The Manipulated Villainess

Chapter 22 - The Third Time

It was around six in the evening when Nicole finally reached her apartment. She was already used to going home in an empty house where there was no person to welcome her.

She moved out of the main mansion two years ago when she took over Yang Group and live in this medium size apartment. She hired no one to manage her apartment because she wanted to be alone. Cooking, cleaning and washing; she does it all herself.

But it was different this night. The moment she opened the door to her apartment, she was welcomed by the seemingly pleasant smile of Garcia Han.

Nicole was startled when she suddenly saw the devil in her apartment, as she rarely visited her. But she should not act so surprised. The intelligent Minister will saw through her and become suspicious of her.

"You're home. I've been waiting for you." Garcia Han rose from her seat and smiled at her, putting on an act of a loving mother like always.

"If you tell me that you are here, then I would come home right away." Nicole simply said. "What brings you here?" She asked.

Garcia Han scanned her keenly without saying anything which almost made her shudder on the inside. Did she already know everything? She thought to herself.

"Did you not like the gift I sent to you?" Garcia Han finally spoke up and take a step towards her. "I think it will really suit you."

The gift! Nicole had totally forgotten about it. She remembered that the wrapped gift will still be on her office, untouched. Maybe she was too occupied by the meeting with Director Lee.

"I don't open yet. I'm a bit busy today." She muttered. Despite feeling afraid that her response would anger the step-mother, she inwardly heaved a sigh of relief realizing that the devil was still clueless about the news she heard from the former Director.

"Is that so? It's a pity then. I only want to congratulate you as your new clothing brand will be launched very soon." The devil was very calm which made Nicole more nervous.

She could hardly hide her anxiousness but she was never good at hiding her feelings. It was the reason why Garcia Han was always a step ahead of her.

Her step-mother walked towards her while she was hardly squeezing her clothes, trying to calm down herself.

"Are you feeling sick?" Garcia Han placed her palms on her forehead and matched it with hers. "You should take good care of yourself. Did Director Lee give you a hard time?" She asked with a warm voice as if she was a mother who truly worried about her daughter.

Nicole shook her head and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Thanks to you, no one dares to do such a thing to me." Her response earned her a light chuckle from the step-mother.

"I think you have finally grown up. Now, you even understand what I did for you." Garcia Han went back to her seat and grabbed her bag. "I'm a little busy, so I'll get going. I prepared some dinner for you. Make sure to have it." She flashed a smile and walked past her.

Nicole stood at her place until she heard the sound of the door being shut. She let out a breath and barely made her way to the couch.

"What was that?" She muttered to herself as she abruptly sat on the couch. Did the devil really come just to make dinner for her?

For a split second, she finds herself so laughable. Just that simple action almost made her shudder!

She placed her head on the back support of the couch and blankly stared at the ceilings. She then closed her eyes to give herself some rest until... her phone went off.

Displeased by the sound that almost made her startled, she picked up her phone and looked at the caller ID.

Ahh! What does this strange man want at this time? But when the unfinished business popped up on her mind, she picked up the call with a scowl.

"Hello, Miss Chairwoman."

The playful voice of Aston echoed on her ears which made her scowl more deeper. Can't he behave normal for just a while?

"What do you want, Mr. Top Celebrity?" She bluntly replied like she always did.

Aston who was all alone in his apartment chuckled at her greeting. He had already got used to her blunt response.

"I have some information for you." Aston lazily lies on the couch with a phone next to his ears. He didn't have filming scheduled for the night which he felt really grateful. So, he decided to spend some of his precious free time to talk to this woman who never failed to amuse him.

"Will you please just say it? I'm quite tired." Nicole frowned. "When will you have the time?" She asked, barely resisting the urge to hang up on this man who was never serious.

"So bad." Aston's eyes twinkled with mirth at her temper. "I want to talk to you for a bit longer."

He could already predict that the young Chairwoman would be utterly annoyed by him beating around the bush. But what could he possibly do? Provoking her was so fun that he was already addicted to it.

Nicole who was still placing her head on the back support immediately sit straight when she heard his absurd response. She took a deep breath to calm down herself. "I really have no time to play around with you." She coldly replied.

"Do you think I have too much free time so that I'm playing around?" He blurted out with a snicker.

"Isn't that the case?" She simply asked which made the actor finally lose his cool.

"How could you say that?" He gasped. "The real case is..." He paused midway and a devilish smile plastered his handsome face. "I love to hear your voice." He concluded.

"It's the opposite here." Nicole shrugged. "I think your voice is quite annoying. Did people often complain about your voice when you're on TV?" She said sarcastically.

Much to her surprise, she finds it quite fun to tease the actor. Was this the reason why he always tried to get on her nerves?

Her words made Aston jumped out from the couch. Did he really hear it right? But no one had never said those words to him. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and when an idea popped out on his mind, he smiled.

"Can I like you?" He asked for the third time.

Nicole frowned and replied, "No. Even if you ask me for a hundred times, the answer is still the same."

For the third time in a week, the nation's heartthrob who can make many women swoon with a single smile was totally rejected again, all by the same woman!

"Why are you too sure?" He asked, not feeling discouraged by the rejection. Had he gotten used to it?

"Because I hate playful and overconfident men who are so full of themselves." The response came very fast as if the woman had prepared beforehand.

"Oh! I got it. So, you like dull and insecure men?" He deliberately said to her.

Nicole's only wished at that time was to slit the throat of this talkative actor so that he won't open his mouth again! She sighed, reminding herself not to let herself be bothered by him.

"I'll give you five seconds. If you don't tell me during that time, you better forget about the repayment." She bluntly said but there was a hint of determination in her voice.

"Out of words now?"

"5."

"I don't know that you will admit defeat this easy."

"4."

Aston's smile dropped when he finally realized that the woman was deadly serious.

"3."

He rose from his seat with an anxious face and put his phone nearer to his ears. "Are you really doing this?"

"2."

"Tomorrow at 5 p.m." The words slipped from his lips as fast as lightning. But... the next thing he heard was the sound of the woman's victorious laughter!

Did she was just pretending? He blinked in surprised.

"I'll text you the address. Good night then, Mr. Actor." Nicole said with a victorious smile and ended the call.

The actor stood still on his place with a perplexed face, finding it hard to believe that he was tricked by the young Chairwoman.

He was always the one to play the game, but... how come it's the other way round tonight?

Did he give in just like that? Nicole didn't expect him to fall for her threat. She laughed when she recalled him responding faster than ever until she realized something.

It seemed to be simple but... she smiled a lot whenever she talked with him and this had never happened to her before.....