The Devil's Favourite Obsession

She pressed a pillow over her face. It replayed louder. The way he whispered, ’Not bad, Sweetheart,’ as though dying were a minor inconvenience and kissing her were the only event of the evening worth reviewing.

By six thirty, she gave up on sleep entirely.

She didn’t understand quite well how those worlds worked. But she only knew she needed to know if he was alive.

For instance, she could go to one of the Crowns Hotels that was situated in one of the posh locations of Demond City and demand to meet the higher authority, and if they did not agree, she would come back with a backup plan.

The idea felt stupid. And yet she couldn’t let it go.

Usually, a Grim Reaper would appear when someone was about to die.

But there had been none on that terrace.

Not even for the young man who died before Cassian.

And that single thought hit her like sudden sunlight.

Does that mean they both survived?

A new hope rose so fast inside her chest it almost hurt.

*

*

*

Marion’s children left for school at eight, their backpacks bouncing against their shoulders while their laughter slowly disappeared down the corridor. That morning, Martin had already left earlier for work.

Marion closed the door after giving a good-luck kiss to her husband and walked back into the kitchen, poured herself a cup of coffee and sat across from Cixi, who had been sitting on the couch for more than an hour and hadn’t moved.

Cixi’s eyes were fixed on her phone as if she were waiting for it to breathe.

”You look terrible,” Marion said.

Cixi lifted her head slowly. ”Thank you.” She replied absently.

”I am serious. Did you even sleep?”

”I don’t think so.”

Marion leaned forward, her brows pulling together. ”What happened to your lip?”

Cixi’s fingers moved unconsciously to the small cut. ”I... bit it in my sleep... If that makes sense...” Her voice trailed off at the end, sounding confused, not knowing what excuse she could give when all she could think of was Cassian.

Felt his hand.

Felt his mouth.

And her stomach tightened.

Was it possible to fall in love with one kiss?

No!

Absolutely not!

It was just her first kiss. That had to be the reason. That was why her heart still wouldn’t calm down. That was why her thoughts kept returning to him like something left unfinished.

She opened another news page on her phone to read anything about Cassian, only to be met with disappointment.

Is he alive? A thought crossed her mind.

She had heard the police sirens. They had been growing louder when the shooter fled. The police should have arrived. An investigation should have been opened. Unless the kind of people Cassian belonged to did not allow reporting.

Or was it his family who were trying to bury the news? Wealthy families often tried to bury any bad publicity, which could lead to falling stock prices, nervous investors, and questions they didn’t want to answer to reporters.

”Cixi,” Marion’s voice pulled Cixi out of her thoughts, startling her.

”Cixi,” Marion repeated more gently this time. ”You have been like this since I woke up.”

Cixi blinked hard, not understanding the meaning behind Marion’s sudden confrontation. So Marion explained.

”You haven’t eaten. You haven’t talked. And your eyes are so red, I am starting to get scared.” The concern was evident in Marion’s voice. ”What is going on?”

Cixi finally locked her phone. ”Nothing. I just had a bad dream.”

”A bad dream that made your lip bleed?” For some reason, Marion did not look convinced. ”And one that has you staring at your phone like you are waiting for exam results that might ruin your life?”

Cixi could not answer.

Marion leaned back slightly, studying her with unsettling calm. ”Which brings me to another question. Why aren’t you going to college? What about your scholarship?”

Marion’s cross-fire question momentarily made her forget about her first and Cassian, and now she wanted to lock herself in Melisha’s room because she didn’t want to discuss her college issues. She was afraid Marion would either go and complain to the authorities or directly encounter those brats, and that would make things worse.

She looked at her phone with a notification where Silvia had sent her many messages, and they were left unread.

Marion simply lifted her coffee and took a slow sip, her eyes never leaving Cixi, watching with the patience of someone who knew silence could be more revealing than interrogation.

Cixi exhaled sharply through her nose.

Annoyance flickered across her face. Marion always did this. She would wait and watch. Pick apart the truth without asking twice, as if she could see straight into her unspoken words.

That thought reminded her of something else. She can’t live like this. She can’t let herself be burdern to her friend.

She couldn’t stay here forever.

She needed a job.

Needed money.

”I am planning to leave college,” she finally dropped her decision of not pursuing her studies anymore.

Marion’s fingers froze around her coffee mug as she really stared at Cixi.

”And look for a full-time job.” Cixi forced herself to continue. She couldn’t tell everything. But she could offer something that would be reasonable to Marion. ”I don’t think college is for me,” she said confidently. ”If I want to find a decent apartment, I need to focus on my career.” Cixi forced a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. ”And honestly... I am not comfortable living here without contributing anything. I haven’t even—”

”You looking after my children is contributing.” Marion set her cup down slowly. ”Let me say this again so you hear me properly. You are like my younger sister. You are a family. If I had a real sister,” Marion’s eyes held Cixi in place so that she could get the message clear this time and stop thinking such baloney, ”do you think I would leave her alone when she was struggling?” She questioned Cixi, and she stayed quiet.

”If our situations were reversed... would you throw me out?” Marion asked. And the answer came without thought.

”I would always be there for you,” Cixi responded immediately and wholeheartedly. ”You know that.”

”Exactly my point.” Then she pushed the breakfast plate slightly closer to Cixi.

”Now stop talking and thinking nonsense and eat.”

Cixi almost laughed.

Almost.

”And after that,” Marion added more gently, ”go back to sleep. Your eyes look like you have been fighting demons all night.”

’If only you knew how right you were,’ Cixi thought.

Her mind circled back to Cassian with a small, stubborn flame of hope kindling in her chest.

If there were no death announcement, no obituary, no headlines... perhaps Cassian was still alive...

She might still have the chance to meet the people whom Cassian referred to as her parents.

Her mind circled back to Cassian, a small, stubborn flame of hope kindling in her chest. If there were no death announcement, no obituary, no headlines... perhaps Cassian was still alive. She might still have had the chance to meet the people whom Cassian referred to as her parents.