Cixi lowered her lashes for a moment before answering. "I feel as if someone has been following me. Every time I step outside, I feel eyes on me." She paused there, letting her hand quiver a little to convince Emily how scared she was.

Cixi screamed in her mind at building up lies to get inside the Palace and hoped that before her fake pregnancy was revealed, she could wrap up whatever Cassian wanted and finally escape the tangled web of lies. It had all begun with him calling her his girlfriend, which had been harmless enough, but then she had to improvise and upgrade herself to being his fiancee. Now, she had outdone herself completely with an imaginary baby on the way.

"I feel like I am in danger... So is my child..." She lifted her eyes, looking straight into Emily’s. "I am afraid Cassian’s enemies might have found out about me and want to harm me—and my child." She gently rubbed her belly, expressing deep care and affection for the imaginary baby.

Cixi had not wanted to bring the pretend baby into her lies, but if she had only said that someone wanted to kill her, it would not have mattered enough for the Crown family to care about her. A woman like her had little value in such an elite world unless she carried the surname of someone or something important.

Secondly, even if they offered her some sympathy, they might assign guards to watch over her rather than allow her to stay inside the Palace, especially when many believed Cassian might be dead simply because he had not contacted anyone to confirm he was alive. And yet the underworld knew he was.

How was it possible that these rich people did not know about this?

Or perhaps only a few people knew, while the rest did not.

How did he keep himself invisible while openly appearing in places like the club?

He was beyond her understanding...

She let out a quiet inward sigh. Perhaps she would ask him the next time she saw him.

"Alright." A careful reply came from Emily. "So, what do you want from me?"

Cixi drew a slow breath, steadying herself before she looked Emily in the eye once more. "I want your protection to keep my baby and me safe."

Emily did not answer at once. Her fingers laced together in her lap, then loosened again. "Cixi..." The name left her with a weary sort of self-restraint. "I know some trust has formed between us, at least enough for you to come here, but I do not think I can do anything for you in this matter." Her gaze dipped briefly to Cixi’s stomach before rising again. "Cassian was an illegitimate child. Even his own father rarely cared for him. So tell me honestly, when the family hears about your child, do you truly believe they will care whether you live or die?"

She had not meant it cruelly, yet the truth of it still landed like a slap.

Bitterness spread through Cixi’s chest. "If I had not known you were one of the few who had actually tried to find Cassian," she returned in the same voice, tightening despite her effort to keep it even, "I might have thought you were behind his disappearance, since you are the acting president."

Emily’s expression altered, if only slightly.

"But I know you genuinely care about his well-being." Cixi pressed her palm lightly against the curve beneath her dress. "That is why I came to you. And that is why I am speaking not only for myself, but for the baby that belongs to Cassian." The lie tasted foul in her mouth, yet she forced herself onward. "I came here for one reason only. It is Crown blood, and Crown blood should be protected."

"Not so quickly," Emily responded. "First, we haven’t done any tests to determine whether the baby is Cassian’s or not." She leaned back, though the warning in her face only deepened. "What if you are lying to me right now? And those are not merely my doubts. Others will ask the same question, and trust me—Cassian’s stepmother will not let a matter like this pass quietly." Something in the way Emily said that felt less like doubt and more like a warning.

"Do every test you want!" Cixi answered at once. "I do not care. What I care about is protecting my baby and Cassian’s! And the Crown family is responsible for protecting their own blood."

If Cixi had ever had doubts about her acting, today’s performance made it clear she was good.

Emily’s lips pressed into a thin line under the pressure Cixi was putting on her. "I can assign you a bodyguard."

"No," Cixi shook her head. "It is not safe where I live."

That was when Emily fell silent. She did not interrupt again. She only watched, as though she had finally realised Cixi had not come for half-measures.

So Cixi told her the truth of her intention.

"Let me stay in the Palace with your family until the baby is born." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

A humourless breath escaped Emily. "You are asking for the moon."

"A moon your family can afford to hand over," Cixi replied without missing a beat. "You live in a Palace large enough for forty people without feeling crowded. One more person will change nothing. You may not even notice I am there." Her chin lifted slightly. "I only want to feel safe. You must have heard that whatever a woman feels during pregnancy can greatly affect the baby. I am sure you can understand why I want to feel safe."

She spoke with such startling certainty that even Emily seemed to notice it. There was no pleading in it now. It sounded less like a request and more like a decision already made.

"I have nothing against you, Cixi, but why are you so determined to make an enemy of an entire family?" Emily’s brows drew together in mild annoyance at Cixi for not understanding her perspective. "Do you think you would be safe there? Do you even know how many of them despised Cassian?"

Cixi had expected as much, but hearing it spoken aloud darkened the picture in a way she had not been prepared for. And somewhere below her irritation, a sympathy stirred for Cassian.

"At least inside the Palace, if anything happens to the child, I will know where to point the finger," she stated confidently. "While outside, I know nothing. Outside, it could be anyone."

Emily’s head gave a small shake, more disbelieving than angry. "You think it would be that easy? To blame my family?"

Cixi met her gaze without wavering. "I have a friend in the police department." Her voice did not rise. It only steadied. "I will call him every day. I will tell him everything that happens to me in that Palace."

This time, Emily’s eyes widened properly.

She was no longer looking at the same girl she had met months ago. Yes, she had seen Cixi stand her ground before. She had seen her go head-to-head with David from the narcotics department without crumbling. But this was different. This Cixi felt different, as she delivered an indirect threat with enough calmness and conviction.