14 Meek and Mild

Maxen closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried to give Olivia's voice a face. Just who was the lady on the other line? He tried to recall where and when he heard this beautiful, enchanting voice before but his reverie was cut short when he heard her speak again.

"I have 'Sir James's' wife sitting in my living room. We can watch them over wine and talk about... cats."

"So we have a cat lady. What baby do you have?"

"I... I only have portraits for now," Olivia trailed. Sensing her subtle distress, Maxen cleared his throat and offered, "I have an ocelot at home. She's a beauty. Do you want to meet her?"

Jack cocked an eyebrow upon hearing Maxen's word. 'Who's he going to bring home? Wait. He's bringing a girl home?' Zeroing in his sight on Maxen, Jack's knees buckled when he saw Maxen's shoulders shaking followed by a carefree chuckle. He was close to rubbing his eyes just in case he's hallucinating when he heard Maxen drop another bomb from the sky.

"What's your name?" He usually didn't care about names after meeting countless faces. Jack does the job of remembering those for him. But this lady… whose voice alone tugs the strings of his heart, playing melodies he'd never heard before was messing with him.

"What's your name first?" She echoed his question. Maxen knew. He could hear it from her playful voice. She was teasing him… luring him like a fairy deep into a forest, only to be gagged and bound at the end because she was a witch in disguise. But all of that didn't matter to Maxen. He wanted to see her face. He wanted to see the woman who dared outbid him and taunt him afterward, making him feel like somebody who belonged to her, somebody who could only kneel and kiss her feet. And for the first time in his existence, he wanted to know a person's name.

He took another deep breath when he swore he heard her giggle on the other end of the line. She wanted to play a game and she's using her trophy to her advantage.

Maxen nodded his handsome head as he listened to her instructions. His devilish smile turned into something Jack had never seen before. Patience… and lust? Jack did a double-take at his boss whose noble aura switched into something feral and wore it like a cologne.

Jack eyed the telephone handset and squinted his eyes as he tried so hard to eavesdrop on Maxen's conversation yet all he could hear was his boss's soft chuckle, like a mischievous high school boy about to skip his class. He never saw his royal highness this excited in his 20 years of service. And when the call was done he straightened his back, his face devoid of emotions as he waited for his next assignment. Jack's soul almost left him when he heard his royal highness speak whilst fixing his curly golden mane, using the tinted glass as his mirror.

"Do I look ok? I don't want to disappoint my date tonight."

Jack bowed before giving an honest reply, yet his face showed like he heard the funniest joke he had come across, "Your Highness is perfect in every angle." And with that, Maxen strode out of the private booth and left in a huff. He knew people would be pushing their way into the private booths now after their little showdown and that was something he didn't want to waste his time on because tonight he's gonna be meeting his mate.

Meanwhile, inside Olivia's booth, a soft knock stopped her from grinning like a Chesire cat. She handed back the telephone to Yana who graciously accepted it with a matching bow. A security detail entered the room and spoke in his monotonous voice, "President, a lady named Selena Go wants to have a word with you."

Olivia smirked upon hearing the name and said as she made her way to her throne, "Selena Go? Really? Are they married now? But I haven't gotten an invitation to the wedding."

She sat for a while, her elbows propped on her thighs, her face resting on her creamy knuckles. She straightened her back and leaned on the chair before letting out a sigh. Since she was in a good mood tonight, entertaining a little fly won't hurt. "Ok, let her in."

The double doors opened and in came the lady with big doe eyes, her smile spellbinding, it could make you smile too. Olivia bobbed her head up and down as she appreciated Selena's form. She could not help but compare herself to the lady who stole her companion. Her lips pursed when she realized how feminine Selena looked like compared to her.

The girl with the big doe eyes looked like Aurora of Sleeping Beauty, playing in the forest, singing along with the animals as she held out a hand so a bird could perch on it. And here she was, wearing her beautiful gown made by Eli, looking like Maleficent in every inch that she was branded with by those elites who knew nothing but suck up to those whom they thought were in power.

Yana placed another glass of champagne on Olivia's waiting hand and watched as Olivia took a sip. Olivia closed her eyes and relished the bubbly wine. The layers of fruits reveal themselves as she savored every drop that covered her tongue, relieving her from the eternal humidity of the country.

Her face suddenly contorted into a snigger when she was reminded of her naivety, waiting in her tower for Lance to come and get her, letting him use her as he pleased throughout their years together. Yet at the end when she came here months ago to plan their wedding, she was welcomed with a betrayal.

"I didn't know it was you…" Selena said, her voice tapered off upon seeing Olivia sitting majestically on her throne.

"Since you're here, why not grant you an audience, right? Let's not put your talent of worming in and out of places where you shouldn't be to waste. How much does Lance need this time, Selena? I suppose that's the reason why you're here. I heard GL.com is sinking and there's no way you're here to spend a nickel for charity."

Selena took a step back, her demeanor, meek and mild, almost fragile. Her lips quivered for she couldn't match Olivia's domineering air. She remembered when she first met Olivia who sat silently beside Auntie Martha, nodding her head as she listened to her and her friends' chitchats. Little did Selena know, Olivia was Lance's mysterious fiancee. And when the cat was out of the bag, Selena has done something she shouldn't have.

"Aren't you tired, Selena? Always saving his ass. I was the same too and it took me you and Lance cheating behind my back to finally let go. Let me paint the reality to you in black and white: he's not going to change. He'll keep repeating the same mistakes and you'll keep saving him. He'll never be thankful for your efforts because to him, that's your job. Lastly, if I'm going to be true to myself, you're not off the hook yet after what you did to me."

Selene kneeled and padded towards Olivia, tears glistened on her face. She held Olivia's feet as she kowtowed and pleaded.

"Olivia, pleaaase. Punish me instead for that accident."

Olivia hooked Selena's chin, lifting it so they could meet eye to eye.

"Are you sure it was just an accident? Don't you think it should be murder?"