Chapter 16: Marry Me, Serena

CASSIUS

The silence in the car was a physical weight. Marielle stared out the window, her jaw set in a line of defiance that made me want to either kiss her or lock her in her room until she forgot every other man’s name. When we pulled up to the mansion, I didn't give her the chance to walk.

I stepped out, rounded the car, and hauled her into my arms.

“Cassius,” she gasped, her hands clutching my shoulders.

I didn't answer. I just looked at her…my gaze hard, my pulse still racing from the sight of that boy’s hand on her.

She lowered her head, her spirit momentarily flickering under the weight of my stare. I carried her inside, barking an order to one of the guards to get the doctor.

Giselle was in the living room, rising instantly with a look of pure alarm.

“What happened?”

I set Marielle on the couch, her movements stiff and pained. I felt a pang of guilt seeing her limp, but the fury was louder.

“From now on, Marielle and Vera do not leave this house alone,” I announced, my voice echoing off the marble walls.

“Caleb or Ethan will be with them at all times. No exceptions.”

Marielle’s head snapped up, her eyes flashing with a hatred so vibrant it nearly burned.

“But Cassius, why?” Giselle pressed, looking between us.

“I’ve said what I had to say. Get the doctor to check her legs,” I snapped. I couldn’t stay. If I stayed, I’d say something I couldn’t take back, or worse, I’d drag her upstairs and show her exactly how much of a "daddy" I could be.

I walked out, the air outside feeling like ice against my heated skin. I climbed into my car and slammed the door, the sound echoing my frustration. Marielle was a fever I couldn't break. The taste of her was a drug, and I was already addicted. But the reality of what I was doing was beginning to claw at the back of my mind.

My phone buzzed. Enzo. “I’m at the ring. Get over here.” I didn't hesitate. I needed to bleed.

The gym smelled of sweat and old leather. I landed a hook that sent Enzo stumbling back, his breathing ragged. We were both a mess of bruises and adrenaline.

“You’re fucking crazy!” he yelled, spitting blood onto the mat.

I smirked, wiping a smear of red from my own lip.

“You’re the one who called me here.”

“You’re sick, Cassius! You think this is okay?” He lunged at me, but I was faster. I dodged, catching him with a kick to the knee that sent him hitting the floor with a groan.

“Don’t forget who’s in control here,” I warned, standing over him.

“You can’t marry her, Cassius! You can’t even publicly claim her without starting a war within the families! So why are you playing with her?”

“Enzo!” I roared, the warning vibrating in my chest.

“No! I want an answer! You’re disrespecting your own best friend. You’re disrespecting his legacy!” He stood up, a cynical, pained laugh escaping him.

“Do you think Fernando would be happy with what you’re doing to his daughter?”

The name hit me like a physical blow.

Fernando. My brother in arms. The man who had trusted me with his life and his family. My heart clenched, a cold dread settling where the rage had been.

“Exactly,” Enzo said, his voice dropping. “Our life isn't built for love, Cassius. You’re destroying the very family Ricardo worked to build. You’re going to ruin everything with your own hands.”

I stepped back, the walls of the gym suddenly feeling like they were closing in. I walked out of the ring without another word. I’d come to relieve stress, but Enzo had just handed me a mirror I wasn't ready to look into.

As I walked toward the lockers, my phone rang again. Serena.

I stared at the name. She was the "safe" choice. The strategic choice. The choice that didn't involve betraying a dead man's ghost.

“Why are you calling?” I asked, my voice grave.

“I want to meet you, Cassius. It’s important.”

I closed my eyes, the image of Marielle..flushed, begging, and beautiful on my desk seared into my brain. I knew what I had to do to protect the family.

To protect ..her…from the monster I was becoming.

“Marry me, Serena.”

The silence on the other end was deafening, but it wasn't nearly as loud as the sound of my own heart breaking.