[ SHORT FLASHBACK ]


    "You''re not staying for breakfast?" Cosette stopped in the living area of the penthouse where she was staying. She stared at Maxen, who was closing the door of the bedroom, wearing nothing but a loose shirt, messy hair, and a cup of coffee in her hand.


    "No." Maxen smiled at her, marching towards her. He spread his arms slightly wide, wrapping them around her waist to pull her closer to him. His lips were pressed into a thin line, looking at her bare face matched with her morning hair.


    Cosette still looked stunning; just the sight of her caused his throat to dry up as if their passionate nightst night wasn''t enough.


    "Do you want me to stay?" he asked yfully, tilting his head to the side.


    "Well…" Cosette raised her arms and rested them over his shoulders. "... will you stay if I asked?"


    "Ask and we''ll see what happens."


    The corner of her lips curled up into a smirk. "Go." She raised her chin. "I don''t want to hold you back from your business. After all, you won''t leave in a hurry if it''s not important."


    "You''re much more important."


    "Oh, please. Enough with the ttery." She giggled, standing on her toes, only to bite his lips. "I already know my value and I am priceless."


    Heughed with his lips closed, eyes glinting dangerously. "See you tonight?"


    "Sure." Cosette rocked her head, shing him a smile. "I only had meetings in the afternoon."


    "Tonight it is." He smirked, lowering his head to im her lips. Maxen nted a soft kiss on her, only to deepen it on instinct. He felt her lips stretch into a grin against his lips, making him squeeze her hips.


    "Twenty minutes," he whispered into her mouth, lifting her by the waist. Cosette was petite and light thus, it was easy for him to carry her when she wrapped her legs around his hips.


    Maxen sauntered towards the couch without breaking his kiss from her,ying her down carefully on it. As he drew away, her eyes glimmered yfully, causing his lips to curl into a devious smirk.


    "You''re driving me crazy," he muttered with a rasped voice, bending over to im her lips once again. Cosette happily weed all his advances, kissing him back, and unzipping his trousers.


    Obviously, no one was able to stop the two of them from tangling their bodies into one. Even though he was in a hurry, he didn''t care about the twenty minutes he stayed with her. It was the same with Cosette. She didn''t mind using that spare twenty minutes in having sex with him instead of eating breakfast.


    Once they finished, Cosette propped her elbows against the surface on the couch she was lying down. Her eyesnded on Maxen, who was already zipping up and then fixed his tie.


    "You''re scary," she humored, watching him pause as he looked back at her. "Most of the people I meet were wearing suits. What makes them different from wealthy criminals?"


    Maxen chuckled and continued to fix his tie with his eyes on her. "And so were politicians," he quipped. "It doesn''t mean you… and those people in your circle don''t have existing records, doesn''t mean they haven''t sinned. It''s just that they weren''t caught… just yet."


    "You make me sound like I am one of them." Cosette propped her temple against the bottom of her palms, simpering. "But on the same note, does that make us better?"


    "In what way?" his fingers slowly looped his tie, arching a brow at her.


    "Because we were never caught, and thus, we''re innocent."


    Maxenughed as he tugged his tie. After fixing his tie, he marched towards her and sat down on the edge of the couch.


    "That made you even worst," he argued in a knowing tone. "We are on the wanted list because we''re not hypocrites. We''re the bad guys and we don''t care about it. Our crimes continue to pile up, and we will all face them if we were caught. What about you?"


    Maxen raised a hand and tucked a portion of her hair behind her ear. "That''s why you''re admirable. While I am always discreet, you, on the other hand, walk freely as if you haven''t destroyed people. The same goes with that new friend of yours. Asher Quinn."


    "I might mistake that you are more interested in Mister Quinn than you are in me, Mister Devilsin. You kept mentioning his name." She giggled, watching him shrug nonchntly.


    "I don''t trust him. Be careful."


    "That sounds reassuring." Cosetteughed out loud. "You''re so cute, Mister Devilsin."


    Maxenughed, pinching her chin, and nted a kiss on her lips. "I''m simply reminding you of how twisted this world and the people in it were."


    "You don''t have to, but I appreciate it." She giggled against his lips, fluttering her eyshes while he drew his head back. "You and I are the constant reminders of how twisted this world is."


    Maxen smirked and pinched her cheek mildly. He stared at her enchanting visage for several seconds in silence.


    "I''ll see you tonight," he mused, pushing himself up. "Later."


    With that being said, Maxen walked away. He picked up his zer on the one-seater couch on the way. Cosette stared at his back while pushing herself to sit up.


    "Wait," she raised her voice, stopping him from his tracks. When Maxen looked back, he arched a brow, seeing that she was slipping her feet into the house slippers.


    "I''ll send you out," she said, skipping her steps towards him.


    "Hm??" he cocked his head to the side, warranting a burst of loudughter from her.


    "I''ll send you off," she repeated, hooking her arm around his arm. She then tugged his arm, tipping her head towards the main door. "Let''s go?"


    "How strange. You never did things like this."


    Cosette giggled as she walked him towards the entrance. When they were in front of the shut door, Cosette released his arm to face him squarely.


    "Why is it strange?" she dawdled, fixing his tie for him. "I feel like ying the role of a wife for once."


    She snapped her eyes up to him, simpering. "It looks fun."


    Maxen let out a dryugh, shaking his head sideways. At this point, he was already used to her sudden impulses.


    "I''ll see youter, wife," he humored, winking at her as he reached for the knob. "It does look fun."


    Cosetteughed, watching him open the door. As soon as she did, her brows rose as if there was a person standing outside. However, she didn''t dwell on it since the man seemed to be one of Maxen''s men. She was somewhat used to how Maxen''s people could sneak in and out of any ce that was supposed to be well-guarded.


    Yet, Cosette couldn''t help but keep her eyes on the man outside. His head was shaved clean, but what caught her eyes was the dragon tattoo on the side of his head.


    "Bye." Cosette snapped back from her trance at Maxen''s voice. She smiled and waved, seeing Maxen walk away while the man followed behind him, and then the door shut closed.


    ****


    [ PRESENT TIME ]


    Cosette snapped her eyes back to reality, holding her breath. She looked at the delinquent, staring back at Maxen.


    ''It''s him…'' she thought in shock. Although the tattoo on his head wasn''t there, she couldn''t mistake it. Maxen Devilsin''s right-hand man.