“Where?” Max asked making the girl in front of him even more desperate.
Gabriella’s lips began to tremble as she waited for the word. However, three seconds later, the central nervous system still hadn’t sent a response. The look in Max’s eyes had frozen her mind.
“Come on, show me!” the man challenged as he brought Gabriella’s fingers closer to his cheek.
Spontaneously, the girl pulled her hand and held it in her lap. With a downcast face, she hid her nervousness.
“Why? You can’t show it, hm? Doesn’t that mean you did eavesdrop on our conversation?” the man implied with both hands fortifying the chair.
“I didn’t overhear,” Gabriella said, still not wanting to admit her mistake. She didn’t realize that Max had raised the corners of his lips.
“Apparently, you don’t love your doll anymore, huh?”
The girl’s eyes widened. The image of Max “killing” Snowy had crossed her mind.
“Okay, I admit it. I did … eavesdrop on your conversation.”
Max’s eyes got wider and his smile almost spread bigger.
“I never thought, there’s a human who love a doll more than herself,” he muttered, hiding the excitement. Especially, when the girl furrowed her brows and occasionally peeked out of the corner of her eyes.
“I’m just curious. Please forgive me.” The girl was afraid of punishment.
Realizing it, the corners of Max’s lips suddenly lightened. An idea had provoked a prank.
“Then, give me something as a token of your apology.”
“But, I have nothing to give,” the girl murmured as she didn’t have treasure anymore.
“I don’t care. In a minute, you have to give me something if you want to be forgiven,” Max threatened, raising an eyebrow. After one breath, he glanced at the clock on the wall.
The girl in front of him sighed and started squeezing her fingers. After racking her brains for a while, Gabriella’s gaze shot up again.
“Can I give you a piano play?”
“Only if it’s perfect,” Max said, subverting the girl’s suggestion.
“How about a massage?”
The man shook his head firmly. “I don’t want to take you to the hospital again.”
Gabriella’s breath grew increasingly desperate. “Then what should I give?” she muttered subconsciously.
“A kiss. Give me a kiss.”
Gabriella’s eyelids suddenly stopped shaking. With a questioning look, she looked ahead.
“Am I not your taste? Then, why do you ask it from me?” the girl inquired for she was really confused about the CEO.
Max suddenly cracked a crooked smile under the high arch of his eyebrows.
“What’s wrong with it? Tomorrow we will get married. We have to do it in front of people.”
Gabriella lowered her head again and sighed faintly. “What a strange man! Why does he enjoy making me do things I don’t like?”
“Okay, your time is up. Say goodbye to your doll!”
A second later, Max walked out of the room. Gabriella could only grimace and chase after him.
“Hey, I already apologized. Why are you still angry?”
Max didn’t care. He kept walking towards Snowy who was placed on the piano.
Feeling pressed, the girl finally grabbed Max’s arm. Then, with her eyes forced shut, she pressed her lips to his.
As soon as Gabriella’s tenderness touched him, Max’s eyes widened. He didn’t know if his fad turned into a surprise.
“Doesn’t this girl hate me? But, why is it so easy for her to fulfill my request?”
Without thinking, Max grabbed Gabriella’s cheek and deepened the kiss. The girl who was about to pull her face was wide-eyed. With little force, she pushed the man’s chest. However, instead of walking away, Max pushed her down on the bed.
“What are you doing?” Gabriella asked between breaths.
“Showing you a real kiss.”
A second later, the man was about to land a kiss. But, Gabriella had already turned her head.
“Apparently, you’re not a good man as I thought,” the girl sighed in annoyance.
The man who was holding her suddenly fell silent. Aren’t they playing? Then, why did the girl suddenly get angry and say such a confusing thing?
“I shouldn’t have eavesdropped this afternoon, so I don’t need to sympathize and help you with the mockup. You’re not a man worthy of attention.”
Max’s chest suddenly tightened. Gabriella’s words had pierced right into the heart. He just realized that his joke had offended the girl.
Unfortunately, that regret turned into prestige in one second. The CEO couldn’t possibly admit his mistakes in front of the girl.
“I don’t know that you sympathize with me.” The curve of thin lips was attached to Max’s face.
Hearing the ridicule, the girl swallowed hard and dared to look back. She could not accept that Max had the upper hand.
“So, you can’t accept if a girl like me took pity on you?”
Realizing that the atmosphere had become too tense, Max stroked Gabriella’s hair with an intimidating look. It’s time to end the game.
“You should be honest if you want to help your future husband. So, I can give you instruction and don’t have to suspect you.”
The girl’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I thought you have fallen in love with me. That’s why I put you to the test. Thankfully, my guess turns out to be wrong.”
After explaining briefly, Max moved away from Gabriella. The girl blinked uncomprehendingly.
“So, you didn’t mean to kiss me?”
Max suddenly let out a tired sigh.
“Apparently, you are completely inexperienced, hm? You can’t even tell a real kiss from a fake one?”
“How do I know if there’s a fake kiss?” Gabriella grumbled as she sat up. “So, now, are you sure that I don’t love you?”
“Yeah,” Max nodded without looking at the girl. A strange feeling just froze his face.
“Then, have you forgiven me? I have given you what you asked for,” Gabriella said carefully.
The man suddenly got up from the bed. “I’m going back to work.”
Without wasting any time, he exited the room, leaving the girl who furrowed her brows digesting the confusion.
“Why did he suddenly leave? Does that mean he has forgiven me? Is Snowy safe?”
After one breath, Gabriella raised her fingers to trace Max’s warmth that still lingered on her lips.
“Why is he so mean? Even if it’s just to test me, it’s still a kiss.”
One hand of the girl then patted the heart that had been going crazy.
“Fortunately, I can control myself. Next time, I’ll have to be more careful,” she muttered while nodding.
In contrast to Gabriella who remained calm, Max started to ruffle his hair in the workroom. With a look of regret, the man grimaced and groaned.
“Why was I out of control? I’m lucky that the girl is innocent and easy to lie to. How should I save my pride if she’s not?”
After a while, the man pondered with a sullen face. Something was blocking his heart.
“But how can she just casually assert that she doesn’t love me? Is that how much she hates me?”
A second later, Max shook his head rapidly.
“Wait a minute. Why do I bother with that? Since when have I expected her love? I must have gone mad.”
Suddenly, the door behind his back was knocked. The man gasped and spontaneously spun around. “Yes?”
Gabriella came in with a straight face and arms entwined in front. “Do you have a minute?”
Max suddenly sighed and pressed his temples for a moment. “Does this girl want to test me?” he thought annoyed.
A second later, the man straightened his face with a cold expression. “Just say what you want to say.”
Gabriella immediately stepped forward with a genuine smile.
“I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to help. So, please give me directions!”
The man’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He did not expect if the determination of the girl was that firm.
“Why do you want to help me? Don’t you hate me?” he asked with confused look.
Gabriella blinked slowly. “Because we have a common enemy.”
“You don’t see me as an enemy?” Max implied with an eyebrow furrowed in disbelief. His previous allegations were almost refuted.
“You didn’t set me up and destroy my house,” Gabriella said with a shrug.
The man in front of her finally nodded in agreement. “It’s good if you’re aware of that. So, from now on, you follow my plan. Don’t tell anyone, including Sebastian.”
Gabriella’s eyes suddenly opened wide. “Including your secretary?” she asked in surprise.
“Yes. Only you and I may know this plan. Understand?”
The girl nodded firmly. “So, what should I do now?”
“Start by completing this mockup.”
Gabriella’s eyebrows arched in question again. “Actually, what’s with this mockup?”
“Aren’t you suspicious every time I put it away before leaving the room? This is the solution to my problem.”
The girl began to shake her head, asking for further explanation. “Didn’t you say you haven’t found any solution yet?”
A lopsided smile suddenly appeared on the CEO’s face. “Are you not smart enough? I told you to keep my plan a secret?”
Gabriella automatically gaped. She had just shown her stupidity to the man.
“Looks like you have a lot to learn. I don’t want my plan to fail because of you.”
A wave of the girl’s hand immediately refuted. “Take it easy. I won’t mess up.”
“If you’re so sure, then prove it tomorrow! Be the happiest bride in the world.”
Gabriella’s enthusiasm slowly waned. Doubt had caused nervousness in her heart.
“Can I still smile on my wedding day? A marriage I didn’t want at all.”