n

n

nCassidy always acts on impulse whenever this kind of trouble shows up, which is why as soon as she sees how horrified the elderly woman looks, she chases the thief without hesitation.

n

"Wait here, Ma'am. I'll go get your wallet back.

"

nWith that, she went and followed the pace of her target.

nThe thief made a sprint across the deck and elbowed some bystanders to clear his way. She had to leap on a stroller and even ran on the wall to avoid crashing onto anyone. There were cries from those who were bumped into by the runaway man, but that did not divert her attention towards her prey.

nCassidy will just let the security guards and the medics do the job later on.

n

"You scoundrel!

"

nGetting a bit ahead of him, she then stunned him by landing on his front. He threw a punch in her direction, but she evaded it with ease. When he flung his other knuckle as revenge, she used his momentum to grab his wrist and collar before flipping him over and slamming his body to the ground.

n

"Ughhhh...!!!

"

nThe bone-crushing impact stole his breath. Even in his writhing state, she did not spare another second to twist and bound his arms. With her succeeding to apprehend him, she then hastily swipes the wallet from his hands.

n

"Serves you right, loser!

" Cassidy scoffed while glowering down at him.

nUnfortunately, the problem did not end there.

nA burly-looking man who is twice as big as her captive appears in the scene out of nowhere. He towered right behind her and raised some sort of metal that glinted against the light - it was a small knife.

nAnd that was when Cassidy realized that she had gotten herself in a bigger trouble than she expected.

nShe should have known, though. She should have known that a back-up or two would be around.

nAt that moment, everything happened at the speed of light. What came right after did not register in her head immediately. She then ended up shutting her eyes closed, finding it already too late to make a retaliation.

n

"Cassidy!

"

nThat was until someone unceremoniously lurched on her attacker and knocked him down with one ferocious blow.

nThe bright illumination that cast a shadow on the back of her savior made her squint her eyes. At first, she thought she saw this person in an all-too-familiar hoodie, but after looking a little more closely, she immediately caught sight of a sumptuous suit and some light brown streaks that gleamed a compelling luster.

n

"Adrian?

"

nFor some reason, her husband managed to find her among that multitude - right when she was in danger, too.

nAdrian appears relieved and worried the moment he finds her unscathed. All the while, Cassidy can only stare back at him in nonplus and disbelief.

n

"Are you alright, Cassidy?

"

n---

nEarlier, Adrian had witnessed how the thief pushed the elderly woman, but as he was about to chase after him himself, Cassidy already beat him into it and made a dash for it.

nHe knows that she is one who will not hesitate to save those in need, but he still has to say that it is reckless of her to do that on her own. If he happened to be not following her in secret the whole time, she would have been hurt -

nAnd he would be tormented by the cycle of regret once more.

n

"You're alright...

" Cassidy breathed out before realizing that she said wrong.

n

"Errr... I-I mean I'm about you. Wait, no. H-How about alright? Ugh...! I mean I'm alright!

"

nNow, that's a first.

nAdrian never saw her stutter this much before.

nPutting aside his confusion, he proceeded to reach out and offered his hand to her. His concerns piled up when she flinched on his touch and gave him a nervous stare as well as a flustered expression. That was when he decided to withdraw and step back, drawing his distance again.

n

"Are you certain you are fine? No need for medics?

" Adrian inquired once more, still worried.

n

"I'm fine. Thank you for helping me back there...

" Cassidy answered without looking at him until a sudden realization came to her mind.

n

"By the way, how did you find me here?

"

n

"O-Oh, ummm...

"

nSince he was not really planning to show himself up to her, he also did not prepare an excuse. Fortunately for him, though, their surroundings offered a distraction at the perfect timing and pulled them back to reality.

nThe loud cheers of the crowd interrupted them. That was when the security officers arrived to take the apprehended thieves away. Their attention was then caught by the elderly woman they helped - she was now making their way to them in a haste.

n

"Goodness! Thank you for beating them up on my behalf, President Millicent...

" the old lady expressed with utmost respect and gratitude before looking at his companion.

n

"Thanks to you as well, Miss. Or should I call you Mrs. Millicent? It took me some time to recognize you. I never thought a pretty lady like you can be that deadly.

"

n

"O-Oh, it's nothing, Ma'am. I just did what any concerned citizen would do once they encountered that kind of situation. It's my pleasure to help...

" Cassidy replied, taken aback to find that they already knew each other.

n

"Also, you can just call me Cassidy.

"

n

"Thank you. What you did was exemplary. Same with you, President Millicent - dashing towards your lover like a knight in shining armor and all. How romantic~

"

nThe two of them blushed a little and looked away like they have been caught in a lie, which altogether seemed contradictory. Their awkward reaction earned a chuckle from the elderly woman.

n

"I'm really grateful to both of you. I'm hoping you can join me for lunch as thanks.

"

n

"Oh, no. You don't have to do that, Ma'am.

"

n

"The name's Yvounne. You may call me that, Cassidy.

"

n

"Yes, Ma'am Yvounne. Thanks for the invitation, but we have to decline. Your gratitude is enough for us, isn't that right, Adrian?

"

nRight then, Cassidy turned to look at Adrian and gave him a pleading look, which he couldn't help but find endearing. But before he could say something, a low rumbling sound growled out of nowhere - her stomach was grumbling.

n

"Looks like that calls for lunch,

" Yvounne laughed, making Cassidy blush in embarrassment while Adrian smirked in amusement.

n---

nThe three went to one of the dining rooms of the cruise ship, a sit-down venue where they could order from a menu of international choices.

nIt has vintage interiors, embellished with antique and ornate designs. Almost everyone in the place are middle-aged men in business-casual and casual-formal attires. There are women there as well, both in pumps and trainers. Some are leafing newspapers, mainly on current events and editorial pages, while others are browsing on their gadgets.

nIt's a place for adults that kind of showcased a different aspect of society.

n

"Welcome, dear guests.

"

nOne of the barista leads them to a vacant table on the side near the windows. There, the glass displays a perfect view of the ocean as well as the bustling deck of the ship.

nLike a gentleman, Adrian pulled a chair for Cassidy, which she accepted with a bit of surprise and a small blush. He did the same for Yvounne before settling down on his own seat.

n

"Their bestsellers here are, of course, their seafood delicacies...

" the old lady said as she tapped the menu.

n

"Oh, they have the best pancakes here too. You can choose whatever you want. It's my treat.

"

n

"Pancakes?! Sure thing!

" the redhead blurted out ecstatically, taking her by pleasant surprise.

n

"You seem to have the sweet tooth, Mrs. Millicent. How about you, President?

"

n

"I'll just go with pancakes, too.

"

nRight then, Yvounne caught sight of the way Adrian was looking at Cassidy.

nHis wife is humming while looking over the menu, unaware of the attention she is getting. For that entire time, he has his elbow on the table with his chin propped over the back of his hand. He keeps staring and smiling at her in silence, looking so drawn to what he is seeing that he appears as if he is dreaming.

nYvounne blinks for a second there before choosing to smile to herself.

n'It seemed like what my son had told me was right. This man holds his wife really dear...' she mused from her seat, unable to tear her gaze off of the couple.

n'Then again, President Millicent went all through the trouble of having my son pretend that he was the one investing in Cassidy's business. He chose to be anonymous and not take credits for that. While their circumstances do sadden me, I believe it's only a matter of time before he's able to woo her again.'

nUnbeknownst to Cassidy, Yvounne turned out to be the mother of the investor she kept meeting with for a while now. She is not aware that all the funds and finances come from Adrian, and of course, she is not about to tell her about that or reveal who she really is.

nWith Yvounne's loyalty falling on Adrian, all she can do is observe from the side and pretend to be as oblivious as Cassidy.

n