Insolent Bastard

Rockaway Tower

Olivia was about to go up to her penthouse suite to retire for the night but jumped back in upon opening her decoy apartment's door. Surprise was written all over her face when she thought she saw a Stonehenge standing guard in the hallway, facing her decoy apartment.

Was that a Stonehenge? If yes, then what was it doing outside her door? She asked herself when doubt started to cloud her mind. She shook her head clear when she thought she's probably hallucinating, tired from all the events that took place that day so she opened the door once again. However, her initial visual perception was validated, there was indeed a man with a Sui pin on his suit's lapel standing outside her office apartment and guessed that Maxen must have left the poor guy to watch over her.

Although she found Maxen's gesture of goodwill to offer his security detail without her consent commendable, now she was stuck in a dilemma on how she's supposed to go up to her penthouse suite when there's MIB1 trailing behind her like a true security detail which agitated Olivia more. Talk about keeping secrets biting you back.

She walked back and forth between her apartment door and the elevator only to heave an irritated sigh when MIB1 was still hot on her tail.

"What the heck is going on? Why are you following me? Can you just stay in one place?" she asked as she turned around to face the stoney face of MIB1. She guessed that even if the guy would remove his specs, which she suspected was a high-end hands-free security device, the guy's face would stay the same: stoney.

"Orders of His Highness Maxen, Miss Olivia."

Knowing that talking with MIB1 to leave her alone was futile Olivia took out her phone and dialed Maxen's number on speed dial four.

"What is this stoneface doing outside my apartment?" she instantly asked as soon as the call got through.

"Oh that… I noticed you don't have guards around so I made him stay... only for tonight," Maxen replied, his voice soft as if coaxing a child on a temper tantrum. What he really wanted to do was assign MIB1 as her permanent detail but he had to rephrase his sentence last minute when he sensed Olivia's apprehension.

His mind's gears churned endlessly as it processed how to deal with Olivia but of all the days, today just had to be the day they start to make loud clanging noises as if it was badly rusted and needed an oil change sending him on the brink of an overdrive. He smoothed the creases on his forehead with his fingers at the awareness that his years of experience with women was rather useless in fully understanding Olivia.

Was she offended that he left a guy? Or does he need to put in more guys? Or maybe he should have put in a girl detail instead? Right. That should be the case.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the scratching silence ended with Olivia's voice echoing in the speaker, her tone back to her soft and sultry voice that Maxen could not get enough of. "Please don't waste taxpayers' money on me. I have my own security detail. Thanks for your offer but I have to decline."

"You do? I didn't see anyone."

She made sure to clear her throat to get MIB1's attention and showed him her raised single brow to show her indignation before she put the phone on speaker mode.

"Shadow, you can come out," Olivia said to no one in particular. MIB1 scanned the well-lit hallway and saw a shadow peel away from the wall. She moved the phone closer to her mouth and haughtily said, "See? Ask your guy and check for yourself."

"Does she have a detail?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Ok. That's perfect… and don't call him stoneface. He has an alias, call him MIB1."

Olivia scrunched her brows because the name MIB1 didn't sit well with her so she said, "Stoneface is better. It gives him more character, don't you agree?" She faced MIB1 and tipped her chin, urging MIB1 to concur with her to which MIB1 silently nodded.

Honestly, he hated being named that way like he was a thing that was mass produced and would be easily disposed at the slightest show of crack. While Olivia was busy on the phone with His Highness, MIB1 eyed Shadow lurking behind the wall, amazed at how he didn't even notice the guy's presence earlier.

Inside the Lee's library, Maxen cleared his throat and struck a deal with Olivia. If she doesn't want stonefa… MIB1 then he could find someone else for her. It's natural for the host to provide the best hospitality for his guests, right? His reverie was cut short when he heard huff on the other end of the line.

"I have my own detail. See? You're still not listening to what I'm saying."

"Okay okay," Max finally caved in, his free hand raised up in the air and continued, "So we're settled now? Anything else that I could help you with? Hmm?"

"Change your perfume. Bye."

…

The Lee Estate

Maxen chuckled at how quick Olivia hang up on him the moment she got what she wanted. She didn't even felt bad for him after he sent her a photo of him having no one as a date. His rose needed to be disciplined someday, he thought to himself as he walked out of the library. He looked one more time at his locked phone screen and tapped Olivia's smiling face and pouted at how charming she looked in the photo.

Ah, my rose, my rose, I am under your spell, he thought to himself. He was about to put his phone back in his pocket when he heard a strange voice ring beside him.

Lance Go was flying around the Lee Mansion like a little social butterfly in the meadow. He just got out of the loo and saw His Highness standing by the library door and mustered up the courage to walk up to him to strike a conversation. However, he was surprised to get a glimpse of Olivia displayed on Maxen's screen. Knowing Maxen's reputation as a philanderer, he put two and two together.

"Good evening, Your Highness,"

"And you are?" Maxen asked the stranger with a familiar face. Of all the things that he could be weak at, why facial recognition?

"I am Lance Go, Selena Lee's fiance," Lance introduced himself, his hand extended yet he watched as Maxen take sharp breath and tipped his flute to acknowledge his presence and pivoted on his heal to leave. Afraid to get on his bad side, he decided to play his Olivia card on Maxen and blurted out to get his attention, "So your flavor of the month is Olivia?"

Maxen halted his step and faced the insolent bastard. He was itching to ruin the guy's face upon hearing his name but decided to just ignore him but look at what he was trying to do. Maxen raised a single brow and humored the insolent bastard. He listened as Lance babbled on how he met Olivia in England but left out the fact that Lance and Olivia used to be engaged with each other. What happened next surprised the guests on the second floor.