If it were possible to go blind from too many flashes, Harrison believed he would be blind this very moment. The reporters and photographers surrounded him from all sides and pushed their microphones and cameras closer to him. Bright lights flashed into his eyes, and with a silent groan, he was able to keep his battered eyes open.

His arms were wrapped around two of his models that stood by his side, and they were slowly falling asleep.

Maria stood aside and monitored the entire event while her eyes remained glued to her tablet. She was oblivious to his suffering. Her assistant for the job stood by her side, fascinated and puppy-eyed, waiting for instructions. Harrison had to give them credit because they had worked hard the past weeks and put all their best effort into making the event a success.

It was his second store to open, and just like the previous ones, it was not an overly large store, but it was perfect for the designs he planned. The large "Bold and Lewd" logo hung a few inches away from the ceiling in bright red and white colours at the centre of the room. Below it was a few mannequins, arranged in a circle, fully dressed with the complete lingerie sets. The front of the store was walled with glass, with the mannequins staged around a comfortable couch. Maria was particularly proud of the set-up.

"Alright guys, that's enough for now," he piped and dropped his hands with a sigh of relief as blood flowed to his fingers. "Everybody, please feel free to walk around and take a look at the products."

The men and women seated around tables in front of the stage stood and began moving towards the store. The floor space had been rented out because he needed the space and quiet for an uninterrupted event. He did not plan to stay for the entire show because he had other engagements for the day.

"Maria, are you sure that both you and your assistant can handle the event when I am gone? This looks like a lot."

Maria turned around and looked at her surroundings before nodding, "We planned most of this, so we have every aspect covered. There would not be much left to do after you leave. You should be fine."

He was about to reply when two women walked up to him and dragged him for a picture. He excused himself and smiled towards the camera, waiting for them to take the amount they liked before returning to Maria's side.

"Well, have you arranged the meeting with the shareholders? That is what is next after this, right?"

Maria nodded and typed on her tablet again. The shiny metallic silver machine seemed to be her lifeline, and it was never far from her reach. Whenever she read his schedule to him or ordered his coffee, she had her tablet either beside her or in her hand. It made her effective, and he appreciated her efficiency. All her files and dates were always in an orderly form.

"I would be leaving in a bit, so let's make good use of the time we have because I want to make sure no one is left unattended."

"I have already asked the electrician to come to check the lights in the dressing room. A few seemed to flicker every now and then. He would be hereafter the party is done, and by the end of the day, this store would officially be completely ready for business."

"I can't thank you enough for how much you have helped me." He said to the tablet, choking down a smile when Maria rolled her eyes, walking away from him and disappearing behind an aisle of clothes. Harrison chuckled, following behind her.

Maria stood at his side as they walked around the mannequins and wardrobes filled with lingerie. Various colours, designs, shapes and sizes were littered on display for the amazed eyes of buyers looking and feeling them. The voices of the women and men rose and slithered around the air in various volumes as they discussed their thoughts on the products.

The new collection had been his favourite, his mother had also worked hard at the designs and inputted a lot of information for the event planning. 'Sweetheart' was the name of the new collection, and it served as a memorial for his father. Working on it took nearly all his time, but it was finally over, and he could focus on other projects, like the expansion of the company.

"You have all the estimated profits and stock numbers right."

"Yes. I also did some research on this mall before I placed it as a decision on the table. Although it has the highest ratings in the city, we are going to have lots of competition here because Placer del Cuerpo also has a section in this mall."

"We are here to do business and not to bother about the business life of other people. Cassandra Hernández might be a hurricane of a businesswoman, but her business is not scaring me out of anywhere."

"Is that right?"

The heels clicking behind him came to a halt after the small lull voice. Even with the short time they spent together, mostly fighting or promising to fight her voice had become familiar. As he turned, Maria followed suit, and they spun towards Cassandra. Yes, a stunner was the only way to describe this woman, everything from head to toe was eye-catching.

"What are you doing here?"

She smiled and strolled casually towards them with her aurora of self-assurance and fortitude surrounding her. Her hair was let down, and it added an extra glow to her face. Her dressing, as usual, was immaculate and polished. They were many well-dressed guests at his event, but there was a difference between well dressed and looking very at home with your clothing.

"Sometimes I come around to see the state of my stores." She pulled her hair over her shoulders and looked around the store indifferently. "I heard a few whispers that your store was opening on the floor above mine, and I just had to come and check it out. I have heard of your products, seen pictures but let me tell you that reality is even better. I understand the buzz better now."

"That's very generous of you to say."

"I don't scare you huh?"

Harrison smiled, hunching over. "If I said you did, would you believe me?"

"Probably not."

"Well, I'll leave you two to it. I still have a few things to check on." Maria smiled and tugged her assistant away, briskly walking towards another client that had entered the store.

"Would you like to get a free tour, or would you want us to have a discussion somewhere else."

"There is no discussion," she moved across from him and looked around the aisle. She ran her finger across the lace of a lingerie gown, as if testing for the quality, "Your store is lovely, and I do mean that."

"If you are interested in something, I wouldn't suggest that particular shade of lingerie." He shoved his hands in his pocket and stepped up behind her, "The colour is too bright. A darker colour would suit your skin tone better."

She laughed, strutting to another mannequin casually. "You are trying to dress me now?"

"No, not at all. I am extending an olive branch." He leaned against a desk, looking her squarely in the eyes. "Left to you, most of our interactions would come and go with this cloud of awkwardness hanging above us. You took the step of coming in here, complimenting me, I am taking another step myself. I haven't figured out what I can purchase from your store, but since you are here, my store is open to you."

"Wow, appreciate it, but no, thank you."

Maria appeared some moments later and cleared her throat to gain his attention. The sag in Cassandra's shoulders showed how pleased she was with the interruption, as a matter of fact... she welcomed it. Cassandra stepped away from him and, surprisingly, kissed both of Maria's cheeks in greeting.

Something behind him caught Cassandra's attention, and he looked to see Josephine smiling at the security guard at the entrance. She had called earlier to inform him that she would be late because she had a shoot scheduled too close to the start of his launch party, he had forgotten for a moment that she still didn't trust Cassandra. When he looked back at Cassandra, he could tell that she felt the same way towards Josephine.

"Nice to see you again Maria." She turned to him and smiled, "And you as well, Mr Clark."

"You look good Hernadez." He called just as she began to strut away from him.

She spun on her heels, hands in the pockets of her trousers, shrugging with nonchalant calmness. "Always."

She was out the door, walking in the opposite direction just as a distracted Josephine walked in, looking through her purse. When she raised her head, smiling as her eyes fell on him, Cassandra was safely out of the view from his store. Josephine rushed into his arms, and he laughed, hugging her while she washed him with praise. They were getting back together slowly, recovering the pieces of their relationship that were lost when he moved back to Santa Montes. It felt good to not have to battle her jealousy constantly.

"Babe, I am so sorry. It took longer than I expected it to." She stepped back, spinning around to look at the store with a small shake of her head. "This place looks amazing, and I am not saying that as your girlfriend."

"Thanks. How was it?"

"Stressful, but fun for the most part. I think they said the pictures would come out in a month or three. When you see it, you are going to drop dead." She smiled at him, her fingers interlocking around his. "Maybe, it would even convince you to have me pose for your lingerie magazine issues when you are ready to get some out."

"Don't tempt me."

Maria excused herself again while Josephine kissed him soundly. "I am not too late am I? Anything I missed?"

"Nope." He leaned closer, kissing her gently, hands circling her hips. "You are right on time. Want to look around the store? I have a couple of minutes before I head out."

"Yes, please." She grinned, and he slinked his arm over her shoulder.