Damsel in distress.

" Can I ask why is it that I am buying you a dress?" asked Nick as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and looked at his sister who was reading a fashion magazine in the passenger's seat. " I don't think that you have done anything worthy to be gifted with a dress."

In a few days, Romi's friend was going to celebrate her birthday. It wasn't a major thing but apparently, in Romi's words, she would look totally 'lame' if she turned up dressed in her old clothes to this friend's birthday party since she was like a fashionista and Romi was well Romi.

" Because you are a coward," answered Romi without so much as looking up from the magazine as she raised one brow and flipped the page of the magazine that she was holding in her hands. " You should have told the truth from the beginning but you didn't, so this is hush money, dear brother. If you refuse, then I will tell brother Marcus what you did, after all lying is a bad habit."

Nick flushed all the way to his neck, seriously this trouble was incited by his mother but he was the one who was paying for it! How annoying, he only had a few dollars left in his pockets but now he has to fork that bit of money to keep his sister's mouth shut. "It's not like I am lying, I am just too embarrassed to say the truth and it is not like that I was the one who did the boasting, it's our mother and you know how she is… its her habit of stretching the truth, it has nothing to do with me."

Romi's lips curled up. " Well, the situation wouldn't have arisen if you were truthful from the beginning, right? Funny, how you can hide the truth and call it 'not lying' but if I do that, then I am a bad child. Bit hypocritical, don't you think so?"

With a screech Nick parked the car in the parking lot, anger flashing in his eyes as he glared at Romi and with his teeth clenched he gritted out. " You are right sister, don't worry I will be telling the truth to my co-workers soon, so you can say goodbye to your pretty dress and say hello to a new batch of study materials."

Then without saying anything else, he slipped out of the car leaving a totally stunned Romi in the passenger's seat. Uh oh, she seemed to have teased her brother past his limit, shit.

She hurriedly slipped out of the car and rushed to her brother. " Ah, I am sorry big brother. I didn't mean it like that —— I was just teasing you a little, please don't take away my dress."

Nick didn't say anything as he coldly strode towards the mall behind him followed by a highly aggrieved Romi who was pouting her lips unhappily.

" Alright, the target is here," said Derren as he looked at Nick and his sister through the binoculars that were hanging around his neck. " We need to attack full force, or else that chicken boy is going to leave without falling into the trap, you get it, Nessie?"

He waited for a long time but when he didn't hear an answer, he turned around and looked at Vanessa, who was nervously looking down at her hands with a shy look like a new bride. " What is the meaning of this?" He deadpanned.

Immediately, Vanessa flushed as she glared at him. " You are so unromantic brother, I am feeling shy." she cupped her face and gushed. " Doesn't he look so cute?"

Derren paused and then raised his binoculars again to look at Nick who seemed to be so pissed that his entire face was like a frigid ice pole. And then turned to look at his sister who was still gushing about how 'cute' Nick was and then only one thought came to his mind —— ' Beauty was in the eye of the beholder.'

He sighed and pointed to the mall. " Get out and look for that man according to the plan, Charity will help you from the sidelines, she will tell you what to do and how to act, just stick to your role, alright? You are sweet, naive, who will faint at the sight of blood ----type of girl, don't mess up alright?"

"I won't," promised Vanessa as she slid out of the car and clicked clicked her way to the mall. Derren watched her go and then slipped on his wig and contact lens as he ordered, " after her."

And then from at least twenty cars, men dressed in casuals slid out and started following Vanessa discreetly.

——-

If Vanessa wasn't focused on Nick, she might have sensed the men following her but since her heart was throbbing wildly, she couldn't keep a track of her surroundings as well, as she would have. As she walked towards Nick, she noticed the big piano that was hovering over the heads of the pair of siblings, she didn't know why she increased her pace but she did —— and as she got closer to the siblings, she could hear them quibble about something that sounded like ' dress and study materials'. According to Charity's plan, she needed to stick to her sweet girl persona as she walk up to Nick and engage the latter in a conversation.

But as she reached the siblings, she heard a loud 'creak' and then a huge uproar behind. Startled she looked around only to find the piano that was being moved to the first floor was now falling down with such an intensity that, anyone standing beneath would be smashed.

Maybe the sudden turn of events surprised Nick, he stood still but only for a second before he pushed his sister out of the way and tried to make a run for it while grabbing his sister's wrist who was too shocked to move.

But with his speed barred by Romi who was too stunned to move, it was impossible for him to get out of the spot in time, just as he thought that he would be entangled in another accident, a force like never before slammed against him and then he was propelled forward as a loud bang echoed behind him. Surprised, he looked behind him and was surprised to see the familiar face of the blonde girl who was looking down at him with a panicked expression as she asked, " Are you okay?"

Behind them, Derren who was watching everything happen in front of him turned to look at Charity with a surprised expression. " What was the plan again?"

Charity lowered her head as she answered in a low voice. " To act as a sweet girl…"

" Hmm, are you sure? I think it was acting like a prince saving the damsel in distress."