whining for food like a starving wolf.
Waking up at 3 p.m. and still alive was already a blessing.
Romance? Nowhere to be found.
That fantasy of "waking up, fresh and ready to greet the morning after a
passionate night" ?
Lies.
Complete lies.
I barely had the strength to walk to the bathroom my legs were shaking so
badly it felt like I was being carried off by a spirit. We stumbled in there
together, bickering loudly the whole way. Who said everything turns pink and
lovely after you sleep together? All I see is a yellow sky right now.…Being the
rich guy's spouse sure requires endurance.
"Star, I've got a meeting at the same mall as last time. Want to go see
Deedee?"
"I'll go~"
"Does your butt still hurt?"
"Just… a little."
"Hang in there. You're grown enough to have a husband now~"
"Say that again and I'll smack your face. And stop pretending to be all
concerned!"
I woke up feeling half-dead, but after dragging myself into the shower, I
ordered a giant meal and devoured everything to refill my life bar. Wouldn't
want to die and tell the angels it was because of that.
Soon after, Rock got a call about some new Italian car model. Apparently he
might get to see the real thing abroad, too. The moment it's about cars, he
springs back to life. He cleaned up, dressed sharp, and dragged along his
debtor-slash-newly-appointed spouse. From now on I guess I'm everything
he needs public duties, private duties, and… everything in between. As long
as we love each other, I'll hold the line!
When we got to Deedee's salon, he was so busy I felt bad waiting there, so I
wandered around the mall to kill time.
"Star~"
A voice called from behind. I turned and saw a clean-cut man in a fitted
black suit, pale skin, polished city looks. If I wasn't mistaken…
" Win?"
The same guy who clashed with Rock at the car showcase. Now he was
here, greeting me with a polite, gentle air completely different from his
younger brother.
"You remember me? I'm glad." He smiled sweetly.
"Hello. Are you here for a meeting too, Win?"
"Yes. I just finished. I saw Rock heading in after me looks like we're dealing
with the same dealership."
"You want that new model too?"
"I do. They only made three of them. If I land one, it'd be great for the
company's image."
"So a lot of people are after it?"
"Yes~ And… have you eaten yet, Star? Would you join me for a coffee? Keep
me company a bit?"
"Uh…" Star looked around, unsure how to refuse.
"Just a moment. Come with me? I've got something to ask."
"…Well… okay."
The nervousness that had been there at first, when sitting to have coffee
with Win, gradually faded. The calm, clean, and polite man turned out to
have a surprisingly good sense of humor. The person Rock hated so much
was far friendlier than expected.
Win spoke gracefully, with humor, manners, and a gentle charm. He was
considerate, caring, almost to the point of making me feel like a princess. It
wasn't hard to understand why he wasn't from the same family as Rock the
contrast was extreme: Rock's brashness against Win's soft elegance.
Win was easy to talk to, approachable, and nothing like the intimidating
figure Rock tried to project. Sometimes I wondered if the two of them could
just face each other calmly, things might end well. No need for enemies to
stir up frustration every time they met. I didn't want to see Rock get so angry
he lost control. It was genuinely scary.
I sipped coffee and chatted with Win, who had a way with words like a
skilled salesperson. His stories were engaging, never boring, and full of
charm. What I thought would be a short visit ended up with me laughing at
his jokes for nearly an hour… until my phone rang.
Beep beep beep.
It was Rock, probably done with whatever he was up to.
"Babe! Where are you?!"
His hoarse, thunderous voice made the person across the table glance over.
Rock was yelling again had he gotten into another fight? I needed to head
back, fast.
I stood, intending to excuse myself to Win, but he followed me.
"I'm at the café."
"Why not wait at Didi's shop?"
"It was too crowded there, so I came out for coffee. I'll go see him soon."
"Stay there. I'll come to you."
I picked up the pace, with Win trailing behind. Then, mid-way, the three of us
ran into each other.
"Rock…"
"Why the hell are you here?!"
Rock stormed toward Win, glaring, his voice sharp and threatening. Win
smiled at my half-brother the same way he smiled at me, but Rock was never
able to hide his temper with this man.
"Rock…" I tried to hold his arm, urging him to calm down, but he shrugged
me off violently, ignoring me entirely.
"Win, what are you doing messing with my guy? You never change always
sneaky, always trying to snatch what isn't yours!"
His voice echoed around the area, drawing curious glances as the two large
men faced off.
"Rock, calm down. I just came to have coffee with Win," I said, trying to hold
him back, but to no avail. Rock spun to shout at me, his face pale… just like
every other time when anger overtook him, even toward his own partner.
"Shut up!"
"We're just having coffee. Why the yelling? Have some respect for others
around."
Seeing me get yelled at twice, Win finally spoke up but that only seemed to
make Rock angrier.
"I'm not thin-skinned like you! You stick your nose into what's mine and now
you have the nerve to tell me to be quiet? Can't deal with things face-to-face,
huh? Always sneaking around!"
"Rock, I was minding my own business. I only invited babe to coffee. Does
that really deserve this kind of outburst?"
Win's calm, polite voice contrasted sharply with Rock's thunderous shouts,
and I felt utterly embarrassed by my partner's public display.
He hasn't changed.
Even with me in his life, he's still incapable of being better.
"I don't like you. Never have. Don't like you messing with anything of mine,
anything at all. And that car you've been dying for? They gave it to me."
Rock's smirk, eyes glinting with mockery, made my brow furrow. This was
going too far. There was no need to trample on someone else's feelings like
that.
Chapter24.
Today, Rock wasn't handsome at all. Nothing about him was appealing.