Chapter 4

The room went dead silent in an instant.

Julian's expression finally shifted. His thin lips parted, a hint of displeasure lacing his words. "Marcus, that's going too—"

"You bet!"

I picked up the glass, my eyes locked dead on that three grand.

Three grand!

How many baskets of fries would I have to drop at KFC to earn three grand?!

Under everyone's stunned stares, I tipped my head back and chugged it down in one go.

The fiery liquid burned down my throat and into my stomach, and I forced down the urge to puke.

I slammed the empty glass upside down on the table.

"Thanks for the tip, boss!"

I crammed that three grand into my pocket, terrified the money would magically grow wings and fly away.

The blond guy just gaped.

"You... you actually drank it?"

"You paid, so of course I drank it." I wiped my mouth.

"Got any more, boss? I feel like I could earn myself a down payment on a house."

At that, the room fell utterly silent.

Feeling like he'd lost face, the blond guy gritted his teeth and poured three more glasses.

"Three glasses, nine grand!"

My eyes instantly turned into dollar signs.

Just as I reached for them, a big hand clamped down hard on my wrist and forcefully snatched the glass away.

Julian's face was black as thunder, fury churning in his eyes.

"Enough."

He looked coldly at the blond guy.

"Since when do you get to make a monkey out of my assistant?"

The blond guy jumped. "Julian, we're all just having a little fun..."

"And if she really drinks herself into the hospital, can you afford the bill?" Julian's voice went colder.

The second I heard that, I wasn't having it.

"Boss, don't cut off my income stream!"

I wrenched free of Julian's hand and threw myself protectively over that nine grand.

"I'm not scared of the hospital! As long as the medical bills get reimbursed, I'll drink him into bankruptcy!"

Julian stared at me in disbelief, a vein throbbing at his temple.

"Cassandra, is there anything in your head besides money?!"

"What else would there be? You?" It flew out of my mouth.

The air went suddenly still.

The people around us sucked in a collective breath.

Crap. My mouth got ahead of me.

"I mean..." I scrambled to patch it up. "I'm not worthy of holding a refined gentleman like you in my head."

Julian took a deep breath, his chest heaving.

He suddenly seized my wrist and started hauling me straight out.

"Outside. Now!"

"Hey, hey, hey! My money! I haven't grabbed that nine grand yet!"

I struggled with everything I had, twisting back to shout at the blond guy, "Marcus! Save it for me! I'll get your number, and we'll drink again next time!"

Julian was so angry he stumbled a step, his grip tightening as he dragged me along even faster.

He didn't stop until he'd stuffed me into the Maybach's passenger seat and the door slammed shut with a bang.

He came around to the driver's seat, still wearing a look like he wanted to eat someone alive.

"Have you gone completely money-crazy?"

"Yep." I sat in the passenger seat, pulled the three grand out of my pocket, and carefully counted it.

"One, two... yep, it's all here."

Watching me act like such a money-grubber, Julian suddenly laughed in exasperation.

"You're not Cassandra at all."

My hands froze mid-count.

I looked up and met his deep, dark eyes.

"Cassandra is allergic to seafood, but you devoured that lobster like you were terrified you wouldn't get a single bite in your next life."

"Cassandra has studied ballet since childhood. She walks with a natural turnout, not bouncing around like a manic rabbit the way you do."

His amused gaze swept over me, thick with playful scrutiny. "Tell me. What exactly is your purpose here?"

A cold sweat broke out across my back as he spoke.

"I—my allergies are completely cured!" I stammered, frantically scrambling for an excuse. "And I severely injured myself doing a ballet split, so I swore never to dance again! The way I walk now... is strictly for rehab!"

His eyes darkened, the depths of his gaze swirling with a dangerous undercurrent.

"I... I..." Under his suffocating aura, A voice suddenly flashed through my mind: [Ruin the wedding!]

So, I puffed out my cheeks and huffed indignantly, "Fine, Julian! You're just disgusted by how much I've changed, aren't you? Then go back and tell your father to call off the engagement!"

Julian looked at me, the amusement in his eyes deepening profoundly.

"So this is your OWN wish... is it?"