While a group of handymen carried furniture and other heavy items out of her mansion, Alice dragged her housemaids to the corner and apologized once more. "Today's your last day. I wish I could keep you two with me, but it's better if we part ways to keep each other safe."

"Will you still get married to Shadow?" Chris asked.

"Of course not, but he doesn't know. If he doesn't already know why I'm selling my belongings, then just say that I have no use for all this once I actually get 'married'. In really, I want to liquidate everything, leave this place, and start afresh."

"That explains how you got us each so much severance pay," Soon realized. "I'll definitely miss you, Miss Alice."

"Hope we see each other again, Alice."

The housemaids hugged their housemistress one last time. "Thank you two again for your support. You're on your own now. Stay alert and be safe."

Once Chris and Soon left the premises, the lead handyman handed Alice a clipboard. "We're almost done moving your belongings. Just sign here to confirm that this collection of your furniture and big items have been sold."

After signing and returning the clipboard, Alice saw two handymen enter Shun's former room with a large box. "Excuse me! That room has nothing—"

"This is a separate work order!" One of the handymen lifted his cap to reveal brown hair and ruby eyes. "It's me, Dan. This is Joe, and he's with us."

The other handyman lifted his cap and revealed sandy blond hair and gray eyes. "Don't mind us! We're having a great time performing manual labor."

The redhead shook her head and asked, "You're packing and bringing Shun's items back to him."

The brunet nodded. "He's safe and back home now. Now it's your turn to take care of Shadow tonight when you two are out for dinner." While Joe continued packing, Dan handed Alice his own clipboard. "Just sign this fake form for show. Underneath are instructions from Marucho and a letter from Shun. Be extra careful."

"I will." After all the handymen left her residence, Alice read Marucho's instructions for tonight's dinner and then proceeded to Shun's letter.

Alice—

I really didn't mean to bring you into this dangerous situation. I wish I could say goodbye to Chris and Soon, but maybe it's best that they forget me instead. I'm resting at home until Marucho has a final plan. He also asked some of our other friends for help. Maybe you've met Julie and Joe already.

I miss you too. I will hold on to your sapphire hairpin until I can see you in person again.

—Shun

The redhead blushed and quickly folded the letter away into her purse, while continuing to apply rouge in front of a small handheld mirror. You will not walk free tonight after what you did, Shadow.

Her silver-haired companion arrived punctually to pick her up. "Alice, you look beautiful. Your makeup and outfit are a perfect match. You're even wearing heels again."

"Really? I guess attending that charity ball increased my self-confidence."

"But tonight's dinner will just be the two of us in a VIP dining room."

"Well...that's nice of you plan for tonight."

Once at the restaurant, Shadow checked in for his reservation, and the front podium man led the pair to their private dining room. "Alice, do you have any wine preferences?"

The redhead froze momentary while trying to sit down. Marucho wants me to drug Shadow using the same vial that Shadow gave Shun to drug me with. Adding the contents to alcohol could intensity the side effects. "Nothing in particular. I'm open to trying, but if it doesn't work out, then I'll can drink plain water."

"Sounds great." Shadow placed the entire order, and the pair conversed as each individual dish and entrée came in. "When I picked you up earlier, I looked at your mansion, and it gave me a weird feeling that I can't explain."

"I ended up selling a lot of my furniture and decorations. The house definitely feels a lot emptier now."

"I thought I told you not to do that! Are you on a tight budget or something?"

"It's not about the money. Once we get married, I won't need all that or even need the property anymore. I have no family to return to for the holidays, anyway. Just focus on the future, alright?"

"Fine...but I have a suggestion. Maybe we should hold a small reception at a church for us and our immediate circle to attend. Then we hold a large wedding ceremony with everyone before going on our honeymoon."

And I won't pay attention to any of that. "I know a great place to go for our honeymoon. Let me write the name down. It's difficult to pronounce." After writing down a name using pen on paper, Alice handed the note to Shadow but accidentally knocked his glass of wine. She caught it quickly and apologized. "I am so sorry. I did not see that. This wine is literally the same color as the curtains."

"Oh...I didn't notice. I need to use the restroom because it's all over me now."

With Shadow away to clean the stain off his clothes, Alice took out a small glass vial and mixed the contents with the wine that didn't spill out, thanks to her fast reflexes. Now to add aspirin and other kitchen ingredients. From her purse, she unwrapped a bundle of wax paper that contained a colorful grounded mixture of medication with herbs and poured it into the glass. She swirled the glass well before Shadow returned from the restroom. "Welcome back. That stain doesn't look as bad now."

"My suit is a dark color to begin with, so the stains aren't very noticeable once I dried it with paper. It's like getting blood stains on a red dress. No would know."

"Interesting analogy. Let me rewrite the name of that place since the note got drenched. But speaking of blood..." The redhead refilled her suitor's glass of wine. "I heard there was a huge fire at the local prison. It spread from the kitchen and burned through the entire building."

"Huh, I couldn't care less." Shadow took sips of his wine between bites of food until the glass was empty. "Anyone that's locked up is guilty of something. If any staff members died or got injured, then I send them my condolences. Otherwise, it's worker's compensation."

"I don't think staff members were badly injured, although quite a few prisoners died from burns or smoke inhalation. As much as I wanted to see Shun put on trial, I don't think that will happen anytime—"

"For the last time, he doesn't need a trial. It's obvious that he's guilty. He deserved it."

Alice observed the moving sweep hand on her wristwatch before watching the silver-haired swindler refill and down another glass of wine. "So did you."

"What?"

Suddenly, Shadow lost his focus and fell against the table as a throbbing headache radiated through his neck and shoulders. "I only had like...three glasses of wine overall? I usually have high alcohol tolerance. What did you do to me?"

"A taste of your medicine." From her coat pocket, she took a tiny, empty glass vial. "Look familiar?"

"Wait...I gave that to—"

"Shun? I already knew that. You told him to drug me with this. I bet he told you that he almost ran out of the drug, but he lied. He only used it once and gave the vial to me so I could drug you in return. Do you really think I'd believe that you'd sneak the antidote into my food whenever we went out?"

"If you knew everything all along, then you should know that I have the antidote and can save myself."

"But you don't know what else I added into your drink. I'm not stupid. I don't know when you discovered that Shun had a change of heart, but I already knew what you two were doing before you had him falsely arrested for fraud and embezzlement. I knew he didn't do anything, but I played along and faked the side effects so you wouldn't suspect me. You're not the only one with backup."

Shadow simply smirked as he sat down on the carpet, with one head on his forehead as the heiress towered over him. "If Shun had backup, then I already know who they are and how they function. They're no match for my people."

"Given your colored history of double-crossing your collaborators, I don't know if you all can even trust each other to get the job done. You really bit off more than you can chew this time."

"Who are you to tell me that? You believe Shun's words over mine?"

"He told me the truth without any sugarcoating. You continued playing your 'perfect suitor' image, and it makes me sick."

"If only you agreed to my proposal like any obedient woman should, then we wouldn't be in this mess. You'd have a reputable life ahead of you. But no, you'd rather spend your life with that lowlife instead—if he's even alive. You two can enjoy your disgusting affair in hell!"

"Why should I commit to you when you never planned to do the same in the first place?" Without hesitation, Alice slapped her hand across Shadow's face, scratching his skin in the process and later knocking him unconscious. "You messed with the wrong girl."

Suddenly, a waiter rushed inside the locked private dining room. The redhead gasped until she saw the waiter unmask his face and uncap his hair. "Alice, it's Dan. Relax!"

"Thanks goodness! I was scared some stranger discovered I drugged Shadow and—"

"Yeah, we took turns guarding your dining suite and heard a bit of everything. Let me get them right now. You should clean up any trace of your existence here, then leave the rest of us."

"Noted, thanks." Alice piled her wine glass and utensils onto her plate, then put it all on the side table. She brushed the wrinkles off her seat cover and push the chair back in under the table. "I think I have everything. What do I do now?"

Julie sneaked in this time and glanced around. "Not bad. You two didn't leave a big mess to begin with. Alice, I'll lead you to the stockroom where the back exit is." Then she handed the redhead a few pieces of paper. "Here's another list of instructions from Marucho. Now go home and get some rest."

"Before I go..." The redhead walked over to Shadow's limp body and kicked his face forcefully with the heel of her shoe. "That was therapeutic. Let's go."

-x-x-x-x-x-

"What...happened...last...night...?"

"Sir, we are asking you that question. It is morning now."

Lying disoriented on the floor was Shadow, who scratched his head and sat up as some police officers hovered over him. "Who are you? Why are you in the private dining room that I reserved?"

The lead officer opened a folded sheet of paper and held it up to Shadow's face. "My name is Officer Joshua Browning. In my hand is a search warrant, Mister Shadow Prove. We have reason to believe that you're participating in illegal firearms trades."

"Illegal...firearms...what?!" The silver-haired swindler stood up quickly, but immediately suffered lightheadedness as the lead officer took back the search warrant. "Where did you even hear—"

"Not only that, but we also have reason to believe that you're selling them overseas to nations that are confirmed to be enemies, hostile, or unfriendly to our home country here," yelled the silver-haired female colleague standing next to Officer Browning.

"Mister Prove, you heard what my coworker said. Somebody take him away, and let's search this place! He also reeks of alcohol. I want to vomit."

Shadow glanced at the wine bottle and his wine glass on the dining table. "Why are you only arresting me?! I reserved this room for two people! I was eating dinner with Alice Gehabich! Where is she? Why aren't you interrogating her? I bet Shun Kazami is on this too!"

"If the 'Shun' you're talking about is the same person that was arrested for financial crimes, then you're out of luck. The prison said all their prisoners suffered lung or skin damage, so you're accusing a medically unstable person here. The restaurant reservation book only lists one person—which is you. There's no evidence a second person here."

"Then find the evidence! Alice Gehabich drugged me and escaped!" While being dragged out of the restaurant against his will, his eyes focused on a familiar bluenette waitress that was cleaning a table. "Runo Misaki, I see you! You guys planned this fake arrest!"

The waitress gasped and covered her face with her tray and hid behind the female officer. "He's the guy that made absurd demands from me when I delivered an entrée to his suite!"

"Was there anyone else in the room?" asked the female officer.

"Absolutely none! He said something like 'I'm feeling lonely tonight...', but luckily I escaped in time."

"Runo Misaki, how dare you accuse me with those lies?!" Shadow screamed.

The bluenette displayed her fake name tag and clarified, "My name is Ruriko. I don't know why he keeps calling me that."

Officer Browning shook his head and personally escorted the purple-suited swindler outside. "Today really isn't your lucky day..."

Once the coast was clear, Runo secretly high-fived Julie and whispered, "That was perfect."

"Joe and I have everything here covered. Go see if Marucho needs help."

Instead of returning to their hideout, Runo arrived at a modest hotel and located her room of interest before knocking on the door in a specific pattern. "Guys, I'm back."

"Hey Runo." Dan let the bluenette inside and quickly closed the door. "We're all eating fancy hotel food right now. Shun spilled something, so he's cleaning up in the restroom."

"How did we get the money to book a hotel room again? Aren't hotel rooms priced by occupancy?"

"Alice paid for this," Marucho answered. "She'll be here soon after the restaurant disaster is over."

"Why did we need to book this hotel room anyway? Can't we brainstorm back home?"

"Because I already sold my mansion and have nowhere else to stay before I leave." The redhead suddenly let herself inside with a stuffed suitcase as Dan and Runo jumped back in horror. "This is my hotel suite, after all. Why wouldn't I have a key?"

"W-When did you g-give her t-the key?" the bluenette stuttered.

"I had Julie deliver my instructions to Alice with the other hotel key. I have the first copy of the key. We have two copies because I booked and paid for this suite under double occupancy at the register. Any more questions?"

Alice walked over to hand Marucho an orange envelope. "Inside are my late parents' old passports and a recent photo of me. You can use these to forge passports for us."

"Two passports?" exclaimed Dan as he ran over to Marucho. "Shun's leaving?!"

The blond nodded. "Shun and I decided that it would be better for him to leave this place until Shadow and his associates are gone. Just because he's leaving doesn't mean he's not coming back. Look at Julie and Joe. They both left on good terms because they needed to take care of family. In this case, Shun will be going to a completely foreign place, but I trust Alice to watch over him while traveling. Anyway, we should go home now. Alice, please give this key to Shun when he finally comes outside.

"Thank you, Marucho."

"Fine..." groaned Dan as he opened the door for Runo and Marucho. "SHUN, WE'RE LEAVING!"

"Shut up before someone finds us here!" the bluenette snapped.

Shun finally exited the restroom and closed the door for his friends without a word. "I hid in the restroom on purpose because they were already being annoying to begin with before you got here."

"Hmm...I definitely felt Dan and Runo exuding that aura of annoyance." While Alice placed her suitcase and heels on her shoe rack, Shun surprised her with a back hug. "Hey! At least let me situate myself first!"

"Sorry...I miss all of you and the fresh air too much. Every single day in that prison was just agony. Shadow didn't do anything bad to you, right?"

"No, but he did ask—more like force —me to attend events with him. Like going to town together, lunch together, dinner together... In fact, we were having dinner in a restaurant's private suite when I drugged him with the glass vial that he gave you. It felt so great to finally tell him how disgusted I felt and how much I loathed him. I also kicked him in the face with those heels."

"Aren't those the heels you wore to the charity ball? I had no idea you were capable of doing all that by yourself."

"They are, and you have no idea how much I've learned from all of you." The redhead pressed a kiss on her servant's right cheek before having a seat at the dining table. "I served him that vial of unknown drug back to him in his glass of wine, plus other medication from home that I randomly mixed. Julie and Joe had the rest covered, so I went home to pack all my remaining belongings. I'm still exhausted from last night, but it's too early to sleep."

"How about I tell you how Dan and the others rescued me? I heard that fire caught the entire city's attention."

"Oh, that's right. Marucho said he didn't need my help for that." Alice then removed her coat and began eating leftovers from Dan and the others, while Shun poured her a cup of warm water. "I'm all ears..."