n

n

nContrary to what Cassidy had been planning for Cecile, her time of retribution came a little earlier.

nIt was Adrian himself who discovered her crimes two years ago, and without further ado, he had her arrested and locked up in jail. Mia and Anthony had something to do with the whole exposure - they were probably monitoring the mysterious maid all those times. And because of her sudden confinement, she was not able to get any more pieces of jewelry from her.

nIn the end, Cassidy had failed to fulfill her part in the deal, which she thought was a better outcome in a way. Cecile herself had surrendered despite being the breadwinner of a family whose daily necessities she still had to sustain. She had a lot of regrets at that time, and she sure begged for mercy a lot.

nInstead of satisfying her greed, the redhead just decided to look after the needs of those she had left behind.

n

"I still have a long way to go, Ma'am Cassidy. To be honest, I still find myself wanting those diamonds and golds from time to time. Old habits do die hard...

" Cecile confessed with a somewhat playful tone, making her smirk in amusement.

n

"But like you said, what matters is that I'm already getting there. I'm on my way, I guess.

"

n

"Good luck, then. Just take your time. It'll be a shame if you get out without anything happening to you. You'll just waste all those years of imprisonment...

" Cassidy said as both a good-willed quip and a form of mockery.

n

"Enjoy it as much as you can, Cecilia.

"

n

"Still as blunt as ever, I see.

"

n

"Some things just don't change.

"

nSo to say, their relationship is kind of complicated - they are neither friends nor enemies at this point.

nTheir conversation didn't last long. Cecile only called to express her gratitude - like what she did every time she heard from her family that Cassidy provided for them again. After their exchange, she went on with her daily routine and opened up her restaurant.

nThe diner is not that huge - just a small building with enough space for the staff and a certain number of customers. Unlike the sports bar that Asher is managing along with the others, which continues to thrive as time passes by, this one has an ordinary and homely design that provides comfort rather than impresses people.

nNormal and average - that has been the theme of her life for the past years.

n

"Ma'am Cassie! Can you come over here for a bit?

" called someone from the servery counter.

nAs Cassidy turns in that direction, she finds Bryan, the head chef of the restaurant, beckoning her over.

nAfter working as a bartender in Asher's place for almost a year, he decided to follow her there and lend her a helping hand. They built a friendly relationship over the time. With his knowledge in business management, he also served as one of her instructors in this type of expertise.

n

"What is it, Bryan?

" Cassidy asked as soon as she reached the counter.

n

"Our neighbor's here again with the usual,

" Bryan casually replied, making her beam in pleasant surprise.

n

"Oh! Alright, alright! I'll go get it!

"

n

"You really get ecstatic with that, huh?

"

n

"Of course!

"

nWhile he only chuckled at her, she made her way to the entrance to meet their everyday visitor.

nThis person is a middle-aged woman who owns the flower shop beside their restaurant. Day after day, she never fails to deliver free flowers to their place, which she says she does out of good will.

n

"Good day to you, dear Cassie. I see that you look as charming as always...

" the flower shop owner greeted before offering a resplendent bouquet of lilies and daffodils, much to her surprise and delight.

n

"These are for you. I hope you like it.

"

n

"When did I ever not like your flowers, Ma'am? These are so beautiful. Thank you...

" the redhead beamed and took the bouquet with a grateful smile.

n

"You sure you're not going to ask me to pay you? I don't really mind since my customers also love seeing them.

"

n

"Oh, no, it's all good! You don't have to do anything.

"

n

"Really?

"

n

"Really! Really!

"

nAnd like she always does whenever she starts insisting on paying for the flowers, she excuses herself and makes her retreat right away.

nCassidy only sighs and smiles every time this happens. She doesn't know why she's always giving her flowers as if she's obliged to. While she understands that she's doing it out of good will, she doesn't understand why she keeps giving her expensive bouquets instead of settling with something less extravagant. That way, it won't cost her too much.

n

"Oh, so they're lilies and daffodils this time, huh?

" Bryan chimed in as Cassidy went back to the servery counter and put the flowers in a vase that was on display there.

n

"Yeah. They look so lovely, don't they? Her flowers always make my day. I'm really starting to feel bad for not paying.

"

n

"Don't be! The woman's doing it because she wants to.

"

n

"Right. She does.

"

nAnd like any other day, Cassidy spends what seems like an eternity in beholding the flowers and appreciating them to her heart's content. She wasn't certain when her obsession with them has begun, but before she knew it, she already found herself doing this most of the time.

n'I don't know. There's just something about them that draws me in...' she silently thought while fondling one of the petals and smiling to herself.

n'Perhaps, it's because they're just that charming.'

nWhile she was busy immersing in the sight, the head chef only kept staring at her in deep thought - with his inscrutable gaze narrowed a little. That's until he remembered something important.

n

"Though I do think it's good that you're enjoying yourself and all, I believe that you have an errand to run today, Ma'am Cassie,

" Bryan started once more, grabbing her attention.

n

"Oh, shoot! Right! I forgot...!

" Cassidy bolted out and came back to her senses at last.

n

"I've got to meet up with an investor!

"

n