The Devil's Favourite Obsession

Cixi did not waste a second. She immediately wrote down the sixth clause.

Once everything had been added, they both signed the documents.

Cassian glanced over the pages one last time before setting them aside.

”The lawyer will prepare the revised copies,” he informed her. ”Then we shall sign them again.”

And Cixi agreed to that.

A sense of relief washed over her. At last, she had secured his kiss for herself. She no longer needed to run after other women whom Cassian kissed to change their sexual orientation and make them fall in love with her. Now she could focus on Cassian.

Only on him.

On making him fall in love with her!

Cassian’s voice broke through the chain of her thoughts. ”I shall drop you at the cafe,” he said, rising to his feet with effortless grace, ”and in the meantime, you may begin planning how you intend to enter Crown Residence.”

Cixi looked up at him immediately and rose from the couch.

”I gave you three days,” Cassian announced.

”Three days?” she repeated.

”Yes.”

Her eyes widened in confusion. ”But that is too short!”

”The three days are, in fact, quite generous, Little Lamb. Do you know why? Because if I had given you even one day, you would have pulled off the impossible, just like so many who thrive on the thrill of the last-minute rush. They stress themselves to the brink, sacrificing sleep and food, just to deliver at the eleventh hour,” Cassian said coolly.

”Are you calling me a deadline junkie?”

”How dare I?” A playful smile plastered itself across his face. Cixi gritted her teeth, seeing how he always taunted her.

*

*

*

It was already half past nine by the time Cixi reached the cafe for work.

During the entire one-hour drive, Cassian had kept turning his head towards her, watching her for so long that it had begun to unsettle her nerves.

Meanwhile, Cixi had kept her eyes fixed on the window as if the passing streets outside were suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world. Mark had sat in the front passenger seat beside the driver, silent as always.

The moment she stepped out of the car, she shook her head faintly, still trying to rid herself of the strange ride and that journey.

Who looked at someone so directly for an entire hour?

She cursed Cassian at first and then cursed the Grim Reaper all over again for throwing her into this curse without even leaving behind a proper manual with dos and don’ts.

As soon as she entered Warm Land Caeé, she stopped short in surprise, seeing that the place was already full.

Yes, the morning hours were always busy. Customers usually came for takeaway coffee and a quick breakfast before work, while the crowd that wanted to sit and eat properly came closer to noon. But for the cafe to be this full at half past nine felt unusual.

Every server looked like they were working themselves to the bone.

Cixi hurried inside towards the lockers and quickly put her bag away. Then she pulled on her apron, tied it around herself, and stepped back out, searching for Amanda so she could find out whether she would be serving customers or staying behind the counter.

But the sight that greeted her made her blink in shock.

Amanda was sitting with a customer.

And not just any customer—but the gangster...

She immediately looked for Lily, who was on service duty. She stood waiting near the counter for a coffee order to be finished.

Cixi walked straight to her and lowered her voice. ”What was he doing here?”

Lily followed her gaze, then looked away again with the weariness of someone already done with the day. ”I had been asking myself the same question since morning.”

Cixi’s brows flew up. ”Since morning?”

”Yes,” Lily replied with a sigh. ”He had been here since the cafe opened at seven.”

Cixi’s mouth fell open. ”He was the one who danced with you, right?” she asked, just to be sure.

Lily sighed again. ”Yes. Him. Zoyar...”

”You remembered his name?” Cixi asked, almost teasingly. That earned her a short glare.

”We should stay away from gangsters,” Lily muttered under her breath. ”Including you. Look at him now. He is following me around like some creep. He has no shame. Even after I made it very clear that we would never meet again.”

Cixi let out a soft giggle. ”Maybe he was here for Amanda. Look at how he was laughing with her. No wonder Amanda agreed to my request so easily.”

Lily looked at her with a puzzled expression. ”Why were you late?”

”I was with Cassian.”

Lily stared at her in sheer disbelief. ”I thought you told me he was your fake fiancé. So what was he doing in your apartment so early in the morning?”