n

n

nLike some sort of a light at the end of the tunnel, their one final shot in getting out of that deserted road arrived at long last.

nMuch to their relief and pleasant surprise, the scheduled bus for the evening showed up. Though Cassidy silently wished it could've come before the rain poured down, she was still grateful that it came. Its arrival is probably the only good thing that happened today.

n

"This is great, bossman! We can finally leave!

" she enthused with a grin, already forgetting the horrors that she went through.

nAdrian takes a second to glance at his wife, a bit taken aback by how she seems to smile so easily even after all that. She may look a little exhausted, but the glimmer in her beaming eyes still has this unparalleled brilliance that can light up a whole city.

n

"Yeah, it is. Shall we get going, then?

" Adrian asked before standing up and offering his hand to her, a small smile gracing his features all the while.

n

"Huh? What is it?

" Cassidy asked in confusion.

n

"Your feet are still not treated and your heels broke. You can't walk barefoot. I'll just carry you.

"

n

"Huh?!

"

nPerhaps, she reacted so petrified earlier that she made him pity her this much. Though this is quite a gentlemanly act on his part, it still bewilders her to a certain degree since her husband is never a gentleman in the first place - at least, when it comes to her, she guessed.

nRefusing to remain looking like some sort of a damsel in distress, Cassidy forces herself to rise on her feet and shows Adrian that she doesn't need to be carried.

n

"I'm fine, thanks. I can walk on my own,

" she said, struggling to act tough but only to wobble all of the sudden.

n

"You're just gonna hurt yourself more at this rate,

" he replied with a sigh before walking up to her.

nThat's when Adrian bends a little and scoops Cassidy out of nowhere, making her squeal in surprise. Despite all the squirming around and protesting that she does in response, he just begins to tread their path to the bus stop while carrying her bridal-style.

n

"Just what exactly are you trying to gain here, bossman? You're not acting like yourself,

" she huffed with her arms crossed and brows narrowed in suspicion.

n

"Am I not allowed to treat you like this?

" he retorted, his firm gaze somewhat inscrutable.

n

"I know that you normally don't, and even if you do, I also know it's not genuine - so technically, you're the one who doesn't allow it.

"

nHer being dubious didn't surprise him. He did nothing but neglect her for the past five years, after all. Right now, though, he steels his resolve to put an end to that.

nApologies alone will never be enough, so he'll start with his actions. Even if she doubts his true intentions over and over again, he'll make sure that he'll always take good care of her from here on out.

n

"Now...

" Cassidy hissed in evident annoyance, eyeing him demandingly.

n

"Put me down already-

"

nRight then, though, Adrian cuts her off by inching his face nearer to hers all of the sudden. Seeing his perfectly-chiselled handsome frame this up close, she can't help but be so stunned and dazzled that she ends up losing words to say.

nShe's then ultimately struck astounded the moment he spreads a sly smirk.

nHe really is insanely good-looking.

n

"What's he trying to do now? Entice me...?

" Cassidy silently wondered, her eyes bulging in nonplus.

n

"Too bad for him, though, he's not my type.

"

nSince she can't further any more utterances, she only settles with shooting him a flat look, unaffected by his charms that other women will definitely find irresistible. Her husband, on the other hand, seems to have disregarded her unamused reaction as he just continues smirking.

n

"You can protest all you want but...

" Adrian trailed off before looking ahead once more.

n

"We're already in front of the bus.

"

nSurprised, Cassidy swerved her head to the other direction, and true enough, they're about to step inside. The bus driver reacts flabbergasted the moment they enter. It's just that they look like a couple of runaways with how they're drenched all over in rainwater.

n

"Oh, please don't mind our appearances, Sir. We just happened to get caught up in the downpour earlier...

" Adrian started with an amicable smile.

n

"And if you don't mind, may I ask if there's a mall ahead of us?

"

nCassidy turns to look back at him in surprise and bafflement, wondering why he's suddenly implying that he wants to go shopping now. The party already started an hour ago, so they should already be hurrying over there.

nBut in the end, he simply went ahead and had his way just like usual. After learning from the driver that there's indeed a mall some miles away, he eventually goes further inside the bus and puts her down on a seat before sitting beside her.

n

"Is the party being held at a mall all along?

" Cassidy blurted out flatly, peering at him through the corners of her eyes.

n

"No. We'll just take a detour. You do recall that all of your luggages have been burned down along with the car, right? We'll shop for new ones. Good thing I have my wallet with me the whole time,

" Adrian replied coolly, taking her aback.

n

"But what about the party?

"

n

"They can do without us. After all we've been through, are we really in the mood to celebrate now?

"

n

"Ummm... No. I don't think so.

"

n

"Don't worry too much. I'll buy a new phone there and contact Charles as soon as possible.

"

nWith how convincing his reason and tone are, she ends up giving in. She then turns to look at the window before leaning her head on it, staring at her enervated expression as she starts mulling over their eventful trip.

nThough the downsides of it outweigh the good parts, Cassidy was still grateful that she managed somehow. At the very least, she also got herself a companion, fulfilling her wish earlier this morning, though she didn't really expect that it would turn out to be Adrian.

nEven then, she can't find it in herself to complain. After all, she gets to learn some hidden sides of him that are unexpectedly good, which make his presence a tiny bit more bearable for her.

nHe's still a huge douchebag in her eyes, but that doesn't mean she'll be blind to his positive aspects. She already had enough of people judging someone by a mere portion of their character, after all, especially since she'd been through that a lot of times before.

n

"By the way, bossman...

" Cassidy suddenly called, making him look at her.

n

"Even though I don't know why you did it, thank you for comforting me in the rain.

"

nAdrian didn't respond.

nFor some reason, aside from the surprise, he felt a painful sting in his chest out of nowhere. He can't help but remember all of the regrets he reflected on earlier.

nThat's because just from that small act alone, he already received a genuine gratitude from her -

nWhile he, on the other hand, had never thanked her as sincerely as she did no matter how big or small her sacrifices were.

n

"Seriously, Cassidy...

" he whispered to himself, his eyes suddenly glistening with an emotion so deep and unbearable that he looked like he's about to tear up.

n

"You're too kind for your own good.

"

n