16 | Playful Banters Laced with Honesty
Emerald's POV
"Charm? Where are my designs from the past collection in 2019?" I called for her in my office rummaging through my files on my desk. I blew out the strand of hair trying to block my sight as I tried to remember the type of cut I had made for the centerpiece of the last crown I made for an heiress of a business tycoon in New York.
"You brought it home with you last month, miss." Charm replied, rushing to the office door to talk to me. I threw my hands up in frustration.
"Merda! I have to go back home! We have to cut the gems today for fuck's sake!" I cursed. I was completely stressed out with the delay we had. The Royal Family just brought the diamonds they wanted for the crown today when it could have been sent two days ago. The massage I had the day after Axel went to my penthouse for the first time was completely obliterated by today's events.
"Ma'am, I can go find those files for you." She offered and I gave her a look. Was she serious?
"Charm, we both know no one but me will go to my room, no?" I raised a brow at her and she looked down on the floor with guilt.
"I'm sorry. I... I just want to help, miss." Her shaky voice made me let out a breath of frustration.
"It's fine. Okay. Go meet the team and tell them to wait for me, okay? I need this to be perfect." I grabbed my keys and my purse and started to walk towards the door.
"Noted, ma'am." She straightened her back and began to call for my staff to the conference room.
"Make sure everything is ready in the lab before I arrive, okay? Make sure everything is in order in the conference room. Technical team should be high and alert today.:" I ordered and she quickly nodded, her attention laser-focused.
"You know the drill, Charm. Let's make our team proud." I patted her shoulder before I left her to tend to my team while I was gone.
"Where are we going?" Axel flipped his phone before putting it in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He fixed his navy blue tie as if it was crooked. Nothing is crooked with the way he looked today. Everything was perfect with him. Clean. Cut to perfection. As usual, every customer I had was pulled to him and I don't even know now if they were coming into my building for my crowns or just to ogle at him.
"I want to put a crown brooch on you." I remarked before passing him to go to the parking lot.
"Stressed out so much you care about my appearance?"
"When didn't I care?" I snapped at him and he just smirked at me while he continued to follow me.
"You're in a mood today."
"Tell that to your boss. I can't believe they expect me to finish everything on time when they are the ones who delay everything." I grumbled, stomping my way to my red Audi.
"Hey. Hey. Emeralda?" He called for me and I started to storm off, pissed at everything. Him just calling me now pissed me the fuck out.
"Just follow me, Axel. I have shit ton to do." I huffed out, fumbling with my phone.
"Hey." I felt his hand on my right shoulder and I turned towards him. I knew it wasn't his fault but he should stay away from me before I become a bitch. I stared at him and then to his hand. When did he have the authority to just touch me so casually like this?
"Axel, I swear to God, let me go or I will punch you." I warned him to stay away and he let me go. I was about to turn again and walk when I felt his hand around my elbow. A gasp escaped my lips and I glared at him.
"You son of-"
"Emeralda, please." He sighed, finally letting me go. His eyes searched for mine and I just glared at him for delaying me further.
"Leave if you can't take me like this, Axel. You don't need to guard me all the time. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." I snapped, pulling my arm from his grip. He held up his hands as if surrendering to me and sighed.
"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. Can you let me drive? I don't want you getting hurt while you're about to drive your car against a wall."
"Fine." I huffed out a breath. He smirked. I was infuriated at him for not being affected by my anger. Most guys tend to back off but he kept following me like a damn lost puppy.
"Keys." He held out his hand and gestured to give me the keys.
"Glad you're my bodyguard or else I would have kicked you." I grumbled, giving him the keys before going to the car. He jogged towards the passenger's seat and opened it for me. Ignoring him, I went inside and reached for my seatbelt.
"Drive fast." I ordered as he got inside and started the engine.
"Yes ma'am." He replied with a smile before he pulled out of the parking lot and drove us to hell.
"What the fuck was that, Axel! You almost killed us!" I screamed at him once we arrived at home. The security guards cleared their way to the main door, acting innocent.
"You told me to drive faster when I already was hitting the limits. What the fuck do you want?" He raised a brow at me like it was normal to burn the wheels against the pavement with how fast he was driving.
"Not like that! You could have killed us." I threw my hands in the air and stomped my way to my room.
"Why are you even mad at me?" His voice was firm but gentle and a shiver traveled down my spine. I heard the keys rattle before I heard a click. I turned around to see what he was doing only to leave a gasp from my lips.
"Tell me, Emeralda. What do you really want me to do?" His voice vibrated and I could not possibly think it sent vibrations around my body. Was I scared of him? No. A foreign feeling made me step back from him.
"N-nothing. Just go to your post, Axel. I'll be right back." I pushed him out of the room and closed the door behind me, leaving me alone in the small-lit room of mine. I sagged down against the door, relief flowing through me.
What the hell was that? I fanned myself with my hands, feeling hot all of a sudden. It took me a minute to recover from it before I focused on what I have to do. Opening the lights of my room, I began to check the files I had hidden under my bed. Call me paranoid but I didn't want anyone touching my designs let alone copy them.
"2019...." I mumbled to myself, skipping one file to the other. 2019...
"Gotcha!" I grinned proudly, finally feeling the stress getting out of my body. Turning towards the door, I started to walk and then I remembered what I just did a few minutes ago. My smile dropped and a pit of uncertainty stirred down to my stomach.
I pushed him away... I bit my lip at the thought. Will he be angry at me? I flicked through my folder, hesitating to reach the doorknob.
I did push him away but he could have stayed if he wanted. I mean, pushing him would require huge strength but no. I lightly pushed him away... Did he intend to let me push him away? Thinking about it, he did. I took a deep breath and the first thing I noticed was him going through his phone. He was leaning against the wall in the hallway, waiting for me.
"You got it?" He asked, putting his phone back to his pocket. I showed him the silver folder I had with a smile.
"I did."
"Good mood?" He began to follow me outside the house. I cleared my throat and just hummed a yes at him.
"This is Alpha One. We're leaving the house. Secure it." I heard him speak behind me before I spotted three men in a black suit going inside the house.
"You're really running your team tightly." I commented as we reached my car.
"Always. I don't want people slacking off. We have a duty to fulfill and that's you and your security." He explained, opening the passenger's side for me. I quietly got inside and he closed the door. Rounding the car, I heard him speak to one of the guards before he got inside.
"You ready?" He took the driver's seat and pulled the seatbelt to buckle himself up.
"Yeah." I replied and he stared at me for a second.
"What? Is something on my face?" I began to rub my cheeks and he chuckled, shaking his head.
"Buckle up, princess." He pointed at the seatbelt beside me. Heat crept quickly to my cheeks, warming my face.
"Oh... of course." Fuck! Why is he being so damn attractive? He turned the engine on, the gorgeous purring sound a music to my ears. He waited for me to settle in for a while and let me fix myself before we went back to the office.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you again, Axel." I broke the silence between us in the car. He looked at me, tilting his head probably trying to look at my face as I immediately avoided his gaze.
"You have a temper, I'll give you that." I gasped at his comment, making me look at him and there was that sparkle in his eyes while he looked at the road before us.
"I do not!" He chuckled at my reply.
"Yes, you do." He insisted and I glared at him at how he's so vocal with his opinions.
"Well, you're one stubborn man I cannot get rid of." I replied, crossing my arms on my chest to prove a point.
"I am, don't I?" He was smirking as he drove us back to the car and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Wow. You're proud of that character of yours?"
"Yes, ma'am." He confidently replied before putting a signal to make a turn to the shop.
"Thank you, Axel." I smiled as he parked the car. He unbuckled his seatbelt and smiled.
"No problem." I spotted a bodyguard rushing to my side. He opened the door and I unbuckled my seatbelt. I thrummed my fingers against the folder feeling like I wanted to apologize again to Axel for acting like a total bitch earlier.
"They're waiting for you." He waved at the bodyguards lining up in the front entrance of the building. There was a level of ease in him with the way he worked. I felt secure. Comfortable even though he can be a bit of an asshole with the way his tongue can cut through the thickest piece of paper with his honesty.
"Thanks again. I'll meet you when we're done. Bye!" I got out and the man in the black suit gestured to me to follow him. I noticed how everyone formally lined up in the entrance of my building. I spotted Charm with her back as stiff as a stick. What the hell is happening?
"Miss Emeralda." The man made of fairy tales walked out from the building with a charming smile that made women swoon. His charcoal tailored suit fit him so perfectly and there was a radiance on him that made me giddy.
"Oh my God! Prince Max. Hello!" I tried to contain the excitement I felt for the prince. My heels clicked and clacked against the pavement as I approached him. He met me in the middle and it felt surreal to see him today.
"You're here." I breathed out, looking into those beautiful ocean blue eyes that I wanted to be swallowed into. He closed the distance between us and I caught my breath as he held my right hand and put a gentle kiss on the back of my hand.
"I missed you." He softly spoke, a seduction clearly making me shiver from delight.
"Me too." I breathed out.
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