LOGINCassie already knew the answer would hurt.
Her heart had settled on one man quietly, even stubbornly while her mind clung to another because of a promise she had made when she was desperate and afraid.
Love and obligation pulled her in opposite directions, stretching her thin until breathing felt like work.
“Does it matter?” she asked finally, her voice barely steady.
“Yes, Cassie, it does.” Nathan’s voice softened, but beneath the cal
The humiliation pressing down on Frederick felt unbearable because no matter where he looked, he found people staring at him.Some people looked entertained by what had happened, some looked curious, and others watched him with pity written all over their faces, which only made the situation even harder for him to endure.Their eyes stayed on him everywhere he turned.Franklin had introduced him to countless important people over the years, and because of those connections, the Novarian Group had managed to establish a branch in New York without much difficulty.Most of the billionaires and influential figures gathered in the ballroom tonight were people Franklin had personally brought into Frederick’s circle.Frederick had always appreciated that.He had always believed Franklin was the one person in his life who would never betray him.Now, standing there in front of everyone, he no longer knew what to believe.He and F
Frederick was no match for his twin brother, and every cruel word he had ever spoken about Cassie seemed to give Franklin even more reason to keep hitting him.Each punch landed harder than the one before, and with every blow, more blood spilled from Frederick’s nose and mouth until the front of his shirt was stained red.The crowd stood around them in stunned silence, watching everything unfold without trying to interfere. Some people looked horrified, some looked entertained, and others had already taken out their phones to record the fight because it was painfully obvious who was winning.“Please, stop them,” Sienna cried, her voice breaking with panic as Franklin drove another fist into Frederick’s face.“For every disgusting thing you ever said about my wife,” Franklin roared, his voice filled with so much anger that it sent chills through the room.Frederick had stopped fighting back a while ago because he knew there was no point. He could barely block the punches anymore, and e
It took several long seconds for Franklin’s words to fully settle over the room. Nobody moved, nobody spoke, and for a moment, it almost felt like the entire world had stopped spinning.Sienna trembled where she stood, her fingers curling tightly against the fabric of her dress as she stared at Franklin with wide, disbelieving eyes.“Franklin?” she whispered, her voice shaky and weak. “No.”Pearl and Audrey looked just as stunned. Their mouths hung open, and the envy in their eyes was so obvious that neither of them could hide it. Lucien and Asher looked like they had just seen something impossible, and both of them turned toward Frederick, expecting him to be surprised.Instead, Frederick was smiling.The sight of it was unsettling because although there was a smile on his face, there was nothing warm about it. His eyes remained cold, and there was something heavy sitting behind that expression, something ugly and painful that looked ready to break free at any second.“Frank,” Freder
Out of all the dresses Franklin had picked out with Scarlet, Cassie somehow chose the exact same design Scarlet had fallen in love with, the only difference being a subtle variation in color and detailing that made each of them stand out in their own way.Cassie’s dress flowed over her like liquid emerald silk, hugging her figure just enough to highlight her shape without being excessive, before cascading into a dramatic train that followed her every step.The plunging neckline was bold but balanced by the low back, with delicate straps that shimmered under the golden lighting, catching attention effortless rather than forced.Around her neck, an emerald necklace tied everything together, perfectly matched with her other accessories, giving her a presence that felt both refined and impossible to ignore.Scarlet’s gown mirrored the same silhouette, but hers came in a deep, striking crimson, radiating confidence with every movement she made. The thigh-high slit added a daring edge, whil
“Does Mr. Roth have a twin brother?”The question came from Raymond Carter, an investment banker who clearly enjoyed being the first to notice things others hadn’t fully processed yet, his fiancée standing neatly at his side as both of them stared in open curiosity.All attention shifted toward Franklin.Dressed in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo, he stood with an ease that made the room feel smaller around him, and even though Frederick was wearing something almost identical, the resemblance between them didn’t hit as sharply as it used to.They still looked alike, still carried the same striking features that made people look twice, but something about Franklin felt more defined, more grounded, like he had stepped fully into himself in a way Frederick hadn’t quite managed.“They have to be twins,” Andre muttered under his breath, while Liyah nodded beside him, both of them quietly taking in the c
Franklin had a feeling about the box, and it wasn’t a good one, not because he thought it held anything dangerous, but because he worried deeply about how Cassie would react to whatever was inside it.It could stir up emotions strong enough to ruin the mood before such an important night.“Let’s open it after the party,” he said, keeping his tone light but intentional.Cassie smiled immediately, like she had already expected that answer. “That’s exactly what I thought,” she replied, her eyes softening before a playful spark slipped in. “But tell me something… did you get me a dress?”Franklin let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he looked at her, wondering how she could even ask that when her closet alone could rival a high-end boutique, filled with outfits she hadn’t even had the chance to wear yet.Still, he had gone ahead and gotten her something anyway, mostly because Scar
Darkness wrapped around Scarlet like thick velvet, soft and endless, swallowing every trace of sensation until there was nothing left but quiet.No sound reached her, no pain, no memory of weight or breath, only the strange peace of being untethered from her body, as if she were drifting somewhere
By the time Franklin’s jet finally touched down in Manhattan, a heavy kind of exhaustion had already settled deep into his chest, not the physical sort that came from long flights or lack of sleep, but the emotional weight that built up when a man carried too many memories, too many secrets, and
Sienna had been immersed in her perfume business for months, losing track of time the way only obsession allowed. At first, she’d been certain Frederick was ready to invest, his interest had been obvious, his questions precise, but the truth was, she hadn’t finalized a single sample.
“It is one of the men who helped us get home the other day. He introduced himself as Jonathan,” Victoria finally confessed, her gaze hovering between the everyone presence but avoiding that of Cassie.Cassie’s brows arched in interest, recognizing the significance behind the name and the courage it







