolate-brown suit that, as the assistant had promised, worked well with her coloring. It calmed her complexion and brought out the blue of her eyes, and with her hair done, her make-up on, and the right shoes... Standing on tiptoe, Brianna assumed a snooty pose and decided that she actually might just pass as Elmo Nicoli’s assistant—and she could afford to help her mother now, could pay the lawyer, and, if the ruling didn’t go their way, would be able to pay off Aunty Debby and Maya.Maya…Sitting on the

He never got to finish. He was yanked forward by his jacket a generous few inches, then slammed back hard against the wall."Shut it," Elmo snarled, his face inches away from Gilberto’s. "You make me sick.""You believe her?" Gilberto gave a nervous but mocking laugh. "You believe her against your own family?""You are married to my sister," Elmo snarled. "You are not my blood." What the hell are you doing, messing around?‘I wasn’t. She’s the one who was coming on to me. She’s the one who set me up."Rubbish," Elmo snarled. Don’t try to lie your way out of this. You go near her again, and I will not be responsible for my actions. Elmo’s hands were still pushing him up against the wall, his voice low and menacing. "You stay well away from her."You mean you haven’t gotten rid of her? Gilberto’s voice was aghast."Why would I get rid of her when it was your mistake?" She is my personal assistant now, and one wrong move from you, and don’t think I won’t tell my sister."She set me up."

‘Good morning!’ Used to not getting an answer, Brianna pushed it open, her high heels echoing on the floorboards, then silencing whenever she hit one of the thick, luxurious rugs. Her new shoes were already starting to hurt as she called out into the empty hallway—this was only the third time she’d been to his home in the morning, and on both other occasions Elmo had greeted her from the kitchen with the briefest of good mornings and a rapid rundown of their schedule.but not this morning.Feeling like an intruder, she walked along the darkened hallway—the luxurious surrounds were not quite familiar enough yet to fail to impress. His Toorak mansion home had been meticulously decorated, with no expense spared—exquisite antique furniture clashed marvellously with the latest in everything modern—but it was definitely a male home. Feminine touches were markedly absent—no flowers brightening corners, no splashes of color to take away the rather austere lines, no photos on the heavy wooden