Nearly fifteen minutes already passed, but Cassidy still finds herself stuck in quite an uncomfortable position.

Adrian stays quiet the whole time, only looking straight ahead. She was expecting that he was going to start berating her for such an immodest appearance, but he wasn't saying anything at all. With that, she just decided to look out to the window beside her and focus on the sceneries that come into view.

​​

'Well, this is better, I guess. Though I didn't get to see him vexed, at least I've got some peace for myself. Perhaps, he is too disgusted by my outfit that he can't say a word,' she thought silently.

Little did Cassidy know that Adrian began staring at her through the corners of his eyes as soon as she turned and looked away from him.

At that very moment, he feels the need to restrain himself all of the sudden. As much as he wants to keep his mind blank, he can't help but come up with inappropriate thoughts. Right then, he realizes that she really is that kind of woman, and he a man.

Her chest just looks so soft with the way its hollow is being exposed by such a low-cut top. The porcelain, smooth-looking skin on her leg is peeking out from the trim of her skirt. It's wordlessly seducing him - tempting him to put his hands all over her at this very instant.

'Gosh... I never felt so unholy in my life,' he quietly grimaced and heaved a small sigh.

Thinking about these things is making Adrian want to order the driver to zoom back home so that he can just hog Cassidy all to himself for the entire night.

Her whole apparel is definitely provoking something within him - something he may not be able to control for too long. He wants to lock her up, keep her away from people's sight, and be that selfish, needy man that he knows he has come to be because of her.

This is exactly why Adrian can't stand how other men will look at Cassidy, especially now that she is dressed like that. He hates the thought that they will come to feel the same way. Heck, he already hates it the moment they start looking at her.

"Cassidy," he called at last, piquing her attention.

"What?" she simply replied as she looked at him.

"Why did you dress yourself up like that?"

"Because I want to."

"How odd. It's the first time I see you wearing that kind of outfit."

"What are you saying? I often wear leather, and this is leather."

"You know what I mean by that, Cassidy."

"No, I don't, bossman"

Adrian can tell that Cassidy is only feigning innocence.

He knows that lying face of hers all to well by now, and though she looks cute when she is pretending to be dumbfounded, he will not have any of it this time. Though he doesn't want to force her to stop doing what she wants, he can't stay put and let other men undress her with their eyes behind his back.

"I have a favor to ask from you..." Adrian started again, expression darkening and turning more serious.

"No, wait, it's not a favor. You'll do it whether you like it or not."

"Huh? If that's an order, then no. You ain't telling me what to do...!" Cassidy retorted boldly despite feeling the same wariness she felt earlier when she sensed that she awakened something in him.

"What the heck is up with you all of the sudden-"

That's when he suddenly cuts her off by snaking one of his arms around her waist, much to her nonplus. He then proceeds to pull her close to him, making her breath hitch for a second. With that, their faces are only mere inches apart - so close that their noses are almost brushing against each other.

"Either I'll stop this car right now and make it turn back home or you'll do as I say, Cassidy."

As Adrian said that with a vehement tone and a pair of furrowed brows, his half-lidded sapphire orbs glinting hazardously all the while, Cassidy wasn't sure if she managed to vex him in the end or this was a whole different reaction that she didn't expect.

---

It turned out that it was Cassidy who felt vexed instead, considering how Adrian unknowingly pulled some kind of UNO reverse card on her.

As soon as they arrived at the luxurious, five-star hotel where they were going to have dinner, the closeness he initiated back in the car was revealed to the world. The two of them enter the building with their hands intertwined together as they walk -

Or more like, Adrian is practically handcuffing Cassidy with how he keeps holding her tightly, not budging no matter how hard she shakes him off.

'Ugh...! Curse you, Cecilia...! Curse that emerald...! You told me that a sexy look would repel him! Why did he suddenly become this touchy and clingy...?!' she bolted out inside her head, cringing all the while.

'More importantly, who would've thought that bossman could have ruined my plan for tonight so easily? If I didn't do as he said, he'd really make the car turn around and speed back home! I almost forgot how much of a demon lord he could be. He can do anything with just a snap of his finger.'

It just happened that Adrian told Cassidy to never leave his side. Else, he would drag her back home.

Yet in the end, him telling her to stay close was not enough. Men and women alike - everyone inside the lobby of the hotel turns to their direction the moment they stride in and inevitably attract attention.

He doesn't even need to look just to see that most of the guys around them are ogling his wife.

"As I thought, this is really vexing," he hissed and clicked his tongue in exasperation.

Almost everybody recognizes who Adrian is, including the receptionist who tells him where is the dining hall that his family reserved. As they proceed to make their way there, Cassidy almost looks like she is merely dragging her feet at that point.

With him still holding her hand like that, she can't wear her usual confident posture at all.

"Come on, come on! Hands off already," she grumbled through gritted teeth while sending him a sharp look.

"No," he said firmly, squeezing her hand tighter.

"Don't tell me you're gonna keep up with this farce until we get there."

"I won't tell you I'm gonna keep up with this farce until we get there."

"Ughhhhh...!!!"

As Cassidy continues whispering threats and death words to Adrian, he remains placid and self-possessed. He then focuses on their surroundings instead, glaring at those shameless wolves who keep making sheep's eyes at his wife in the open. They all seem to recognize who he is since they immediately look away and pretend innocent whenever he threatens them with that look.

That's until a larger crowd suddenly gathers around. Only then did he notice how some of them were staring at their phones before looking back at them.

It's as if they're comparing something, and with the way they point at his wife, they appear like they're seeing someone who went viral.

"What's going on?" Adrian wondered out loud, unsure of what was the commotion all about.

Not liking how the attention they keep receiving is becoming a troublesome one, he finally decided to let go of Cassidy. She is a bit taken aback when he removes his hand from her all of the sudden, but at least her hard work to bat him away pays off. Yet before she can even heave a sigh of relief, he does something unexpected yet again.

"B-Bossman?!" she stammered out loud, her eyes widening a little in surprise.

He suddenly puts his hand at the small of her back, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her closer to him.

Once more, they are so close that they can feel each other's warmth. While he blushes a little at the thought that he's being this intimate with his wife in public, all she can do is make a deadpan expression.

From that point on, he just continues to hold her possessively as they walk.

"Great, now my hand's not enough. You're really into this lovey-dovey act, huh...?" Cassidy groaned in miff and exhaustion as she glared at him.

"Just so you know, I won't accept that you'd keep me like this for the whole evening. I'll escape if I want to. Once this is over, you better keep your hands to yourself already."

"Oh, don't fret too much, my dear wife..." Adrian cooed sweetly before leaning down and inching his face close to hers, making her brow twitch in annoyance.

"We are just getting started."

For some reason, he is acting smug now. It's as if he has some kind of a plan - one that doesn't seem to settle well with her. He really is enjoying this so much that he can't help but want to step up his game.

"But escaping, huh? That does sound like fun," Adrian then thought out loud while smirking lusciously, only earning another groan from Cassidy.