Chapter 3

As the place boomed with loud music and people danced to every beat, Darvan sat next to Stacy, who was busy talking without a care. She kept going on about Cassia and Darvan's breakup, and how she and Darvan had officially become a couple. This party wasn’t just to celebrate her return, but also to mark their reunion.

Congratulations poured in like raindrops as Stacy remained the center of attention. Darvan simply sat there, swirling a glass of champagne between his fingers, feeling distant. His thoughts drifted to Cassia. It had been days since he’d last heard from her, and for the first time, she hadn’t reached out either.

The longest she’d ever gone without contacting him was three days, but she had always been the one to give in first. Now, though, it had been a week, and Cassia still hadn’t reached out. He decided to brush the thought aside, convincing himself that maybe she just hadn’t found the right moment to call.

As the loud chatter continued, plates of beef bourguignon were placed in front of them, and everyone began eating while still talking.

“This is good, but trust me, it doesn’t quite measure up to hers...” Justin said, taking another bite and drawing Darvan’s attention.

“Whose dish?” Stacy, who loved this particular meal, asked, staring at the rest of the men.

“Cassia’s. Even Darvan won’t deny she was one hell of a great cook. One of the reasons we kept her around,” Justin laughed, while Stacy turned to Darvan.

“Why don’t you call Cassia then? Ask her for the recipe so I can cook an even more delicious beef bourguignon for you,” she teased. The others quickly joined in, egging him on to make the call.

He inhaled deeply, his mind drifting back to the past when Cassia would invite him and his friends over for meals, believing that hosting them was a way to become a part of his life and show how close they were.

However, Darvan and his friends had always taken her efforts for granted, often criticizing her cooking. He remembered one particular time when he made her cook a dish seven times just to watch her struggle for fun. Yet Cassia never complained.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he thought this could be an opportunity to hint to Cassia that she could come back and reconcile with him. He picked up his phone and reluctantly dialed her number, but it bounced back. He narrowed his brows, noticing she had blocked him.

"Is everything alright?" Fredrick and Marc asked in unison, noticing the confused expression on Darvan’s face.

"Try calling her from your phone," Darvan said. Fredrick took out his phone to make the call but he quickly found he was blocked too. Justin and Marc tried the same, only to discover they had also been blocked. Every one of them.

"Is she for real?" Marc laughed, finding the situation amusing.

"Why go to such an extreme when she'll end up begging and crying anyway?" Justin scoffed loudly.

"Since she wants to play that game, let's see who regrets it in the end," Darvan muttered, his grip tightening around his phone as he tapped her contact and blocked her number in return. She was playing a game she was bound to lose, he thought. But he was determined. Even if she came begging on her knees, it would be too late. He wouldn’t take her back.

His fists clenched tightly, his jaw tensing as anger surged through him. The tension in his face was evident to everyone around, including Stacy.

"I know a Michelin-starred chef who could make something far better than Cassia's cheap, basic cooking," Stacy said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Her dishes probably wouldn’t even qualify as second-rate—disgusting and flavorless," she added with disdain.

"Sure, maybe we should invite the chef some other day... That way Stacy can learn from him," Marc laughed awkwardly, attempting to ease the tension, but it did little to calm Darvan.

*****

Cassia slumped heavily onto the couch, kicking off her heels and tossing her handbag aside. She had just returned from the exhibition hosted by Liam. It had taken her a lot of effort to finally attend, and though she was glad she had, she’d made sure he didn’t see her.

"Don’t you think you’ve been visiting us more often lately Sia?" Quinn asked as she sat next to her.

"Something you never did when you were dating Darvan," Kiara added, leaning against the wall a few meters away. "I remember begging you to come, but no, you always chose Darvan over me." Kiara's teasing tone earned an eye roll from Cassia. Kiara and Quinn were her closest friends, having shared a dorm in college, which had brought them together.

Quinn, an heiress to a conglomerate, had left home because her parents forced her into a business life she didn't want. She wanted freedom. Kiara on the other hand was the daughter of a well-known business tycoon.

"That’s in the past, okay? Can you stop bringing it up?" Cassia replied sitting upright while her friends exchanged suspicious looks.

"Don’t tell me you’re regretting walking away from Darvan," Quinn asked with raised eyebrows, causing Cassia to frown and shot her a glare.

"Stop saying that! It’s making me angry," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Even hearing his name makes my stomach turn." Her friends stifled their laughter. Was Cassia really being honest?

"So, what brought our baby here?" Quinn finally asked, resting her head on Cassia's shoulder.

"I finally gathered the courage to visit Liam’s gallery today after overhearing people talk about his new exhibition last week," Cassia began.

"Wait... Liam?" Kiara interrupted. "Isn’t he the guy who offered you a job and promised to help you become the best designer?" she asked, her memory suddenly kicking in.

"And didn’t you say he offered to take you to Paris too?" Quinn asked, lifting her head from Cassia's shoulder to look at her.

"Yeah, you’re both right," Cassia replied with a nervous laugh.

"And you threw those chances away because of Darvan. Wow, girl, I have to applaud your stupidity," Kiara teased, clapping briefly. "Funny how I tried to talk you out of it, but you said I had bad breath and you couldn’t listen to me," she added sarcastically, making Cassia frown in frustration. She regretted the naive decisions she’d made in the past.

"That’s why I’m here, okay? I feel guilty for disappointing him. Besides you and Quinn, he’s the only man who ever supported my dreams and career," she muttered.

"I visited his gallery the other time and realized he had some of the works I did sometime back. So I came here to ask if it is even okay for me to reconnect with him since we have not been talking for so long because of what happened,” she said, glancing between her friends, who were now searching for the right advice.

"Since you've decided to walk this new path, then why not turn to Darvan for help? His family has connections and it could—

“‘I don’t want anything to do with Darvan!" she rose from the chair, her face slightly red in anger.

“Gosh, I was just teasing you, okay?” Kiara replied, raising up her hands in defense.

"Well, stop joking about it! I don’t want anything to do with trash like him,” Cassia retorted angrily and Quinn tugged her down to the chair again.

"Alright, alright, she’s sorry," Quinn muttered, stroking Cassia’s hair soothingly. "Why don’t you try approaching Liam? He might even be happy to see you."

"You think?" Cassia asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

Quinn nodded. "Definitely."

"But how do I face him?" Cassia asked again, looking between her friends, as they paused, thinking hard about the best way to approach the situation.

"Guess who I saw..." Cassia suddenly interrupted their thoughts.

"Who?" Kiara and Quinn said in unison.

"Samantha. I mean, she was the last person I wanted to run into today" Cassia said.

"Don't tell me she's still on about that nonsense, saying you're too poor to deserve Darvan?" Quinn asked.

"I hated her back then," Kiara added.

"Does she still call you 'four eyes' and 'old-fashioned'?" Quinn asked.

"Hey, are you indirectly insulting me too?" Cassia frowned.

"I—"

"Just tell me how to approach Liam," Cassia cut in, clearly angry.

****

It was morning, and Cassia had decided to visit Liam's exhibition after her friends encouraged her to see him. She prepared some homemade snacks as a gift and included a brooch she had designed before leaving her friends' place, where she'd spent the night.

Upon getting to the gallery, she unexpectedly ran into Erik, Darvan's cousin who was in the middle of trying to convince Liam to collaborate with their fashion brand. Cassia greeted Liam with a tight, strained smile before giving Erik a polite nod.

"Look who we have here," Erik said with a grin as his eyes scanned her outfit. She had changed. No more long unfashionable skirts and she’d ditched the nerdy glasses. The skirt she wore now was shorter, more stylish.

"Trying to seduce Mr. Liam now that you’ve been dumped? What’s your deal with rich men?" Erik asked, crossing his arms. To his utter shock Liam smiled at Cassia in a friendly manner before speaking to her.

"Brought me breakfast?" Liam asked, eyeing the small box in her hands. Cassia nodded, smiling as she handed it to him. Still, the last thing she had expected was him to be as composed as he was when he first looked at her. She had expected him to be colder or indifferent.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Sinclair, I need to talk to my guest," Liam said, taking Cassia’s hand and leading her away, leaving Erik awkwardly standing behind.

"Look who we have here..." Liam teased once they reached a quieter spot causing Cassia to bite her lip awkwardly.

"How about we go somewhere quiet to talk?" Liam suggested. Cassia nodded and they headed to a nearby café for a more relaxed conversation.

Liam bought them drinks and he could not help but stare at Cassia, glad the she finally decided to contact him.

“I…” she started, nervously rubbing her hands beneath the table, trying to muster the courage. “I’m sorry for the past years. I’m sorry for abandoning my career when you cared the most,” she muttered, her head bowed, unable to meet his eyes.

“It’s a choice, Cassia. We all have our own paths. If the one you took doesn’t feel right, you can always come back and start fresh. It’s never too late. You were one of the best in your day,” he praised her. She pressed her lips together grateful that he wasn’t scolding her as she had expected.

“If you don’t mind, how about being my assistant for my upcoming projects?” Liam asked casually and her eyes widened in surprise.

“There’s no point in saying no, you’re perfect for the job,” he added. Cassia smiled shyly, relieved that after all these years, he still trusted her.

“Thank you so much, Liam,” she said, bowing slightly in gratitude. She hadn’t expected the conversation to go this smoothly.

“That aside, how have you been?” he asked and Cassia began to share some parts of her life, focusing on the more interesting aspects.

As they continued talking and enjoying each other’s company, Darvan and Stacy walked into the café. Stacy who had been hoping to land a role in one of Liam’s prestigious projects had come to the café after not finding him at the exhibition. They decided to take a break there.

The moment Darvan entered, his eyes locked on Cassia, who was sitting with Liam, laughing and having a good time. A deep frown creased his face as he watched them.

Had she already moved on? Was Liam the reason she’d been distant? How long had they been dating? Was she seeing him while they were still together? His thoughts swirled with jealousy and anger, unable to shake the sudden wave of possessiveness that rushed over him. With a frown, he advanced towards their direction, balling his fingers tightly.