Chapter 124: Title no longer matter?

Stella looked at Bree for a second longer, then exhaled.

"Okay, I’ll call him." she said.

But even at that, Bree did not step aside yet. "I don’t mean to be stubborn, ma’am, but I need confirmation." She maintained firmly.

That drew a low chuckle from Stella. The nerve of it was almost refreshing. Most people came to her door carefully. This one stood there like unfinished business was simply another task on a list.

Stella pulled out her phone, found Tom’s number, and dialed. The line began ringing, scattering the quiet of the doorway. Bree’s lips pressed together at the sound of the ring, and she blinked as if to say now that was an assurance.

Stella read that well and she chuckled again then collected the coffee that Bree still happened to be stretching towards her.

After that, Stella closed her door.

Bree stood there a moment longer, listening just long enough to be sure the call had connected. When Stella’s voice faintly moved behind the door, Bree smiled in triumph, left the bouquet on the doorstep, and walked away with the same soft-moving confidence she had arrived with.

Inside, Stella brought the phone to her ear as Tom accepted the call.

"You sent that kind of woman to me," she said.

Tom’s voice came quietly on the other end. "She’s my personal assistant."

"Interesting. You sure have a lot of interesting things about you, don’t you? " Stella set the coffee down on the nearest surface, still half-turned toward the closed door.

"Well, I’m not surprised you employed someone like that." she added. Tom’s exhale came out loud from the other end.

"I take it you’re impressed?" He asked.

"uhm, seems so." She said and Tom chuckled, then the amusement went thin.

"I’m sorry." Tom said seriously.

"Something urgent came up yesterday, and I left without explaining. I shouldn’t have done that, I know. Forgive me, please."

Stella was quiet for a moment. The silence was not soft, but it was no longer sealed shut either. She walked farther into the room before she finally replied.

"Okay."

"I’ll make it up to you. Make time for me after your signing." Tom said.

"Well..."

"I promise it’ll be worth it." he added before she could refuse.

Stella glanced toward the mirror, already measuring the request against the rest of her day. She had a contract event, and other events for the day, with no prior intention of rearranging her whole afternoon around him. Still...

"Okay, But I only have twenty minutes after the signing. I have plans." she told him.

"That’s totally fine, I can work with that. Even if it’s ten minutes you’re willing to bestow on me." Tom made the last part landed more sharply. It had the effect he wanted... Stella chuckled lightly.

"Alright, smooth talker, see you later." She said.

"Thank you. Take care." He said and the call ended.

~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Bree got back to L×L, Tom and Stephen were just coming out of the building.

She walked toward them with the same unbothered confidence she had left with, her hips sashaying as she walked.

"Well, sir?" she asked Tom with a lazy shrug and eyes that sparkled. Tom smiled, seeing that she was confident she had gotten the desired results.

"You did it." he said immediately, give her her flowers. She was who she said she was.

Bree’s smile was quick and pleased. "Of course."

"I’ll compensate you now." Tom already had his phone out, ready to transfer some money to her.

Bree’s smile grew bigger and more polite; "Could you hold on, sir? When I need the compensation, I’ll let you know. It may not be in money. It may be in another form." She tilted her head slightly. "Is that okay?"

Tom narrowed his eyes on her for a second. There was no telling what she had in mind, she was just exuding the boldness she brought to everything else.

He nodded, nevertheless, already liking her personality. "It’s fine."

"The keys?" Bree said, collected the car keys from him and turned to Stephen. "You may need to find your way from here. We’re going shopping."

Stephen accepted that without any problem. He exchanged a polite word with Tom, dipped his hands into his pants’ pockets and walked away. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Bree opened the passenger’s door, glanced over at Tom and said, "Shall we?"

"Yeah, we shall." Tom replied.

They got in and pulled away from L×L, the rest of the day already shifting into motion.

In the owner’s corner, Tom sat comfortably, his eyes darting between the woman driving him and the interior of the car. He was pleased this was his life now.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was early evening by the time Bree returned to the house in Tom’s car.

Sienna was arriving at the same moment. She drove in just as Bree did. She stepped down from her own vehicle, with her eyes already searching for Tom but they found Bree instead and the disappointment instantly made her blink.

Bree opened the passenger seat and started bringing out different shopping bags. By the time she was done, both of her arms were occupied.

She turned around, ready to walk into the house and saw Sienna standing by her own car, watching her.

"Good evening, ma’am," Bree said politely.

Sienna’s gaze moved over the bags, then over Bree. "Where is he...My husband?"

She used the word with intention, placing it between them like a reminder.

"He decided to branch somewhere." Bree replied simply as she adjusted her grip on the handles

Sienna frowned at the incomplete response. "Where exactly?" she asked, confidently expecting an answer.

"That’s not mine to tell. He didn’t ask me to tell anyone." Bree said.

The response landed infuriating for Sienna. Sienna’s jaw tightened, a flash of disbelief crossing her face at being shut out so casually in front of her own house.

Bree nodded toward the entrance. "If you’ll excuse me, I need to arrange these in his room."

"The household staff can do that," Sienna said sharply, wanting nothing but to have her leave already.

"My employer told me to do it, so I will." Bree replied then She met Sienna’s eyes without raising her voice. "When it comes to my work, I answer to him."

Sienna’s lips parted, she scoffed in disbelief then snapped angrily;

"Do you know I’m his wife?"

Bree looked at her for a moment, as if giving the question the courtesy of consideration. Then a small smile touched her mouth, coming out mild, composed, and to Sienna, unmistakably mocking.

The insult in that smile was quiet, but it cut all the same.

Sienna’s face tightened hard. She gnashed her teeth, turned away from her, and walked into the house in anger, every step of hers carrying the frustration of a woman who had just been reminded that authority inside her own home was no longer as simple as title.

Bree remained where she was for a few seconds. She did not rush. She simply waited, looking calm and unbothered, then walked in after her and headed for Tom’s room.