"Thank you so much for this Miss Hernández."

Cassandra laughed and tugged off her sneakers with a broad smile, basking in Susan's youthful exuberance. They had spent their morning in Hooke town, trying to see how best to set it up for their small charity a few weeks away. The town was not too far away from the city. It was behind large clumps of greened rocks, so it was easy to miss for those who didn't know the way. It didn't have phenomenal houses or many clear paths to follow. Everything was simple and clustered, as close-knit as the community itself.

Susan, now twenty years old, was only eighteen when she moved to Hooke town. She still had quite a babyface on her, bright eyes and chubby cheeks with, of course, her hearty smile. Her hair was thick, resting above her shoulders, they matched the warm brown colour of her eyes.

Cassandra met her before she took her trip out of Santa Montes. One of her designers had brought her to the company so she could apply for their internship program. He had been fascinated with her talent, and after seeing what Susan had to offer, Cassandra was impressed as well. She quickly learned that Susan was still in university, studying to get her Bachelor's Degree with help from her mother, who worked in another city. Meeting her gave Cassandra the idea to try her hands at her first charity gala.

"I hope we are equally as, ah, excited as this on the d day." Cassandra laughed, slipping her legs into her heels.

"I forgot to thank you for sending the invitation out to my mom and for paying for her ticket. You didn't have to."

"I know. It's just that I think this is one of those things she should be here for. You told me that you missed her. I know how it feels to want to see someone, but circumstances don't allow it. Even if it is just a few days, seeing your mom would surely boost you up for months."

"Thank you." Susan looked out of the car when it stopped moving. Cassandra raised her head to see that they were already back at the company. "I would love for you to meet her when she comes. Would that be okay? Just to say thank you as well. She is also very grateful."

Cassandra grinned, "Sure."

Susan thanked her one more time for the ride, and then she disappeared behind one of the office doors. Cassandra smiled to herself, feeling excited by the idea of the gala. She hadn't done one before. It was her first try, and she was not sure what to expect, but she couldn't help but feel invigorated by the whole idea. She entered the elevator with her mind overflowing from all the things she had to plan.

Julia rushed away from the desk immediately she heard the elevator's announcing ding. Cassandra smiled cheekily at the woman's unease, halting with a raised eyebrow when Julia rushed to a stop in front of her. It was a miracle she didn't trip, running over the tiles in her pencil heeled platforms.

"There is a woman in there."

Now, Cassandra frowned, looking past Julia's shoulder to the shut doors of her office. She regretted not opting for the glass walls in place of the untransparent block of cement she had covering her office.

"What's her name."

"No clue. She refused to tell me."

"You let someone into my office, and you don't even know who she is?"

Julia looked insulted for a moment, and Cassandra relented, whispering an apology under her breath. "Of course, I didn't let her in. She must have arrived while I was away from my desk, the chit. I went in to put some folders on your desk, and there she was, on your chair. She had such an attitude on her and wouldn't leave until she saw you."

Cassandra was moving, clutching her purse in her hand. "Did you call security?"

"Threatened to, but she also threatened to make a scene. I didn't want her to cause a fuss, so I just thought you could just come to see her and send her on her merry way."

Cassandra held on to the bar handle for the door and pushed it back. The chair spun around. There was indeed a woman sitting at her chair, a profound smile on her face. Cassandra walked closer to her table, taking one cursory step after another, trying to remember where they might have met before. It didn't take long for the memory to surface, and when it did, Cassandra took a deep breath in and folded her arms, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Julia can you leave us alone please." Julia stood in silence, then stepped back out of the office, closing the door gently without even an audible click.

Cassandra licked her lips as she nodded. "Josephine Claymont. I can't say it's a pleasure." Josephine's reply was a smile. "Why are you here?"

"Was in town when I read something about you, and I just thought to myself... just how much you have changed from high school." Josephine laughed earnestly, her eyes tracking Cassandra's outfit with amusement. "It seems that you have improved a lot from high school."

Cassandra scoffed, pulling a seat out for herself, not bothering to ask Josephine out of her chair. "From where I am looking, I haven't changed a bit. You, on the other hand, seem to have your arrogance now permanently stamped on your forehead."

"I am sorry if I have things in life to be arrogant about."

"What, I wonder, do you have to be proud of? From what I remember of you, all you have in your life is thanks to your family, and of course, whatever man decided to date you. Or maybe you are proud of the time you have on your hands. The time that gives you the luxury of coming to my office when you and I have nothing to discuss." Cassandra spoke casually, smiling more to herself than to Josephine. "You know what? I take it back. You haven't changed a bit. All these years after high school, and you still haven't found anything concrete for yourself."

Josephine hissed in mockery, bending her fingers to imitate claws as she did. "Look at you go. Solidarity has made you mean, no more 'Miss nice Cassandra'. I am glad, we can get all these formalities out of the way. I know that you have set your sights on Harrison Clark's new company, and you are trying to buy him out of it. I want it to stop, and I mean now. I will neither let you use him to satiate the bottomless thirst that you seem to have when it comes to business nor use it as an excuse to get close to him. I want you far away from my boyfriend."

Cassandra tossed her head back, laughing mirthlessly. She sobered up quickly, inched closer to the desk and dropped her intertwined fingers down on it. With a calm voice, she replied with deliberate indifference. "You must think you are talking to a mirror. Allow me to clear all that murk in your eyes for you. I am not you; I have better things to do than run after men or lurk around people's offices. I work, I do my job efficiently, and I am good at being the best. If your boyfriend crosses my path, I remove him, that's what I do. After you leave this office, you can run back and tell him that his little cheerleader doesn't scare me."

"I am warning you, Hernández, you don't threaten me. I will not back down from a rich spoiled girl like you."

"Oh Josephine, you have not seen spoiled rich girl just yet. That would be me slapping you senseless and dragging you, bawling and yapping, out of my building by your hair."

Cassandra unfolded her legs and pushed up from her seat. She walked over to the door, pulling it open and stepping out of the way. With a nod towards the open doorway, she signalled that Josephine should leave but she remained seated, her eyes glued on Cassandra.

"Leave my office this moment before I help you leave. You might not have anything better to do with your day, but I do. Out!"

Josephine finally stood, drawing herself up slowly before reaching down to adjust her gown. Cassandra waited, tapping her heel against the floor. Josephine had always had beauty, ever since Cassandra knew her. She was tall, with long slim legs that seemed to be her trademark as she grew older. Her hair was longer, curly and falling over her shoulders gracefully. With all that beauty Cassandra could never understand why the woman allowed herself to be so baseless inside.

"I have said all I needed to say to you, I have done my part. We would see more of each other though; you can count on that."

"With bated breath," Cassandra replied dryly.

Josephine only smiled, hanging on the strap of her purse as she ambled out of the office.

"Julia, get in here," Cassandra called as she watched Josephine strut away from her office. Julia watched her leave as well, waiting for the elevator doors to close before she walked into the office.

"You are officially now in charge of that woman's wellbeing. It is your job to keep her away from my office. If she ever steps into this office again, they will be wheeling her out of here."

"That bad?"

"That horrible. Inform whoever necessary, she is not, I repeat, not to be in here under any circumstances. Not even if she is bleeding to death."

Julia nodded, stalking towards the desk. "Why was she here anyway."

"To warn me off her boyfriend." Cassandra chortled, recalling the absurdity of their conversation. "She is dating Harrison Clark, and she thinks that I am trying to use the buying of his company as a farce to get closer to him. Josephine believes I want the company so I can steal him from her... or something along the lines of that."

Julia looked back at the door as if Josephine would materialize once more. "Harrison Clark is dating her?"

"To each his own. Look," she shook her hands out. "I don't need to discuss her any further she has already taken up enough of my time. I just came from Hooke town; I went with Susan to give the place a good look around. Contact the designer and organizers for the charity and let them let us know what they have drafted, please, thank you."

Julia nodded and left the office. Cassandra let out a low whistle and sank into her chair. She reached into her drawers and pulled out the folder she had come for, and then moved to stand from her chair. A flash went behind her eyes, her legs trembled slightly. Her body suddenly felt heavy, the world beneath her feet feeling unstable. Groping along the edge of her table, she lowered herself back into her seat and blew out another long breath.

Palming her forehead, she closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing. It took a moment for the unease to pass. When her dizziness stopped, she stood again, slower the second time around, plating her foot solidly on the ground. Cassandra walked over to the door until she regained her strength. She could not let her health worsen; she needed to be focused and resilient. Now more than ever. With the new challenge of Bold & Lewd flirting ever closer to her.