“I think that’s enough for tonight,” the CEO muttered as he stretched his neck muscles. He had been focused for four hours, but the mockup was still not finished.
“Tomorrow, I have to spend more time,” Max thought as he turned to look at Gabriella. The girl was asleep with her hand still holding the pen.
Silently, the man approached and examined the girl’s work. Three seconds later, the corners of his lips lightly lifted.
“Not too bad. It’s messy, but still usable,” the CEO nodded with satisfaction.
After one blink, his eyes turned to the beautiful face. Without realizing it, Max also tilted his head.
“Are you tired?” he whispered, stroking Gabriella’s hair.
One breath later, the man flinched.
“Wait a minute. Why did I touch her?”
Blinking in surprise, he folded his arms then cleared his throat. The girl who had previously laid her head on the table suddenly sat up straight.
“I asked you to work but you sleep soundly?” Max asked coldly.
The girl hurriedly adjusted the position of the pen in her hand and continued tracing the pattern. Witnessing Gabriella’s compliance, the CEO’s heart suddenly hurt.
“You’re lucky I’m sleepy. We’ll continue tomorrow night. Now, go out of this room!”
Still looking dazed, Gabriella got out of the chair and circled around looking for the door. Max suddenly shook his head watching it. After one sigh, he walked out first so the girl could follow him.
As they walked through the hallway, Gabriella paused for a moment in front of a picture of two boys and their parents. With eyes still narrowed, she studied the face of the younger child.
“Are you fascinated by my little portrait?” Max suddenly brought his lips closer to her ear so the girl gasped.
“There’s no need to be ashamed. I’ve been charming since birth. Now, let’s hurry to the bedroom! Don’t even think about running away!”
The CEO grabbed Gabriella’s finger and pulled her to follow him. However, his step stopped because the girl didn’t want to move her legs.
“Isn’t there another room I can occupy?”
Max’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. The obedient girl had started to argue back.
“No,” the man shook with a flat look.
“You lie. There’s no way this big house doesn’t have guest rooms.”
Max leaned his face close to Gabriella. “Are you a guest?”
The girl blinked dryly. “I am, right? You said you wanted to make amends. Doesn’t that mean, you should treat me well?”
The CEO’s smile suddenly grew. “You should be honored to be able to sleep in my room. Don’t you know how many women want to get that opportunity?”
Gabriella furrowed her brows, curling her lips slightly. “It’s not right for unmarried people to sleep in one room, on the same bed.”
“Why are you worried? We don’t do anything. Just sleep. Didn’t I tell you that I have absolutely no interest in you?”
The girl’s eyes spontaneously wobbled in an erratic direction. “Still, that doesn’t seem right,” she muttered, looking down.
“Or could it be, you are afraid of failing to hold back when you see me sleeping? Tsk, your mind is so dirty,” Max teased, wrinkling his face.
Gabriella’s eyebrows flared up in protest. “I’m not like that.”
“Then prove it! Be a good girl while I sleep!” Max tugged on Gabriella’s hand so that the girl had to follow him into the room.
After locking the door, the man got into bed and lay down comfortably. At the same time, the girl froze, standing by the cupboard. With her eyes fixed on the empty space beside the man, her breath was exhaled in resignation.
“Is it difficult to provide another room for me?” the girl grumbled as she sat on the piano chair.
After a few seconds, Gabriella pulled a marker from the pocket of her trousers.
“Why did I bring this?”
After pondering for a moment, she nodded and climbed onto the bed. A crazy idea had just occurred inside her head.
The next morning, Max was awakened by a piano clink. It turned out that Gabriella was practicing. She didn’t get bored of repeating a song every time her fingers hit the wrong keys.
“Apparently, her performance is still messed up,” the CEO muttered as he got out of bed. Without any greeting, the man walked straight towards the bathroom.
After a while, the sound of screaming widened the girl’s eyes. “Gabriella!”
Small laughter escaped from her mouth. Then, instead of answering, the girl continued the practice with an innocent face. As Max approached her with fists tightly clenched, Gabriella was still leisurely playing the song.
“What are you doing with my face?” the man asked with a rumbling breath.
“Nothing,” the girl said without turning her head. Her gaze was fixed on the sheet music.
“Gabriella!” Max scolded with a maximally furrowed brow. However, the pianist still didn’t take it seriously.
“You want to play with me, huh? You think my face is a piece of paper?” Max’s forefinger was stuck on the words “CRAZY” on his forehead.
“Why are you so angry? I just crossed out your forehead. It’s not like you tarnished my good name,” Gabriella grumbled, rolling her eyes.
“Why are you still bringing up that matter? I didn’t screw you on purpose.”
“I also accidentally crossed out your forehead.”
Max’s patience was eroded. Without hesitation, he took the marker on the piano and opened the lid.
“What do you want to do?” Gabriella asked spontaneously moving away.
“What else? Of course repay your action.”
The girl stepped back with her hands raised forward.
“Don’t waste time! Instead of attacking me, you better wash your face,” Gabriella said in a slightly trembling voice.
“Do you think your art can be lost? This is a permanent marker!”
“It’s your fault! Why did you give me permanent marker?”
“You ….”
Max ambushed Gabriella and then brought the tip of the marker to her face. However, the girl continued to struggle so that the man was forced to crush her on the bed.
“No! Engh ….”
Max kept his hand pressed against the girl’s forehead and began to write.
“This is not fair!” Gabriella was helpless because of the burly body that locked her in.
“This is a lesson for you not to be a vengeful person.”
“You’re the vengeful one!”
“Done!” Max exclaimed with a smile full of triumph. He got out of bed while looking at the artwork on Gabriella’s forehead.
“What did you write?” the girl asked as she hurried to the mirror.
“Hey, I only wrote five letters. Why did you write this long?”
“Because it’s true, you’re a sleepyhead.”
With lips pursed, Gabriella picked up the make-up remover bottle.
“Finally, you touched my gift?” the CEO taunted as he walked over to the dresser. However, the girl ignored his words.
“Let me clean your forehead!” Max snatched the bottle from Gabriella’s hand and took out a piece of cotton.
“Why would you cross out my forehead if in the end, you are the one who cleaned it up?” the girl grumbled, still pursing her lips in disbelief.
“Maybe, because I have no work. I am forbidden from coming to the office because people at the company accuse me of conspiring with you. They think I am the one who wants to destroy the project,” the CEO muttered, sounding sad.
Gabriella’s brow creased slowly. She wondered where the hatred she had been cultivating for this man had gone.
“About my house … is it true, you didn’t destroy it?” the girl asked in a low voice.
“Yes.”
“Who is it, then?”
“I don’t know yet. There’s no clue about that person.”
Gabriella fell silent and began to contemplate.
“Can you find that person?” she asked a moment later.
“I have to, if I want to keep my position as a CEO.”
“Then, why are you busy making mockups?” Gabriella thought with furrowed brows.
Max finally stopped rubbing her forehead and narrowed his eyes. “Why do you ask that?”
“Why? Are you suspicious of me? Do you want to accuse me of being a spy?”
After one blink, the CEO smiled crookedly. “Instead of thinking about it, you better focus on your competition.” Max returned to rubbing the cotton against Gabriella’s forehead.
Before the girl could say something, the man had already handed the cotton into her hand. “Now, it’s your turn to clean my face.”
Gabriella widened her eyes spontaneously in disbelief. “You can do it yourself. Why did you ask me?”
“You have to be accountable for your actions.”
Gabriella sighed and then stood up reluctantly.
“Why are you so tall?” The girl had to raise her hand for reaching her work of art.
Unexpectedly, Max sat down in a chair and tugged on Gabriella’s leg over his thighs.
After a while, the girl was already in the man’s lap. “What are you doing?”
“Do it!”
“Do what?” the girl asked tensely because the CEO’s hand was now on her waist.
“Aren’t you cleaning my face?”
“Yes, but not in this position,” Gabriella protested, trying to get up.
Oddly, Max didn’t let herself go.
“You are so talkative. Just do it fast! The longer you work, the longer I have to bear your burden. My legs can get sore.”
Feeling annoyed, the girl started rubbing the cotton with all her might.
“Apparently, your hands are well controlled, huh?” the CEO teased while holding the pressure on his face.
“It’s because I don’t want to be around you for long.”
“Doesn’t that mean, you should be good at playing the piano? Could it be, you secretly wish to be my wife?”
Annoyed, Gabriella turned the rubbing into a light beat.
“Hey, why did you hit me?”
“This is a faster technique for cleaning your forehead.”
While Gabriella and Max were busy bickering about rubbing, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
“Max, hurry up and open it! Don’t hide from me!”
The CEO’s eyes widened spontaneously. “Julian? Since when has he been here?”