Diamond narrowed her eyes at Maxwell, her tone sharp and cutting. "If you're not our customer, then I wonder what the hell a perfectly fit, good-looking young man like you is doing, coming here every day like some jobless fool, hmm?"
Maxwell's gaze was unwavering as he slipped his right hand into the pocket of his trousers. "I hope that statement wasn't directed at me," he retorted coolly.
"Wait. Do you see any other jobless person in here besides you?" Diamond snapped, making no effort to hide her disdain.
Maxwell's expression tightened, but his voice remained composed, laced with warning. "Despite being this old, I guess no one's taught you that you can't just insult anyone and expect to get away with it. I don't mind being the one to~"
The grey door swung open before he could finish.
"Miss Rebecca!" Diamond gasped, startled to see her boss emerging from the back room, especially after being told to rest.
"Diamond, you can leave now. I'll take care of the rest," Rebecca said softly.
Diamond hesitated, wanting to protest, but Rebecca gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and smiled.
"And who said she could just walk away after having the audacity to insult me?" Maxwell's voice rose sharply as he seized Diamond by the shoulder, yanking her back.
His anger quickly drew the attention of the clients and stylists in the main salon. Rebecca's hands trembled behind her back as she stepped closer, putting herself between Diamond and Maxwell.
"Go on now," she said, ignoring Maxwell's demand and giving Diamond a slight push.
But Maxwell held on. "She can't just leave like that. Not after what she said to~"
"Then what?" Rebecca interrupted, her voice rising. "Are you going to shoot her? Cut off her hand? Stitch her mouth for talking back to you?"
Her gaze locked with his, something she had tried to avoid all along.
Diamond's eyes darted nervously between Rebecca's angry face and Maxwell's cold expression. The murmurs from the onlookers only added to the tension.
"Haven't you done enough already? Putting all my employees on edge with your monitoring. What's next? Are you planning to chase all my customers away and shut down the salon too? Was that your plan from the beginning, Mr. Maxwell?" Rebecca snapped, her fists clenched tightly at her sides to mask her anxiety.
She prayed silently that he wouldn't escalate the confrontation.
Maxwell's demeanor shifted. "Were you crying?" he asked suddenly, his voice softer, surprising everyone with the unexpected change in tone.
"That's none of your business," Rebecca hissed. She slapped his hand away before he could reach for her face, then turned and walked into the main salon.
Relieved, she noticed Maxwell had finally let go of Diamond and was now following her instead.
With Maxwell and Rebecca gone, the salon gradually returned to its usual hum of dryers, chatter, and scissors.
After seeing off her client, Joey rushed back inside and pulled Daisy into a quiet corner.
"Remember when I said he looked familiar?" she whispered, gesturing toward the man now standing near the glass wall outside.
"So?" Daisy replied indifferently, clearly uninterested in the conversation.
"Do you remember that headline about the Chief Justice being held at gunpoint by a crazy psycho a few months ago?" Joey asked, eyes locked on Daisy.
"Wasn't he the same guy who supposedly kidnapped the president's daughter about a year ago? Only for the police to claim he actually rescued her from her abductors?" Daisy asked, now fully engaged.
"Exactly. That was him. And remember that incident at the country's biggest award show when all the guests were held at gunpoint by the event sponsor..."
"Wait. Weren't we talking about the hot guy outside? What does that have to do with some lunatic?" Daisy interrupted, annoyed by the twist in the topic.
"That's the point," Joey said, pointing again toward the glass. "That hot guy out there and the so-called lunatic are the same person."
"What?" Daisy shrieked, dropping the iron comb from her hand. She quickly composed herself when she realized people were staring.
"Tell me you're joking," she whispered, nudging Joey in the ribs. "You're just trying to scare me off because you know I've got my eyes on him."
"I'm dead serious," Joey replied. "Trust me. If it weren't for the chaos earlier, I would never have guessed that the sweet-looking guy outside is the devil himself."
"That guy is the infamous lunatic? How is that even possible?" Daisy murmured, shaking her head in disbelief.
"If you still don't believe me, take a look at this." Joey shoved her phone into Daisy's hands. "I saved a screenshot of the headlines before they were wiped off the internet."
Daisy's eyes nearly popped from their sockets. Her grip weakened, and Joey's phone almost slipped from her hands as she turned to stare at the man by the glass wall.
"If you don't want to end up buried alive in a forest where even your bones won't be found, then take your eyes, mind, heart, body, and soul off him. Don't even glance in his direction," Joey warned.
"If the Chief Justice and the President couldn't handle him, who are we?" she added, walking away after delivering her warning.
Just as Joey advised, Daisy didn't dare look at Maxwell not even by accident for the rest of her shift.
Two more days passed, and Rebecca found herself trapped in the salon under Maxwell's constant watch. He never left her out of his sight.
All she wanted was to watch her son's face as he drifted to sleep and hold him tightly in her arms like she used to. And when the days get unbearable. She reminded herself constantly that she was enduring this hell for one reason only… her son's safety.
To keep him out of Maxwell's reach, and away from the countless dangers surrounding a man like him, she would do anything.
Her employees sensed something was off, but they decided not to pry. It was clear they would get nothing from Rebecca.
That evening, just as she was about to ask Joey to buy her knockoff pills, she overheard Maxwell's voice from where she stood.
"What do you mean she's been missing since last night and no one told me?" Maxwell roared, springing from his seat.
"You were on an important mission, so we were ordered not to inform you~"
"I'll be back as soon as possible. And when I get there, whoever gave you those orders better be waiting, or all of you will pay with your miserable lives," Maxwell snapped before disconnecting the call.
Rebecca turned away just before his eyes found hers. He stared at her briefly, then headed outside.
As Maxwell approached his black Mercedes Benz, four tall men emerged from the shadows and closed in.
"I won't need you with me tonight. I want the four of you to stay here and keep close watch on her. I'll be back after I handle the matter," he instructed, already behind the wheel.
"Yes, boss," they responded in unison, stepping back as the engine rumbled.
"From now on, forget her looks, her gender, her demeanor. That woman is a sly one. She's not to be underestimated. One mistake, and she'll catch you off guard," Maxwell said, pausing to let the warning sink in.
"I want to return and find her exactly where I left her. No excuses. No negligence," he finished, then sped off down the road.
Rebecca watched his car disappear and nearly cried out in relief. The opportunity she had been praying for had finally arrived. And she wasn't going to waste it.
Within ten minutes, she had a solid escape plan.
The only challenge was convincing someone to play her part.
Inside the locker room, she double-checked to make sure no one was coming. Then she locked the door from the inside.
"Wow. Locking the door? Must be some top-secret mission you're about to share." Joey laughed, trying to lighten the mood
"Joey," Rebecca said softly, her voice pleading. "What I'm about to ask is way beyond your job description. But please, I need your help. I need to get out of here for my son."
She reached forward and took Joey's hand.