A couple of security guards working for the Millicent's is currently on duty.

They are chilling around their post in front of the gates of a lavish beach house. Though they try to stay on their top shape by playing cards to waste the hours with, the game could only do so much to blow their boredom and sleepiness away.

​​

"I thought Mrs. Millicent was gonna arrive this afternoon?" chimed one of them.

"Probably got caught in the rain earlier or something," replied the other one nonchalantly.

"Dude, that's just a couple of hours ago. It's already night time by then."

"Why can't you hold your horses? You sound so eager to see the Madam. Got a crush on her or something?"

"No, I don't!"

Though silence keeps them company throughout the most part of the night, they still have this occasional banter and exchange. That's all until the rattling noise of a motor engine suddenly vibrates throughout the place, joining them and disrupting that expected flow.

"Huh? What's that?"

It's getting louder and louder in each passing second, which catches them off guard and rises their suspicions.

No one should be around this private property, especially at this hour. With that in mind, they finally get out of their post and take a look outside of the gates.

That's when an approaching motorcycle comes into view - heading straight at them with a recklessly rapid speed.

"What the...? Who is that?" the guard wondered out loud.

"They gonna crash us over or something?" said his partner.

"Not on my watch."

Both of them intrepidly hold their ground in front of the gates, all looking ready to scold this wild rider. Whoever this person is - they're making quite a fuss and clearly trespassing.

"I'm afraid we have to stop your joyride here! This is a private property!"

The motorcycle finally halts on its tracks by then, stopping right in front of the gate and its fearless guards. Their dedication to their duty is so commendable that they haven't even wavered when the vehicle pauses in just a few mere inches away from them.

"Now then, let's see who you are-"

"Sorry, gentlemen. I didn't mean to come unannounced..." the rider cut the guard off before eventually taking her helmet off.

"Correct me if I'm wrong. This is the Millicent's private beach resort, right?"

Then, they gaped.

As soon as Cassidy finally revealed her face, the security guards froze on their spot almost instantly. They are so astonished that their eyes bulge wide before suddenly starting to gleam in awe, looking like they just saw a goddess in the flesh. For a moment there, they even failed to recognize her as that demure and stiff-looking woman they came to know.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am...!" one of them almost shrieked before bowing hastily.

"Forgive us for trying to stop you!"

"Well, you really needed to since I couldn't just crash the gates, right?" Cassidy replied with a small chuckle, much to their surprise.

"But, Mrs. Millicent, where are your attendants? Are you on your own?" asked the other one.

"Yeah, I am. My car got burned down."

Then, they froze once more.

From that point on, Cassidy rambles out a summary of what exactly happened - but only for them to end up getting more confused and stupefied than ever. For some reason, they feel like they're just going to run out of brain cells if they try to hear the whole story, and so they just simply proceed to let her in.

"Thanks guys! Keep up the good work!" Cassidy told them with an ear-splitting, sunny grin that somehow blew their sleepiness away before finally driving off.

"I'm not sure what's that all about, but..." said one of the guards as soon as she's out of sight.

"Perhaps, I have a thing on her now."

As he declared this with a dreamy look on his face, his companion only shot him an incredulous look and narrowed gaze.

---

"Woahhh... Talk about stupendous!"

Cassidy is filled with awe and wonder at this very moment.

The beach house that Adrian has prepared for her just turned out to be more impressive than she expected. It isn't really as grandiose as that mansion where the birthday party is taking place, but it is still huge and stately.

The exterior and interior designs are both sumptuous. Everything is classy and imposing yet humble enough to make it look homely. All the furniture and fixtures seem brand new as well.

While the patio and yards are spacious, the inside is palatial and lavish. Gold and silver ornaments decorate different sides of the place along with porcelains and other luxurious knick-knacks.

"Seriously, I can't ever get used to this kinds of setting. Everything is just so... so jaw-dropping..." Cassidy mused out loud while scanning around the living room and beholding its opulence.

"I gotta say, though. This also makes me feel a little lonely."

As she said this, she has just fully taken in the deafening silence that's persisting all around the mansion. There may be a few attendants stalling just outside of that room and waiting for any order that she may want to place on them, but they are hardly keeping her company.

"Well, I already expected this. Bossman's not around now, so I realized that I'm finally getting the real deal here."

Not wanting to spend her first night feeling like some lonesome, angsty teenager, Cassidy decided to eat her dinner outside.

She went to settle down on the beach that's just beside the mansion's backyard - but not without playing with the white sand by thrashing and kicking them all around first. Like an ecstatic little child, she has broken out in a round of delighted squeals when she saw the ocean for the very first time.

"The sea! The sand! And the ocean breeze...! Oh my goodness! They're all so wonderful!"

Her husband was actually not lying about it being a few feet away from the beach house she'd be staying at. Though it's already night time and she can barely see a thing, she still enjoys this first ever view she's having.

Cassidy finds the dimness of the place a good thing, anyway. That's because the stars above shine even brighter this way.

"As I thought, eating outside is a good choice..." she thought as she sat on the sand alongside a tray of her meal and some light snacks.

"The stars make me feel less lonely."

With that, she tilts her head up and does some stargazing for a moment. She just silently beholds the cloudless night sky with a small and contented smile on her face. From that point on, her calm, rhythmic breathing matches the billowing evening air - reposeful and smooth-flowing.

Then, for the next minutes to come, the world around Cassidy closes down.

Nothing matters anymore.

She feels free and herself.

Unbeknownst to her, though, a looming figure has been watching her stare at the stars for a while now. The person just quietly stands beside the row of palm trees at the side, beholding her beauty underneath the coruscant glow of the moonlight.

Yet eventually, this new company of hers starts walking up to her in silence.

"Good evening."

Then, she screeched.

Completely taken aback, Cassidy ends up jolting after hearing someone's greeting. She then stirs on her seat and swivels her head around - so rapidly that she might have broken her neck right then.

Despite how much the unannounced presence threw her off guard, she immediately spread a pleasantly surprised grin as soon as she recognized who it was.

"Oh, Charlie!"

Her husband's secretary appears before her all of the sudden, holding a bottle of red wine and two glasses all the while. She can't help but gawk at how Charles appears to be extra handsome tonight, especially in his navy blue dinner suit and with his hair well-groomed.

"Sorry for startling you, Ma'am Cassidy. I wasn't sure how exactly I could make you notice me since you're too busy taking delight in the stars tonight," he apologized with a smile.

"No, it's fine. Actually, you came at the right timing...!" she chirped blithely before patting the spot next to her.

"Come and join me. I brought more food than I thought I could eat."

"Indeed, I can see it. I noticed that you don't have any drinks with you, though."

"Oh, shoot! You're right! I forgot."

"No worries. Good thing I brought this with me."

Charles then walked closer and settled down right beside her. Cassidy took a look at the wine he brought, thinking that he probably already planned of joining her this evening since he went through the trouble of carrying it.

"I'm glad to see you, Ma'am Cassidy," he started again, looking relieved for some reason.

"Yeah, it's been a while. The last time I saw you was when you took me home from the hospital."

"There's that, but... What I'm really saying is that I'm glad you made it here unscathed and safe. We were looking everywhere for you and the President, you know."

Taken aback by what Charles just said and how he suddenly frowned deeply, Cassidy tilted her head and blinked at him.