Kiss Me Not: Chapters 1–5

"No!!! Please..." she whimpered and started squirming left and right in her bed, sweating profusely. Her heart was pulsating crazily, making it hard for her to breathe.

"I love you…" the man whispered as his face got closer to hers. He was trying to kiss her while she was panicking.

"Stop!!!!!!!" she shouted, and her beautiful almond-shaped eyes which were closed jerked open.

She started heaving heavily for a while before she was finally able to gather enough strength to raise her weary body. She pushed herself up to sit on her bed and comfortably rest her back on the headrest.

She took some time to calm her breathing and then bent her knees and wrapped her cold arms around them. Her body was still shuddering and shaking because of the adrenaline.

She crumpled her face and whined, "How could a kissing scene even in dreams become a nightmare?!"

She had this disorder called philemaphobia according to her doctor or simply a 'fear of kissing' that was greatly affecting her acting career since she could not accept projects that had kissing scenes.

She looked at her wall clock and saw that it was already past midnight. Her mobile phone dinged so she grabbed it to see who messaged her. It was from her Manager, Mitch.

[Brione, please take a look at these photos and the videos I sent you. Look at this place. It's like heaven on Earth. It's a private island owned by the Royal family of Country B. It's owned by Prince Cedric in particular. The shooting for the commercial will be held here and I think you should accept it. You are in dire need of a vacation to unwind yourself as well, so please sign the contract and accept this project dear… Make sure to decide by tomorrow and let me know your decision.]

Her manager had been bugging her for days about this particular project, but she never answered since she was not in the mood to go out of the country. But then she thought that maybe it would be good for her to go and see other places instead of brooding here. She smiled a bit before typing a reply.

[Alright. Let's take their offer. I will sign the contract tomorrow morning Mitch. See you later!]

Another sigh escaped her mouth before she laid back on the bed and went to sleep. She hoped that she would no longer have a nightmare once she closed her eyes. Kissing is usually a sweet and romantic experience for everyone else but to her it was a nightmare.

She smiled lightly recalling the only man she managed to kiss and she was sure it was sweet though she had no recollection of it. She only came to know about it when she read it in the journal. How she had kissed him abruptly that night when she was drunk. Both of them lost their first kiss to each other.

She turned around and lovingly gazed at the said journal on her table. It was her best friend, Gavin's journal, and everything important and memorable that happened in his life was written in there. Though most of it was Gavin's unspoken love for her…

She touched her lips and sighed. Maybe the reason she was able to kiss him was because he was the man she loved. He was her first love and she felt so safe and secure around him that she could overcome all her fears… But she failed to tell him how she truly felt...

She let out another deep breath. It has already been a year since Gavin went missing. He went missing after the luxury steamship which he boarded had an accident and sank in the ocean. After the incident, she killed her time by burying herself in work, hiding her longing for the man she loved.

She refused to believe he was dead like everyone else was assuming. She was still waiting for him to come back to her because he had promised that he would never leave her and would stay with her forever.

She could just feel it deep inside her heart… That Gavin will return and come back for her...

*****

At country B

"Do you think she will accept the project? There's still no response from her until now. Did you make sure that the offer is good and doesn't look suspicious?" the man with deep amber eyes asked as he looked out the window. He impatiently brushed his golden blonde hair before he gently massaged his temples.

"Hmm, it's a good offer so I'm sure Miss Brione Yu will sign the project. There's nothing wrong with it for her to turn it down since we made sure it's an offer one could not refuse and it's not suspicious at all," Will, who was the Prince's personal assistant, commented as he looked in his wristwatch.

Will was the only person allowed to address Prince casually in front of the Royal family and their employees. The Prince regarded him as his blood brother. The two had practically grown up together as Will's father, Mr. Sean, was the King's personal assistant.

He yawned, feeling sleepy since it was already very late. He leaned his back on his seat opposite the Prince inside the limousine. They were returning from a birthday party where there were talks about the Prince's marriage and his future.

He looked at the Prince and heaved a long sigh. He was against what the Prince was planning regarding Miss Brione Yu because it would only complicate things between the Royal family and the cabinet members led by the Prime Minister.

"What are your plans now? Your father… I mean the King seems to be determined to marry you off soon. He also wanted me to convince you that Miss Olivia is best suited to be your wife. And I will say it over and over again that I also believe that it's the best thing to do," Will tried convincing the Prince again.

Cedric, the Prince of Frales, Duke of Moore, had a gentle smile on his face as he remembered the first time he had laid his eyes on the woman who instantly captured his heart.

It had been during his first visit to Country D two weeks ago. He had sneaked out of the conference hall wearing a disguise to take a walk in the nearby park as he had been feeling suffocated. He was admiring the cherry blossoms when his eyes landed on a woman, sitting on the bench.

The area was closed to the public due to a television drama shoot so he was unable to approach the woman and had to see her from a distance. He saw that she had a lot of fans who were waiting for her, waving at her and calling her name.

That was when he learned that her name was Brione. She had long ash-gray-colored wavy hair with a few strands swaying, framing her captivating face as the wind blew.

She was sitting elegantly on the bench, reading something that looked like a journal. Her face was displaying a range of emotions. It was the first time he had seen a woman smile, cry, and then chuckle all at the same time. But he had to agree that she looked gorgeous no matter what emotion she showed.

He could not take his eyes off her. It was as though there was some force pulling him towards her. So he silently vowed at that very moment that he would do anything, whatever it took, and defy all odds to make her his woman and his lover.

The next morning, Brione arrived early to the set to finish her final scene for her current drama series in which she was the lead actress. She rehearsed her script for a while and when she was done, she grabbed Gavin's journal and smiled.

She always kept the journal with her because she somehow found solace whenever she would look at it and reread it. She stared at it for a long time before she hugged it close to her chest, and closed her eyes.

'You promised that you would stay with me and never leave my side Gav. What happened to your promise? How long do you plan to keep me waiting and worrying about you like this?' she thought sadly.

Her eyes started watering as she felt a sharp pain in her heart. She started feeling suffocated and couldn't breathe properly. She fought with herself to stay calm and composed every time she thought about Gavin.

Her manager saw the sad look on her face and immediately approached her to bring her out of her stupor.

"Brione, you're spacing out again," Mitch commented as she sat beside her.

She looked at the way Brione possessively held the journal in her hand and felt dejected. She had seen how Brione would read it every day, caressing every page as if it was Gavin's face, remembering him in every moment of her life for the past year.

Brione was still following her normal routine, showing her cheerful and energetic self to the eyes of the public, but only a few knew how dead the superstar was on the inside ever since her best friend went missing.

Brione turned to her and asked, "Is there any news from my brother?"

Mitch sighed helplessly and replied, "Still nothing Brione. Your brother Noah has not rested for a single day and is trying to find Gavin relentlessly. But unfortunately, it doesn't seem to reap any results, it's really a hopeless case."

Mitch hated herself for speaking so bluntly when she saw the tears threatening to fall from Brione's beautiful eyes.

"I am willing to do anything just to have him back Mitch," Brione said in her broken voice as tears slid down from her eyes.

Mitch looked around to check for people and was grateful that the staff working there were busy with their tasks so she immediately reached out and wiped Brione's tears.

"Get a hold of yourself Brione. There are a bunch of reporters here and it won't be good for you if they start to get suspicious and spread rumors to ruin your reputation. Please stop crying now okay?" she begged as she passed some tissues to Brione.

Brione grabbed a tissue and tried her best to control her emotions and murmured, "If those gossip mongers ask anything about me crying… Just tell them that I was practicing my script and working hard."

Mitch smiled and nodded her head in agreement. She handed Brione the tab and said, "I will. But first, read and check the contract. This is the project I was talking about last night. I have a good feeling about this project and you know that my hunch is never wrong. We have to leave as early as tomorrow so we must not waste any more time.

It's a good thing that the management gave us time till tonight to make a decision before they go ahead and get another endorser. You should know that there are many actresses and models who are anxiously waiting for you to turn this proposal down so that they can get signed for this endorsement."

Brione let out a breath and nodded. After wrapping up the shoot, Mitch immediately brought her to the company to meet the people whose brand she was going to endorse and sign the contract immediately.

Back in her apartment, her personal assistant, Berry, helped her pack all the things she would need for the trip.

"We are going to stay there for a week Berry, not forever…" Brione mumbled while watching her PA pack her stuff.

Berry chuckled and said, "Manager Mitch said that the shoot can be extended for a few days, so it's better to be well prepared and bring enough clothes and other stuff with us. Besides, we are taking a private plane directly to the island tomorrow so there's no need to worry about customs either. By the way, I researched about that island a little bit and found something mysterious about it."

"I told you to stop reading those online novels, now look at you acting paranoid," Brione whispered.

Berry dropped her shoulders and murmured, "I'm being serious, Boss. I heard that Prince Cedric lives alone on the island with no companions except for the servants. There are rumors, saying that the man is cursed. They said that his curse is the reason he never shows himself in public. Apparently, the curse is that whomever the Prince kisses will die..."

Brione's mouth twitched and said, "Then I'm cursed too right? Since I have a fear of kissing!"

"Ahh, your's is a disorder, my Boss. You see, you had a trauma when you were a child and because of that you are not able to kiss anyone, so your case is very different," Berry clarified.

Then Berry dreamily commented, "Boss, I heard that the Prince is still single and just turned 31 a few days back. Do you think the Cinderella kind of story still happens these days? If he's handsome then I will try my best to get his attention. Oh, that reminds me, I should pack a gown for you since there will be a masquerade ball held at night tomorrow. We should definitely not miss that," making Brione chuckle.

"I thought you said he was cursed? Aren't you afraid of him? What if he kisses you and you get a contagious disease that's not curable?" Brione questioned, amused by her words.

"Well, I won't mind the curse if he's handsome and likes me back. Besides, he's rich too, so I'm sure I can live like a nun even if he is cursed. And, you're being funny talking about contagious diseases right now Boss. Is he a zombie? I don't think so," Berry mumbled with a grin and raised her arms, wriggling as she acted like a dead zombie.

She was trying her best to act funny whenever she was with her Boss, whose smiling eyes were mostly filled with grief ever since her best friend went missing.

Berry herself could not believe that Gavin disappeared just like that. He was her Boss' best friend! And she shipped and rooted for him and her Boss. Their story was so touching. He and Brione were childhood friends and she was aware Gavin was deeply in love with her Boss. They were practically each other's first love but their story did not have a happy ending. So many feelings were left unspoken...

Berry too believed that there was no hope of finding him anymore. The famous news anchor and novelist should have been dead by now. His body was missing but who could find the body of a person who drowned in the vast ocean? Sharks and other creatures in the sea would have devoured it already.

"Don't settle for such things in life Berry. Emotional attachment and feelings towards the person are still what matters the most…" Brione, whispered helplessly to Berry, recalling the same words she often heard from Gavin.

The next morning, Brione's team boarded the private plane that would directly take them to Perdu Private Island. She had never heard of it before, probably because the Royal family wanted to keep it private and sacred. The journey to the island would take them almost seven hours time.

While she made herself comfortable in her seat, her mobile phone beeped and she smiled seeing that it was from her sister-in-law Luo.

[Enjoy your trip and make sure to have fun Brione. Don't forget to bring us souvenirs!! By the way here's a cute send-off from your nephew-]

"He's a carbon copy of my big brother when he was still a kid. So cute…" she whispered, adoring the picture of the little baby smiling brightly in the picture.

Soon the flight started to take off.

She was not in the best mood so she tried to pass her time by reading Gavin's diary but soon fell asleep during the flight because she was tired. Mitch woke her up again when the plane was about to land to enjoy the magnificent view.

"I'm sorry for waking you up but you have to see the view. It's so gorgeous that I didn't want you to miss it," Mitch apologetically said.

She smiled and was indeed mesmerized at the breathtaking view from her window. She had never really traveled for pleasure all her life and her tours had mostly been for work. She had been to various places and seen the most scenic views but it was the first time she was awed by the breathtaking beauty of such a clear aerial view of the island.

She was enchanted by the luxury water villas, powder sandbanks, and coral reefs fanning out all around the crystal clear azure waters.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered and continued admiring it. As soon as the plane landed, she came down and was immediately greeted by a fleet of staff who were there to welcome her.

They all greeted her very warmly with a sweet smile and admiration for her was clearly shown in their eyes. They had even arranged a short presentation informing about their indigenous culture such as their unique greeting which was actually a dance with the island's local costume.

"Oh my God. You're truly as gorgeous as we had heard and seen in the pictures, you indeed are a Goddess Miss Brione," the manager of the place, who introduced herself as Manager Ruth, commented as they walked towards the car.

Brione smiled at her exaggeration. She was a very approachable and friendly superstar who often allowed her fans to take a few pictures with her when requested. Seeing how the staff waited and anticipated her arrival she was touched by their hospitality.

She was an international superstar who was known worldwide for being exceptional in singing, dancing, and acting, so it was no surprise that she encountered fans on this deserted island as well.

She could also understand the local dialect of the island although it was mandatory for the residents to speak the world language since the people on the island were working for the Royal family. She in particular knew five different languages aside from the world language.

"You will all stay in the Perdu Castle as per the Princes' orders. As you're all his responsibility, he wanted to keep your arrival confidential to avoid other guests from pestering you since you're a worldwide sensation. We hope you enjoy your stay here Miss Brione!" Manager Ruth explained inside the car.

"Oh, that's so thoughtful of him. I'm curious though, is he really very handsome?" Berry could not help from interrupting, making the manager chuckle.

But the manager shook her head helplessly and said, "I'm sure you are all tired after the long journey, so you should take some rest. As soon as we reach the Palace, I will show you to your respective rooms where you can relax and freshen up. And Miss Berry, you will meet the Prince at the masquerade ball later in the evening so you will know the answer to your question by then."

Brione remained quiet as she stared out the window of the car, it was a refreshing sight, to see the luscious pine trees on the side of the road that compelled her to wonder, 'How nice would it be to take a long walk there later.'

The car crossed a bridge and Brione could see the stone castle of Perdu Island. The outside looked ancient but majestic.

"The castle was actually restored and remodeled. Inside, it has all the modern amenities and facilities that one can think of," Manager Ruth explained.

They soon arrived at the door and were escorted to their respective rooms. Brione relaxed for a while and then forced herself to get ready for the masquerade ball when it was almost time.

"Ugh!! I don't like masquerade balls at all. How am I supposed to see the gorgeous faces and hunt for a good man in the party if all of them are hiding their faces with a mask?!" Berry whined and complained while she assisted Brione with her dress.

"Wow, you really look like a Goddess Boss!! How come your body is so perfect!" Berry gasped, admiring the beauty in front of her.

The party was a modern masquerade ball so they wore a gown. Brione wore a breathtaking couture gown fit for an ice queen that made her sapphire eyes more attractive.

Her body was voluptuous and the dress hugged her in all the right places. Berry arranged Brione's ash gray hair in an effortless half updo with soft waves. Her make-up was light as well since Brione did not like to put heavy make-up. She did not need it anyway as she naturally had healthy and good-looking skin.

"Ah, the Prince will surely drool once he sees you. In fact, not just the Prince, I bet every man in the ballroom will fall head over heels for you," Berry praised.

Brione chuckled, already used to the over-dramatic ways of Berry. Berry definitely knows how to make a good impression with her flattery.

She grabbed her silver masquerade mask and put it on when Mitch knocked on the door along with the manager who came to pick her up.

"The Prince will be a bit late to the party as he got caught up in an important meeting. He asked me to make sure that you guys have fun and enjoy this yearly event in Perdu Palace." Manager Ruth, who was also in costume, informed.

Just like always, Brione effortlessly caught the attention of everyone at the party as soon as she stepped in. Many men tried to flirt with her and ask her for a dance but she refused to dance with anyone and focused on eating the delectable dinner served at their table instead.

"Life is so unfair, right guys? Look at Boss! How come she never gains weight no matter how much she eats?" Berry complained nuzzling her lips towards Brione who was in her own world, enjoying every dish on the table.

Mitch chuckled and said, "She works out regularly Berry, and she also has good metabolism. Not everyone is blessed with it. Eating non-stop without getting fat…"

As soon as Brione was done eating she took a sip of water and patted her stomach lightly feeling full and satisfied. Upon seeing a few men waiting to approach her, probably to ask her for a dance again, she sneaked out of the ballroom before they had a chance as she was not in the mood to dance at all.

She was walking down the hallway taking long strides when she paused and walked down the stairs because she spotted a beautiful garden just outside the palace. She had wanted to take a walk ever since she saw those pine trees, so she did not miss this chance. Unknown to her, she had caught the attention of a pair of deep eyes who was looking at her not far from where she was.

That man was about to head inside the ballroom but halted when his eyes fell on her lovely face. With a smirk, he turned around and walked down the stairs to follow her.

Brione smiled, looking at the beautiful garden. The night view of it, especially with the moon shining brightly in the sky and the fairy lights enhanced its majestic beauty. The Perdu Palace Garden was one of the sights to behold. Mitch was right, she felt refreshed just by taking a walk in this wonderful garden.

She walked slowly and admired how everything around her was perfect. The classic style landscape and the fountain in the middle were very eye-pleasing. It had the historical fantasy vibes.

Every side of the garden was adorned with ornamental basins and bronze statues. She hit her head because she wanted to take a selfie but forgot to bring her phone with her. But then she was staying here for plenty of days so she would surely not miss it tomorrow.

Brione looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. She could smell the aroma of the flowers blooming. It was such a romantic evening but here she was, strolling all alone.

"Gavin," she whispered, recalling how Gavin would often bring her to parks with beautiful flowers whenever she was down since she loved them.

"It's not safe for a beautiful lady like yourself to be out at this hour alone," a manly voice spoke from behind her.

'That voice…It's Gavin,' she thought but quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts. She deduced that she was missing Gavin so much that she was probably hallucinating his warm voice.

Gavin was a news anchor blessed with a really charming and manly voice which she adored a lot.

She sighed and continued to walk when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She flinched and turned around quickly while stepping back to see who it was. However, she lost her footing because of her abrupt movements and was about to fall to the ground.

Brione closed her eyes and braced her body for the impact which never came. Instead, she felt a strong grip on her wrist and a firm arm encircling her waist catching her just in time. As she was pulled towards that person, her nose was wafted with the pleasing fragrance of the person holding her firmly.

She opened her eyes and her lips unconsciously parted. The man's face was so close to her that she could feel his warm breath fanning her face. She could not have a proper view since he was covering the light and was also wearing a silver mask that covered half his face.

She did not know why but her heart was pounding hard.

'Weird,' she subconsciously thought.

One wrong move from either of them and their lips would definitely collide. She panicked as her fear of kissing surged so her instincts took over and she pushed the man with all her might. But since he had held her wrist tightly, he was able to pull her again towards him, causing her to fall on his chest.

She raised her head to stare at him in disbelief.

"I caught you and stopped you from getting hurt and is this how you thank me milady? By abruptly pushing me away from you?" he taunted with his strong voice. Brione visibly gulped. She had never felt intimidated in her whole life but now she was feeling tense for the first time.

His voice sounded exactly like Gavin's but this man before her sounded more powerful and authoritative.

"Oh, thank you for saving me. Could you please release me now?" she meekly murmured with an awkward smile, realizing that her action of pushing him away was indeed rude.

Her eyes widened when an unfathomable smirk formed on the man's lips. His lips were so full, red, and kissable.

'What the hell is wrong with you Brione?!! Kissable? Really?!' she snapped at herself. She couldn't believe that she thought of something like this in this situation!!

She exhaled loudly and twisted her wrist to free it but the man seemed to be determined not to let her go. She swung her hand up and then straight down to break the grip but he pulled her closer, this time holding her waist firmly as well...

"Hey!! What the hell is wrong with you?! Let me go!" she yelled in annoyance when she found herself helpless under his firm hold.

"I want a sincere thank you…" the man demanded.

'What's wrong with this man!' she wanted to scream. But then she let out a smile and sweetly said, "Thank you for catching me on time and saving me from falling on the ground. Are we cool now? I'm really uncomfortable in this position so please release me already. This closeness is suffocating me..."

She was a black belt in karate since her brother made sure she knew all kinds of defense after the traumatic incident she had when she was a child. That was also why she was good at doing all her stunts in movies or dramas even without a double.

If she really wanted to be free it was not that hard to escape the man. She could just knee him on his groin and free herself, so she wondered what was stopping her from doing it? Maybe because she did not want any scandal about her since she knew that most guests inside the castle were all high profile and very important people. So she must avoid offending any of the guests as much as she could.

But if the man does not release her on the count of ten, she would definitely knee his groin!

After a few seconds, the man finally released her and said in his icy cold tone, "You should head back inside…"

"Yeah, I will. Thanks again..." She mumbled and quickly walked back inside the castle.

As soon as she was inside, she started walking through the hallway and stopped in her tracks halfway, and touched her chest. She could feel the rapid beating of her heart.

Was she very nervous? Why did she feel like something weird was going on with her? She calmed herself first then immediately walked back to the ballroom.

"Where have you been?" Berry asked.

"Just out… Strolling in the garden," she simply answered.

Soon Manager Ruth announced the arrival of the Prince. Everyone gasped as soon as a well-built man with a powerful aura entered the hall wearing his black jacquard brocade bespoke suit decorated with silver embroidery on the front and backside. He had a silver mask that was sitting perfectly on his rectangular-shaped face while covering half of it.

"It's him!" Brione uttered, realizing that it was the same man she had just encountered in the garden.

'This man is the Prince? No wonder his voice was full of confidence and authority.'

She gulped when the Prince's gaze seemed to be directed in her direction, making her look down as if hiding her face from him. She consoled herself by thinking, 'Maybe I am just being paranoid besides the Prince is wearing a mask so it is hard to tell where he is looking from that distance.'

He walked to the dias and greeted everyone at the party. He also apologized for being late.

Looking at him standing under the spotlight, she noticed that the shape of his face was the same as Gavin's except for the hair color. Gavin's hair was pure black whereas the Prince had golden blonde hair. Then she recalled that Gavin's original hair was golden blonde in color and he had only dyed it to black to compliment her ash gray hair color.

'But he is Prince Cedric and not Gavin Brione so stop doing what you are doing now,' her inner self scolded.

Brione did not know what was wrong with her. She suddenly felt nervous, watching the Prince walk in their direction.

"Manager Ruth will now introduce us to Prince Cedric. Gosh, I wish he was not wearing a mask so that I can see his face, but even with the mask on he already has a strong sex appeal. Look at how majestic he looks just walking towards us," Berry murmured controlling herself from squealing.

Soon Manager Ruth stopped at their table and introduced Prince Cedric to the whole team. His highness nodded and greeted everyone.

Then Manager Ruth particularly turned to Brione and said, "Your highness, this is Miss Brione Yu of Cooper Entertainment."

The Prince extended his hand to her and said, "It's nice to finally meet you in person Miss Brione…"

Brione smiled stiffly as she accepted the handshake and replied, "The honor is mine, your highness."

She unconsciously bit her lip when she felt the Prince gently squeeze her hand. It was like he sent a jolt of electricity to her body so she quickly pulled it.

'He doesn't even smile…' she thought, looking at his stoic face.

She sighed when the Prince finally moved his gaze from her and looked at everyone at the table while he said, "I hope you all enjoy your stay here. Feel free to use everything on the island as you need. Manager Ruth will act as your tour guide as well so you can enjoy while you do your work here."

"Thank you, your highness," everyone answered in chorus.

Brione felt uneasy because she felt that the Prince's eyes were back on her or she might probably be mistaken.

'Perhaps I'm just overthinking things,' she thought to herself.

She released a sigh of relief when Manager Ruth escorted the Prince to the other guests in his castle.

"I feel like the Prince is smitten by our superstar guys. Is it just me or were his eyes fixed on our Boss?" Berry commented and everyone on the table agreed.

"That's not new though Berry. Aren't you used to it already?" one of the staff commented.

Berry shrugged her shoulders and said, "Yeah I guess you're right. Too bad he did not remove his mask though. I searched him online and his life seems to be so private that there's no picture of him except for some news articles.

Even in those articles, you won't get a full view of his face. I heard he's a gorgeous and handsome Prince. Well, I can tell he is even with a mask on but what if that's not really the case once he removes his mask?"

Brione shook her head in amusement. She realized it was Berry's time to shine as her entire being brightened up when it came to gossiping.

"There were a lot of rumors I read about the Prince like helpers finding the dead bodies of many women whenever they threw a party for the Prince. The women who died were those who flirted with the Prince or tried to seduce him!" Berry started.

One of the staff laughed and teased, "It's just rumors to stop women from flocking around the Prince, especially a dangerous woman like you who loves gossip!"

Berry's lips twitched as she arched a brow and barked, "Excuse me but to be a qualified PA of a superstar, it's natural for me to love gossip and find out what's rumor and what's real. Well, I looked into the real reports and I couldn't find any evidence to prove that it was true and Sir Noah checked on it too."

Berry looked at Brione and explained, "Boss, you know how your brother Sir Noah is when it comes to your safety don't you? So he checked everything and confirmed that the island is safe and so is the Prince, except for the rumor which said that the Prince is quite promiscuous and is said to be notorious for toying with women. But other than that he said there's nothing alarming which you can't handle yourself well, more so with me around to take care of you.

These false rumors may be spread by someone with malicious intentions against him. You see, there is always some kind of political agenda involved with such people. I read that the Prime Minister and King George are often in disagreement with each other over a lot of things."

Brione smiled and stayed quiet the whole time while ignoring the conversation going on at their table. She was in her own world, particularly feeling annoyed at herself that she was feeling weird at that moment. She stood up and told Mitch, "I will take my leave first. I feel a bit tired so I will rest early."

Berry was about to get up to accompany her as well but Brione stopped her.

"You stay here and enjoy the night Berry, okay? I can take care of myself so you just relax tonight. Who knows… Your Prince might remove his mask at the end of the party," she said with a wink.

"Thanks Boss," Berry answered.

Brione stood up and started walking out of the ballroom with many thoughts in her head. She was caught off guard by how her body was acting weird after her encounter with the Prince. It was as though her body was used to his warmth but was also nervous at the same time. That was a really new and scary feeling.

"Leaving early?" she heard a sensuous and strong voice from behind so she stopped walking and turned around.