Chapter 81 - Intimidating With A Warning To Set
What Cassidy indeed wants here is to appall or turn Adrian off just like what he has guessed, but when he suddenly starts boasting his wealth instead, she feels like she has been cheated on.
The overwhelming amount of confidence that he's displaying at this very moment somehow terrifies her. Sure, he appears like a big-headed idiotic foe whose smug face she badly wants to wipe off. But it can also mean that he's more than certain that spending a million everyday will not be a burden to their finances.
Despite her own claims, she's not really a materialistic person. Shopping everyday for no good reason will only end up stressing her out. She knows she can't take up that challenge unless she wants to waste millions for real, which she really doesn't want to.
"Hey, I know you're crazy rich, but you can't possibly be that rich!" Cassidy exclaimed while inching her face closer to his and furrowing her brows in annoyance.
"Just how rich do you think I am?" Adrian retorted complacently, still smirking.
"I-If I... If I continue spending a million everyday, I'll know!" she lied and threatened haughtily - which he did not buy.
"Sure, sure~ But knowing you, you will just get tired and run out of ideas on what to buy. You are never one who spends money recklessly. Don't get pressured by forcing yourself to do the unnecessary."
"You can never be sure of what I'm capable of, bossman. I'd have you know that I was a fearless delinquent in my younger years! A rule breaker and a baddie! I can do all sorts of... o-of..." she said haltingly, averting her gaze and thinking about if for a second before shouting at his face again.
"Of evil!"
"You mean like throwing a house party without permission, beating up a group of dirty-minded drunkards, and crashing birthdays with a motorbike?"
"Huh? That's not even that evil-"
"Exactly."
Realizing that Adrian just made Cassidy swallow back her words, she ended up groaning in vex while he only continued smirking in amusement.
As they were having this silly banter on how to waste millions of money, they failed to realize that Cecile and the others were watching from the side this whole time. She hurried there along with the rest of the new maids to formally greet Adrian and present a proper explanation.
Apparently, they all thought that he's in a bad mood since that's what the two maids who came to get Cecile had told them. They said that he appeared to be angry since he had no idea about the reassignment until he saw both of them.
'But what the heck is this? Is that the look of someone who's angry...?' Cecile silently thought, dumbfounded after seeing him bragging and teasing his wife.
'Not to mention, the President seems very different. He never does that nor looks like that whenever he's with that woman before.'
For once, Adrian is not treating Cassidy like she's as invisible as air.
He's actually chatting with her in a way that makes people think that he's never been that cold and apathetic husband. Looking closely, it doesn't seem like a plain conversation either, and rather than a banter, they appear to be flirting with how close their faces are to each other.
More surprisingly, there's that fond look on his face - one that they never saw him wear before. Even though he's messing around with her, they can see how endeared his gaze seems to be.
On the other hand, there's his wife who has clearly changed the way she treated him. Instead of being all gooey and lovey-dovey with him just like before, she looks as if she wants to eat his head off and gobble it up all for the sake of getting rid of that smug expression on his face.
All in all, this whole scene is a complete reverse of what they used to see -
And it did nothing but make Cecile feel even more anxious that she already is.
'This is bad. If it's true that the President is no longer indifferent to her, there's a possibility that he'll listen to her for once. He might believe her. That woman can tell on me anytime at all!' she thought frantically, already sweatdropping.
As if hearing her thoughts, Cassidy finally faced away from Adrian and turned to them.
Much to her surprise, the new maids are already all lined up at the side. That's when she locked eye contact with Cecile, making the head maid jolt a little in surprise. Seeing how she appears to be a little fidgety and nervous, the redhead tilts her a head in confusion until she remembers their deal.
'Oh right, she's as good as tamed now. I thought for sure that she's gonna glare at me when our eyes met...' Cassidy quietly mused before she suddenly came up with a mischievous idea.
'Hmmmm... Going by these maids' reactions, they seem to find it hard to believe what they heard just now. Then again, even I couldn't believe that bossman would challenge me to spend his millions like it's nothing. Maybe they're wondering about our current relationship?'
It's not like she herself is certain of what her husband truly thinks of her in the present, but at least, she can try to make it look like he's finally not neglecting her like before - that he might believe her even without any evidence.
That way, the maids will come to realize that they can no longer drag her around however they want to. She will not let them continue thinking like they can get away with it all the time.
Besides, this is a perfect opportunity to show Cecile how she might end up like once Adrian learns about her dirty secret.
"By the way, bossman, I have something to tell you. This is quite important," Cassidy started again while she just kept looking at the maids.
Seeing that dead serious, meaningful expression splattered across her face, the maids can't help but tense up. There's only one reason why she'd suddenly say those words while looking at them like that. Her tone sounds as if she's taunting them without necessarily coming out vehement.
At that moment, they already have a rough idea of what's about to go down.
"Oh, so... You did encounter a problem today after all?" Adrian replied, making his wife turn to look back at him and blink in puzzlement.
"Wait, you already knew it's gonna be like that?" Cassidy asked before stepping away from him and crossing her arms.
"I just kinda sensed it with the way you talked about pushing people away earlier... What is it, Cassidy? Did someone give you a rough time or bother you?"
As much as she doesn't want to admit it, he actually cares enough to pay attention on such small details. Then again, he's this sharp-eyed and discerning at times. Thanks to that, she can go straight to the point.
She really wants to get over with it.
"Well, the thing is, I had to jump from the balcony earlier just to get out of my room," Cassidy confessed while feigning distress, making all the maids freeze almost instantly.
"What...?" Adrian trailed off in surprise and bafflement, his brows slowly scrunching together.
"Didn't I tell you to stop doing something that dangerous?"
"And you also said that you didn't want to lock me up too, right? Unfortunately, I had no choice but to do that since that's exactly what happened. I got locked inside my room, and also-"
"M-Ma'am C-Cassidy...!" Cecile suddenly called with a tremulous voice, catching everyone off guard except the redhead.
"T-The handyman... Ummm... The h-handyman is going to fix the doorknob tomorrow-"
"What? Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe that the doorknob is broken?"
At her firm and steely tone, expression unsmiling, Cecile and the other maids freeze once more. This time, the threat is clearer than ever - or rather, they're already standing on the edge of the cliff at this point.
Going by the thick and menacing air around Cassidy, they all feel like they're really about to get it.
While Cecile still remains a bit least skeptical of her real intentions here since they have that deal, the others are certain that she's going to tell on them. Even their head maid sounds afraid of her, after all, and that never ever occurred before.
"Just what exactly is it that happened here, Cassidy?" Adrian asked impatiently, flummoxed by how her mood suddenly turned foul the moment the head maid spoke up.
"I'm not sure myself. Why don't you ask the head maid over there...?" Cassidy replied ambiguously, wanting the Cecile herself to decide what's going to happen to the others.
"I was locked up on purpose, wasn't I?"
It's quite a sight to see them shudder in fear.
This time, Adrian began to glare and scowl at them one by one, which tripled their trepidation.
As if his wife's taunting tone and expression aren't nerve-wracking enough, he has to join in and suspect them right away. He already looks very intimidating when he's just standing still, much more when he glowers like that.
Yet if there is anyone here who has it so bad that it's making her want to whimper at that very second, it will be none other than Cecile.
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