XXIV

(A/N: I'm supposed to update later this day but I felt so excited to post this chapter and share to you the still photo of the movie INSURGENT! Oh my gosh, anybody here who loves Divergent series? I can't wait for more than three months to see the movie. I'm dying to wait. Just look at the side to see how Four incredibly hot on the photo. By the way, enjoy this chapter and thank you for those who greeted and will greet me 'happy birthday'. lol. This is my last treat for my birthday.)

XXIV

When a man said sorry to a girl, it should be sincere and personal. Some men cried or kneeled in front of their loved ones just to be forgiven. However, I knew a man who just gave me a cup of coffee to say sorry and wanted to be forgiven immediately. Sorry his face.

I was more thinking if whether I would drink the coffee or not, than thinking if whether I would go to his office or not. The answer was obvious, I would not go there and had some conversation with him as if yesterday's scene was skipped.

I put the coffee in the farthest part of my desk and continued encoding the data on my computer, but, there were times that I was unconsciously stopped typing and gawked at the cup. He just wanted me to be distracted and stopped living, the reason he brought this coffee in the office.

My hand suddenly flew on my pocket, knowing my cell phone was there. I wanted someone to talk with, maybe my family or Lola. But I realized that Prince Alexander confiscated it. He never returned it to me since he interrupted my phone call with my best friend. He was really a sort of jerk to be specific.

I exhaustedly sighed and closed my eyes. What should I do now?

To forget the emotions freaking out in my chest, I decided to photocopy the additional transactions in the envelope–Clarissa had given to me–to have a duplicate copy. I needed to work. I needed money. I stood on the ground and went on the photocopying machine which was located on the corner of the office. When I passed Katherine's cubicle, I heard her coughed several times. Not just an ordinary cough, it was infectious and severe.

I peeked on her divider and asked, "Hey, Kath, are you alright?"

She coughed again while slightly smacking her chest. "I'm alright."

"Seriously?" I entered her cubicle. She looked like a bond paper because of the paleness of her face. I touched her forehead and it was like a boiled water. "Oh my gosh, you have a high fever."

"Shirley, I'm okay, don't worry," she stood and got the folder from her table. Suddenly, she squeezed her eyes and came back to her chair.

"Kath!" I grasped her shoulder while my other hand held the documents and brought it back to her table, "You're not okay. You can't even stand. I'll call a nurse."

"Hey, no!" she coughed again while her hand covered her mouth, "I'll bring that to Sasha, before I will take a rest." She tried to stand again, but the result was the same.

"I told you," I held the folder, "I'll bring it to Sasha and I'll call the nurse. She will bring medicine and have a rest, okay?"

"But..."

"No more buts," I turned my back to her, "I'll also tell them that you're not feeling well."

"Thank you, Shirley," her voice sounded so weak.

"No problem."

I went back to my table to leave my files.

-----

Sasha was a black American girl, who gorgeously looked at me with her attractive dark eyes. Her kinky hair was well fixed to the back of her head. She examined me first, before going through the folder that Katherine prepared for the budget request of the Queen's office.

While standing in front of her desk, I took an advantage to view the extended room of Queen Beatrice's office. I called it extended because it was located exactly outside the door of the one of the most powerful women of the earth. This was where her secretary and other employees were working. It was like when you entered Her Majesty's office, you passed through in a long and wide lobby before reaching her door.

The other royal members' secretaries were placed in one office (same scenario with the other departments) except for the King's and Queen's secretaries and staff. I assumed that the King's office also had a room like this. A room which sunlight entered easily through the glass windows. A floor covered by a luxurious carpet. A classic double door which made my neck bent by just looking at it. Furniture which kept on telling me that their master was rich and influential. And, who could forget, those people who worked here as if they would eat me if I acted suspiciously.

"Ms. Lee is sick," I looked at Sasha, whose ear was on the phone. I thought she was talking to me. "Yes, I'll deliver the budget request at three PM. Yes."

She was still speaking on the phone when I transferred my attention to the opening of the door of the Queen's office, revealing the man I wanted to avoid for the rest of my life. My heart thumped in my chest giving me a slight heart attack, and my lungs did not function well. There was a hollow in my stomach, which was a result of excitement and nervousness I felt. Just add the anger.

Before the door closed, I caught a glimpse of Queen Beatrice working on her table. Prince Alexander immediately trapped my gazes, and even though we were still meters apart, I could see that he was having a hard time. There were dark semicircle below his eyes.

"Ms. Woodman," thanks goodness Sasha called me or else, I was hypnotized again by those poisonous stares. "Thank you for bringing this to me. I'll give Katherine a phone call later."

"Okay, you're welcome," I smiled at her and had a full determination to leave this place as fast as I could when someone held my wrist and turned me to face him.

He wrinkled his forehead, like he usually did when things were not going to his side. Instead of watching how perfect his face was, I looked at Sasha again and gave her a half-idiotic half-I-am-fine beam. She was confused while putting her eyes on me then His Highness and back again. I felt that Prince Alexander's eyes were placing a hole on my cheek, and my emotions inside boiled as if they wanted to leave me and kissed this prince.

Leaning his side on Sasha's desk, he said, "I need the documents for Africa's conference, please bring it to my office before dinner." He was talking to Sasha, but I knew he was still busy observing me.

"Yes, Your Highness," the queen's secretary politely responded.

Without a warning, he pulled me toward the exit of this room. I wanted to fight but I could not do it with the eyes of the people around us. I acted like it was normal that nothing happened extraordinarily. Your boss holding your wrist and he was in a hurry to get out of this place. It was normal, right?

Once we were already in the hallway, I tried to take back what was mine. No one was here except for the hidden cameras, but I did not care. I needed to fight and defend myself.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed, however, he did not stop walking until we reached a familiar door. His office. "I need to work," I murmured once he turned the knob.

He looked at me, his eyes roamed all over my face, "We need to talk."

He pulled me inside his workplace and locked the door without breaking his hold on me. "We have nothing to talk about."

"Seriously, Shirley?" he removed his hand from me and I instantly missed his warmness, "Stop being stubborn."

"What?" I laughed bitterly, "I'm the stubborn now after you told me that you can put me in the jail and threatened me as if I am nothing to you. Really? Do you really like me? Or you just want me to be your bed warmer? Just tell me, so I will punch your face."

He rubbed his both hands on his face and made an exasperated gesture, "That's why we need to talk." He took a deep breath and placed both his hands on his hips. He avoided any eye contacts, "Please forgive me. I should not say that."

"Wow," I crossed my arms, "Do you think I will forgive you? You're not even sincere."

He finally looked at me. "I'm sincere," it seemed like he would cry anytime because his voice cracked in the middle.

"If you apologize, you don't need to say that you're sincere. You must do it," I rolled my eyes, and gave myself mentally a round of applause for saying that to the Prince of England. Was I aware of the consequence I might face?

All of a sudden, I felt his warmness again. This time, it was not only wrist but my whole body. He enveloped me in his arms that vanished the remaining sanity I had. I could not think clearer or nothing entered my mind except for his muscles flexing behind his clothes.

I was tickled by his breath brushing my ear. He whispered, "I'm sorry for everything I've done. I can't afford to lose you," he put his face in front of me and the tip of our noses touched, "Sorry, please forgive me."

My hands were already on his chest before I could think when did I decided to do that. Should I forgive him? The anger subsided but the feeling was still there. I was afraid that he might transform again to that prince I was talking with yesterday. I wished he stayed like this for the rest of our lives. "Just promise me that you will stop threatening me," I bit my lower lip.

He held my chin and pulled it down to release my lip from my teeth, "I promise." With that, he crashed his soft lips and perfectly fitted it on mine. My senses did not work anymore as if they were controlled by the Prince, who was kissing me right now. All my emotions were dominated by one feeling I had never felt before. It was the mixture of happiness, comfort, satisfaction and affection.

He lowered his hands on my hips, while my arms encircled on his neck. When we were out of breath, he gave our lips a little gap but his thumb was still on mine. I smiled and stared directly at his stunning green eyes.

"You make me crazier every minute, Shirley Woodman," he huskily said. I nibbled his thumb that resulted a chuckle from him, "Feeling naughty? I'm great with that."