Chapter 14: Assignment.

"No, they do away with unimportant people." Dua replied.

"Little bitch! Who do you think you..." Mark was saying but Sandra stopped him.

Sandra looked at Dua with tears in her eyes. Seeing this Dua was confused. "Why is she crying? Aren't daughters from rich family rude and spoiled, or did they quit that attitude?" She thought.

"Why don't you go into the garden, young mistress? You go there when you're in a bad mood to cool off." Mary said. She decided to intervene into the situation.

"That sounds nice." Dua stood up from the couch. She took three steps and then paused, trying to figure out which way leads to the garden. One mistake and she could get exposed

So she turned to Mary, "lead the way."

Mary was surprised, but she could say nothing. So she just quietly led the way while Dua followed, sighing in relief.

Getting to the garden, Dua settled on a bench and looked around the garden. "Should I get your drink, ma'am?" Mary asked.

"Yes, please." Dua answered and Mary left.

Some minutes later she returned with a chilled glass of no one knows yet until Dua took a sip and spat it out immediately. "Are you trying to kill me?! Who the hell drinks this?!" Dua yelled, coughing in between her words.

"What the fuck is this?!" She asked.

With face etched with confusion, Mary replied, "it's lavender lemonade, ma'am, and it's your favorite."

"Favorite? Fuck, Diane, which normal human drinks this?" Dua cursed silently. She recomposed herself, "right, it's my favorite. But I'm not in the mood for it now, please get me cola."

"Yes, ma'am." Mary said and left.

At Steven's Mansion.

Shane sat in the living room, having a late breakfast and watching the television. Steven walked in, making Shane choke on his food. "What? Why do you look like you're seeing a ghost?" Steven raised a brow as he approached Shane.

"Y...you...you're back?" Shane stuttered.

"Yeah, I've completed my project although I'm yet to test run it. But the greatest hurdle is being crossed, which is creating it." Steven replied, taking a taste of Shane's meal. "Don't order food from wherever you ordered this from, there are errors all over this food," he added.

"Errors?" Shane was surprised as he took a bite, trying to figure out the errors.

"You can't figure it out, only a master chef can." Steven clicked his tongue and went upstairs.

"Oh, God, what do I do? Diane needs to come back." Shane panicked.

Steven arrived at the bedroom and didn't find Dua there. He cared less about it and freshened up. By the time he was out, he still couldn't find her. So he began a search in the house and when there was still no sign of her, he went to Shane. "Where is she?" He asked.

"Who?" Shane played dumb.

"There is only one she in this house, and you know, so where is she?" Steven said.

"She should be somewhere around the house." Shane replied nonchalantly but Steven didn't buy it. Instead he gave Shane a fierce look, "I won't ask again."

This time Shane knew better than to speak the truth. "She went out," he said and Steven's face darkened.

"With or without your consent?" Steven asked.

"With my consent." Shane replied.

"Good. She's lucky she at least told someone." Steven replied emphasizing on his last word as he gave Shane a fiercer look.

"Oh, come on. She just went to her family house, it's no big deal." Shane shrugged Steven's words off.

"Family house?" Steven's face darkened the more. "I told you many times, brother, I don't trust that family."

"But you married one of them." Shane said.

"You know why I married her." Steven replied.

Shane stood up and strode to Steven, giving him a little pat on his shoulder. "Even if they do try to plot something, the least they can do is to make you bankrupt. Your life will never be in danger."

"That doesn't mean we should lose guard." Steven said.

"Oh, please, Steve, you worry too much." Shane said.

"Besides maybe she only went there because she misses her family." He added.

"Fine." Steven removed Shane's hand from his shoulder and picked up his keys on the table.

"To where?" Shane asked.

"Shopping." Steven replied and walked out of the house.

Shane finally breathed in relief, "God, that was a close one. You need to thank me for saving your ass, Diane."

Dua looked at her phone and it's past an hour and Bob still wasn't back. "God, I have to get home before knucklehead does. Why does this man wanna ruin things for me?" She said to herself.

As she stood up to take another round of tour in the garden, Mary announced to her, "boss is waiting for you in the living room, young ma'am."

"Oh, finally," Dua smiled and went back into the living room with Mary, meeting the whole family already waiting for her. She nonchalantly took a sit on an empty couch and crossed her legs.

"Do you no longer know how to greet elders?" Bob said.

"Let's get straight to the point, Mr. Why did you call me to your house early in the morning, and rudely make me wait for you?" Dua replied making them all fall speechless. Diane would never speak to them in such way.

"Give me one good reason you're still yet to carry out the assignment I gave you?" Bob said.

"Give me one good reason I should kill my husband?" Dua replied.

"How many times do I have to explain to you that it's for the good of the family?!" Bob yelled.

"And I'm happy to announce to you that I won't be the instrument for you to achieve that good," she smirked.

"Diane, that devil will never reciprocate your love. He'll kill you and kill us all so decide wisely." Mark said calmly to her.

"Love, my ass," she scoffed. "I don't love anyone."

"I got you married to that devil for a reason, and you'll serve that purpose." Bob gritted his teeth.

"And that purpose is killing my husband and taking all that he has. What kind of father are you?" Dua replied.

She picked up her bag, her eyes flashing with defiance as she stood up to Bob. "I won't serve the purpose you want me to," she said, her voice steady and firm.

She turned around to leave and then added, "And whoever dares to harm my husband in anyway will have me to contend with. If you wanna kill him, you have to kill me first."

Bob's face turned crimson, his eyes bulging with rage. "The moment you step out of this house is the moment I disown you as my daughter." He threatened her.

With a scoff, Dua turned and faced them. She calmly wore her sunshades and with a smirk, "what's there to lose, I'm not even your daughter." She turned around again and walked out, leaving Sandra in tears, Mark shocked and Bob in fuming anger.

Dua stepped out of the house, the warm sunlight a stark contrast to the chill that ran down her spine as she locked eyes with Steven. His arms crossed over his chest, his gaze piercing, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. "Oh, God, why is he back before sunset?" Dua panicked within herself.

"What are you doing here?" They asked each other at the same time.