Coolest Girl in Town

Alexia told her mother all about how she tried to drug Zephyr only for the plan to backfire on her fully. Elise thought that was, to an extent, too much. Narissa and Zephyr had already patched up in a sense.

"Lexi, did you forget what I taught you? Never meddle with anyone's affairs unless they explicitly ask for your help, and never try to hurt anyone."

Her children's education was a pivotal part of their lives. The very thing that would shape their futures, and she would not slack on it. Alexia was almost eight. No longer could she hide behind the pretense of innocence and shirk all responsibility. Elise knew it was time to teach her about accountability, and she had to do it because Alexander loved the girl too much to even chastise her.

"I've never forgotten about it, Mommy." Despite the growing itch, Alexia listened to her mother.

Elise too wanted to pamper her daughter, but she had to be firm and stern. "Then, you know what you should do."

The girl pursed her lips and thought about her next course of action carefully. She then turned to Zephyr. "I'm sorry, mister. I shouldn't have pranked you."

Oh, now I have an excuse to back down. The whole reason he stubbornly put his foot down on this was because of Alexander and Narissa meddling with the matter, not because of the child. Now that he could finally settle this amicably, he played along. "You're forgiven, but I have to say sorry as well. It was a bit too heavy-handed of me, but I hope you've learned your lesson. Stay safe. Here's the cure. Spray it on your wrist and it'll stop the itch."

Alexander snatched the cure and picked his daughter up before they went upstairs.

"Sorry for that," Elise said sheepishly. "He didn't mean to yell at you. Just worried about the girl, that's all."

"Understandable." Zephyr shrugged the matter off. "If I had a daughter like yours, I'd have been more worried about her than he was."

them.

Then I'd have spent my time lecturing her for nothing. God, he spoils the girl too much. She trotted upstairs and, to her

her crying, Alexia fell asleep in a moment. Her parents tiptoed out of her room and closed her door silently before they returned to their room. Alexander got some cigarettes from the bar counter and had a little smoke on the balcony. Elise thought he looked

and hugged him from behind. "Still

long, long sigh. Slowly, he said, "I was absent from her life for seven long

wanted to burst out laughing. "She tried to spike someone's drink, and you think she's the victim here? Hey, she has to fall and get back up herself eventually. Maybe take a lesson from that fall too. We can't protect her forever. Lexi must grow up.

a joke, "And keeping

and Alexander turned around to hug her. He felt an endless surge of energy flowing into him. "I love you, honey. You're the best wife I could ever hope

…

Narissa and Zephyr tore their masks off and resumed being hostile to each other. Despite the sofa being large enough to seat more than two people, Narissa refused to get near Zephyr. The

like she might explode with fury at any given

would once again make

when he came was Zephyr. Jamie thought he looked familiar, so he took a closer look, but he couldn't recall where he had seen this man before. So, he turned around and asked Raymond, "Who's

hired. Zephyr Lorwhal from Area X," answered

this time? Oops, not the time for

services to just anyone." Zephyr resumed his aloof persona. He was always cold to people who came to him for

anything. Pay any price." Jamie was prepared to

you to do the dirtiest,