"I look horrible in this outfit!" Amelia looked down at the short dress.

"Don't complain." Elise narrowed her eyes. "I bought it from one of the designer shops in Jardine Avenue."

"No wonder it looks so flashy," Amelia retorted. "Simply put, the outfit makes me seem far too arrogant."

She sighed in disdain at the tight-fitting dress with a low, sweeping neckline. It was evident that the outfit was designed for daytime use: a white fabric pattern adorned with cute flowers. The puffy sleeves added a layer of innocence and emphasized her high social status. Even though the dress she'd worn at the ball was a little tight, at least the deep blue fabric seemed to scintillate—far more than this outfit ever could.

"Remember, this is crucial to the plan. People will notice your presence, distracting them from heading toward my father's office or the boardroom. A secluded member of the elites rarely appears in the governor's residence, let alone the public eye." Elise sniffed, inspecting Amelia's outfit.

"I can use the time you distract the officials to search for blueprints of the residence, so do your job well. I found the Secret Intelligence's undisclosed plans when I snooped in the council chamber last time. That's also how I learned you would be at my event." The young woman motioned for Amelia to turn around. "We ought to make it seem like you were here to meet me."

"And how will you go about doing that?" Amelia scoffed.

"Let's just spruce up your looks." Darling opened an unused bottle of mascara. She put the makeup on Amelia's upper eyelashes with a brush in her hand.

"I'm not the best at this," Darling winced as the mascara formed clumps on Amelia's eyelashes.

"I know," Amelia replied. "My Aunt Yan is."

***

"Sit." Aunt Yan pointed to a chair. Young Amelia looked up at her aunt expectantly—these small lessons were a refreshing escape from her controlled life.

"In this lesson, we will learn more about makeup," Aunt Yan paced around the room, clutching her makeup bag under her arm. Even though the bag was about to burst, and the threads were fraying, the woman treated it as the most precious thing in the world.

"First things first. Always use a primer to start with. It is a fundamental base to ensure all other makeup is applied effortlessly." Aunt Yan placed the makeup bag on the desk and pulled out a jar. She tilted the mirror forwards and angled it so young Amelia could see her own face.

Aunt Yan pulled out a brush with a rounded tip and began applying the makeup to Amelia's face. "Watch and learn, child," she smiled adoringly at the girl.

After she finished, the woman offered her second piece of advice. "Next, use foundation. Another important part of the groundwork for applying makeup." She used her hands to smear the cream onto Amelia's forehead and cheeks.

Amelia peered at her face curiously in the mirror, inspecting her beautified face. Meanwhile, Aunt Yan scrutinized a few bottles of concealer. She swept them all back into her bag with a sigh of contempt. "You're too young for makeup, let alone concealer. I promise you, though; this will help you on your missions so much. If you learn the art of makeup, you learn how to change your entire appearance and personality."

The young girl watched as her aunt smiled with delight at a makeup palette. "Dear niece, this is my favorite part," she smiled. "If you contour your face in the right way, you won't even be able to recognize yourself in the mirror."

Amelia shook her head. "That can't be true."

"Watch." Aunt Yan's eyes shone with pure exuberance. It was rare to see such an open, real show of merriment when you were working with the Bauhinias. Most employees—family members—worked with sullen, blank expressions. There wasn't much room for relaxation; the mafia family constantly devised devious strategies to evade the law.

Amelia's aunt put the contour under the girl's cheekbones and evened it against her face. She brushed a few strands of hair to the side to frame her face well.

In a matter of minutes, Amelia's face was sculpted into a slender shape with accentuated cheekbones. She frowned at herself in the mirror—the young girl looked twice as old as she was. Her childish facial features had disappeared, leaving no trace of the chubbiness or general innocence she seemed to exude before.

"Now, the blush," Aunt Yan produced a brush and a kit with a flourish and began dabbing the pink powder on Amelia's cheeks at an alarming rate. "Always stroke upwards when applying blush—it will help beautify your appearance."

Amelia nodded resolutely.

"Now, once you've donned a new look, you can't go about acting like the same Ah Kei you were before. Remember what I taught you about confidence? The makeup makes you look more like a distinguished young lady than a mere child. So act like the young lady! Hold your head up high, look disgracefully down at people you do not respect, and trust in yourself. You have to look the part and act the part. Understood?"

"I think so," Amelia shrugged.

"Try again, Tze Kei." Aunt Yan gestured to the girl's face. "You're a young lady now."

"Of course I understand!" Amelia tried again, speaking in a haughty tone. Aunt Yan clapped approvingly, and the girl's heart filled with warmth. She was encouraged to learn from her mistakes and try again with her aunt—something that she'd never get from Ah Ba. There were no second chances in the real world.

Makeup and acting were new concepts for the young teen, but she was eager to learn. Anything Aunt Yan taught was usually beneficial, she had discovered. After Amelia donned a disguise on a heist once, she had managed to hide in plain sight when the law was scoping out the crime scene.

After thirteen more lessons and hundreds of unsuccessful attempts, Amelia still couldn't meet Aunt Yan's expectations. The older woman wasn't too surprised, though—she had to practice for over twenty years. The young woman had six years tops. Still, she wasn't doing that poorly.

Aunt Yan only hoped she could stay on earth long enough to help her ambitious niece.

***

Amelia inspected her face in the mirror and used her palm to even out some blush. She put on a pair of circular glasses, framing her round face and sharp chin. She'd curled her lashes, highlighting her bold blue eyeliner and doe-like eyes. Aunt Yan liked to joke that Amelia's eyes would always maintain their innocent gleam like an innocuous child. The young woman always prided herself on that—it was easier to get away with things if you looked naive.

She'd applied some contour on her face after Darling had miserably failed with the mascara. Amelia hoped her face was more sharp and angled with the Lau Residence's overly bright lighting.

"One more thing." Darling clipped a small device to Amelia's dress pocket. "This is a camera that will track your movements. It can see through fabric, so we'll have no issue finding where you are." She also slipped an earpiece into Amelia's right ear. "This will help us update you if you gather any intel."

"Off you go, then. I have to find the blueprints for my father's floor, so go and be a good distraction!" Elise nudged Amelia toward the exit of the training center. "I'll meet you in the lobby on the first floor. Don't forget your handbag!"

Sighing, Amelia took the bright pink purse from Elise and walked out of the room, the clicking of her platform heels muffled by the vinyl mats.

***

Navigating the Lau Residence took more work than she thought. Amelia had spent five minutes just looking for the elevator. Darling had informed her that some government agents would be outside the meeting room when she arrived.

The first-floor elevator opened to a grand ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows—the fateful place where she'd been captured.

Amelia hadn't wasted time that night to observe the surroundings, so she paused to look around. Decorations adorned the walls, depicting rows upon rows of orchids and bauhinias. Their magenta petals seemed to flash at Amelia: a reminder that her family was searching for her. Portraits of women in qipaos and men in changshan lined the ballroom, and Amelia surmised these were the Lau family's ancestors. The Cantonesian government hadn't developed long enough to have a lineage of past chief administrators. A grand staircase curved upwards, and Amelia remembered it led to the residence's private chambers. She wondered where her cell resided in the endless maze of corridors, entrances, and exits.

The sound of clicking heels reached Amelia's ears. Instinctively, she slinked away and tried to hide behind the drapes. She winced as her handbag hit the ballroom wall—wait.

Amelia didn't need to hide. She was Regina now, a prestigious, harmless member of society. The young woman stepped back out of the curtain, pretending to inspect the ballroom as if that was what she'd been doing all along. She pinched the bridge of her nose, praying she would pass off as the woman. The Secret Intelligence probably kept tabs on the real Regina.

"Miss Lee!" A nasally voice called out to Amelia. She had to remind herself to turn around.

An official with thick glasses scrutinized Amelia. She smiled apprehensively at the man, but he walked toward her confidently with a hand outstretched. "It's such an honor to see you in person! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Amelia grinned at the man with fake delight. It almost hurt her cheeks—she was prone to giving slight, tight-lipped hints of a smile. "I just finished a meeting with the governor. He wanted to discuss details about my father's companies."

"Ah," the official raised an eyebrow knowingly. "And did he mention anything about the missing heiress of the Bauhinias?"

The Secret Intelligence isn't really good at their job, Amelia thought. No clandestine organization goes about asking random people what they've seen—they figure out information on their own or use different methods of force to attain it.

"No!" 'Regina' feigned shock." That sounds awfully dangerous. She could be anywhere in Cantonesia by now."

"True." the official gave her a sympathetic look. "We are trying our best to trace her whereabouts and incarcerate her. She deserves at least a life sentence for what she's done—burglaries, attempted and successful assassinations, and the like. But the Bauhinias are elusive—we must determine what she looks like first."

You're looking right at her, Amelia chuckled in her head. And I've done so much more than burglaries and assassinations—you can thank Ah Ba for that. Besides, shouldn't Governor Lau also receive punishment for his crimes?

'Regina' chose to reply aloud, "I'm sure you're all doing your best. I wish you success on your mission."

Amelia—rather, Regina, did not mean a word she said.

The man smiled self-assuringly. "This will be an open-and-shut case, but we need eyes and ears. The Intelligence is wondering if you knew about the heiress's possible hideouts or locations. Since you usually keep a low profile, I'm assuming it's easier for you to notice irregularities in your surroundings or blend in with people to learn more about the Cantonesian citizens' lifestyles." The snarky official raised an eyebrow at 'Regina' questioningly. "We would deeply appreciate it if you provided us with any intel."

Amelia had to think fast. How could she throw them off or make 'Regina' seem like she knew nothing? Since she'd just met with the governor, the man was probably under the assumption that Lau had told her about the missing Bauhinia heiress. She had no alibis or excuses to give.

"I'll keep an eye out and alert you if I see any suspicious behavior," 'Regina' replied vaguely. "I've been resting at home in the past few days—I just recovered from the flu, so I haven't been out and about."

Amelia wished she could cross her fingers for good luck. She knew it was awkward, but she needed this alibi to work.

The official gave 'Regina' a sympathetic nod. "Glad to know you are all well now, Miss Lee. Do notify us if you see anything."

Phew, Amelia sighed in her head. This really goes to show how gullible some people are, even if they're working in Cantonesia's Secret Intelligence.

"I'll be on my way now," 'Regina' beamed at the official. She learned to absolutely detest grinning at people after this encounter. "Miss Elise Lau is expecting me at the lobby in a couple minutes."

"Excellent! That's where I'm headed as well. Let me show you the way!" The man smiled back at 'Regina.'

Oh dear, Amelia grimaced. She reluctantly followed the over-excited Secret Intelligence official to the lobby. It took them a good two minutes to find the right door that led from the ballroom to the entrance. Yes, the Bauhinia headquarters was big enough to accommodate more than fifty residents, but it had limited space. The Global Commerce Building didn't offer much room for sweeping staircases or grandiose portraits.

Amelia was so thankful when the official waved goodbye to her and watched triumphantly as he shut the front doors. Some of her regretted not rushing outside to where freedom awaited her, but it wasn't the right time.

Besides, Elise still needed to give her the blueprints of the Lau Residence.

Word Count: 2247

(A/N: Thanks for waiting patiently for this update! Hope you enjoyed Chapter 6 :D)