The Devil's Favourite Obsession

”He is jealous of you,” Cixi said quietly. ”Even after three children, no one would believe it by looking at you. You still look beautiful.” She forced a small smile. ”I even noticed a few men watching you. If those mafia men had not interrupted the evening, I am certain someone would have asked you for a dance.”

It was not a lie. She had noticed a few glances directed toward Marion’s graceful Latino figure. What she could not understand was how Martin could reduce his own wife to something so small. If he could not appreciate her, the least he could do was remain silent instead of wounding her pride.

Marion forced a small smile.

Cixi did not break eye contact. ”I mean it, Marion. Martin does not value you the way you absolutely deserve. I seriously hope he opens his eyes and realises the blessing he is currently taking for granted.”

”I have already accepted exactly who Martin is, Cixi. I do not expect him to change. I abandoned all hope years ago, and now I am simply not bothered by it,” Marion lied flawlessly.

What woman did not want to be properly appreciated by her own husband? But Cixi said nothing more. She perfectly understood the painful mechanics of her reality.

Marion refused to separate from him because she needed stability for her massive family. And despite his endless toxic qualities, Martin had never cheated on her. If he was not out working, he was at home. That specific loyalty was exactly why Marion stayed rooted.

Deciding to drop the heavy subject, Cixi forcefully switched gears to pull her friend’s leg. ”So... how did you find Binge?”

Marion made a dramatic, highly exaggerated gagging sound. ”Please stop! Instead of talking about that loser, let’s talk about your mysterious new fiancé that you somehow kept entirely hidden from me. Is he the billionaire who bought you that extremely expensive winter coat and the boots?” Marion stopped folding entirely, giving Cixi her absolute, undivided attention.

Cixi crossed her arms tightly over her chest. ”Yes. He is the one.”

Marion’s eyes went wide open. ”I was thinking about Cassian Crown all morning. Did he not go missing months ago? The police are actively offering massive rewards for information on his disappearance.”

”Yes.” Cixi confirmed, ”He is still technically legally declared missing,” and Marion couldn’t fathom why he had remained missing if he was very much alive and in the city.

”How long have the two of you been in love? And were you fully aware he was alive this entire time?” Marion demanded an explanation, her brow furrowing deeply.

This made zero logical sense to Marion. Cixi religiously watched true crime documentaries. She actively tried to avoid any man who displayed even minor red flags. How the hell did a cautious girl like Cixi get romantically involved with an incredibly violent Mafia Lord? That was the biggest question burning in her mind.

”I was not aware he was alive,” Cixi admitted. ”I was actively looking for him. I even requested Officer Bill to help me track him down.”

Marion’s jaw practically hit the floor. ”So Officer Bill knew about him and you? And I didn’t?” Marion looked deeply, genuinely offended.

”No! I only asked Bill to look for a missing person. He did not know anything beyond that,” Cixi clarified quickly. ”I actually just came from meeting Officer Bill. He and I had lunch together.”

Marion slammed both of her hands down firmly onto her hips. ”Your mafia fiancee is going to kill him if he finds out you are going on lunch dates with other men.”

”What?! No! Marion, what are you even Saying?! Officer Bill is strictly a good friend. That is all.”

”Next time you look at Bill, seriously picture his severed head sitting on a silver platter,” Marion warned, her voice dropping into a dead serious tone. ”I saw exactly how Cassian acted last night. Your man is undeniably possessive of you. He killed people just because they breathed wrong in your direction. Do you honestly think a predator like that would ever tolerate his fiancee going out casually with another man? Even if it is just a friend?”

Marion was trying to smack Cixi back into reality, but she did not possess the full, horrific truth.”Marion,” Cixi interrupted, her voice dropping down to a heavy whisper. ”I lied.”

Marion immediately snapped her mouth shut. She waited for further information.

”He is not my fiancee,” Cixi blurted out, staring at the floor. ”I lied to him in the club purely to protect us.”

Marion opened her mouth to say something, but Cixi cut her off before she could even draw breath.

”He immediately caught my lie,” Cixi finished, looking up to meet Marion’s horrified eyes. ”And somehow... I am still breathing. And-and if you could give me some tips.... How to make a man fall in love with me, especially an Alpha male, would be very helpful.”

It took Marion a moment to fully grasp Cixi’s words. Then she repeated them as though she could hardly believe what she had just heard.

”He caught your lie, and yet he let you go unharmed. A girl for whom he literally massacred a crowd...” She stared at Cixi in utter disbelief before rubbing her temple. ”And now you are asking me how to get his attention?”

The question seemed to be more for herself than for Cixi, yet a second later Marion looked at her properly and asked again, this time with full seriousness.

”You want to attract Cassian Crown and make him fall in love with you? Not just any man, but a mafia man who looks ready to kill anyone for your sake? And you still think you need to make him fall in love with You!”

By repeating the questions in various ways, she too became confused. ’If a man kills for you, does that not imply that he has already fallen for you?’

Cixi gave a heavy nod, her lips pressed tightly together, prompting Marion to wonder if Cixi understood anything about love at all.

Marion let out a breath of disbelief. ”I should have forced you to go on a blind date long ago. It was my mistake!” Then, after a brief pause, she added, ”What about Officer Bill?... Ofcourse if Cassian didn’t kill him before your second date!”