Chay looked down at her phone, then shook her head. "Uh... no. My advisor should be here in a minute. I’m waiting for him."
Queen arched a brow and leaned against the back of the couch, folding her arms. "Your advisor, huh? How capable is he?"
"He’s actually an ex professor turned branding consultant. My dad referred him."
Queen’s eyes twinkled. "Hmmm.... You talked to your dad. Speaking of have you... spoken to Drake since the wedding?"
Chay hesitated just a mont too long before answering. "Yes. He was here a few days ago. I missed all his calls, and he got worried. Thought maybe I’d been kidnapped or sothing. Everything okay?"
Queen sighed. "He refuses to move into my condo," she said with a dramatic flare of indignation. "I didn’t even know he could be that stubborn. It’s infuriating and... kind of hot."
Chay shrugged. "Maybe try showing him the benefits."
Queen opened her mouth, but Chay raised a finger, halting her mid-retort. "Not superficial reasons. Actual reasons that make sense for both of you."
Queen pouted. "I just worry that the press will find out a newlywed couple is living apart and have a field day. You know how they get."
Chay gave her a pointed look. "And when they find out that he moved into his billionaire wife’s condo? Oh, they’ll really go to town. They’ll slap ’golddigger’ across every blog. His reputation will be in shreds."
Queen sighed. "Ugh. You’re right. Again. You’re always right, it’s irritating."
She plopped onto the nearest stool and stared dramatically at her manicure. Then, just as quickly, her face lit up. "Plus, you know that agreent we made before the wedding? The whole no intimacy, keep-it-clean, PR-only marriage?" She leaned in. "Girl! That shit went out the window in seconds. The man is a stud! I an, I blinked, and we were halfway through the Kama Sutra!"
She let out a squeal and did a tiny chair shimmy of delight.
Chay, however, remained unmoved. She offered a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
"You don’t say." Chay muttered. She didn’t even bother hiding the exhaustion in her tone anymore.
"It was perfect," Queen breathed dramatically, collapsing onto Chay’s couch. "Heavenly. It was... I have never been fucked that way before."
Chay groaned and clapped both hands over her ears, her face heating up. "Queen, co on! Boundaries! I beg!"
"Oh, stop being a prude," Queen huffed, rolling her eyes with queenly grace. She reached over and swatted Chay’s hands away. "You’re twenty two, not ninety. Besides, I’m married now. I’m allowed to brag."
"I don’t think this is the kind of marital testimonies you should be giving." Chay mumbled just as a knock rang out from the front door.
"Saved by the bell!" she exclaid, springing up. "That’s my advisor. I gotta go!"
She dashed to the door, desperate for escape, and flung it open.
"Hi Gi!" Chay greeted, eyes lighting up.
"You’re... ready," Guy said, eyebrows raised in genuine surprise.
"Uh... yes?" Chay blinked, unsure why her punctuality had caused such a stir.
"You’re the first woman I’ve ever worked with that I didn’t have to wait for," he said.
Behind her, Queen erged. "Hi. I’m Queen Nuro," she said, extending her hand with that regal poise she always summoned when eting re mortals.
Chay internally rolled her eyes. Well, here we go, she thought. Cue the swooning, the fumbling, the awkward fanboying... She waited for Guy to trip over his own na or accidentally propose marriage on the spot.
But no. Guy calmly took Queen’s hand with businesslike coolness. "I’m Guy Piqué," he said smoothly before returning his focus to Chay. "Shall we?"
Chay didn’t even bother to hide the shock on her face. Did she just witness that correctly? Did he not recognize Queen Nuro? Her? The walking headline? The woman who made paparazzi hyperventilate? Either he was a robot, a monk, or blind.
As they stepped out of the apartnt, Queen trailed behind Guy and Chay with an offended expression.
Queen wasn’t used to this. The world stopped when she walked into a room. n fainted. Won re-evaluated their lives. Even Chay was used to standing a few steps behind her in the lilight’s shadow.
But not Guy.
Guy just... blinked and moved on.
As soon as they stepped outside the apartnt, Queen paused, turned, and pulled Chay into a hug. Queen whispered, "Go kill it." Then Queen stepped back.
Her driver, clad in all-black, was already standing with the back door of the Range Rover open. Without breaking stride, Queen slipped into the vehicle. A few seconds later, the engine purred to life and the sleek SUV rolled away, disappearing down the street.
Chay watched the car vanish, and then slowly turned to face Guy, who stood beside her unimpressed by glittering things.
"Do you not know who she is?" Chay asked, incredulous.
Guy gave her a bored glance. "Everyone in the business world knows who she is. Her father is a genius."
Chay blinked. That wasn’t the answer she expected. "What? You have a thing against powerful won or sothing?" she asked, arching a brow and folding her arms.
"No," he said, casually tossing his car keys at her. "I have a thing against entitled powerful won."
The keys landed neatly in her hand. She looked down at them, then back at him, unimpressed. "Queen isn’t entitled. She’s just... confident." A pause. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
Guy gestured toward the curb, where a matte black G-Wagon was parked. "In the business world, optics matter. You either show up driving yourself in style or you show up with a driver. At the mont, you don’t have either. And that car you usually drive is... well, let’s just say it’s a cri against montum."
Chay frowned. "My car isn’t that bad. It gets from point A to point B without exploding."
"Barely," Guy said. "Look, it’s a G-Wagon. It’s clean, it’s sexy. Borrow the illusion, Chay. Fake it till you make it."
She exhaled and unlocked the car reluctantly. "This feels dishonest," she mumbled, climbing into the plush leather interior.
Guy slid into the passenger seat. "Besides, if you’re going to start your own empire, you’ve got to stop apologizing for wanting more."
Chay gripped the wheel, inhaling the faint sll of leather. "You just shut my sister down for having that sa attitude."
"You hired to help you break out," Guy said, adjusting his seat. "So stop arguing with ."
Chay didn’t look at him. Instead, she focused intensely on aligning the gearshift, fluffing the floor mat with her foot, and adjusting the vent. "Technically, I didn’t hire you," she mumbled, flicking invisible lint off the dashboard. "My father did. So I’m just a passenger on this journey."
"You’re literally in the driver’s seat," he deadpanned, eyeing her as she straightened the already straight cup holders.
Chay opened her mouth to argue again, but he cut her off with a look that could critique your life choices in one blink. "Shall I get you a vacuum cleaner while you’re at it?" he asked, tilting his head and raising a brow.
@Annie_V, @Miss_J: Thanks for your support.
A mass release will be available tomorrow so it may take longer for to catch up
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