Chapter 1 – The Wrong Princess
Neil Scott raised an eyebrow as he watched the grand entrance of his new assistant from the second floor. She confidently strode the small lobby and stopped, sighing as she gazed at the bakeshop on the first floor. He was sure the eyes of his staff were on her, thinking the supermodel had entered the wrong building.
He propped his elbows against the polished railing and watched her with amusement as she eyed the table and pointed her index finger to something she liked. The woman behind Brianna would immediately pick it up, smell it, and talk to her, probably giving her comments. Sighing, Neil flickered his eyes on her assistant. Perhaps only he would have an assistant with an assistant.
“That’s her?” James asked curiously, standing beside him. Then he shook his head, finally sure this time. “That’s definitely her,” he smirked and glanced over his shoulder. “Where’s Lily? She’s dying to meet the famous Brianna.”
“You know her?” Neil glanced at his best friend and business partner.
James leaned against the railing, blinking rapidly as he looked at him in disbelief. “You haven’t met her? Or saw her on the news?”
He shook his head.
“Dude, you have a goddess in the building. That’s Brianna Thomson, right?” James squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, wanting to be sure he wasn’t imagining the gorgeous woman studying the place.
“I heard the name, but she wasn’t worth my time. Who is she?” he asked, wondering what his best friend would say.
“The Wrong Princess,” he muttered smugly, returning his eyes to the woman at the bakeshop area.
“Wrong? Maybe you mean the Thomson Princess.” Neil furrowed his brows, trying to remember if Brianna had a sister.
“Nope. Bailey is the Thomson Princess. That one is the wrong one.” He chuckled, shaking his head immediately. “I mean, she’s a Thomson, but Bailey’s the perfect one. The catch. Beauty and brain. A Harvard graduate, and Dude, her sister’s a magna c*m laude. Just like you.”
James narrowed his eyes as he looked at him.
“Come to think of it. I think you’d pass Bailey’s twin or sibling. You’re alike in many ways.” He chuckled. “That one?” He puckered his lips, pointing at Brianna. “That’s beauty and brainless.”
Neil squinted, locking his eyes on the gorgeous woman looking like she was on a runway. It was too late for him to realize what Robert tried to do. The magnate was simply passing on the problem to him.
“You’re really going to have Brianna as your assistant. Wow!” James glanced at him. “She made herself quite popular these days. Last week, she dumped her multi-millionaire boyfriend. Yesterday, to piss the daddy off, she bought a million-dollar bag. Nah! She went shopping and spent five million dollars.”
Neil opened his mouth, but before he could speak, his best friend continued.
“You have a high-end prostitute in your office, Neil,” he said, grinning. “Why’s the daddy keeping her here?”
“I don’t know,” Neil said, sighing.
“You hired a problem, Neil,” James said. “Does Katie know?”
He shook his head. He couldn’t tell his best friend that it wasn’t merely desperation that swayed his choice of hiring Brianna but his mother’s last wish. He didn’t even know who Robie Williams was. He wanted to be angry at her. She could have just told him Robie was the father he had never met. It would have solved the mystery about his father.
After the funeral, Neil found himself standing outside the famous skyscraper building of Thomson Prime Industry Incorporated. As expected, when he came to ask for Robbie Williams at the front desk, no one knew him. One even joked that the singer didn’t work there. This Robbie must have given his mother the wrong address, but as he was about to leave, the security guard called him and escorted him to the CEO’s office. At that time, he was unsure if his mother knew that Robbie Williams was Robert Thomson, the magnate, a multi-billionaire, and a man who sponsored his studies from high school until he finished his college degree.
“She’s gone, isn’t she?” Robert asked sadly.
They talked briefly about his mother, and then Robert showed him Theresa’s letter, promising she would hire Brianna to lessen his worries. Now that she was gone and the business was his, he had to make the multi-billionaire daughter his assistant to honor his mother’s wish. At that time, Neil didn’t know Robert had twin daughters.
So, this was the downside, he thought. He accepted a spoiled brat, nothing but a headache to the father. At least it wasn’t marriage. He was sure it wasn’t what their parents wanted because he made him sign an agreement that he must not touch her or sleep with Brianna.
Neil had a steady girlfriend, and though Katie wasn’t as beautiful as Brianna, his girlfriend was a great woman. His heart raced, thinking of their dinner date. Tonight, he would propose to her.
“You’re right. I hired a problem,” Neil muttered, frowning.
Earlier, when he received an email with Brianna’s resume, he did not bother reading it. Her credentials didn’t matter to him; the agreement with Robert did. The magnate’s request was clear and straightforward – teaching Brianna life lessons but not touching his daughter.
“Do me a favor. Tell her to go to my office. Just her, James. Just her,” Neil said, turning his back on him and entering his office to call Robert.
James gladly followed his instructions, but as he was about to walk toward the staircase, he realized he didn’t have to go down.
“Call my daddy again,” Brianna instructed Elaine as they ascended the stairs. “God, I am not working in this old building. Do they even have emergency exits?” She let out a frustrated sigh as she reached the last step. She lifted her hand and said, “Hand sanitizer.”
Elaine panicked, pressing the phone between her ear and shoulder as she took the small bottle from the bag and sprayed it in Brianna’s palms.
“What happened to the Bluetooth earphones, Elaine?” She rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
“I forgot it,” she muttered, her face crimson. “He’s not answering,” she sighed, pressing the secretary’s number this time. Her employer may not be the netizen’s favorite, but for her, Brianna was an angel. As long as she needs her, she will be there.
“What’s the company’s name again?” Brianna asked.
“Sweet Stuff,” answered James, his lips curving a welcoming smile as he offered his hand. “Hi! I’m James.”
“Sweet… what? Who would name the company like that?” Brianne asked, looking at James’ hand, hesitating for a second before shaking hands with him. “Are you the owner?”
“Nope,” he answered, not telling her he was a business partner.
“I’m looking for Neil Scott. You think this place is for sale?” she asked. If it were, she would pay right away.
“Definitely not for sale. That’s his office,” James said instead, pointing his index finger at the door.
Brianna pursed her lips, nodding briefly as she walked past him but halting abruptly when she heard James stopping Elaine from following her.
“The new owner of Sweet Stuff was very specific,” he muttered, smiling apologetically. “Just you.” He turned to Brianna’s assistant. “You can wait in the lobby.”
“Er…” Elaine hesitated, looking at Brianna.
“It’s okay,” she muttered, thinking she would not stay long.
Her assistant nodded, smiling worriedly at her before turning around to return to the lobby downstairs. Brianna knocked at the ajar door and entered the small office. After talking to the owner, she would go home. To Geneva. She did not know her father’s game plan, but he had been hard on her after breaking up with his associate’s son. Perhaps splurging millions of dollars yesterday was his last straw, and he was now throwing her into the pit.
Neil stood with his back to the door, taking off the Bluetooth receiver in his ear before turning around to face Brianna.
Brianna arched an eyebrow but pursed her lips. A jolt of electricity ran through her when Neil Scott turned around, locking his eyes on hers. Her heart fluttered in her chest, the sensation almost overwhelming as her eyes were drawn to his chiseled jawline and the intensity of his gaze. She swore to herself that he was the hottest man on the planet. Excitement replaced the annoyance she felt, and she thought this wasn’t hell after all.
“You’re expecting me?” she asked, thinking Neil was an easy prey. She took off her coat, revealing her sexy black dress. “Consider this day your lucky day. I’m all yours,” she said seductively, willing to give herself to the man she only met today.