ログインSADIE The silence Cassian left behind wasn’t empty. It was heavy, pulsing with the rhythm of the machines that were keeping me tethered to a life I couldn’t verify. I stared at the ceiling, watching the shadow of a tree branch dance across the white tiles. Except, the more I looked at it, the more the shadow didn't look like a branch. It looked like a hand—long, spindly fingers reaching for my throat. I blinked, and the image vanished, leaving only the dull ache in my side and the frantic thrumming of my heart. Julian. The name was a splinter in my brain. Every time I ran my tongue over the mental wound of it, I felt a flash of something. Not a memory, exactly—more like a sensory ghost. The smell of expensive cigars. The sound of a deck of cards being shuffled. The feeling of a cold, smug smile directed at the back of my head. I couldn't stay in this bed. The "safety" the doctor promised felt like a cage, and the medicine was a fog I needed to claw my way out of. I grabbed the e
SADIE White. Everything was white. The ceiling, the walls, the sheets tucked so tightly around my legs that I couldn't move. My head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton and then set on fire. Every time I tried to think, a sharp, stabbing pain flashed behind my eyes, making the world spin. Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound was steady and annoying. I wanted to reach out and turn it off, but my arms felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. I looked down at my hands. They were pale, thin, and hooked up to a bunch of clear tubes. Where am I? I tried to remember how I got here. I remembered... a birthday party? No, that was years ago. I remembered a rainy day at the park. I remembered my mom’s voice. But when I tried to remember yesterday, or the day before that, there was just... nothing. It was like someone had taken a giant eraser to my brain and left a big, blank smudge. The door creaked open. A man walked in. He was tall, wearing an expensive-looking suit that was wrinkled and
Cassian I grabbed a silk scarf from her vanity table and tied it tight around her waist to slow the bleeding. She let out a soft moan of pain, her head lolling against my shoulder. "Stay with me, Sadie. Don't you dare close your eyes. Keep looking at me." I scooped her up. She weighed almost nothing, like she was fading away right in my arms. I carried her down the stairs, my boots slipping slightly on the blood near Mara. I couldn't leave Mara there to die, either. She had risked her life for us. So I had to go back there and take her with me. I laid Sadie in the backseat of my car, propping her up with my leather coat. Then I ran back inside, hoisted Mara over my shoulder, and carried her out too. I shoved her into the passenger seat, buckled her in, and jumped behind the wheel. The drive to the private clinic was a blur of adrenaline and pure fear. I ran every red light, my hand constantly reaching back to touch Sadie’s leg, making sure she was still moving. "Sadie, talk to
CASSIAN I drove like a man with a death wish. The city lights were nothing but blurry red and white streaks against the black sky. My hands were gripped so tight on the steering wheel that my knuckles were stark white and my fingers had gone completely numb. But I didn't care about the pain. The only thing I could feel was the icy knot of terror tightening in my stomach. Julian Vance was back. The man who had spent years trying to ruin me was now sitting in my boardroom, laughing as he stole my life’s work. But the company didn’t matter. The money didn’t matter. If Julian was at the office, it meant his people were at my house. It meant Sadie was a target. "Answer the phone, Mara! Pick up!" I yelled at the dashboard, my voice cracking. I was on my tenth attempt to call her. Finally, the line clicked. But there was no "hello." Instead, I heard a heavy, wet breathing sound and a soft, gurgling noise that made my blood run cold. It was the sound of someone struggling to stay al
CASSIANThe air in the room didn’t just turn cold; it vanished.I stared at Julian Vance. He stood in the doorway with the same predatory grace that had once fooled me into calling him my brother. Three years hadn’t changed the sharp, calculating look in his eyes, or the way he wore a suit like armor designed to intimidate."Julian," I spat, the name tasting like ash."In the flesh. Or what’s left of it after you tried to bury me in that legal mess back in Singapore," Julian said, strolling toward the head of the table. He didn’t wait for an invitation. He pulled out the chair directly opposite me and sat, leaning back with his fingers interlaced. "I hear you’ve been busy. A new wife? Already? You always were a romantic, Cassian. Or a fool. It’s hard to tell the difference."Clara moved toward him, her hand landing on his shoulder in a way that confirmed every suspicion I’d ever had. She wasn't just working with him; she was under his thumb."He thinks he can invalidate my shares, Jul
CASSIANAll through the night, I watched over her but there wasn’t any sign of consciousness. It began to marvel me as to what extent she might have consumed the poison.Who would even dare to do such a thing to her?The alarm rang at exactly 4pm, the regular timing for me to prepare for work. I really don’t understand how much power the board of directors think they have over my company and private life. But I was ready to play whatever game they bring up.I really need to be at the meeting and also watch Sadie my lifeless wife. Now, Everyone was now a suspect except one person.“You remember that Favour I told to you keep till I need it? I need it now Chap.”Mara was like a sister to me. I helped her start up her Bakery since she didn’t have anything doing and I became her only family.She promised to stand by my side no matter what. Talk about water speaking than blood. Since that day, she has been nothing but supportive. She would call to check up and even send me some pastries w







