Cassandra Oliver, widely known as Cass, paced around her room.
She had a mole below her nostrils, was blonde with doe eyes, and pale full lips often adorned with red matte lipstick.
Her curly hair cascaded down, and she stood with long feet.
Her body was moderately shaped, not quite as perfect as she desired, despite her regular gym visits for an ideal physique.
Cass, the sole daughter of David Oliver, the president's personal secretary, was recognized due to her father's White House role but wasn't widely adored.
Cyril's father had just one sibling, Kenneth Brown, who resided in Florida with his family.
He filled the paternal role for Cyril, offering the finest counsel he could.
Two months prior to Cyril's inauguration, Kenneth had urged him to marry.
Cyril's reluctance led Kenneth to fetch Cassandra from Dubai, where she was attending an academic program.
The friendship between Kenneth and David simplified the matter.
Cass was known for her penchant for heavy perfumes and makeup.
She walked restlessly in her room, mulling over the news of Cyril's market disguise and his hesitation to immediately apprehend a female thief.
What infuriated her most was the insult the thief hurled at Cyril for attempting to shield her.
Distraught, Cass realized Cyril never took her seriously, regardless of her efforts to impress him.
He scarcely gave her a second glance.
She resolved to leave her home for the White House to be with her father.
She felt compelled to act, convinced that if Cyril could defend a thief, then the thief might well steal her man.
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Who will cook for Granny now?
Who will accompany her on walks through the streets when she feels alone?
Who will soothe her with a foot massage?
Granny Mia was overwhelmed with hunger.
In the span of a single day, such misfortunes befell her.
How would she rescue her granddaughter?
Her vision blurred, and the world spun around her.
Before she could grasp what was happening, she collapsed.
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Maryann remained standing.
She didn't budge while the others bowed, until Lisa stepped on her foot and pulled her by the arm to bow, and Maryann reluctantly complied.
"Why do I have to bow?" Maryann whispered to Lisa.
"She is our leader, we do this as a courtesy so she might be lenient with us before the party," Lisa whispered in return.
"But..."
Sarah quickly silenced Maryann."Shhhhh!"
Helen Hallington surveyed everyone, pausing at a girl wearing light makeup.
She approached the girl, and everyone lowered their heads, turning to see what would happen.
"How dare you wear makeup? And an earring!" Helen exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, Miss Hal, I'll remove it right away," the girl replied, trying to wipe off the lipstick with the hem of her dress.
"The fact that you allowed me to see it means it's already too late," Helen declared as she picked up a slender wooden rod from the ground, swung it, and struck the girl's back.
The girl let out a cry of surprise and pain, but Helen continued to beat her.
Maryann, seething with anger, reached into her shorts pocket, pulled out her slingshot, and swiftly launched a stone at Helen.
The rock hit Helen's index finger, causing immediate and sharp pain.
Maryann quickly lowered her hand and slipped the slingshot back into her baggy shorts.
"Nice job," Sarah whispered approvingly.
Everyone cast covert glances at Maryann, offering silent nods or discreet thumbs-ups in admiration.
"Ouch, who did that?" Helen cried out, wincing in agony.
Standing tall, Maryann responded, "I'm so sorry, Miss Hal. Perhaps you should see a doctor before it worsens."
Helen examined her rapidly swelling and reddening finger, cried out in pain and frustration, and hurried towards the door.
Pausing, she addressed the room, "I'm coming back for all of you. Bet on it," she declared, exiting.
The room then rose, releasing a collective sigh, turning to Maryann with looks of astonishment.
"That was cool Mary, howchu do that?" James asked.
"Just gave a shot, not that hard though" Maryann said as she smiled.
All of them crowded round Maryann, while some gave her friendly nudges and went back to their spot.
The girl who was caught with makeup limped towards Maryann.
Maryann held her by the arm immediately and asked "Are you okay?!"
"Thank you so much for earlier. My name is Melissa Damon, but they call me Mel for short," Melissa said.
"Hi Mel! That was nothing, okay? My name is Maryann Taylor, but people call me Mary for short," Maryann replied.
"Wow, we twinning. Our names both start with M, awesome! Let's be friends" Melissa said.
"Sure" Maryann said as she stretched out her hand for a handshake and Melissa accepted
"See ya." Melissa said as she walked towards her own group of friends.
Then, all of a sudden, a bell rang so loudly.
"What's that?" Maryann asked her friends.
"That's a bell for lunch" Sarah replied.
"I really need to learn a lot of things here though" Maryann said, and they all laughed as they stood in line in front of the door waiting for it to be open so they could all go out for lunch.
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Cyril sat on his king-sized bed, his gaze flitting from one corner of the room to another.
His straight hair fell helplessly past his shoulders, having been freed from its ponytail not long before.
His dim black hair, icy blue eyes, pointed nose, and lips were the envy of many, dreamy and kissable.
They were soft, thick, plump, peachy, luscious, and temptingly attractive.
Feeling the urge for a stroll, he stood, grabbed his robe, donned it, and left his room.
Noticing their charge's movement, the bodyguards promptly fell in step behind him as he made his way down the quiet hallway.
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Maryann stretched her hand to collect her food when Helen interrupted.
"Go into the main building, follow the hallway, take your left, take the stairs, then you will find the main hallway, follow it, and you will see the presidential kitchen, ask Mister Bernard for cream. I need it immediately and make sure you return here within the next three minutes."
Maryann dropped her food with Lisa and headed for the errand and came back one minute late.
She handed the bottle of cream to Helen and Helen looked at her wristwatch and Maryann was sixty seconds late.
She picked up her metal rod.
Fortunately, she could still use her left hand to flog since her right hand was bandaged.
"You're late" Helen said and this attracted everyone's attention.
Some of them loved it when Helen always put up with her drama.
"I'm sorry, Miss Hal," Maryann said, as she knelt down in a hurry.
"You don't have an excuse," Helen said.
"But Miss Hal, the cooks were too many, it took me over two minutes to ask around for Mister Bernard and find him," Maryann explained.
"But you are smart to steal but not smart enough to identify….you really don't have an excuse" Helen said.
Maryann closed her eyes tight as Helen lifted the metal rod up about to hit Maryann when a voice interrupted.
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"What happened to her?" The doctor asked the little girl who called an ambulance for Granny Mia.
"My mom told me to take her clothes to the nearby laundry and when I reached there, she was already unconscious in her wheelchair. I thought she was sleeping when I arrived. When I tried waking her, I noticed she had stopped breathing. Then I knew she had
fainted". The little girl explained
"What is your name?" The doctor asked.
"My name is Maria Ben. I am eight years old."
"Thank you so much Maria, you've been of great help to us" The doctor said as he patted Maria's head.
"Go sit over there and wait for your mom."
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The voice interrupted Helen and her hand froze in the air.
Everyone turned their heads to find who had said something, and it was Cyril and his bodyguards walking towards the scene.
Immediately, everyone stood up and bowed.
Helen bowed, but Maryann was still on her knees staring at the face, trying to recall where she had seen it, but her memory wouldn't co-ordinate.
She remembered the hair, the nose, the lips...….lips.....the lips were a kind of signature she would never forget in her life, but where did she see it?
"Rise" Cyril said as he reached the scene with his two hands behind him.
"Thank you, your excellency."
Everyone chorused as they stood erect.
Cyril wore a deep blue robe that really fitted his physique.
Maryann scratched her head trying to recall the familiar face, then she recalled.
The man at the market looked exactly like this man here, the President of the United States who she adored and respected the most but never seen before since he was elected.
What if they are twins? Maryann thought.
Two handsome men saving her life…..
she really felt like a queen, but then again, her instinct sent something to her brain:
Wait! Could the unknown man at the market who caught her actually be the Presssssssssidenttttttttt?!!!!
God forbid.