Say what now?

Book:Exclusively The CEO's Published:2024-6-2

He hit his spoon on the table and Emily stopped laughing abruptly.
Michael looked at him for a short while and resumed eating.
The trio ate their food in silence, except for the few times Michael spoke with Emily.
After they finished eating, the maids cleared the dishes.
Michael wished Emily good night and walked to his room while Joel stood up on his feet, leisurely, and headed for the stairs.
Emily bit her lip as she watched him climb up the stairs. She didn’t know how she was going to tell him she left her bag in his car.
She stood up and dragged her feet to her room.
She wasn’t able to sleep, she kept tossing from one side of the bed to the other.
After a while, she picked the rechargeable hand fan on the bedside table and switched it on.
She huffed, placing the hand fan over her face, and blowing into it, “ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Emily pabo!!!”
(A/N: pabo means idiot. She meant she was an idiot)
She switched off the fan and rolled over to the edge of the bed.
She huffed again and checked the time. 11:00.
“Everyone should be asleep by now.” She stood up, wore her slippers, silently creaked open her door, and tiptoed out of her room.
???
Joel rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time as he stepped out of the shower. That was the third time he was taking a shower that night.
He rolled his eyes again as he tied his robe. “Oppa?”
He threw the towel he was holding in his hand away and walked over to the window. “Aishhh!”
He looked out through the window, his eyes wandering around. He was unable to sleep. How would he, after hearing what that girl called his brother.
His eyes were still wandering around restlessly when something caught his attention.
There was a figure tiptoeing towards his car.
Joel furrowed his brows, he wouldn’t mistake that figure for another, anywhere. It was that girl, the girl that caused him a restless night.
He looked on in amusement as she hovered around his car as if searching for something.
Joel shook his head. “Dummy,” he clicked his tongue in disapproval, “the glasses are tinted, you can’t see anything in there. Tsk tsk tsk.”
He chuckled as he watched her fight the air with her fists and stomping her feet on the ground after she was unable to see anything through the car windows.
Emily huffed and walked back into the villa in annoyance. She headed to her room but she stopped when she was about to pass by the stairs. She looked up from the foot of the stairs and inhaled deeply.
She hadn’t been up there before, should she give it a try?…
“Aishhh!” She facepalmed herself.
After saying a short prayer, she took a step on the first stair, after a minute, she took another step on the second.
Her heart was pounding, and her breathing hitched as she took another step.
Long story cut short, it took Emily thirty minutes to reach the top of the staircase.
She stood in front of Joel’s door and huffed, blowing air out of her mouth. She clasped her hands together and said another prayer.
Emily raised her hand midair and balled her fist✊ in an attempt to knock on the door.
She took in a lungful of air before rapping gently on the door. Even the person with the best set of ears wouldn’t have heard her knock. It was as though she was stroking the door effortlessly.
But suddenly, the door swung open. She hastily shut her eyes, gritted her teeth, awaiting what was to come.
Joel gazed at her coldly. “Wae? What do you want?”
Emily slowly opened one of her eyes before opening the other one.
“Deaf?” He thundered.
“Ahhh, ermm… aishhh…” She scratched her hair insanely.
She had forgotten what she wanted to ask him.
Joel fluttered his eyes and shut the door.
“Ahhhh Ahhhh!” Emily cried.
She fought the air with her fists, stomping her feet on the floor. She slumped on the floor and sat on it with her ankles crossed over each other.
She heard the door swing open and quickly stood on her feet.
Joel gave her a look that meant ‘what exactly do you want or I’ll shut the door again.’
“I erm… my bag… . i-tis in the car… I mean, y-your car” Emily managed to force out some words.
Joel’s eyes twinkled. ‘ahhhh, so she was looking for that…’
“I threw it away,” Hel replied unblinkingly.
Emily couldn’t believe her ears. “Sorry?”
“Tch… the… threw it… a-way?” She stuttered.
“You are not deaf, are you?” Joel twitched his mouth.
“Yah!!!” Emily yelled.
Immediately, she met Joel’s burning gaze, and she came back to her senses.
“Errm, I’m sorry… I lost my senses for a second there.” She murmured silently.
“I know,” Joel smirked and shut his door.
Emily stared at his door and eyed it.
She sneered, pointing her finger at the door. “Deo!… you threw my clothes away!? How dare you!?”
(A/N: deo means you. Neo also means you)
“Huh!” She scoffed.
“Yahhh, did you buy those clothes for me?… Do you know how much I bought them? You annoying arrogant bastard!” Emily yelled at the door.
Suddenly, the door swung open and she flinched backward, almost tripping.
Joel scratched his nose with his index finger, looking her over. “Did you say something just now?”
Emily quickly waved her hands in the air. “Me? Something?… Ani.”
He nodded his head and twitched his lips. “Then, what are you still doing here?.”
“Ahhh…” She nodded her head slowly.
She laughed nervously, pointing to the staircase. “I was about to go just now.”
She bowed quickly. “Good night.”
She turned around and climbed down the stairs, mouthing inaudible words.
Joel smirked as he watched her. He licked a corner of his mouth and shut his door in satisfaction.
He strolled around in his room and sat on the couch, staring at the bag on the table.
He yawned, stood up on his feet, and walked to his bed. Now, he would be able to sleep.
He fell happily on his bed and within a short while, he fell asleep.
Emily opened her mouth ajar as she paced back and forth in her room. “How could he?…”
“Aishhh! I hate him, I really hate him.” She bit on her lip annoyingly.
She sniffed her armpits and grimaced.
“Aishhh!” She stomped her feet on the floor and headed to the bathroom. She was going to have to wear her clothes again.
“Aishhh, so annoying!” Emily pouted.
Daybreak?️?️?️
Emily swung her arms back and forth as she walked to the kitchen. Little Pumpkin had gone to school and she was sure the brothers had gone to work too.
“Aaahhh!” She flinched back when she noticed a figure sitting on the sofa.
Joel raised his brows at her and looked away.
“Erm… deo, are you not going to work?” Emily stuttered.
Joel rolled his eyes and turned on the TV set. “It’s my house. I get to decide whatever I want to do.”
Michael stretched his body, yawning, as he dragged his feet to the lounge.
“Ah, Oppa, annyeonghaseyo” Emily smiled as soon as she noticed him.
Michael smiled, sitting next to Joel. “Annyeong.”
Joel clenched the remote control in his hand. ‘she didn’t even greet me this morning…’
“Oppa, aren’t you going to your office this morning?” Emily asked.
“Huh?… Ani, I’m taking a day off today.” Michael yawned.
“Ahhhh…” Emily nodded her head slowly and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.
“Wow, this girl is trying.” Michael smiled, pointing at the LED TV.
“Pshht…” Joel scoffed.
Michael shrugged. “I’m serious… she’s the best in the country.”
Joel sneered at the girl on TV, “that’s not best.” He sighed, “she’s not good enough.”
“Yeah, but everyone adores her. She’s still the best in the country so far.” Michael shrugged his shoulders again.
“I think I heard she wants an increase in her pay.” He smiled.
“Mbo!? Increase again? She’s the highest-paid newscaster in our agency-she’s the highest-paid newscaster in the county!” Joel turned to face his brother.
“Correct. But, what can we do?” Michael heaved out a sigh.
He scratched his nose, “there’s going to be a news broadcast tonight on TV and she’s the one we put up for the broadcast. She said she won’t broadcast if her pay isn’t increased before then.”
“Fuck!” Joel cursed under his breath.
“Uhn!?…” Emily grinned, her gaze on the TV, as she walked out of the kitchen.
She hastened her steps and walked into the lounge.
“Uwa!” She smiled dreamily as she watched her idol broadcast live on TV.
Emily had always loved Stephanie Nelson, her favorite newscaster. Stephanie was her idol-her role model.
Michael smiled at her. “Wae?… you like her?”
Emily nodded her head vigorously. “Uhn. I love her.”
“Wowwww.” He chuckled.
“Awwwn, I’ve always dreamed of meeting her.” She pouted her lips, cupping her cheeks in her hands.
Joel arched up one of his brows as he watched the girl in amusement. Little things excited her…
“You want to see her?” He suddenly voiced out.
“Uhn.” Emily nodded her head.
“Pshht!” He scoffed.
The girl, she was right in the house of the CEO of Empire World Corporation, and she didn’t know. But she recognized a newscaster-a mere newscaster. Joel shook his head.
“I love her. I want to be a newscaster like her too.” Emily groaned dreamily as she stared at the TV.
“Hahaha.” Joel burst into laughter.
He burst into another round of laughter, “say what now? Newscaster?… You think it’s for nitwits like you…”