Chapter 72
“Wait, wait! I’m not that drunk!” Callisto protested as Cassian tried to drag him away
“Yes, you are.”
“You definitely are
Lorraine barely had time to react. She stood there, frozen, as the two men bickered in hushed tones. Her mind was still reeling from what had just happened. Callist had attempted to kiss her right there, in front of a room full of people. But before his lips could meet hers, Cassian had stepped in, yanking him away at the last second.
Shock and confusion swirled inside Lorraine A strange sensation crept over her–a chill that made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It wasn’t just the wine she had sipped earlier that was making her feel dizzy. No, this was something else. Something darker, something menacing hirking in the air. Instinctively, Lorraine’s eyes slanted toward Cassian, who was now speaking quietly with Callisto. His expression was calm, almost too calm, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.
But Lorraine had caught something, a fleeting moment of tension in Cassin’s demeanor. Was she imagining in Or was there something s
sinister.
hiding behind his polished exterior?
Before she could dwell on it further, a voice snapped her back to the present.
Lorine
One of her employees called her name, dragging her out of her fog. Startled, she realized her knees were trembling. Her body had been reacting to the situation long before her mind had fully registered the danger. Her palms were clenched into fists, nails digging into the soft flesh of her hands, leaving red half–moon indentations. She quickly unclenched them, feeling the sting of where her skin had almost broken
It was only then, with her senses fully returning, that Lorraine noticed what she had been too distracted to see before. Just a few feet in front of her, Cassian stood, smiling brightly. The sight of his gleaming white teeth sent a wave of unease through her. He seemed almost charming, with that disarmingly warm smile. But Lorraine knew better. Behind that smile, there lurked a predator.
Her whole body tensed as Cassian’s long legs carried him toward her, step by deliberate step. In his hand, he held a bouquet of flowers, as if they were meeting under normal circumstances. As if there was no history between them. As if he hadn’t been the source of some of the darkest moments in her life.
Lorraine’s breath caught in her throat. She felt as though she were sinking, unable to move, unable to think clearly. Her legs felt like lead, rooted to the spot. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to flee from the man in front of her But her body refused to obey
She had always imagined that if she ever saw Cassian again, she would be stronger, more composed. She would confront him head–on, throwing all the anger and hurt he had caused back in his face. Yet here she stood, paralyzed. Her face, which she had trained so well to conceal her emotions over the years, was now betraying her entirely. Her forehead creased as deep lines of distress appeared, and her eyes–wide with fear–couldn’t hide the torment of her past.
Cassian, of course, noticed. He had always been able to read her too well. Her silence, the stiff posture of her shoulders, and the tension in her face told him everything he needed to know. Lorraine was still afraid of him. And for some reason, that knowledge pleased him.
A part
of Cassian had expected her to react differently after all these years. He had anticipated anger or defiance, maybe even hatred. Given their history, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she had shoved him away, called him out, or even slapped him in front of everyone. But seeing the fear in her eyes, knowing that his presence still had such a profound effect on her, was oddly satisfying.
“Flowers for you,” Cassian said softly, his voice smooth and unhurried. He extended the bouquet toward her, his smile growing even wider, as though this were some kind of pleasant reunion between old friends.
Lorraine’s heart pounded so violently in her chest that it was all she could hear. The room, the people around them, everything faded into the background. All that remained was the deafening sound of her own fear and the nausea rising in the pit of her stomach.
The flowers in Cassian’s hand felt like a mockery, a cruel joke, a reminder of everything he had done to her. She could barely stand to look at them. The simple gesture, innocent on the surface, was now loaded with meaning. It was a symbol of all the torment he had put her through, of the chaos he had caused in her life.
Lorraine couldn’t understand it. After all this time, after all the distance and the years that had passed, why did seeing him again make her feel so powerless? So trapped? It was as though the trauma he had inflicted on her had never really healed, only buried deep enough to make her think it had disappeared. But now, standing in front of him, it all came rushing back
She remembered everything–the day of their engagement, the night of the wedding, the moments of betrayal that had left scars too deep to forget. No matter how hard she had tried to move on to forget the pain, seeing Cassian aga reopened the wounds, raw and fresh as if no time had
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Chapter 72:
passed at all.
“You’ve become even more beautiful, Lorraine, Cassian said, his eyes glinting with an admiration that made her sick. You don’t even look like a mother. Is it because you’ve spent so much time with Callisto!”
The audacity of his words made Lorraine’s blood boil. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and for a moment, she felt as though she might choke on the fury rising in her throat. How dare he speak so casually about her life? About her son? Her entire body trembled with a mixture of rage and fear.
Without thinking. Lorraine’s hand shot out, shoving the bouquet of flowers hard against Cassian’s chest. The force of her action knocked him back. a step, and she could feel the anger surging through her, powerful and uncontainable.
It wasn’t enough to erase the fear or the memories, but it was enough to remind her that she wasn’t powerless. Not anymore.
After divorce he wants[/caption]
