Chapter 3: Chapter 3

- Missy, could you take a look at my brother's computer again, please?

Laughing at her brother-in-law's rueful tone, Missy balanced her cell phone between her shoulder and ear as she quickly finished programming yet another detail into her project. “Of course, Devon, don't worry, that's what I'm here for.

- But I hate asking you every single day. – she could almost see him pinching the bridge of his nose on the other side of the line, as he sighed – You're already doing us a huge favor by taking care of the technology part of this agency and my imbecile brother is wasting your time with these antics.

- I didn't even create any of the programs, I just installed them. – Missy smiled shyly – And it's not your brother's fault for not knowing how to deal with technology. That's no reason to judge him so badly.

- Don't talk like the marketing department hasn't been kissing your feet every day since you introduced that new graphic designer program. – Devon laughed, but then his tone became sarcastic – And I know Logan better than you, Missy and, believe me, he deserves to be judged very, very badly. – after another sigh, now irritable, he continued – But, unfortunately, he really needs you to go to his office.

- You know I don't care. It's my job. - Taking the cell phone with one hand and closing her notebook with the other, Missy got up from her office chair - It's not like it's a very long trip. She laughed, which Devon joined in after a moment.

- Yes of course. Logan was really lucky that the only room in the entire building free for his office was on the exact same floor as his. Confused, she heard him grunt.

Devon tended to throw those thinly-veiled criticisms at his brother whenever he got the chance, though she didn't understand why. They seemed tight-knit most of the time, but regularly, especially when her brother-in-law was talking to her, it seemed like Devon made a point of pointing out something about Logan's stubbornness or making some seemingly ironic comment that Missy never understood. And she had the odd impression that his criticisms were getting more and more frequent lately.

- I'm free, so I can go there right now. Missy informed her softly, hoping that would lighten her brother-in-law's mood a bit.

Devon took a long, exhausted sigh before answering her again, “Thanks, Missy. You are infinitely kinder than he deserves. - The intense way his deep voice sounded made it seem like he was referring to something far beyond fixing Logan's computer. But, as usual, she couldn't even imagine what it would be like.

- Don't be so hard on him. – disconcerted, she tried to change the subject – So, we'll see each other tonight, right?

- Of course. – Devon readily agreed, with a more relaxed tone of voice – After the number of times Mrs. Newton insisted we go, I don't think we had a choice. He chuckled, although there was also a bit of irony in his tone.

- She's just really excited. – Missy tried to justify Lauren's behavior, knowing how important that party was to her mother-in-law, after all, she had been planning it for months – Do you know if Megan managed to convince our mother to go? she asked Devon in a low voice, nervously chewing on her lower lip. Victoria was, technically, at least for Lauren, an important part of that party. And Mrs. Newton would certainly be disappointed if she didn't attend.

- You know your mother. – she could almost see Devon's frown on the other end of the line – She always has something more important to do than answer a call from someone in the family. But she doesn't give up hope: Megan is still insisting.

- Thank her again for me, okay? – Missy smiled fondly at the thought of her sister – If I were trying to invite her, Mom would probably have just scolded me and blocked my calls to prevent me from bothering her.

- A daughter's call shouldn't be a nuisance for a mother… – Devon growled, so low that she barely heard him, before continuing – But don't worry. I'm sure that, at some point, you will overcome it with fatigue.

- Thanks, Devon. I really hope so. – With a sad sigh, Missy smiled a little, trying to keep her thoughts optimistic – But now I really need to go help your brother. He must be in a very bad mood with these recurring defects.

- Yes, poor Logan... - again, Devon's voice took on that ironic timbre that was incomprehensible to her - Anyway, thanks again, Missy. Until later.

Saying goodbye to her brother-in-law, Missy hurried out of her office, opening the door to the elegant hallway of the Knight Modeling and Modeling Agency. After she opted to attend Software Engeneer in college, going against all her mother's expectations and demands, a modeling agency was the last place in the world where she imagined she would work someday. But after nearly a full year there, she couldn't be happier. Of course, when Devon had proposed that she rent one of the few offices that were still available in that amazing building – since the vast majority of them were occupied by the Knight brothers' many agency facilities – and become responsible for the agency's IT matters as she continued her freelance and freelance projects, despite liking the idea, Missy had been a little apprehensive.

Having been, all her life, the cliché of the nerdy girl with the giant glasses, baggy clothes printed with cartoon characters and perfect grades, she had not been unscathed by the teasing and bad jokes of the popular boys and girls in her high school, the ones who always had perfect skin and huge egos. Fortunately, especially thanks to the vigilance of her father and older sister, that bullying had never gone too far. Of course, she'd had her share of tears and insecurities after hearing so many nasty things about her appearance, but thankfully, Jonathan and Megan had helped her to love who she was. Not that the criticisms had stopped – her mother was, perhaps, the greatest representative of them nowadays, but she had always tried to understand Victoria. She was, by training, a fashion designer, and had very concrete and unchanging ideas about what was appropriate clothing and what was “aesthetics,” as she had sometimes referred to Missy's wardrobe.

Not that Missy had ever tried to explain to her how all those references to her favorite stories and characters made her feel good, how they reminded her of the lessons she had learned from those fictions and how they made her feel a little more confident and light in life. various situations... But her mother was a busy person and she never had much time to listen to her. Not that she wasn't used to it. There wasn't a single moment in her childhood when Victoria was really available for them to talk to... Megan was the only one Missy could truly talk to about anything. Megan... And Jonathan.

Thinking of her father still hurt, even after five long years had passed. Maybe because it was so easy to forget that he was no longer with her and Megan. The cancer had taken him so fast that she'd barely been able to take it in at first. Sometimes Missy still found herself thinking that she could call him and tell him how her day was, ask for advice or just talk about the new series she was hooked on... Until she remembered that they couldn't do those. things never again and her eyes filled with tears.

No matter how much time passed, missing him was always what hurt the most.

Sniffling a little as she tried to dispel those thoughts, Missy waved at a couple of models who were exiting a photo shoot at the end of the long hallway. Smiling, the girls happily greeted her, even with the great distance. Yes, she was very lucky to work in such a good environment as the Knight Agency. Unlike the stereotype that even she had about models, most of the people there weren't rude and superficial, only caring about their appearance. Everyone was friendly and extremely professional, making her feel welcome, something she could hardly say for all the other few places she'd worked quickly over the years.

Of course, there were always a few people overly dazzled by the prospect of success and fame, but Missy could count the times someone had been rude or disrespectful to her on one hand, and luckily those people usually didn't stay long. His brother-in-law, Devon, and his siblings, Diana and Logan, – who was not only the director of the agency, but also its founder – were extremely careful with what types of people they managed, as it could cost them the excellent reputation they had. the agency had. And Missy could understand her care: just 12 years old, the Knight Agency was already the largest and most reputable in the country. A well-earned title, Missy was well aware.

With just over 10 months in there, she was surprised and delighted with the Knight brothers' concern to exalt all types of beauty and have the greatest possible diversity of people working not only as models, but also as extras, actors and digital influencers. , as was the case with her sister. She had never heard of a company of that size and with so much prestige that it was concerned not only with following market trends, but also making an effort to rethink and change them. As she grew up, the way Victoria acted it had always made her think that the beauty market was nothing if not merciless to those who didn't fit in. And maybe it was like that, in most places. But the Knight Agency had deconstructed many preconceptions within it. Maybe that's why everything there was so incredible: contrary to what her mother thought, within those walls there wasn't just a single aesthetic standard to be followed strictly. On the contrary, each of the many agencies, regardless of how different they were from each other, was treated as what it really was: unique and unmatched. Not just in the eyes of customers, but also in the eyes of the public.

For that reason, she was grateful every day for having accepted her brother-in-law's suggestion and set up her office right there, in the same building as the agency, which, as she well knew, would soon become an exclusive building for the agency, since the Knights intended to buy it soon. Much more than a simple job, she felt exultant in being able to help them grow using her knowledge about computing. Even though she knew it wasn't much, everyone seemed genuinely happy with the software changes she'd made in the marketing and HR departments, and especially with her job as the "IT girl," as her friends at the agency liked to call her. -there. But she knew that some technologies could sometimes be difficult to deal with, and especially to fix, and she was happy to be able to help improve a work as amazing as what they did there.

Knowing that she was being helpful kept her motivated, which was essential for her to stay focused on the software she had been developing autonomously for over two years. The first prototypes had been terrible, until she realized that she couldn't be truly productive working from home and her sister had suggested finding a place that could become her office: a place where she could just focus on work. Fortunately, it happened around the same time that Devon had offered her a job, and the two things had clicked perfectly. Of course, with the inheritance her father had left her and Megan, neither of them would really have to worry about money for the rest of their lives. But the need to work hard was in the Sutton blood and, as much as that was also the target of Victoria's criticism, she and her older sister simply could not bear to live only on shopping and parties.

Like Jonathan in his youth, they wanted to fulfill themselves professionally. Their father had created a renowned engineering company and made it prosper for years, giving the three of them an extremely comfortable life, and only sold it after discovering that he was sick, in order to have more time to spend with his daughters and take care of his own health. And finally, when the doctors told him there was nothing more to be done, Jonathan had also made sure to provide them with the largest inheritance possible. It seemed almost disrespectful to use the money his father had accumulated after so many years of tireless work just to spend his life enjoying himself.

So she and her sister turned to professions that involved what they loved, where they would be not only useful but also happy, as they always knew Jonathan's greatest desire was: Megan, who was born with the gift of communication, she had initially graduated in Publicity and Propaganda, but after creating several social media focused on tarot and other subjects that were part of her daily life, she had quickly become a well-known digital influencer, reaching a degree of fame that she had never even expected. . Fortunately, Missy still managed to remain anonymous most of the time, but she couldn't help but blush fiercely whenever, eventually, some stranger asked her for a photo after recognizing her voice from one of the videos Megan had already convinced her to participate in, behind the cameras. Or, worse, when someone recognized her from one of the few photos she had with Megan on her sister's Instagram. Still, those inevitable little awkwardnesses aside, Missy couldn't be more proud or happy for Megan. Her sister loved what she did and her fans loved her back. It was everything Megan had ever wanted, although she cared more about recognition in her profession than fame itself.

And, at least so Missy liked to think, she, too, was getting her own way. She had a good resume for a 25-year-old and the software she had been involved in developing throughout her career, working for several well-respected multinational companies, had been highly praised in the technology market. Starting to autonomously develop her own software had been a great challenge and not always pleasant, but she felt accomplished most of the time, despite the adversities. And she was hopeful that her work might help many people, in case any company was interested in it, when it was finalized.

Well, at least Megan, who had offered to be her manager when future negotiations could begin, was pretty optimistic about that. And Missy really hoped she was right, but not because of how much market value her software could have. She just hoped it could fulfill the purpose she designed it for and make a difference for those who needed it. After all, Missy didn't need money: she had her own office, her project, her job, her family, her friends, a boyfriend, a cozy apartment and a very cute little dog that made her very happy. She didn't need anything else.

Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true after all...

Seriously, Missy?! I swear I've never met anyone more frigid! Do you really have a boner in there or are you a complete ice cube? You better stop being a prude and enjoy this moment! It's not like another guy would be as godly as I am and go to the effort of trying to fuck you!

- Oh, Missy! Thank God you arrived!

Trying to control the uncomfortable clench of humiliation in her stomach at the memory of those words, Missy smiled in Simon's direction as soon as she spotted him, sitting behind his desk in the room that preceded the largest office in that place – Logan Knight's office. Simon Montgomery, secretary to Devon's brother, had been her first friend at the Knight Agency, and when they were together, they could spend hours talking about video games and anime – in fact, they had actually already done that, on a night when she stayed until later finishing a slightly more complex setup and Mr. Knight had also coincidentally put in some overtime, which led to Simon staying with the company to help out. Laughing, she saw her friend nearly lose his balance as he shifted a large pile of papers around and typed a few things into his computer, all the while talking, frantically.

- Mr. Knight has already asked for you three times in the last five minutes! I don't know what happened, but today is one of those days where he's in a really bad mood! Simon confided, speaking softly as she stopped in front of his desk, as he glanced nervously at the large, dark wood door that led to his boss's office. Well and technically her boss too.

- Oh. Missy just sighed. If Logan was in a bad mood, then unfortunately seeing her would only make it worse. “I'm sorry, Simon.

- Do not worry about me. – Her friend sighed, giving her a half smile – I'll make up for all the work today by eating the shrimp dumplings you promised me for today's party.

- I already gave them to my mother-in-law. – Missy smiled back, although thinking about the party that night woke up the ghost of that uncomfortable feeling of insecurity inside her – I guarantee you won't regret having waited.

"Wonderful..." Simon started to say, excitedly, when the noise of the phone next to him interrupted them. Quickly pressing one of the buttons, Simon smiled nervously and said, "She's just arrived, Mr. Knight. I'll ask you to come in right now.

There's no response from the other end other than the sound of the line going dead, indicating that Logan has hung up. Blowing out a breath tensely, Simon shook his head ruefully. - Good luck, Missy.

Smiling to calm him down, Missy walked to the door of Logan's office, a little nervous, though not as nervous as Simon. The truth was, Logan Knight didn't like her at all, but she had accepted that fact a long time ago and it no longer bothered her. Since the day she'd met him two years ago, when she'd first visited the Knight family, his dislike for her had been pretty obvious, especially the way he'd avoided her like a demon ever since. day. At first, she'd been confused, wondering what she'd done wrong to make him hate her before they'd even exchanged a single word.

However, when Megan began to resent Logan for the way he was treating her sister and this began to generate friction, Missy was quick to try to appease the situation and began to pretend that Logan's dislike did not matter to her. And she'd done it for so long that the pretense had become reality. Her sister and Devon had the most loving, passionate relationship Missy had ever seen outside the pages of her romance novels... And she would hate to be the cause of any friction between them. Fortunately, Megan and the other Knights, while still quite annoyed by Logan's behavior, seemed to accept that things had to be this way and conflicts were reduced to zero. After all, it wasn't like Logan had ever been truly rude to her or offended her.

He just couldn't stand being in the same room with her.

Or at least had it was like that at the beginning. Those first few months when she was introduced to the Knights were undoubtedly the worst, as Devon's brother always snarled and looked at her almost with hate when she was around, leaving whatever the environment was soon after. Gradually, however, this changed, albeit minimally. He had started to simply ignore her existence and avoid exchanging glances with her as much as possible.

However, it was still a step forward: he no longer stared at her as if she were the worst person in the world or snarled as if her mere existence was torturing him to death. Obviously, that bothered and disconcerted her at first, but, well, she had been trying to be understanding with him. It was normal that sometimes you just didn't like a person at first sight, right? He was exaggerating a lot, of course, but still, she had tried to convince herself that he didn't have to like her. At least that was the mantra she repeated to herself whenever he gave her one of those strange, intense looks... Until he let out another snarl and walked away, more annoyed than ever.

The real positive change had come when Devon had offered her that job. At first, she had considered refusing. After all, she had the clear impression – in fact, the certainty – that Logan would rather die than have to live with her at the agency as well. But, to her surprise, during a dinner with the Knights where Devon had again asked her if she would like to work with them, Logan had muttered softly that she would be welcome if she wanted... table and left, almost running. Even if it wasn't exactly a declaration of peace, Missy was really happy with that small advance and accepted the job, which was certainly the best decision she could have made: she had made great friends, made huge advances in her project and even found a boyfriend.

And in the last year, Logan had even started to be able to be in the same room with her without seeming to be suffering because of it. They weren't friends, colleagues, or anything like that yet... To be honest, he didn't even look in her direction. But at least Logan seemed to have learned to live with her presence this past year. Probably because he had the bad luck to only buy faulty computers, which always forced her to go to his office to fix some problem. She had advised him to change his braces a total of three times in the last ten months, making replacements increasingly expensive and technological, but strangely, even that had not been able to solve his recurring problems. Thankfully most of them were simple and could be easily solved if he just looked up a short video tutorial... But she'd suggested it once and he'd just mumbled that he didn't know how to deal with any technology at all, preferring that just her, one professional, deal with those defects.

Come to think of it, that had been the longest conversation they had ever had.

Well, at least they had begun to get along civilly.

Which was certainly something to celebrate.

So, taking a quick breath first to build up some courage, Missy knocked softly on the door before stepping inside, praying Logan's bad mood that day wasn't compounded by her presence.