MASSILO P.O.V
Just as Briann started to crawl off the bed,still grumbling under her breath about me being a "reckless man-child" the door clicked open again.
"Massilo" Came Michelle's sharp voice.
Damn it.
Before I could even think,I grabbed Briann by the wrist and yanked her right back into the bed.She gasped and I hissed a whisper. "Shh-just stay still!"
In one swift move,I threw the duvet over her again.She gave a quiet squeak and froze against my side.Her hair brushed my ribs and I bit back a groan,partly from panic,partly from how impossibly soft she felt there.
Michelle strode in with her usual perfume cloud following like authority itself.She sat gracefully on the edge of my bed,crossing one leg over the other with her eyes sharp and businesslike.
"Massilo" She started,her tone that of someone about to sell you your own house, "I came back to discuss something important"
"Can it wait?" I muttered,trying to act sickly so she wouldn't come too close.
"No,it can't" She sighed dramatically. "There's a woman you need to meet....Miss Zady.She's the CEO of Spendix Company"
Under the blanket,I felt Briann's body go rigid against me.
Michelle leaned forward. "Damel Investment needs strong financial support.Spendix can provide it,but only if you marry Miss Zady.She's young,brilliant...and,well...hot"
I blinked. "Hot?"
Michelle grinned like a matchmaker on a mission and pulled out her phone. "See for yourself"
She shoved the phone in my face.The screen displayed a picture of a woman who could probably make men faint for sport.Long legs,perfect curves,skin like she'd been airbrushed by angels.
Beside me,a muffled sound,possibly a groan came from under the blanket.I pretended to cough loudly to cover it up.
Michelle kept scrolling. "Look at that waistline! That's an hourglass body if I've ever seen one.So much class and elegance,way above the kind of girls you've been spending time with lately"
That was a direct jab at Briann.
I clenched my jaw. "I'm not interested,Michelle"
"What? Are you crazy?" She snapped. "This woman could save Damel Investment.She's rich,influential and need I repeat,hotter than Briann"
There was a sharp tug on the duvet,Briann clearly didn't appreciate the comparison.
Michelle narrowed her eyes. "What's that noise?"
"Uh-stomach cramp" I blurted quickly,clutching my abdomen. "I think the food from earlier is fighting back"
She wrinkled her nose. "You really should take care of yourself,Massilo"
Then she leaned closer again,ignoring my pain-acting. "Tell me one thing,why Briann? Why her of all people?"
Her question lingered in the air.I looked past her,at nothing and let out a slow breath.
"Because when she walks into a room,I stop thinking about business,profit or power" I said quietly. "She's...simple,honest.She doesn't see me as a name on a building,she sees me. That's rare,Michelle"
Her expression softened for just a heartbeat before turning stern again. "Even so,I've already arranged your blind date with Miss Zady in two days time"
"What?!" I nearly sat up,almost knocking the duvet and Briann onto the floor. "You set a date before even telling me?"
"I had to act fast" She said smugly. "Don't be late"
Under the covers,Briann shifted a dangerous move and I felt her knee jab into my side.
"Ah!" I groaned dramatically,doubling over. "Stomach! Oh,it's bad.You better leave now before I...uh...explode!"
Michelle jumped to her feet instantly. "Fine,fine! I'll leave you to your...condition.Don't forget the date!"
The moment the door closed behind her,I threw off the duvet and gasped for air.
Briann popped up like an angry storm cloud,her hair wild and her glare sharper than a knife. "A blind date? Really?"
"Briann,wait-"
"Don't Briann me!" She snapped,sliding off the bed and straightening her wrinkled shirt. "Maybe you should go on that date with your 'Miss Zady with the hourglass body!'"
Before I could explain,she stormed toward the door.
"Briann,it's not what you think!" I called after her.
She shot me one last glare over her shoulder. "Oh,it's exactly what I think"
And then she was gone.
The door slammed,leaving me staring at it,the duvet half-fallen on the floor and the faintest trace of her perfume still clinging to me.
I rubbed my face and muttered to myself. "Great.Now I have an allergic reaction to bad timing"
But even as I chuckled,the bed still felt too cold without her.
BRIANN P.O.V
TWO DAYS LATER
The morning light streamed through the tall kitchen windows as i sliced the onions into the pot,the aroma of simmering tomatoes and herbs filling the air.The soft clutter of dishes and the gentle liss of boiling water were the only sounds in the stillness of the house until i heard a faint click of polished shoes on marble the moment i was about to head into the dining.
My hand paused with the spoon mid-air. I turned just as Massilo descended the staircase, and for a moment,time seemed to slow.
Dressed in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit,he looked every inch the man in control.His crisp white shirt and navy silk tie added contrast to the dark tones and a slim silver watch peeked from beneath his cuff gleaming subtly with each step.His briefcase,steel gray and black,hung effortlessly from one hand while the other adjusted the cufflinks on his sleeve with practiced ease.
His hair was neatly styled,not a strand out of place and his clean-shaven jawline looked like it belonged on the cover of a magazine.
And his intense eyes scanned the living room ahead,then flicked briefly in my direction.I gave a small nod with a polite smile.Nothing more.But that was not enough.
I swallowed,my fingers tightening around the spoon.I had seen him pass through the house countless times,yet there was something about this morning,something about the quiet, confidence in his stride,the scent of expensive cologne lingering in the air that made my chest flutter.
He was the kind of man who didn't just wear success,he wore it like a second skin and as the door shut behind him,I exhaled softly,my heart still caught somewhere between the room temperature and the echo of his footsteps.I stood still for a moment, spoon suspended over the tray as the silence settled once more. The door had barely closed behind him,but this presence still lingered like the scent of his cologne.Refined and unforgettable.
I turned back to the dining room,but my rhythm was slower now,my thoughts drifted back to the way his eyes had met mine just for a second,but long enough to make me wonder if he saw me as more than what I was.
I shook my head gently,almost cringing myself for the thoughts.Men like him doesn't have to look at ladies twice before gaining attention.Yet,I couldn't help but notice the details.The way his feet hugged his trousers,his fingers adjusted the knot of his tie with such precision,how his voice carried low and sure when he answered a call just before stepping out.
He moved with a grace that didn't feel rehearsed but ingrained like someone who was always used to being looked at.I sighed and wiped my hands on my apron,going into the dining room in order to clear the breakfast from the table.
He didn't even bother to have breakfast before leaving.The plates had freshly baked croissants,a folded napkin was by the side with his coffee in the mug he mostly used; Black,no sugar,no fuss.
He didn't even say anything,he acted like I was a nobody,well...what was I expecting! He is the boss and can do what ever he wants.I dropped the spoon at the table and leaned against the wall,letting the silence of the dining room wrap around me like a soft blanket.The house felt emptier since he was gone like it missed him too.
And though I knew my place,knew the rules,the distance I had to keep and status built like invisible walls.I shouldn't get carried away by the little love he had shown me.I can't be with him,we are far different,he own everything and definitely need a lady who is also capable to support him but I'm nothing.I imagined,just briefly,what it might be like if one day he turned back before walking out of that door and said my name.
I stood for a while,lost in that soft forbidden day dream.His voice low and warm,saying my name as if it belong to him.My fingers absently traced circles on the table as the steam from the food curled into the air and fading like the moment I was clinging to.And then...
"Still dreaming? Are we?" The voice sliced through the air like a sudden breeze.I turned,startled to see Michelle standing in the doorway,leaning casually against the doorframe,one perfectly manicured eyebrow arched and draped in a silk robe like the color of ivory champagne with her hair twisted into a careless yet flawless bun.
She looked every bit the lady born into effortless elegance.Her eyes scanned the food prepared before landing squarely on me,her smirk was faint but unmistakable.
"He's gone,you can know.You can exhale now" I straightened my posture,quickly wiping my hands on my apron and trying to summon a polite smile. "Good morning,Miss Michelle.I was just finishing up breakfast"
"Don't think you can be with Massilo because of the little care he has given you,know your place,you are nothing but Sua's sister" She stepped into the dinning,her heels clicking lightly on the tile as she made her way to the marble table.She picked up a croissant from the plate and took a bite,chewing slowly,her eyes never leaving me. "You always get this dreamy thoughts.Almost like you want him to yourself"
My head went down. "it isn't what you think. I know my place"
She tilted her head rudely. "Of course you should" Her voice was light, but the words laced with something sharp underneath.
"You're very good at what you do.No wonder he keeps you around"
I nodded,unsure if it was a compliment
or a warning or both.She circled the
table,letting silence hang for a beat
too long.Then as she passed me,she
leaned in slightly and whispered,
"Just remember darling...fantasies
are harmless,until they start looking
like ambitions"
With that,she glided out of the room,the soft swish of silk trailing behind her.I stood alone again,the warmth of the fading sun suddenly feeling colder.I went to pack the leftovers and took the tray,the scent of the food no longer comforting.The day had only begun,but the lines between reality and longing were already beginning to blur.
The rest of the morning passed
in a blur.But the weight of Michelle's words slung to me like thick smoke. "Fantasies are harmless until they start looking like ambition" I replayed them over and over in my mind,each time cutting a little deeper.
By noon,I was back in the kitchen preparing lunch,my movements heavier than usual.The comfort I usually find in cooking was now replaced with quiet unease.Then Michelle returned.This time,she wasn't alone,she breezed in with Mrs Angeles who followed her closely,almost too pleasant smile on her lips.
"Briann" Michelle called smoothly. "I've
been thinking...it's time for some changes around here"
I looked up from the cutting board confused. "Changes?"
"Yes" She said,stepping closer. "You've been here a while.And while your work in the kitchen is..." She gave a condescending glance at the neatly plated appetizers. "Passable,I feel you'd be better suited...somewhere less central.Maybe in the laundry wing,or the storage pantry"
I blinked,caught off guard. "But---I've always worked in the kitchen.Mr Massilo..."
"Isn't here" She cut in,her smile tightening.
"And I'm quite capable of managing the household in his absence"
Mrs Angeles cleared her throat awkwardly. "There's no vacancy in those sections you mentioned"
"Someone else will handle the cooking" Michelle stepped closer,her voice lowering just enough to make it personal.
"You see,Briann.I think it's important that boundaries remain clear.You're the maid.He's my brother.And he deserves someone who isn't distracted from misplaced emotions"
My throat tightened as I opened my mouth to protest,but the words wouldn't come.
I knew exactly what this was.I hadn't seen just a flicker of longing in her eyes,I'd seen a threat,however small.
"Of course" I finally said,my voice being steady despite the sting behind my gaze.
"I'd go where I'm needed" I said.
Michelle smiled,victorious. "Good girl" She turned and walked away without another glance,her heels echoing off the marble like a final warning.
I stood alone in the kitchen,the place that had once felt like a small sanctuary now suddenly became foreign.The warmth of the stove,the smell of tomatoes,even the soft clatter of dishes,it all felt hollow.
I wasn't foolish.I had never expected love.But I hadn't expected this to be cast out for a feeling I hadn't dared act on. And yet,somewhere deep inside,beneath the shame and quiet humiliation,a fire had been lit,not for rebellion but of quiet strength.
They can move me,but they can't unmake me.