LOGINCassie didn’t hesitate this time.When Sebastian took her hand, she let him, her fingers relaxing into his grasp as he lifted it slightly, angling it just enough for the light to catch the ring resting on her finger. The gesture wasn’t loud or aggressive, but it didn’t need to be, because the meaning behind it was clear enough on its own.Both Asher and Lucien went quiet almost immediately, the expressions on their faces dimming as the reality they had been trying to ignore settled in fully. Whatever curiosity or interest they had been entertaining moments ago disappeared just as quickly, replaced by something far more restrained.Sebastian’s lips curved with satisfaction as he watched their reactions.“That’s more like it,” he said, clearly pleased, before releasing her hand and walking over to Rose.He crouched down in front of her, his expression softening again in that easy, familiar way as he looked at
A faint smile curved Cassie’s lips as she read the message on her phone, subtle but unmistakable, and that single expression was enough to send a ripple of discomfort through Frederick as he watched her from where he stood.There was something about that smile that didn’t belong to the moment, something private, something meant for someone else, and the realization sat heavily in his chest before he could stop it.Who was making her smile like that? Could it be her husband?The thought didn’t sit right with him, not in any way that made sense, because no matter how much time had passed, no matter how much had changed, there was still a part of him that resisted the idea of Cassie belonging to another man.Cassie’s fingers moved across the screen with ease as she typed her response, her expression calm, untouched by the tension still lingering around her.I’m handling things just fine, she replied. Mom and
Cassie eased out of the embrace slowly, her arms lingering around Rose for a brief moment before she finally straightened, her gaze sweeping across the room with quiet confusion as though she genuinely expected to find someone else nearby who could possibly be the one Frederick was calling.But there wasn’t anyone, not a single person.Which meant, without question, he had been talking to her.“Fred, why exactly would you want to talk to her?” Sienna’s voice came quickly, laced with unease that she couldn’t quite hide as something unpleasant twisted in her stomach, her instincts already warning her that this situation was slipping beyond her control. She turned sharply to Rose as if redirecting things might help. “Rose, come here and stay with me.”But Rose didn’t move.Instead, her small hands tightened around Cassie’s clothes as she pressed herself closer, clinging in a way that carried
“Nat, thank God you’re here,” Cassie said the moment he pulled her into a quick, familiar embrace, her voice carrying a mix of relief and quiet authority that came from knowing exactly what she was doing.“I wanted to go through the proper channel, and I’m glad I did. Debbie told me to make sure you get enough rest, so the second you’re done, I’m taking you straight home.”Nathan pulled back with a small smile, like her words amused him more than anything, and without wasting another second, he lowered himself in front of Rose, his entire demeanor softening, making it obvious he had a completely different side to him outside the operating room.“Well, look at you,” he said warmly, his eyes lighting up as he took her in. “You look more and more like your mom every single day, and I’m telling you right now, one day, I want you to grow up and become a surgeon just like me.”Rose&rs
For a moment that stretched far longer than it should have, Frederick couldn’t say a single word. The sight of Cassie standing there completely threw him off balance because he hadn’t expected her to be there, and the silence that wrapped around him wasn’t just surprise, it was something deeper, something harder to admit.Calling her beautiful didn’t even begin to cover it, because what stood in front of him wasn’t the same woman he remembered walking away from. There was something different about her, something refined and striking, like she had stepped into a version of herself that he had never truly seen before.And then, slowly, uncomfortably, something else started to settle in his mind.Now he understood why his friends had shown interest in her, why they had looked at her the way they did back then, because the woman in front of him now carried a presence that demanded attention without even trying.It wasn’t just her appearance, although that alone was enough to turn heads, i
“Say no more,” Debbie cut in immediately, not even needing the full explanation before stepping in. “I’ll make sure he gets there. Just send me the location.”A small smile stretched Cassie’s lips despite everything, because that was exactly the kind of support she needed right now, someone who acted without hesitation.“Thank you,” she said softly before ending the call.The next call was one she couldn’t avoid, even though part of her already knew what Franklin’s response would be. When he answered, she didn’t waste time easing into the conversation.“I’m heading to Chicago,” she told him, her voice steady despite the storm building inside her. “I’ll let Mom and Dad pick Tristan up from school. My dad is really sick.”Franklin didn’t interrupt her, allowing her to finish before responding in that calm, measured way of his that always seemed to ground everything around him.“Alright,” he said. “The pilot can take you. I’ll catch a commercial flight and meet you there.”Under normal c
When Cassie drove out of the restaurant parking lot a few hours earlier, she finally felt like she could breathe again.The combined presence of Doctor Cross and Franklin was enough to suffocate a room. Together, their aura, expectations, and unspoken pressure could roast chicken without fire. She
The Incomparable Diamond necklace was legendary in its own right, home to the world’s largest internally flawless diamond, a staggering 407 carats, set in warm rose gold and framed by smaller stones meant to amplify its brilliance. It was the kind of piece that stopped conversations mid-sen
The question hung between them, dense and airless, like a fog that refused to lift. Nathaniel felt it press against his chest, tightening with every second of silence.He knew the truth, even if he did not say it aloud, he could never put Cassie first. He could want to. He could try. But his princip
Sleep vanished from Cassie’s eyes the instant Nathaniel’s voice sharpened through the phone.The warmth she usually associated with him was gone, replaced by something tighter, possessive, unsettled, and unmistakably edged with anger.“It’s not what you think







