Kiss Me Not

When it was finally time for dinner, Brione made herself look particularly beautiful. Cedric was out to attend important matters so she had not seen him since morning when she left to be with Mitch and Berry. She wore a casual long sleeve bodycon dress that fit her body like a glove.

She heard the doorbell ring so she guessed it was not Cedric. She opened the door and she was a bit disappointed to see Will instead of Cedric.

"Miss Brione," Will formally greeted.

She smiled and said, "Hello Will." She came out the door and walked with him.

"His Highness will be joining us shortly. He was engaged in a very important video conference," Will explained.

"How is Miss Olivia, Will?" Brione asked straightforwardly and Will was taken aback.

Brione sighed and said, "My assistant told me the news about the talks of marriage between her and Cedric. She must have been devastated that I suddenly entered the picture."

Will stopped walking and whispered, "Miss Brione, don't worry about Miss Olivia. She is a good woman and she can handle things well. It's just rumors and not real. Whatever Miss Olivia feels won't matter because ultimately His Highness has the final say in this. He is someone who will do what he wants."

Then Will added, "If you don't mind then may I say something?" 

"Sure Will, tell me…" Brione encouraged. Will was Cedric's closest friend and she was aware that Will was handling the investigation about Gavin. Cedric even told her that she could directly ask Will for information about the investigation and even gave her the authority to take his help for whatever she needed at all times.

"I'm just saying this as Cedric's closest friend and brother," Will said with a hesitating tone.

"I understand Will so it's really okay. Tell me what you want to say." Brione encouraged him.

"Cedric, I mean His Highness is risking a lot for you Miss Brione. He is the Prince and he has huge responsibilities and expectations tied to him but he is still prioritizing you above all that. He is following his heart because he believes that you will learn to love him if he shows his sincerity and loyalty to you. He is willing to risk his stable position in the Royal Family because he believes that only you can stand by his side.

I know you are seeing Gavin in him and he is fully aware of that. He is a good man and I  don't want him to get hurt and suffer in the end. If you are not certain that you can stay by his side and see him as the person you can spend the rest of your life with, then please spare him the heartbreak before it's too late..."

Brione felt her knees weaken. She was so guilty for what was happening right now. She met Will's pleading gaze and whispered, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing Will. I will be responsible for my own actions so you can be rest assured. Thank you for being honest and telling me what you really feel. Cedric is lucky to have such a friend like you," Brione meekly uttered.

"Thank you for understanding Miss Brione. I hope you won't take what I said in the wrong way because I don't have anything against you. My only concern is about the Prince." Will apologized, suddenly feeling bad but he didn't regret saying it because he was really worried about Cedric, not to mention about Olivia whom he knew loved Cedric wholeheartedly.

Olivia was already inside the private dining room when Brione arrived with Will. She was very approachable and friendly. She immediately stood up and greeted Brione warmly by giving her a cheek-to-cheek kiss.

Brione smiled and sat on the chair opposite Olivia. It was Olivia who started a conversation first and Brione could say that the woman had good social skills. She had observed how elegant she was in every way. She too was the same except for her clumsiness and bad grades when it came to academics and things that would require high intelligence.

She could not relate to Will and Olivia when they talked about economics and politics.

'Damn!' Brione silently mumbled. She suddenly regretted not paying much attention to world news and becoming more aware of things like economics and politics.

She could only nod and smile every once in a while during the conversation and was unable to contribute anything. She finally heaved a sigh of relief when the door opened and Cedric entered.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting," Cedric said as he entered the room with a smile before signaling the waiter to serve the dinner."

He sat beside Brione and dotingly asked, "Did I make you wait for too long? Are you hungry?"

Brione smiled at him and shook her head, "No, it's okay it's still early for dinner anyway." 

Olivia balled her fist under the table in slight jealousy after seeing the loving gesture of Cedric towards Brione. All that was directed at her in the past but she knew she must overcome this. She looked at Brione and continued to observe her more. 

"When will you introduce Miss Brione to His Majesty Cedric?" Olivia asked.

"Very soon Livi…" Cedric answered. He looked at Brione with a roguish grin and added, "As soon as Brione is ready, I don't mind introducing her as my fiance to the whole world."

Brione bit her inner cheek and timidly smiled back at Cedric.

"Oh please, let's start eating actual food before we get full from your dog food. I should have known that you wouldn't spare us single people from your PDA." Will complained, making Cedric laugh out loud.

"You're a lucky woman to have Cedric in your life Brione because not all men are like him. I've been with him for so long to know of his worth," Olivia could not help but utter.

Brione looked at Cedric and smiled as she whispered, "I guess I'm really lucky then."

Olivia sighed quietly. She had seen enough. She knew from the way Brione looked at Cedric that she liked him too. 

She quickly finished dinner and asked the waiter to get her an alcoholic drink.

"Hey, you plan to drink now? I thought we would..." Will trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

"Yeah, why not? I changed my mind. Tonight I will have a drink with Brione. I prefer to have a woman as my drinking buddy rather than you Will." Olivia joked.

She looked at Brione with a smile and said, "Brione you don't mind having a drink with me right? It will be just us girls since it's a hassle to have these men around us. Let's do it in my room."

Brione smiled back and nodded, "Sure why not?"

Will and Cedric exchanged meaningful glances. Both men looked worried.