Chapter 7 The Mysterious Call

Cassandra’s POV

I must be dreaming.

I’m convinced I’m dreaming as I walk out of the ALX Skyscraper Building. The luxurious structure located in the heart of New York City towers over the skyline, showcasing its dominance in the global American industry.

How many times have I passed by that building and dreamed of one day working there, even as a staff member or in any position I could get?

And now, I’ve just found out that I’ll be the CEO’s secretary at ALX Skyscraper Building.

Oh God, I must be dreaming.

“Franco?” My voice still trembled as I called one of the closest people to me—my best friend. “You won’t believe what I’m about to tell you.”

“Yes, darling. Have you changed your mind and decided to accept me as your date for tonight’s party?”

“What?” I frowned. “Of course not!” I exclaimed in annoyance.

Franco’s response was annoying, as always, but I acknowledged it. Even so, Franco remained the best, so it didn’t bother me at all.

Franco—my best friend who always acted as if he were interested in me, though I knew he didn’t have feelings for me like that. This man had been my closest friend since our university days. Of course, we had different majors—I studied psychology, while Franco chose to delve into photography.

I hated to admit it, but Franco worked for an adult magazine. He was the photographer responsible for shooting models posing provocatively on beds. Maybe that’s why he had a more ‘mature’ lifestyle than I did, and we never planned on working together.

“Damn! You’ve broken my heart!”

I clicked my tongue. “You have hundreds of women you could take to that party. Don’t involve me in this because I need to sleep early and wake up early since tomorrow is my first day at work.”

“Oh, really? Did the company hire you?”

“ALX! I got hired at ALX Group!”

“Oh,” Franco quickly responded. “That’s a fantastic company, Cassie. You’re insane!”

Cassie—my nickname. I nodded in agreement. This was insane. “And you’ll be even more shocked when I tell you I got the position of secretary. I will start working there tomorrow, and they will offer me an enormous salary!” Without realizing it, I jumped in excitement, drawing puzzled looks from several people in the lobby.

“Sorry,” I murmured softly, smiling awkwardly.

Alright, I should’ve stepped outside before calling Franco, but what’s the harm? I couldn’t contain this happy news, and Franco was the first person that came to mind since he’d always been by my side for as long as I could remember.

“Oh, wow, that’s an amazing position! You owe me coffee tonight, Cassie.”

I rolled my eyes. “That’s not a problem. Come over to the house, and we’ll have coffee with my mom.”

“Great idea!”

***

“Is there a celebration tonight? Why are you preparing so much food?”

“Mom, guess what? I got a job at the ALX Skyscraper Building. From now on, we won’t need to borrow money from Andreas anymore, and I’ll cover your medical expenses.” I hugged my mom from the side, resting my head on her shoulder.

It still felt like a dream coming to me early in the morning.

I couldn’t believe it all, but I knew it was real.

“Isn’t that the company with the tall building downtown?” My mom frowned, looking at me in surprise.

I nodded enthusiastically.

I still remember my first meeting with the man who would be my boss.

Damn, I couldn’t imagine how I’d explain that meeting to my mom. And yes, I knew I couldn’t tell anyone, not even her.

How could I explain that I walked into my boss’s office for an interview only to find him about to have sex with a stunningly beautiful Spanish woman? I could still remember the size of…

Shit. My thoughts were filthy, and I hated it. Now, I was also stressing over how to face my boss after what happened today.

“Yes, Mom. I’ll start working as his secretary tomorrow, and they’re offering me a nice salary!”

Whatever happened today, I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was my high salary, which I couldn’t believe I’d be earning that much in a month.

My mom let out a long sigh. “You did it, Cassie! I’m proud of you.”

“Of course, you should be proud of me, Mom. I’m your only child, aren’t I?”

My mom and I rarely celebrated good days because we rarely had them. But tonight was special because I had just landed a good job that might save us from the bad days caused by my father. A special day deserves a celebration.

***

“Wow, did you buy a new phone?”

Franco commented as he saw me take two phones out of my pocket.

As agreed, Franco had come over for coffee tonight. However, he ended up staying until dinner to eat with me and my mom. While Franco and I sat at the dining table, my mom had just left to check if the soup was ready.

"I want to use it for work," I said, shaking my head. "I don’t like my personal phone being cluttered with unfamiliar numbers, making it hard to find my mom’s contact. This phone will be for work, while my old one stays for family."

“You saved my number on your old phone, right?” Franco looked up with a teasing glance. “I’m part of your family and close circle, right? Not one of those strangers whose numbers you’ll store on your work phone, right?”

“It’s probably better if I don’t save your number at all.”

“Damn, that hurts!”

I laughed, then added more beef to Franco’s bowl. “Eat plenty because I’m in a good mood today. You skipped the party with your friends and chose to have dinner with me and my mom. Consider this your reward.”

“It’s no problem. We can still go to another party.”

“We?” I scoffed. “We’re not going to those kinds of parties. You can go with your other women!”

“Are you jealous because I always go out with them?”

“Them?” I shook my head in disdain. “Never in a million dreams!” I shouted.

My phone rang, displaying a string of unfamiliar numbers.

Even without saving the number, my subconscious recognized it instantly. I simply stared at the screen until the call ended without me answering.

And I wouldn’t answer.

“Your phone is ringing, Cassie,” my mom reminded me as she returned with a bowl of steaming hot soup.

I glanced at the screen again, wishing the call would end like before.

“Cassie doesn’t pick up calls from unknown numbers,” Franco chimed in. “Let me answer it.” He reached for my phone, but I quickly grabbed it back.

I clutched the phone tightly, glaring at Franco with mild panic. “Don’t do that, Franco,” I said.

My mom furrowed her brow. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” I shook my head.

The call ended, but two seconds later, my phone rang again.

“You just got a job today. You should answer the call—it might be work-related.”

I had no choice. I couldn’t explain the real situation to my mom, especially not in front of Franco.

“I’ll be right back,” I said, standing up and doing what my mom suggested.

“Cassandra, do I have to go to the trouble of calling my wife?”

A man’s voice came through the line, and of course, I recognized who it was.

“This is Cassandra. Who am I speaking to?”

“This isn’t the first time we’ve spoken, and I have to admit I’m a bit offended that you don’t recognize your husband’s voice.”

“What do you want?” I gripped my phone tightly, trying to resist the urge to throw it against the wall like my father used to when he was angry.

Damn. I didn’t want to inherit that nasty trait from him.

“I want you.”

I frowned. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. If it’s not important, I don’t think we need to talk. Honestly, I don’t give a fuck about what you wanna talk about.”

“Damn, your mouth is quite rude.”

“I can say something even ruder. If you don’t let me, end this call.”

I didn’t know where I got the courage to say that, but the words spilled out of my mouth, and I couldn’t stop them.

“Shit. Why don’t you go ahead and do it now?”

I gripped the phone tighter. “What do you want?”

“You haven’t broken our agreement, have you?”

“What agreement are you talking about? The one I signed with your people?”

“You’re acting like a wife sulking because she misses her husband.”

“You flatter yourself too much,” I responded calmly, though I could feel my hands trembling from the mere phone call. I couldn’t deny the clear arrogance in his voice.

He was an arrogant man with no mercy. He married me just to punish my father, who couldn’t pay his debts. He was a cruel man who could ruin lives—even those who had no problem with him. And I had to deal with this man, even though I had never caused him any trouble.

“I see you, Cassandra. If you break our agreement, I can assure you I’ll do something you won’t like to your mother.”

I swallowed hard, feeling an overwhelming fear as I realized this man wasn’t someone I could underestimate.

Anyone who has dealt with Andreas Floyd must also be from a similarly dangerous world. They were ruthless, and I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance against them—I couldn’t even stand up to my own father.

“You’re the one who broke the agreement, damn it. Weren’t you supposed to stay away from me as per our deal? Why did you show up at the bar and take me to your hotel room?”

“Are you rejecting me?” He chuckled, realizing I had no defense against him. “You should know how your lips pleased me that night, Cassandra.”

“You’re lying. Nothing happened between us.”

“Really? How can you be so sure that nothing happened between us if you don’t even remember me?”

I felt my breath catch.

How could this man know that I didn’t remember his face because I was too drunk and I lost my contact lens?

“So, you really don’t remember, huh?” He chuckled. “Maybe next time, I should meet you when you’re sober, wife.”

“Don’t ever meet me,” I said, taking a deep breath, hoping no one overheard our conversation.

“Is that how you plan to hide our marriage? If so, who did you decide to spend the night with? Is it the man who’s currently at your house?”

Damn. Who is this man? How does he know there’s someone at my house?

Oh God, who am I dealing with? Did I escape my father's devil’s snare only to become the prisoner of an even more ruthless demon?