The Manipulated Villainess

Staring at the small calendar which was placed on her office desk, Nicole frowned. It\'s time again. The time for a joint dinner which the two families used to have once a month.

It\'s not like the relationship between the two families was real, it\'s just a show but why did the two greedy politicians put so much effort into it? It\'s really tiring! What\'s more? She will have to go to the destination with the devil! Leon will come with his father. That\'s how they always did during the past two years.

Thinking of Leon, she hadn\'t seen him since that day, the day he confessed to her. They didn\'t even talk through a phone or message.

Very soon, Alex Jo made his way to her office and stood before her desk. "The Minister told me to take you to her. She is all set for the joint dinner." He informed her.

"I got it. Give me 5 minutes." She simply responded, not looking at the man like she always did. She only had to go through the last file and her work will be done for the day.

Alex quietly stood still, narrowing his eyes at her and stared at her for the whole time. It was too much after a while and Nicole couldn\'t take it anymore.

"Your gaze should be focused on other things." She coldly said while focusing on the report.

"What things?" Alex asked her.

"Any other things, but me." She deadpanned. She still finds it hard to suppress her hatred for the man. She hardly gets distracted by him because she really didn\'t care about him but she hated being watched. It always suffocated her.

"Are you alright now? What about your fever?" He asked, completely disregarding her cold treatment.

Nicole sighed at his persistent nature. "You don\'t have to worry about me. Frankly speaking, I don\'t need your concern." She closed the file and rose from her seat. "Let\'s go."

Meanwhile, in the Gold Porcelain Museum, Leon didn\'t have a good time either. It\'s been five days since he walked in eggshells around Shara. The woman rarely talked to her and only give her a response when he asked her a question. She practically distanced herself from him which made him uneasy.

Sitting in a chair in his office, he keeps on staring at Shara who was busy with some files on the couch and table deemed for visitors. When the woman suddenly rose from her seat and darted her eyes to him, he quickly shifted his gaze from her and his eyes swept around every corner, trying to avoid her gaze.

Shara walked to Leon and stood in front of his desk. "It\'s time for the joint dinner with your fiancee family. Your father will already be waiting for you." She formally said to him.

Being hit by a realization, Leon immediately narrowed his eyes at his wristwatch. "I totally forgot about it." He gasped.

"You forgot?" Shara raised a brow. "It\'s the first." She muttered but Leon heard her clearly.

"You bothered me so much these days. Maybe that\'s why." He hurriedly go through the file on his table and realized how much he neglected his work. He didn\'t get anything done!

"That\'s good." Shara simply remarked which instantly made Leon paused his movement. He lifted his head and looked at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked confusedly.

"That means you didn\'t think much about her these days. Didn\'t I told you that I will make you forget her?" She simply said again as if it was a casual and normal talk.

Glancing at his watch once more, Leon let out a breath. "I\'m out of time. Let\'s talk after dinner, Shara. Please think about what you want to say. I will listen to it, whatever it is." He briefly glanced at the files and sighed. "Please take these files home for me. I will work on it tonight."

He immediately grabbed his coat and then left his office.

* * *

Like always, the joint dinner took place in the same restaurant where they used to hold for the past two years. Leon and his father walked inside the private room which they reserved and the two women were already there.

"I\'m sorry. I was a bit caught up. My father waits for me and that\'s why he is late with me." Leon apologized as they took a seat.

"You\'re on time. You must be really busy." Garcia Han simply responded with a smile.

"Yes. There are some exhibitions coming up in my museum." Leon formally replied.

"I heard that you got sick. How are you doing now?" Peter Jung asked Nicole. He always remained friendly to the Chairwoman which the latter could never understand. She always wondered what his intention might be.

"I\'m fine now. Thanks for your concern." Nicole replied.

Leon glanced at Nicole who was sitting opposite to him. She didn\'t seem to be so well. As soon as his eyes landed on his fiancee, he was reminded of their conversation that day and the pain in his heart resurfaced. Just when Nicole looked at him, he quickly looked away. He was not ready.

Dinner was served and they continue to chat. Though everyone knows that everything happening now was just an act without any sincerity, they keep up the act, all hiding their nature. Nicole was really bored with it and so was Leon. Once in a while, they ended up meeting each other\'s gaze but they were always so quick to look away.

"How did your preparations go? You have a very important exhibition coming up, right?" Garcia Han asked Leon.

Leon understood that the step-mother was talking about the exhibition which he used as an excuse to delay the wedding. Of course, it was very important but not as important as his wedding. However, he understood Nicole\'s feelings and that\'s why he wanted to give her more time.

"It\'s going well." He said as he faked a smile. He was not doing well at all! He was completely occupied and distracted by the woman sitting before him and his best friend who didn\'t even want to talk to him! Even if he tried to do a good job, he always ended up losing focus.

"That\'s great." The step-mother commented. She keeps on staring at the potter, observing him. These days, she couldn\'t be at ease, all thanks to him. She also didn\'t know why she felt this way. There\'s something about him which troubled her and sometimes, she even finds him intimidating! No one had never made her felt that way!

"Nicole is doing great too." The Prime Minister turned his head to the young Chairwoman. "I heard that you will soon be launching your new clothing brand. Is there anything which you\'re not good at?" He let out a chuckle.

"You\'re too kind. I only harvest the fruits of my late father and my mother\'s work. I still need to improve in many ways." Nicole gave her step-mother a side glance as she replied to Leon\'s father.

"You look after your daughter well." The Prime Minister remarked and looked at Garcia Han. He nodded his head in satisfaction.

"She is smart and she can do anything if she put her mind to it." Garcia Han remarked.

The contempt that Leon had for this step-mother was so much that he couldn\'t stop himself from talking. Tilting his head, he turned to her with a smile and asked, "You are such a family woman, Minister. I\'m suddenly curious about your family. I don\'t know anything about them. I mean... " Looking at her right in the eyes, he continued, "Your blood-related family." His eyes were calm yet intimidating.

Garcia Han\'s fake smile instantly dropped when she heard Leon. Beneath the table where no one could see, she was nervously clenching her fist. Unseeable rage was hidden in her eyes but the other three people in the room could feel it.

Forcing a smile once again, she replied, "I don\'t have any blood-related family." She poured herself a cup of water and drink it, trying her best to hide the pressure that she felt.

Leon briefly glanced at Nicole and noticed her pleading look. She was worried about him. She didn\'t want him to bring harm upon himself! Ignoring her silent pleading, he turned his attention back to Garcia Han.

"That\'s so sad. I\'m sorry. I heard that you have an older brother but maybe I\'m mistaken. I apologize if I make you uncomfortable." Leon faked an apologetic face. He looked at the step-mother as if he pitied her for not having a family. His father also seemed to be quite interested.

The face that looked at her with pity; that\'s what Garcia Han hated the most! Tightly clenching her fist beneath the table, she tried her best not to lose control but... it was so hard that she felt like she was slowly killed from the inside. It was so tormenting!

How dare he look at her with pity when he didn\'t know anything about her?! Many years ago, she already made a vow that she will never allow herself to be pitied again.....