A week and three days, she had lasted that long, and the rewards made their way into her pockets day by day. Thanks to her faithfully taking the pills Jacob prescribed, her mother was less worried when she left for work. Working with Harrison had also helped her stay ahead of schedule with work while still being in good standing where her mother was concerned.

Now, with her head resting on her chair, her gaze remained focused on the view outside the window. The buildings lined up in an unsymmetrical fashion, like plants in the forest; some tall while others short but all clustered together. People walked beneath the building, but the few her eyes caught looked as tiny as mice as they prowled the streets. In the past, when she had nothing to do, she would admire the city from her window. Taking in the day and enjoying the moment of silence to watch people go through their day.

A soft knock from the door washed her thoughts away. Cassandra spun the chair towards the sound while calling for the unidentified worker to step in. Julia walked in, closely followed by a security guard, making her sit up in her chair. Security rarely made it up to the last floor in the office. Coupled with the fact that Julia stood by his side, Cassandra knew trouble had already come knocking.

"Sorry to disturb you ma'am, but she is back. The lady from before."

"Josephine." Julia supplied cooly, widening her stance as she folded her arms cockily. "She is downstairs threatening to cause a scandal if she is not let in. Personally, I suggest allowing me to drag her out of her by her hair because I am willing to do it. She will deserve it as well."

Cassandra laughed, looking at the guard. "Keep her out of my office. If she wants to start a scandal," she shrugged, "let her. Let her scream at the top of her lungs or roll on the floor. I'll watch her from up here, but she won't step a foot in this building. Not anymore. Never again."

"I'll follow you just to make sure she understands the message." Julia held the guard by the shoulders and turned her around, winking at Cassandra as she closed the door.

Julia came back to report the Josephine had finally left. She pulled a sit for herself and settled in with a long exhale.

"I am so glad you didn't let her in. She is pushing her luck, and you are smart to stand your ground."

"I told you I was becoming a new Cassandra, more prepared." Julia crossed her leg, sliding her pendant back and forth on its chain as she listened. "I would deal with things much differently, or at least I would try to. Josephine is going to meet a Cassandra that she never knew before."

"Trust me, you are on the right track."

"Julia. Please send Susan over. It's nearly five, and I want to be out of here for my dinner."

"Mmmhmmm," Julia voiced before she switched the call. When she returned, her voice pipped from the speakers. "She is working on something, but I told her you needed to see her earlier. She would be here on time. In fact, when I step out, I'll call her to remind her."

"Thank you."

Julia blew her a kiss and left the office while Cassandra cradled her head between her arms as they rested on the desk. Groaning, her head cushioned by her arm as they rested on the table. One way or the other, there was no doubt that Josephine would find a way to hit strike three. Cassandra could stop her from entering her building because she owned it; she could stop Josephine from entering her home because she owned it, but that was as far she could go. She had to think of the times Josephine might choose to ambush her on the street.

"Hello, should I come back later?"

"No." she replied, raising her head from the table to motion Susan into the office, "Unfortunately, there is no later. I haven't spoken to you for a while, and it seems you have just vanished into the dust after the party in Hooke town."

"Well, I did send you flowers."

"Yes. Thank you for those. I am not an expert, but I know how costly some flowers are, and the ones you bought were costly. Hope you didn't use too much of your money for them?"

"Well, I used some of my money, and the rest were contributions of some people back home. We were all anxious when we heard about your accident, so we decided to do something for you. Did you enjoy reading the card?"

"Very much," she smiled. The poison of Josephine's presence slowly lifting, "Thanks once again. How're your designs coming up?"

"Very well, ma'am. I am learning as much as I am making, and my teacher is considerate. He has so many ideas, and it is sometimes intimidating, but after a while, it is easy to understand him."

"Yeah. Jack is one of the best designers I have. He is very dedicated to his work and insightfully creative. It's why I am sure that he is the best mentor for you. Listen to him well, and don't let intimidation limit you in any way."

Her phone vibrated, and she lifted the lit screen to her eyes. The message that came in was from Harrison. Already outside.

"Well, it's five, and I have somewhere to be." Susan waited for her to pack up her bag before they shared a kiss on the cheek. "Time is up, but you would hear from me tomorrow. Most definitely."

It took all the energy in her bones to ignore the stares she got from Julia as she stepped out of the office. Although her mother had easily accepted the idea of Harrison and her being friends, Julia remained sceptical of the relationship. Cassandra had fallen into the habit of Harrison picking her up from work because it leads right to work instead of home and that only made Julia suspicious. With luck, Julia would never find out about the extra work hours.

"Hey."

"Hi." She breathed as he leaned down to kiss her cheeks. They shared a smile as his eyes caught Julia's sceptical ones from her position at the door. Shaking her head, she held his arm and turned him to face his car. They walked over to the car with her arm put through his and the cool of the night. Just a few days left, and she won't have to be confused as to what she was really doing with Harrison.