Full of Bravado

The Lee Estate

"Maxen!" Oliver raced after his friend who left in such a hurry, leaving the group in the media room scratching their heads. The two were out of the Lee's mansion by the time Oliver caught up with his friend. He pulled Maxen's arm forcing the prince to look behind him. "Hey, Brother! Jeeez! Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Huh. Nothing. I'm just hungry and I want to go home. Why?"

Weirded out by Maxen's answer, Oliver rubbed his temple with a finger and chuckled, "There's food inside, for your information, Your Highness." However, Maxen just gave him a nonchalant and unimpressed look. Seeing his brother's detached attitude, Oliver unbuttoned his suit jacket and pulled out an emerald green envelope with a red wax seal of the Lin Family emblem.

Maxen twisted his body and saw Oliver holding out the invitation to him which he gladly accepted with a faint smile on his face. The look on his face was a telltale sign that he's disappointed over Oliver keeping him in the dark over Olivia's existence.

Before they could iron out their issues, the two men sensed an intruder in their personal space and shifted their gaze to the flight of stairs. Oliver muttered in between his smile as Fiona walked closer to them, "Look who we have here, your 'F Sui'."

Moments ago, Fiona Chung was mingling with the guests when she saw Oliver and Maxen walking out of the mansion. She pulled out a pocket mirror in her purse and checked her make-up, puckering up her lips before snapping the jeweled mirror close and sliding it back in her purse. Once she was out the door and away from the prying eyes of the guests, she pushed up her chest and sauntered down the flight of stairs following the trail of Maxen and Oliver. She slowed down her steps upon seeing Oliver pass an emerald envelope to Maxen.

Maxen playfully grappled Oliver with his arm, locking the latter in a tight hold, annoyed at how the latter called Fiona a 'Sui'.

"Hey, relax. I'm just kidding. F*ck. You're serious with that girl?" Oliver tapped out and was thankful to be released. He took a step back, massaging his neck. He knew Maxen never brought a plus one to any party and seeing his brother's vexed state with that simple joke meant how serious he was with 'O Sui'.

"Glad you found the one, Maxen. Doesn't it feel nice?"

Oliver stifled a smile when all he heard from Maxen was a grunt. He glanced at Fiona who was taking her grand time walking towards them, exaggerating each sway of her hips. He patted Maxen's shoulder and when the two men meet eye to eye, he said, "Time to say goodbye to your 'friend'," grinning he continued, "Brother, invite her sometime for lunch. I'd love to meet the woman who managed to shackle you down."

The two brothers exchanged their signature handshake, then Oliver left Maxen and Fiona for their alone time.

"Your Highness," Fiona purred. However, unlike the old times where Maxen would enjoy the company of a woman, this time, all he wanted to do was run and hide. Why did he have to abuse his good looks and reputation? Now he had to deal with a long list of women.

"Good evening, Ms. Chung. Are you perhaps lost? Party's upstairs."

"Huh? Oh, no. I saw you leaving so I was wondering if I could hitch a ride home too."

Maxen took a sharp breath and saw three identical cars pullover the curb. MIB2 hopped out of the car and opened the door for Maxen who stood idly with his hands dipped in his pockets. "I'm going home to my girlfriend. Now, if you'll excuse me. I can call in a cab for you." Without waiting for her to say anything, Maxen entered the car and MIB2 closed the door for him, never sparing Fiona Chung a glance.

The purse in her hands slipped off, good thing the strap was hanging tightly on her shoulders. Fiona was dumbfounded at the sudden 180-degree change in Maxen. She thought about how they were rolling over the sheets for hours yesterday. That's it? They're over? Hell no! She pulled her head back as she sucked all the air in her lungs and when she's out of breath, she bowed her head, hysterically laughing at her predicament. She looked at the glaring red tail lights of Maxen's convoy and nodded her head with her sinister thoughts. She had him before. Of course, she could have him again.

…

Olivia's Decoy Apartment

Rockaway Tower

An hour earlier, just after Olivia hung up on her phone call with Maxen, she motioned for Shadow to bring MIB1 to the gym room. She was about to follow the two when she heard a beep coming from the main door, and when she turned around she saw Yana carrying all of her personal belongings in two big luggages.

"You can use the room upstairs. I'll be needing you more upstairs than here," Olivia offered to which Yana immediately nodded. Seeing two frames enter a room just as she was about to close the main door, Yana noted to come back to the decoy apartment after dropping off her belongings upstairs just in case Olivia would be needing her service.

Inside Olivia's home gym, MIB1 stood in awe as he entered the room. It was set up as a karate dojo, lined up with black cushion mats and the walls were covered with floor to ceiling mirrors. He never thought that a lady like Olivia would spare a room for a dojo. He looked around for a bathroom to change into a stretchier clothing than his suit but Shadow sniggered at him.

"What's so funny?" he asked. He was full of bravado and ready to sweat a fight when Shadow tug her cap away, revealing a hidden ponytail. What. The. Actual. F*ck.

"Do you change before you get into a fight, pansy?" Shadow taunted. Olivia smiled seeing her best girl shook the soul out of a royal security detail.

"What? Of course not," MIB1 replied in his most stoney face to date. He cracked his knuckles left and right and listened as Shadow spat another remark as if it would rattle him.

"Then why are you looking around? Do you want to… change?"

By that time, the two were dancing in circles away from each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Olivia found a safe corner for her to sit in seiza position or the traditional way of sitting in Japan like a diligent gakusei or student.

She watched as the two fight, drinking in every technique that the two fighters would use. She was so engrossed watching the fight that she did not notice Yana entering the gym room with a glass of water in hand but the latter quickly ran out.

Yana ran back to the kitchen, petrified at what she saw. She grabbed a box of napkins and sprinted back to the gym room.

"Miss Olivia," Yana cried out as she dived on the floor and pulled out as many napkins as she could. Her hands were shaking while she covered Olivia's nose that was oozing out blood. The pair in combat that was grappling with each other on the floor mat with Shadow straddling MIB1 on top, got distracted by Yana's wails.

"Oh sh*t," MIB1 said, and as if on instinct, he touched a hidden button on his suit and pulled the lapel closer to his mouth, calling out for an emergency medical team.

Olivia snapped out of her trance when she realized that people were hovering over her and felt Yana's gentle hands that was holding the napkin on her nose.

"Let's bring Miss Olivia to the living room. Medic's on their way," MIB1 instructed. He stood behind the two ladies afraid to even go a meter near Olivia. He shuddered in his spot when he could see it in his mind how Maxen would blow up and punish him just for touching a strand of Olivia's hair.

"What? No! Send them back. Now!" Olivia snapped. The last thing she wanted was to be surrounded by a group of doctors especially now that her birthday was nearing. "This is normal. You don't have to worry," she murmured her assurance under the thick napkin that was stuck in her nose.

Hearing Olivia's command, MIB1 stood frozen thinking of how to deal with the current situation. He didn't want to bear the brunt of Maxen's anger once he finds out that Olivia wasn't seen by a doctor for her epistaxis. However, Shadow beat him to making a decision and did the honor of pressing the button of his mic, tipping her head towards him so he could bark out the order which he hesitantly did. He helplessly combed his fingers on his drenched in sweat hair upon seeing Olivia give him a slight smile.

The three watched as Olivia stood up and dusted her hands, seemingly delighted over something that they could not pin out. The truth was, her brain was on fire, storing all the techniques that MIB1 used in combat. If her guess was right, some of those moves were ancient hand-to-hand combat that was native to the country Nisia.

"Anybody up for a midnight snack?" Olivia gleefully asked as they made their way to the kitchen. She went on about in the fridge to scavenge for something nice to cook.

Across the marble countertop, MIB1 had a lightbulb moment as he watched Olivia tie her hair in a bun.