LOGINSlash’s POV I still couldn’t believe this bastard had dragged me along. A whole dinner. A whole damn *date*. And not just any date—one with a high-class heiress whose name alone could move markets. I had no say in it. Absolutely none. The moment we stepped into the restaurant, I already knew who owned the place. The place screamed money, from the lighting to the quiet music, even the way the staff moved like they were trained to breathe in elegance. And then there was her. Tricia. She stood up the moment she saw us, surprise flickering across her face when her eyes landed on me. But just as quickly, it vanished, replaced by a perfect smile. Exactly what you would expect from someone of her status. “Cassian,” she greeted warmly before shifting her gaze to me. “And… Mr. Johnson. I’m glad you could make it.” Like I was *invited*. I forced a polite smile. “The pleasure is mine.” It wasn’t! Not even a little.We took our seats, and from that moment on, I knew
Cassian’s POV “You look very distracted. Are you okay?” Slash asked, his tone softer than usual as he leaned back in his chair across from me. I sighed and straightened in my seat, rolling my shoulders as if that alone could shake off the weight sitting on my chest. “Have you ever felt like everything going on in your life… isn’t how it’s supposed to be?” I asked, my voice low, almost careless. He smirked immediately, as if I had just handed him a joke. “Absolutely,” he said, nodding. “Because I know for a fact I wasn’t meant to inherit shit from my parents. If they had a second child, that life would be his, and I’d be somewhere traveling the world, drinking expensive liquor and flirting with danger.” I gave him a murderous glare. “What?” he asked, raising a brow. “That’s not what I mean,” I muttered. What he felt was completely different. He felt trapped in a life he didn’t want. I… I felt like I was in the wrong one entirely.Like something was missing. Like
Cassian’s POV I was about to shut my laptop and finally call it a night when my phone buzzed loudly on my desk. “Yeah?” I answered coldly, already regretting the interruption. “Cassian, your parents insist you come home immediately,” Rudolph's voice said. “It’s important. No further details.” I ran a hand through my hair. It was late. I was exhausted. I hadn’t slept properly in two nights. The thought of leaving the office, letting all the pending files sit while I handled some vague parental scheme, filled me with a mixture of frustration and dread. “Fine,” I muttered. “I’m leaving.” By the time I pulled into the driveway, my mood had worsened. More cars than usual were parked outside. Guards I hadn’t seen before lined the path to the front door. The extra lights reflecting off polished vehicles made my stomach twist. Something was definitely up. Rudolph opened the door before I could, lowering his voice as I stepped in. “Sir… uphold the family manners tonight. Your p
Arielle’s POV By the time we got home, my body felt heavier than it should have. Not because of the injury, but because of everything else. Soraya helped me inside carefully, her arm wrapped around my waist as if I would collapse at any moment. “I can walk, you know,” I muttered weakly. “I know,” she said softly. “But let me do this anyway.” We stepped into the house quietly. For a moment, everything felt… normal. And somehow, that made it worse. “Go sit,” Soraya said, guiding me toward the couch. “I’ll get you water.” I nodded and lowered myself carefully, biting back a wince as my knee throbbed. The pain was there, but it was nothing compared to what I felt inside. Each time Cassian’s words replayed in my head, I felt like I had lost everything. Going back in time felt like my punishment for whatever sin I had committed. I also felt like a part of my heart was being stabbed by an invisible dagger, over and over. I swallowed hard and looked away.Here,” Sora
Cassian’s POV“Grandson, are you listening?”Grandfather’s soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts.I blinked twice before forcing a small smile.“What?” I asked calmly.Grandfather exchanged a look with Grandmother before turning back to me.“Cassian,” he called gently.“Yes, Grandpa.”“You’ve been spacing out for quite a while now,” he said. “Is everything alright? Work problems? Or perhaps something happened with your parents?”“Everything’s fine,” I replied quickly.But even as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a lie.Nothing felt fine.Not since that crazy woman walked away from the company earlier.My entire day had been a mess. I barely remembered what happened during the meeting. My assistant had even repeated a few questions twice because I simply couldn’t focus.I had come here hoping my grandparents would distract me.Instead, my mind was even louder.“Cassian,” Grandmother said gently, placing her warm hand over mine. “Something is clearly bothering you. You know y
Soraya’s POV“I’m back.”Arielle’s voice echoed from downstairs.The moment I heard it, the clothes I was folding dropped from my hands onto the bed. My heart jumped as I rushed out of my room and down the stairs two at a time.The second my eyes landed on her, relief flooded through me so strongly that my knees nearly gave out.“There you are!” I exclaimed and rushed forward, wrapping my arms around her tightly. “Do you know how worried I was? If you hadn’t sent that text asking me to cover for you, Mom would have reported you missing by now.”I pulled back with a smile, ready to scold her properly.But the smile disappeared the moment I saw her face.Her expression looked… broken.“What’s wrong?” I asked quickly, my voice dropping in concern. “Are you hurt anywhere?”My hands immediately moved to her shoulders as I checked her arms and back.Then my eyes dropped lower, and I froze.Her knees were badly bruised, swollen, and scraped.“Oh my God, Arielle,” I whispered, “You’re hurt.”







