Back when Cecile made a deal with Cassidy, she didn't expect that she would be involved not only in her schemes and trickery but also in her crazy little antics.

To begin with, the head maid didn't know that some of her current goals were riling up her husband and ultimately earning his approval to divorce. Though she already had a clear idea of how the couple's positions had reversed, she wasn't expecting that the wife would do these things to such an extent.

​​

"Ummmm... Ma'am Cassidy...?" Cecile called a bit hesitantly as she watched the redhead from behind.

"Isn't that outfit... a bit too much?"

Cassidy is putting on her matte red lipstick at the moment while sitting in front of her vanity mirror.

This one is already her finishing touch. It took her more than half an hour to get her makeup right, and if it wasn't for the help of a certain maid who had a famous celebrity as her mistress, she would probably take more than a day to get things done. She rarely uses makeup and has never tried out this particular image before, after all.

Going for a mature and sexy look, Cassidy puts on some smokey makeup that is said to work with dark eye shadows and bold lips. Shades of black and grey were used to create a powerful picture. It's a good thing that her eyelashes are pretty long since it blends well with Kohl and eyeliner.

"Smokey is all about the modern day woman who is equal parts graceful and powerful. It has an extremely sensuous appeal without looking too modern or even eclectic," was what Cecile told her earlier when she helped her do her makeup and styled her hair into a messy bun.

As for her outfit, which is the head maid's main concern, Cassidy still goes for leather but with a touch of spiciness this time.

She has a body-con dress with a dark red leather top that reveals a good part of her cleavage. Her black cutout, mermaid skirt displays much of her left leg, showing off more of her hot assets with the trim as well as the toned waist. All in all, she has a sensually sculpted look that is both elegant and stylish.

"Well, if I'm just gonna do it in the end, I better give it my best shot then...!" Cassidy enthused, earning an exhausted sigh from the head maid.

"Besides, it's fun trying out new things like this. Who would've thought that I could have such a model-like body~?"

It's not much of a shocker that Adrian doesn't like the bold and revealing type. After all, he is a neat and tidy man in her eyes. Strictly formal with a bit of coolness is always his style. Only modest and sophisticated kinds of women are fitted to be his complementing accessory.

"Excuse me, Ma'am Cassidy..." called a maid from outside of her bedroom, knocking on the door and addressing her politely.

"The President is asking if you're finished. He already called the driver and was still waiting for you."

"Tell him that I need ten more minutes," Cassidy answered nonchalantly, taking the head maid aback.

"Ma'am Cassidy, you two will be late at this rate. That maid had asked you for the third time already, and the President was waiting out there for almost twenty minutes," Cecile pointed out with a puzzled expression.

"Let him be, Cecilia. If we've gotten so late, he wouldn't be able to make me go back and change my clothes again. He will have no choice but to tolerate how I look."

"But you can just ignore him if he does oppose-"

"Nah~ That'll be boring. I want to see him really peeved, right?"

"And you're doing so by getting both of yourselves late?"

"Yeah."

Cassidy wants to appear as rebellious as much as her willpower allows her to. She has confidence that Adrian will not leave without her, and even if he does, she can just drive all the way there by herself using her motorcycle. That will be quite an entrance.

Yet eventually, ten minutes passed and Cassidy gave Adrian a break at last.

She went out of the mansion with more than one pair of eyes trailing after her. All of the houseworkers who happen to see her are all astounded - time and again. It's as if a goddess just descended from heaven, gracing their eyes with the scorching, hot fires of hell.

"Hey there, bossman, sorry for the wait!" Cassidy chimed in as soon as she reached her husband.

Adrian is wearing a red and black dinner suit with his hair neatly combed backward to create a debonair look. She has to give him credits for undoing the first two buttons of her dark red undershirt. He doesn't look that strict and formal despite his tendencies to be one all the time.

Seven and her other bodyguards are waiting together with Adrian. They are talking beside the black limousine that they will be riding on. That is until they hear Cassidy calling, making all of them turn to her direction.

The bodyguards are the first ones to react stunned. Her husband has to take a second more to completely take her appearance in.

"Oh, you're finally done-"

And when he did, he was immediately struck with awe.

With his eyes widening in surprise, Adrian gapes a little at the view that comes into sight. As Cassidy continues to stride towards them, he can't help but be knocked out of breath, thinking that she's absolutely ravishing. Astonishment and captivation hit him big time at that very moment.

Adrian even forgets the fact that he is never pleased with this kind of image on women.

He dislikes how ladies would show so much of their skin - or at least when he knows what they're trying to gain by enthralling him that way. But with his wife, it becomes an entirely different case. He is completely bewitched and even spellbound by her presence all over again.

Undeniably, Adrian is enjoying what he is seeing right now.

"Good evening, Ma'am Cassidy," all the four bodyguards suddenly greeted in sync, making him snap out of his trance-like state.

That's when the magic wears off a little as it gets replaced by another emotion.

Seeing Cassidy greet Seven and the others with a smile, Adrian drops his riveted reaction. He then scowls as he waits for them to finish talking with one another. It also doesn't help that she smiles at them first even though he's clearly standing in the middle.

"Cassidy," he then called a bit sternly, catching her attention.

"Oh, what's with the frown~?" she teased, thinking that she succeeded in turning him off with her outfit.

"We're late. Let's go inside already."

As Adrian said this enigmatically, he reached out for her hand and held it tightly, taking her aback for a bit. He then opens the door in the passenger seat and gestures for her to go inside first. She simply complies to this, silently wondering what's up with the gentlemanly yet austere approach.

Somehow, his response is a bit inscrutable compared to what she has in mind. She thought for sure that he would comment on her appearance or scold her even for a little.

'Okay, it's clear that he's in a bad mood...' Cassidy pondered quietly as she watched her husband settle down beside her.

'But why does it seem like it's because of something other than how I look?'

That feeling even grows stronger when Adrian suddenly orders the driver to roll up the tinted window that will block their front view, concealing the two of them from him and the four bodyguards who are also riding on that vehicle. Realizing that he just technically got rid of the witnesses, Cassidy ends up stiffening on her seat.

Now, there's only her, him and a heavy stretch of silence.

---

"Want some cigarette, old man Ray?"

It has been a while since Ray was taken away by their pursuers. His members were spared at least. Now, he finds himself in a dim and narrow alleyway at the same backstreet, surrounded by a group of motorbikers who appear to be members of a gang.

In the end, he finds out that his suspicion is right. This rundown place is these people's territory all along - something like a secret base.

"You look so stiff. Have the cigarette already."

The blonde guy who negotiated with Ray last night was still not releasing him. But rather than a captive, he senses that they see him as a guest. They were not rough with him nor did they try to tie him up. But then again, he is defenseless and outnumbered.

"I'm not sure, young man. I don't really like becoming smoking buddies with someone whose name I still don't know..." Ray quipped with a small smile as he leaned on the wall and crossed his arms.

"Come on. We've been together for hours now, and I believe I've seen enough of this place. At least, introduce yourself to me already."

The blonde only regards him contemplatively for a moment. He then puts a cigarette in his mouth and lights up its opposite end. As he blows at it, he smirks at him and narrows his eyes.

"You can just call me Asher."