ISABELLE
This is the last thing I expected to be doing right now. But my pleas and cries otherwise fell to several deaf ears I learned when to stop and accept my fate. Gosh… I don't know how else to express my severe desire not to be here.
"Can you stop sniffling? It's distracting."
I turn to look at the nincompoop beside me and I shut my eyes and mentally count to five, a habit I have come to appreciate the past few days. "Can you shut up, listening to your voice makes me want to strangle myself?" I retort.
"Really? Then I should never shut up then, it would be nice to finally know what it feels like to be a widower, that means it must run in the family" he replies and I sigh heavily.
"Why would you be a widower? It's not like we are getting married or anything, so why would you?"
His eyes widened and he placed one of his hands over his open mouth, "if we are not getting married then why in heavens name are we here? Wake up already miss Byun, you can't go around saying this" Asher leans forward with an annoying smirk on his lips, as he leans forward his hair falls past his eyebrows and partially covers his right eye. A soft gasp escapes my lips and immediately scooch away, why the hell was he so close to me? Why would he have that smile with that look? Wow, that was too abrupt, yes, that is why my breathing ceased for that short time, yes, I was shocked.
"Why can't I say what I want? I can say and do whatever I want can't I?" I say my gaze narrowing at him, he leaned back a moment ago and I was still collecting my thoughts but at least my tongue worked fine.
Looking around for a moment he made sure no one was around, reaching forward to pick up a hairbrush he ran it through his hair, destroying the hour-long hard work of the hairstylist that just finished with his hair, and I eyed him from the corner of my eyes shaking my head in disgust. I still cannot believe I am being forced to do this, seriously.
"Did you have to agree to another interview? I mean we are being talked about more than even celebrities I never coined you for such a vain person" I say after a while.
"Why are you trying to pick a fight?" He retorts.
"Hey, don't do that, you started this. I am a busy person for crying out loud."
"And I'm not busy?"
"Can you get busier than a final-year medical student?" I sass and he scoffs, sitting up in his chair he turns to face me.
"Wow… you doctors and your pride, you people always think your profession is the best don't you?"
I leaned back as I push my lips into a pout, crossing my hands across my bust. "Well can you mention a more noble profession than saving lives? If you can then I'll shut up."
He just scoffs again and turns away and I sigh, a small smile gracing my features I push my hair up in a flip celebrating my small victory.
It's been almost three days and I have been on two television shows and four interviews currently in the dressing room of the fifth. He has been booking these interviews without my consent and destroying any social life I had left. My schoolmates say they are tired of having to deal with all the professors praising me then still having to see my face on television. And Xavier?
***************
When will he be out? Sighing I shrug off my lab coat, placing it over my hand I push my hair over my shoulders and look at my wristwatch, In about an hour my study time would have decreased by another two hours. I cannot keep waiting like this, one of my goals, as I have come back, is to at least be a good doctor. But yet I am outside the business administration department, waiting for Xavier to come out.
"What are you doing here? You have some nerve coming here after that interview."
Xavier.
Turning around I met gazes with his dark and intense eyes, everything was always intense with him. I like that, "that's why I came to explain to you-" he passed me and I turned around reaching to grab him but he avoided my touch. "That it was not what it seemed, it is not what it seemed."
He stopped, turned around, and walked back to me, "do you take me for a fool, Isabelle?"
"What? of course not, look I didn't, I don't have a say in this matter but please believe me I don't like him like that, this engagement is purely out of convenience," I say quickly.
"It didn't seem like that with all your giggling and laughing on television yesterday" he almost growled and I stepped back a few steps.
Pulling my lower lip into my mouth I replied "it was all fake, it was edited incorrectly, I never laughed at anything he said."
"So you are saying I watched it wrong?"
"Please Xavier just… this one time, hmm? Just believe me, you are the person I like."
Looking away he pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and sighed, "I have a question I have been meaning to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Where did you live as a kid?"
"What?"
"I heard somewhere that your family wasn't always this rich, before your father got all this wealth what is the name of the place you lived?"
He really thinks I am her, doesn't he? That I am his first love. What do I say? Do I lie, just complete the lie? He might forgive me if he is convinced that I am her, for the first time being reborn comes in handy "I lived in a pretty bad neighborhood for a while before we moved" I say, tilting my head, I shove my index finger into my head "what was the name again? Sacretto?"
"Sacretto? You lived in Sacretto?" He asked, his eyes wide.
"But why do you ask?"
I wait anxiously for his answer but it never comes, we are interrupted by the noise that erupts from the large groups of people heading our way, judging by the camera and the microphone, not to mention the note pad I was absolutely certain they were headed towards me.
"Miss Byun! Can we have an interview, it would be short!" The first reported yells after me and that was the most polite request I got the rest of the evening.
"What do you think about the gift you received?"
"How do you feel after receiving such a gift from your fiance?"
"Are you happy that your fiance is so in love with you?"
I stood there confused as they circled me like the brood of vipers that they were. What gift? What the hell were they talking about, please? I am so lost. And who loves me?
"Please answer our questions Miss Byun, how do you really feel? Are Mr. Quing's actions genuine or just a scheme to get his stock prices to increase?" Another one asked.
What actions?
"How do you feel about your own company's inflated stock prices?!"
My company's what?
I try to step back but a strong push against my back propels me forward and I end up having an accident with a male reporter in front of me.
"Where the hell do you think you are touching?!" Xavier's growl and massive stomps create an open passage easily, he had that effect on people. And again like Deja Vu I am sent back to the past, another time when I was almost stampeded by reporters, you see why I dislike them. They are the same inconsiderate bastards both in this life and the one before.
But unlike this life the last time he wasn't heading for me, in fact, no one cared I was there, he was walking like a warrior to my cousin, just like what had happened to me same happened to her. And all these reporters surrounded her and asked her questions about my own company like she was the heir and not me. Well, she might have been, I was useless then. Grabbing her wrist just like he was doing mine her looked at her, his eyes filled with so much tenderness just as he did me. My heart stopped and for a moment I heard nothing, thought nothing, felt nothing but him, that soft possessiveness, it was exciting. Taking me along with me her pulled me away from the herd of cows that called themselves reporters and away from all of that, he took me away. Me, Isabelle, not Giselle, not anyone else but me. It was no surprise when the tears welled up in my eyes, this never happened to me so feeling this emotion all the reservations I had earlier of lying to him went out the window and I was happy I did it. I deserve to be happy to don't I?