3| OUT OF PLACE

Valerie’s POV

The security guards did not hesitate. Their hands were rough as they grabbed the back of my wheelchair, jerking me around with such force that my neck snapped back. The laughs of the crowd filled the air, clearly thinking I was unstable but the only thing I could desperately wish for was for Cassian to look at me.

But he was in the arms of his real wife and I was nothing but his gateway to riches.

"Wait! Cassian, look at me!" I screamed, my voice cracking under the weight of the humiliation.

“Sorry for the inconveniences.” I heard Cassian say loudly to the crowd as I was being rolled outside. “We will make sure to make the security tighter next time to avoid beggars coming in here unannounced."

Oh god.

The cameras continued to flash, recording my downfall for the entire city to see. I looked back one last time, hoping for a glimmer of regret, but Cassian only watched me with an expression of pure boredom. He didn’t have a single care for me.

The guards shoved me through the doors of the lobby and out onto the concrete sidewalk. I nearly tumbled out of the chair as they let go, the wheels skidding against the pavement roughly as they didn’t care I couldn’t walk.

"Stay out, lady," one of the guards spat, pointing a warning finger at me. "Before we call the police to take you to the asylum where you belong."

They left and closed the door with a bang but I remained there.

I couldn’t move or breathe, I just sat there, shaking in pain as the tears I had been holding finally came loose.

As I cried, I heard the door open, followed by heavy footsteps and the click of heels. I already knew who it was before I looked up. Cassian and Lydia walked through the door, looking every bit like the golden couple of the year. Lydia rested her head on Cassian’s shoulder as her cold and malicious gaze swept through me.

"Quite the performance, Valerie," Cassian said, his voice dropping the facade of the confused billionaire. He looked down at me with a smirk that made my skin crawl. "I must admit, your timing was impeccable. You chose the one day I was ready to be done with you anyway."

"Why?" I choked out, my chest heaving painfully as it felt as though my heart was being trampled on. "I gave you everything, Cassian. My heart, my father's money... I raised your children!"

"My children," Lydia interrupted with a sharp laugh. "Did you really think a man like Cassian would want a family with a vegetable? You were a convenient nanny and our gateway to getting rich, Valerie. Nothing more."

I whimpered as more tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I had planned to surprise Cassian but I was the one being surprised.

Cassian stepped closer, leaning down so his face was inches from mine. "I never loved you. Not for a single second. You were just a means to an end and your father's startup assets were the fuel I needed to build this empire, and I knew exactly how to play the grieving, lonely heiress."

Hot tears slid down my cheeks as I listened to his confession.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lit it and took a drag, before blowing the smoke carelessly on my face. I coughed and cried at his mercy. Hell, I didn’t even know he smoked.

"It is a pity, really. I wanted to lay my hands on that multi-billion dollar inheritance before I tossed you to the side like the trash that you are. If you hadn't been so slow with the probate, I might have kept the charade up for another month."

“What have I ever done to deserve this?” I cried.

“Well, let’s just say your father was a hard nut to crack and I really needed someone naive and inexperienced to help my course move faster.” He said, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

It took a moment for the words to register and when they did, I was shaken.

"You... you caused the accident," I whispered, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. If I had been in pain, this was agony.

Cassian's smirk only grew wider. "Think whatever helps you sleep at night, Valerie. But do not bother coming back to the penthouse. I have already had the locks changed. Your disgusting clothes and your pathetic things have already been disposed of."

"You can't do this! We are married!" I cried in agony, reaching out to grab his sleeve. I desperately hoped he would tell me this was all a prank but the look in his eyes said otherwise.

"Are we? You might want to check those papers again, darling. I had the marriage certificate forged years ago. You have no claim to me, no claim to this company or the one you gave me, and certainly no claim to my house."

Lydia checked her watch impatiently. "We should go, baby. The press is waiting for the rest of the tour."

"Of course, my love," Cassian replied. He looked at me one last time, his eyes devoid of any feelings. "Don't let me see your face again. If you show up at my door or my office, I will make sure the rest of your life is spent in a prison cell."

Just then, we got some company and it was the evil twins, Leo and Lexi, who had a striking resemblance with Lydia, their real mother.

“What is this filthy woman doing here?” Lexi asked, throwing a disgusted look at me.

“She was just about leaving, baby.” Lydia said, ruffling her hair playfully.

“Is she finally going away, daddy?” Leo asked Cassian.

“Yes, son.” Cassian said, turning his back on me like I didn’t matter anymore. “Let’s get back to the press meeting as one big family.”

I could only cry bitterly as they shut the door in my face.