There was a time when Alex thought he was invincible. He could outsmart the cunning, outmaneuver the devious, out-charm the charismatic, and out-fight… well, let's just say he wasn't afraid of a little confrontation.
But facing these two heiresses, he felt utterly defeated.
"Emma Winter," he began, turning to her with a sigh, "despite our… frequent disagreements, I actually think you're a pretty decent person." They were sitting in the living room, an uneasy truce hanging in the air.
"Really? I think you're quite decent too. I've learned a lot at the company, and I appreciate you letting my sister and me stay here," Emma Winter replied, her tone surprisingly conciliatory.
"Since we're both feeling so… agreeable, why don't you just move back to your own place? I'm not getting any younger, you know. I'm at the age where I should be settling down. What would a potential girlfriend think if she found out I had two women living with me? We're not kids anymore. We need to consider other people's feelings. Besides, we're not exactly close friends. It's not appropriate for a man and a woman to live together, especially two," Alex said, hoping to appeal to her sense of propriety.
"Aren't you already with Emma? Why would you need another girlfriend? And if you think my sister isn't good enough for you, there's always me! If we spend enough time together, who knows, maybe we'll develop feelings for each other. It would save you the trouble of looking, and you'd be pretty lucky to end up with a beauty like me," Emma Winter said, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Give me one good reason why you should stay here," Alex said, turning to Emma Winter, who was engrossed in a Korean drama. This woman was incredibly thick-skinned. A relationship with her? In his dreams!
"Do I need a reason to stay here?" Emma Winter asked, her eyes still glued to the television screen.
"Yes, you do," Alex replied firmly, his patience wearing thin.
"Because my luggage and my brand new bed are already here. You can't expect me to move them out, can you? They're too heavy!" Emma Winter offered, her excuse flimsy at best.
"I can help you move them," Alex said, trying to maintain his composure.
"I'm busy. I don't have time," Emma Winter said dismissively.
"Time is like cleavage—there's always some if you squeeze hard enough," Alex retorted, quoting a popular saying.
"Why don't you squeeze some out and show me?" Emma Winter asked, turning to look at him, a challenging glint in her eyes.
"If I do, will you leave?" Alex countered, deciding to call her bluff.
"I never said that. Do whatever you want," Emma Winter shrugged, turning her attention back to the television.
"Emma Winter, are you playing games with me?" Alex asked, his voice tight with frustration.
"No, why would I?" she replied innocently.
Alex was at a loss for words. And Emma Carter, who was usually the more vocal of the two sisters, was unusually quiet, completely absorbed in the drama unfolding on the screen. Was the allure of Korean television really that strong?
Alex nudged Emma Carter gently. She turned to him, a questioning look in her eyes. Alex gestured towards Emma Winter, silently asking for her help in getting rid of her sister.
"Emma, Alex is calling you," Emma Carter said, then turned back to the TV.
Alex buried his face in his hands, defeated. He, a man who once considered himself a master manipulator, was now being completely outmaneuvered by these two women. Was he even a man anymore?
*Wait a minute… I've got it! I'm a genius!* A sudden idea sparked in Alex's mind. He stood up abruptly and walked over to the TV, opening the cabinet below.
"Alex, move! You're blocking the screen!" Emma Carter complained loudly.
"Seriously? You couldn't have picked a worse time," Emma Winter added, rolling her eyes at Alex as he rummaged through the cabinet.
"This is my TV, and I can watch whatever I want. If you don't like it, you can leave. I won't stop you," Alex retorted, still searching for what he needed. Where was it? He was sure he'd put it here…
"Reverse psychology? That's so childish," Emma Winter scoffed.
"Exactly. Which is why I've decided to show you something more… adult. Hehe…" Alex said with a wicked grin, pulling out a DVD from the bottom of the cabinet. He inserted it into the player.
"Ahh… ahh… oh… oh…!" The moment Alex pressed play, the sound of a woman's passionate moans filled the room. The Korean drama on the screen was replaced by a decidedly more… explicit scene, featuring two naked figures entangled on a bed.
"You… pervert! How can you watch this kind of thing?" Emma Winter exclaimed, her face flushing crimson, just as Alex had predicted.
"We're all adults here. There's nothing wrong with watching a little… adult entertainment," Alex said smugly. *Take that, Winter! Let's see how you handle this.*
"Alex Stone, you're a disgusting pervert!" Emma Winter yelled, her face burning.
"Don't act so innocent, Winter. You can't tell me you've never seen anything like this before," Alex challenged, raising an eyebrow.
"I haven't!" Emma Winter insisted.
"Oh, really? Then tell me, what exactly are they doing?" Alex asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"You… you bastard!" Emma Winter sputtered, speechless.
"Yes, I'm a bastard. You're free to leave anytime," Alex said with a smirk, sensing victory.
"You…! Fine! I get it. You're trying to drive me away with this… this… filth! Well, it's not going to work! Change it back, now!" Emma Winter demanded.
"You'll have to give me a good reason. I'm enjoying this. Besides, it's good for… balancing the energies. You know, yin and yang," Alex said with a straight face. He was determined to push her to her limit.
"So *that's* how it's done…" Emma Carter's innocent observation nearly sent both Alex and Emma Winter tumbling to the floor.
Seriously, Carter? You're actually watching this with interest? Alex thought, staring at Emma Carter, who was completely engrossed in the scene unfolding on the screen. He couldn't believe someone could be so… innocent. It was almost childlike. Or is she playing dumb? He wondered, a flicker of suspicion crossing his mind. This woman was clever. She knew how to use her apparent naiveté to manipulate him, to get what she wanted. He'd have to be more careful around her. But first, he needed to deal with Emma Winter.
"Quite artistic, isn't it?" he asked Emma Carter, turning to her with a casual smile.
"Mm-hmm," Emma Carter agreed, nodding.
"Unlike some people, pretending to be all prim and proper, when secretly…" Alex glanced at Emma Winter, his voice trailing off suggestively.
"Repressed," Emma Carter supplied, giggling as she looked at her sister.
"Exactly!" Alex clapped his hands in agreement.
"Fine! I'll watch it. It's not like it's a big deal," Emma Winter said, her face still flushed. She wasn't about to back down, not in front of her sister and Alex. She forced herself to look at the screen, her heart pounding in her chest.
"That's right, it's just a movie. Everyone does it eventually. It's educational for those who haven't… experienced it firsthand," Alex said, smiling at Emma Winter's obvious discomfort. "And now that we're in the twenty-first century, we should be more open-minded, embrace… globalization, learn from the… advanced techniques of the West…"
"If you don't shut up, I'll…" Emma Winter started, then stopped, unsure how to finish the threat.
"You'll what? Blush even harder? Don't worry, Winter. I'll get you some… updated material. The latest and greatest, straight from Hollywood. We can have a private viewing party. Just you and me. In your room. With the door locked. How does that sound?"
Emma Winter couldn't take it anymore. She stood up abruptly and aimed a kick at Alex.
"Whoa!" Alex quickly crossed his arms protectively in front of his groin, blocking her attack.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Winter? You can't just go around kicking people in the… you know…" Alex exclaimed, jumping up from the sofa.
"I… I wasn't aiming for… there!" Emma Winter stammered, her face burning. "Put me down…!"
"Put you down? So you can kick me again?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. Emma Winter was wearing capri pants, leaving her ankles exposed.
"Just put me down! I promise I won't kick you again!" Emma Winter pleaded, mortified. This was the first time a man had touched her like this.
"Yeah, right. And I'm the Easter Bunny," Alex scoffed. He turned to Emma Carter. "Do you believe her?"
"I do!" Emma Carter nodded emphatically.
What's gotten into her? Alex wondered. She was usually the first to jump at the chance to tease her sister.
"Thank you, sister!" Emma Winter said, relieved.
"I believe that the moment Alex lets go, you'll kick him again," Emma Carter said with a mischievous grin.
"You…!" Emma Winter glared at her sister, fuming. She'd get her back for this later.
"So, you're begging me now?" Alex asked, looking at Emma Winter.
"Who's begging… Fine! I'm begging you! Just put me down!" Emma Winter said, defeated. She'd endure this humiliation for now, but she'd get her revenge later.
"Really? Is this how you beg? You sound like you're giving orders," Alex said, amused.
"Yeah, she's not very sincere, is she?" Emma Carter chimed in, enjoying her sister's predicament.
"Who says I'm not sincere? My… my sincerity is in my heart!" Emma Winter insisted.
"Oh, playing the 'deep and meaningful' card now, are we? Alright, how about this—I'll give you a riddle. If you answer correctly, I'll let you go. Deal?"
"Fine, just get on with it!" Emma Winter said impatiently. Her other leg was starting to cramp.
"Listen carefully. It's something on a person's body. It has hair on top, and hair below. At night, they meet."
"Alex, you pervert!" Emma Winter exclaimed, her face burning.
"Hey, don't get any ideas. The answer is… eyes!" Alex said with a grin, releasing her ankle. He'd gotten her again. It was too easy with that… adult entertainment playing in the background.
"You…!" Emma Winter was speechless.
"Sigh, Emma, you're so naive. You're always so naive!" Emma Carter said, shaking her head and sighing dramatically.
"Emma Carter, don't act like you knew the answer! Did you even know?" Emma Winter challenged.
"Of course, it's eyes!" Emma Carter replied, blinking her large, innocent eyes.
"That's because you already heard the answer! Alex, you bastard, put me down, or I'll…" Emma Winter yelled at Alex, grabbing the sofa for support.
"Or you'll what?" Alex asked, tightening his grip on her ankle and lifting her leg higher.
"Alex, stop it!" Emma Winter cried, her face contorted in pain.
"Still playing tough, huh?" Alex applied a bit more pressure.
"Alex, you're bullying a woman! What kind of man are you?"
"The kind who enjoys it," Alex retorted with a wicked grin, then suddenly pulled her leg higher. "Wow, you're quite flexible! At this rate, even a torture rack wouldn't…"
"Waaah…!" Before Alex could finish his sentence, Emma Winter burst into tears, her other leg buckling as she half-knelt on the sofa, her hands covering her face.
She's… she's crying? Alex stared at her, stunned, then turned to look at Emma Carter. Emma Carter quickly averted her gaze, as if to say, You made her cry, it's not my problem. She then stood up and retreated to her room.
Alex finally understood. The only thing constant about women was their inconstancy.
Looking at Emma Winter crying, Alex released her ankle. Had he gone too far?
"Hey… don't cry. I was just kidding…," Alex said, trying to look innocent.
He couldn't deny it—a woman's tears were the most powerful weapon against a man. Even Alex couldn't resist.
"Is this how you joke with a girl?" Emma Winter sobbed, her face red and blotchy. She pushed him hard, sending him sprawling on the sofa, then ran to her room, tears streaming down her face.
"I didn't even do anything…," Alex muttered, listening to her sobs coming from the other room. His heart softened.
"Hey, Winter, I'm sorry, okay? Stop crying," he called out, standing outside her door.
"Waaah…!" His apology only seemed to make her cry harder.
"Seriously, Winter, you're going to wake the neighbors! They'll think I'm… doing something to you in there," Alex said, trying a different tactic.
"Waaah…! That's because you were bullying me…!"
"I didn't mean to! Look, I'll let you stay, okay? Just stop crying," Alex said, giving in.
"Who wants to stay here… Waaah…!"
"You can stay as long as you want. Just please… stop crying," Alex pleaded, his resolve crumbling.
"Really?" The door suddenly opened, and Emma Winter peeked out, her eyes still red and teary.
"Yes," Alex said through gritted teeth. Damn it, I'm such a pushover.
"Thank you, honey! Then I won't be polite!" Emma Winter suddenly beamed at him, blowing him a kiss before closing the door.
"Honey, don't just stand there! You'll catch a cold!" Her triumphant laughter echoed from the room.
I… I've been played? Alex stood there, dumbfounded. She actually… manipulated me?
Damn it!
"Emma Winter! Get out here! You tricked me! You… you evil woman! Get out of my apartment!" Alex pounded on her door, his frustration boiling over.
"You agreed to let me stay. You said I could stay as long as I wanted. A man should keep his word," Emma Winter's voice came from inside the room, smug and self-satisfied.
"You… you witch!" Alex yelled, his voice echoing through the apartment.
"Waaah…!"
"Stop faking it, Winter! That trick doesn't work on me anymore!"
"You misunderstand. I'm just practicing my vocal exercises. Waaah…! Eeeek…!"