Chapter 1: ONE
"Chersss !!!"
The sound of glasses clinking against each other is tucked away among the hustle and bustle of the ballroom of a hotel that has just hosted a fashion show from a well-known American designer. A group of beautiful girls who are the models of the clothes that are no less beautiful are seen joking with a glass filled with red liquid in their respective hands.
Tonight they will eat all they can. Forgetting all kinds of diets and the scourge of weight that tormented them almost three months ago because those super mini designer clothes wouldn't appeal to them if they didn't keep their diet for months before the grand event.
"Oh, my God!!! Finally I can eat pizza," shrieked a model while eating pizza in her hands.
Her colleagues at the table just stared at one of their colleagues with understandable laughter, remembering Rebecca's efforts for three months to maintain her ideal posture until the day of the fashion show was not easy.
"Eat a lot Bec, while the boss doesn't glance at you on the other end," joked Avery, handing a large plate of pizza in front of her partner.
Rebecca had finished a slice of pizza in her hand, she then took another slice from the plate Avery handed her.
"You're not eating, Ave. You've been drinking wine and ordering salads since earlier. Oh come on, we're free. We don't have to think about that annoying diet for the next month, so you can eat those delicious fatty monsters for tonight."
Avery shook her head lightly as she shrugged her shoulders at the salads in front of her. "I guess tonight I just wanted to eat a salad. I was full with a piece of sweet potato earlier."
"Are you afraid you won't look attractive in front of the boss?" asked another colleague who sat on her right while glancing flirtatiously at their boss who was currently staring at them with an intense gaze. To be precise, the man was staring at Avery.
"No, absolutely not. I'm not interested in that annoying flirty boss. I'm married anyway. So just take the boss for you. I'm not at all interested," said Avery cynically.
Her colleagues burst out laughing at Avery's facial expression which looked so disgusted at the handsome man who was their boss. It is common knowledge that their agency boss is indeed interested in Avery, and has always tried to get Avery's attention. But unfortunately Avery was too fierce and ignorant, so she never responded at all to the teasing of her handsome boss. In fact, several times Avery yelled at the man for his annoying brazenness. Like poking her chin, kissing her cheek in public, even confessing to his business partners that Avery is his girlfriend. Such a damn player!
"Anyway, has your husband returned from Columbia? You said he was visiting his sick family, right?" Becca asked next to Avery.
Avery stared at Rebecca's languid face as she shook her head weakly. "Not yet. He said his grandfather's illness was so bad that he would stay in Columbia longer. Maybe I'll use my free time next month to catch up with him to Columbia. I felt like a clumsy granddaughter-in-law from seeing the Andrew family so rarely in Columbia. And this time I'm going to spend my day off to visit Andrew's family in Columbia."
"Aww... I'll definitely miss you so much, Ave. Next month I will also return to San Diego, my mother keeps calling me and telling me to go home because there will be a family gathering at the big house. So I have to come. I have to mingle with my naughty nephews," said Rebecca with an exasperated face.
Avery chuckled beside her and took another delicious sip of her wine.
"Hi, ladies.."
"Hi handsome!!" shouted the models in unison except for Avery who was snorting angrily at the appearance of the man at her table.
"Your work today has been spectacular, I congratulate you. And because of your hard work, I will give a bonus to your salary this month."
"Waaa... That is truly spectaculer news." The women shouted excitedly, giving high fives because they would get a raise from their kind boss.
It was not in vain that all this time they had pressed their stomachs to keep them awake in slim mode if in the end they were paid the price they deserved from the terrible torture.
"Boss, are you looking for Avery?" asked Lisa seductively.
Michiel smiled sweetly at Lisa while glancing at Avery, who had been sitting stiffly in front of him. The woman clearly didn't want to see him.
"Hmm... at first, but it looks like she doesn't want to see me. Isn't she very difficult to conquered," joked Michiel with his crisp laugh that managed to attract the attention of the beautiful women in the hotel.
But that didn't apply to Avery, because she actually felt disgusted by Michiel who had been teasing the women there with tricks of his flagship player. Luckily she was not the kind of woman who was easily fooled by Michiel's angelic lying face.
"Boss, do you need a bed heater tonight?"
"The bed heater, huh? Hmm... that sounds interesting," said Michiel, glancing at Avery.
Rebecca, who was next to Avery, immediately nudged Avery's arm to tease the young woman. However, Avery responded calmly while sipping her red wine again.
"Would you like to be my bed heater, Ave?"
Michiel inclined his head right next to Avery's and whispered sensuously in the woman's ear. All the women who were there immediately cheered at their boss's gentle behavior, especially at Avery.
"Get away from there damn it!" Avery replied curtly.
Michiel smiled sweetly next to the woman and immediately landed a light kiss on Avery's blushing cheek.
"Don't kiss me carelessly! I am married. To hell with your status who is my boss! If you keep doing that, I will really leave your agency," threatened Avery fiercely, wiping Michiel's kiss marks with the white napkin on her lap. She was really disgusted by the man's behavior now.
"Try it if you can. I guarantee that there will not be a single agency who will accept you. Because I still have it," whispered Michiel softly in her ear triumphantly.
Instantly Avery's face turned white when she heard the threat from Michiel. That man really was rotten because he deliberately took advantage of her weakness to keep her in the man's agency. If her husband weren't the older brother of her annoying boss, she would have had an easier time leaving the agency. But unfortunately the husband was too positive thingking about his younger brother and considered all of his brother's insolent behavior as a joke that should not be confused. He said that what Michiel did was just a joke between brother-in-law and sister-in-law. But in fact, she didn't feel that way at all. What was done by Michiel was beyond the limit according to her. Michiel was too imprudent. And it even seemed like he was harassing her by touching the parts that shouldn't be touched, like the hips for example. And she was disgusted by the man.
"Chers! It's no good cursing me inside your pretty head, Ave," said Michiel casually as he stirred the end of his glass with the tip of Avery's glass still held tightly in her tiny hand.
With all her strength Avery ignored her anger and humiliation for Michiel for humiliating her in public. Well, that guy made people murmur more and more about her being considered a cheap woman. Even the greedy seductive woman who greedily ensnared her brother-in-law for her pleasure.
"Get out from here! Don't bother me, I want to have fun."
"It is precisely here that I act as your guard, Ave. Andrew asked," said Michiel while showing his cellphone which revealed a line of conversation sentences between him and her beloved husband who was just as annoying because he entrusted herself to this bastard brother-in-law.
"I'm not a child, I can take care of myself, Michiel!" growled Avery emphatically. Michiel seemed indifferent and instead smiled sweetly at Rebecca who gave him a seat next to Avery.
"Have a seat boss, I think I'll go with the sexy guy there," whispered Rebecca flirtatiously, glancing at a handsome man who was staring at her intensely.
Avery gave Rebecca an irritated snort as she saw her best friend leave. She thought that everyone had been fooled by Michiel's bastard charm. But of course that didn't apply to her, she was Michiel's number one enemy. And until whenever she will never be attracted by that man's deadly charm.
"Honey, you wanna dance with me?"
Michiel stretched out his right hand in front of Avery, only to return the woman with a sharp glance. Besides, how could she possibly accept the man's invitation. She is already married. Remember that! And she was in no mood to make a scandal with her sickening brother-in-law.
"Come on, Ave. Andrew won't get mad just because you danced with me. Am I his favorite brother? Whatever I do, he will definitely never protest."
"I'm not in the mood to dance with you, Michiel." Avery replied curtly.
The woman then busied herself by turning on her cellphone and trying to contact Andrew who was in Columbia, but unfortunately it was the operator's voice who answered the call.
"He's not going to answer your calls honey, what time do you think it's there? He must be having a meeting with his business partners."
"Shit!"
Avery cursed loudly as she put her cell phone hard on the table. Her chances of avoiding annoying Michiel vanished as she forgot that it was already four in the afternoon at Columbia. It means that right now her husband is talking to his colleagues or is doing a lot of work at the office that he obviously can't disturb. Then what should she do now? Dancing with bastard Michiel? Oh hell! That's a really, really bad idea.
"You have no reason to reject me, Avery. You have to dance with me now!"
With great force, Michiel grabbed Avery's hand to his feet and dragged the woman's heavy steps to stand in the middle of the ballroom. The sound of the music is very soft so it is fitting to accompany their steps on the dance floor. But sadly Avery wasn't in the mood to dance. What's more with Michiel!
"I don't want to dance with you."
Avery threw away Michiel's hand which was perched on her hip in a slow way. She then shifted her gaze to the bustling ballroom atmosphere while looking one by one at her colleagues who were now immersed in their respective activities. But she still had time to see a bunch of women who were staring at her with cynical faces because she had just refused Michiel to ask her to dance. Well, they are all stupid fans of Michiel who were tricked by Michiel's angelic face.
"Why you do not want? See! We look good together here, and we have to dance together to show everyone that we are a happy family," said Michiel with a disgusting smile.
Avery seemed even more disgusted by Michiel. She was about to go away and leave Michiel alone with his insignificant monologue. But suddenly Michiel grabbed her arm and forced her to move along with the music that had changed to become faster.
"No refusal! You have to dance with me."
Finally Avery couldn't do anything with Michiel's absolute comand. The woman was forced to follow Michiel's every step that dragged her here and there, as he pleased. In fact, she now felt that she was not really stepping on the floor, because Michiel told her to stand on his feet so that she couldn't move at will and just followed the man's steps according to beautiful classical music.
Maybe if her husband weren't in Columbia right now, she would prefer dancing with him. But unfortunately her husband has always been busy. She almost looks like a walking display in her husband's stately home as she rarely interacts with him. Only occasionally on the weekend they will spend time together to relax, watch movies, or just lazing on the fluffy carpet while listening to music. The rest, they rarely met. In fact, she met her annoying brother-in-law more often than she did with her beloved husband. It could be said that Michiel was always everywhere she went. Be it at the agency office or at the location where the shoot was taken, what was clear was that the man was a very annoying germ.
Cup
"Don't daydream too much, sweetie, you ruin your pretty face." whispered Michiel right in front of Avery's face after kissing her lightly on the cheek.
Avery seemed to glance at Michiel without intending to reply to the man's words. Until whenever Michiel will continue to act as he pleases without thinking about his annoyance. So this time she would choose to remain silent while enjoying every piece of classical music with excruciating annoyance.
-00-
"Good Morning Honey..."
Avery scrunched up her face in annoyance at the noise that had suddenly appeared in her comfortable room. Lazily, Avery picked up a pillow and stuffed his ear with a pillow that she managed to grab onto. But suddenly she felt the side of the bed creak a little, then followed by the pull of the blanket so strong that she felt shivering because her legs that were not covered were immediately blown by the air conditioner which was set to the maximum temperature.
"Michiel! What are you doing in my room? Get out!" shouted Avery angrily as she grabbed the green blanket that was being held by Michiel.
At first glance, Michiel was stunned to see Avery's disheveled appearance, which unfortunately was very exciting for him. Avery's long brown hair hung wildly to and fro, and Avery's slender body was only wrapped in a mini nightgown that was already wrinkled on some sides. Maybe if he had not used his common sense to think, he would have pushed the beautiful woman onto the bed for some very exciting morning activity.
"What do you see?"
Avery wrapped the thick blanket around her body to block Michiel's eyes from the curves of her body which were probably very clearly exposed from her mini nightgown. Moreover, the man's gaze now looked very dangerous with the flash of lust which was clearly printed in his eyes. She then immediately thought quickly to get away from the man's reach. She didn't want to risk being on the menu for Michiel, who was clearly looking hungry like a wild lion.
"Good morning, Ave."
Michiel greeted Avery with his signature killer smile. But unfortunately that didn't apply to Avery because the woman actually threw a big pillow over her bed.
"Get out of my room! You shouldn't sneak into your sister-in-law's room. Nicholasss!!! Nicholaassss!!" shouted Avery, calling the butler at her house to kick Michiel out of her room. However, no matter how hard she called the middle-aged man, he did not show the bridge of his nose to fulfill the employer's angry call.
"Nicholas was out at the supermarket, I told him to buy groceries that were out of stock," replied Michiel lightly. The man then walked to the corner of the room to sit himself on the maroon sofa that looked so tempting to sit on.
"Why are you telling Nicholas to go shop, he's the butler at my house, not yours."
"But this is my brother's house, so I have the right to manage all the workers here. Especially when my brother isn't here." Michiel replied absolutely.
Avery clenched her fists tightly while enduring any rage that raged through her chest. It has been two years since she married Andrew, that her life has never been at ease because Michiel always messed with her. Even that man always messes up all the romantic things she tries to build with her beloved husband. So getting mad at that guy feels like a waste of time and energy, she'd better take a shower to avoid that annoying guy.
"Where are you going, honey?"
"Shut your damn mouth! Or I'll throw you with my house slippers." Avery replied fiercely and immediately closed the bathroom door loudly.
Michiel chuckled in Avery's room staring at the brown door for a few moments before he returned to his seat on the maroon sofa he had been sitting on.
The man circled the spacious room of his brother and also the fierce woman he had been used to entering since they got married. In the room there were lots of photos of Avery when she was with Andrew and also photos when Avery was receiving an award. That woman is very popular. Even since she was in senior high school, Avery was very popular, even though at that time Avery was not one of the sexy popular women there, but Avery was very popular at that time. Until he became the stakes and also his friends. Huh... the past is really funny to remember.
Michiel leaned her head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes for a moment. Last night he was working late after escorting Avery home safely to his brother's mansion. Even though throughout the journey the woman always replied to his every word with harsh words, but he liked it. He likes his brother's wife, more precisely he loves her. If he had found her first before his brother, maybe he would be side by side with her now.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone