Chapter 78
Gemini’s POV
In… Out…
In… Out…
- 15.
I stood in front of the mirror, my reflection staring back at me, a weird mixture of anxiety and desperation spinning in my chest. The fluorescent lights above seemed awkwardly heavy on me. The bathroom remained silent, but it occasionally felt like I could hear voices mocking me from the four walls of the enclosed room. Five minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity. All strategies to gather my racing thoughts were to no avail.
“Okay, Gemini, you got this,” I whispered to myself, trying to muster as much confidence as I could. I took a deep breath, straightening my posture. “My name is Gemini, and this is my husband, King Asher.”
I frowned at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. That sounded kinda outdated, almost too awful, therefore a trigger to try again, “I’m Gemini, and this is my boss, Asher Blackwood.”
But that felt off too.
Yeah, despite how confused I was on how to approach the potential tech investors, another problem lingered, how do I address Asher. King, Husband, Boss, Fiancé…?
I shook my head as if trying to eradicate the frustration that had been adding up. “He should be the one introducing me, right? I mean, that’s how this should go.”
“But he literally said I would be doing the talking, does that mean he won’t say a word?”
How did I even get into this situation?
糖
Splashing water on my face, I hoped it would wash away some of the nervousness and anger settling in the pit of my stomach. I was just about to inform Asher that I would be withdrawing from the other project, and now he has brought about this. I can’t believe that I actually thought he had my interest at heart while handing over the first project to me. It was all just for the benefit of his Kingdom, for selfish reasons and I wasn’t benefitting from it in any way.
As I glanced at the mirror again, I recalled Asher’s instructions from earlier. “Make it seem like it’s a coincidence… like it’s all natural,” he
had said.
The tech group CEO was attending an event that not many were aware of, and Asher had somehow caught wind of it. So this is him trying his luck, using me- since I had more tech knowledge than him. He believes that the chances of me landing him the deal were higher than the chances of him landing it himself. And what do I get in return? We didn’t even get the chance to speak about that because he brushed off every question that had to do with me receiving my reward.
But despite the uncertainty of getting a reward, the chances of getting punished if things didn’t go well were high… That’s what I’ve learnt from the little time I have spent with him.
I could feel the weight of that unwanted responsibility pressing down on my shoulders.
I splashed more water on my face, hoping to relax my brain and prepare for the unexpected. Just as I was starting to feel a bit calmer, I heard a firm knock on the door.
“Gemini! Come on, we need to go!” Asher’s voice was urgent, and I could sense his impatience through the wood.
“I’m almost done… I’m coming!” I called back, hurriedly grabbing my makeup bag. I quickly dabbed some foundation on my cheeks
and brushed my hair back, trying to look presentable and unlike the storm of emotions growing within me.
With one last glance at the mirror, I took a deep breath and opened the door. Asher stood there, his expression serious. Without sparing me a glance, he guided me out of the bathroom.
“Let’s go,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I followed him through the hallways of the event centre, my heart thumping in my chest, it’s sound a little too fast to be normal.
“We’re going to make our meeting seem like a coincidence. The CEO is at a private corner of the event, and we’ll bump into him. Just
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Chapter 78
engage him in conversation. I’ll be right there to back you up.”
0
“Right, engage him in conversation,” I murmured, trying to visualize how that would play out. On second thought, I voiced my concerns. “I don’t think I can do this!”
+15
Asher’s eyes snapped to me, almost too fast. “Gemini, this isn’t the time or place for doubts. We have only one shot and we can’t afford to
miss it.”
The hall buzzed with energy. People milled around, dressed in their finest attire, laughter and chatter filling the air.
Asher took my hand, leading me through the crowd. “Remember, act natural,” he whispered, his grip firm.
We approached the area where the CEO was seated, a private corner away from the main event.
Asher squeezed my hand. “Here we go,” he said, his voice low.
“Asher, wait!”
“Gemini!” He let out a low snarl, hinting at his growing impatience.
“What do I benefit from this?” I said, sounding as direct and unyielding as ever.
“Gemini, not right now!” Asher dismissed.
I caught sight of a familiar face–I remember him from the other night… My heart sank.
Asher’s expression darkened as he growled, “Israel!”
Israel turned, a smirk spreading across his face. “Well, well, if it isn’t the mighty King Asher. What a surprise to see you here.”
Asher stepped forward, his posture tense. “What are you doing here?”
Israel shrugged, feigning innocence. “Oh, you know, just keeping my ears open. After all, you’re not the only one with ears around.”
Then, he turned to me, his gaze annoyingly boring into mine. “My lady,” he said, his tone dripping with condescension.
“He remembers me?” I said more to myself than to anyone else.
“Of course, I could never forget such a beautiful face. And you know, I didn’t also forget the deal.” He said curtly, his eyes roaming around my body.
I felt a sudden jolt pull Israel’s arm from mine, “Stay within your limit!” Asher barked, drawing the attention of other attendees.
A smirk made it’s way to Israel’s face, “Chill man! This is just a harmless discussion between friends.”
My eyes momentarily shifted from the scene inside of me and that was when I realised, “Asher!” I called urgently. “The CEO guy, he is leaving!”
“Shit!” Asher roared. “This was your plan, wasn’t it?” He said, his taunting gaze on Israel.
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