ANMELDENCassie stared at her, and damn, Natalie had to admit it. Cassie was professional, graceful, like she didn’t need anyone to stand up for her.
There was this aura about her, the way she carried herself, like she could squash bullies with nothing but a look.
“That diet is for postpartum women, because of hormonal imbalances after childbirth,” Cassie said, calm, measured. “Miss, did you try it? Or are you just trying to argue? Either way, it just exposes your ignorance. Don’t you think?”
Franklin’s lips stretched into a proud smile, and when Evelyn saw it, her resolve crumbled like dry sand.
“You… how dare you insult me? Do you know who I am?” Natalie’s voice rang sharp, cutting the air.
Cassie tilted her head, smiling softly. “Am I supposed to die just because you’re the president’s daughter? Excuse me, who are you again? I don’t recall seeing some
Franklin had been silent for a long time, listening, observing, weighing every word Nathaniel had spoken to Cassie. But now, alone in the room, he knew it was time to be honest.He scanned the space carefully, Cassie was nowhere in sight, thankfully, and leaned back, voice low and deliberate.“What if I do?”Nathaniel laughed, but it was sharp, bitter, a laugh that didn’t reach his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands in frustration. “Now it all makes sense.”“How do you even do it?” Nathaniel asked, voice strained. “Everyone sees it, everyone knows how you feel. And yet, she can’t.”Franklin let out a short, dry chuckle. “That’s because I care about her feelings more than I care about mine.”Nathaniel blinked, stung. “I… I care about her too,” he said, but the words felt inadequate even to him.“Really?&rdquo
“Cassie, we need to talk. Alone.” Nathaniel’s voice carried a sharpness that made her chest tighten, as though the air itself had thickened around them.Franklin, holding a small device, carefully placed it on the table and excused himself. “I’ll just use the men’s room.”Once the door clicked shut, Cassie felt a heavy weight settle over her chest. She couldn’t meet Nathaniel’s eyes.Something between them had shifted, an unspoken tension that hadn’t existed before. Her heart thumped erratically, the sound loud in her own ears.Nathaniel leaned forward, his fingers pressed tightly against the table, knuckles white. “Cass, tell me the truth. What’s the relationship between you and Franklin Roth?”Her throat felt dry. “He’s my ex-husband’s twin brother, and we… we have some business collaborations.”Nathaniel’s brow furrowed sharp
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-sentence.And yet, sitting across from Cassie, even that masterpiece paled beside the Heritage Bloom resting against her collarbone.Nathaniel knew it. He felt it the moment his eyes landed on her.Cassie could afford luxury, yes, but she was also practical, intentional. She wouldn’t casually spend that kind of money when her company was still finding its footing. Which meant only one thing.Franklin.Franklin stepped closer to Cassie, his presence calm, assured, unmistakably possessive.A soft smile curved his lips as his gaze settled on her, not the polite smile he gave the world, but something warmer, something deeply personal. Nathaniel had ne
“Thank you, little man,” Cassie said softly, leaning down to kiss Tristan on the cheek. The boy’s grin stretched from ear to ear, eyes sparkling like he’d just won the world.If only the men watching could trade places with him for even a second, they would.“Just remember to take a lot of pictures,” Tristan added with a teasing smile, and though Cassie returned his smile, she made no promises.Meeting Nathaniel Cross with Franklin was going to be complicated. Nervous? Yes, that word barely scratched the surface.Jonathan watched her carefully, reading between the lines. He’d caught glimpses of Franklin’s protective edge, the way he lingered near Cassie, the small, almost imperceptible looks he cast her way when no one else was watching.It said far more than any words could. Any man seeing Cassie like this would know she was extraordinary. And in Jonathan’s case, pursuing her meant risking a de
Cassie and Tristan sat at the dining table, each wrapped in their own little bubble of focus, as if the other didn’t exist. Plates clinked softly, silverware scraped against porcelain, and the faint aroma of roasted vegetables and herbs filled the room.Franklin had orchestrated this strange tension intentionally, and Cassie wasn’t about to untangle it for him, not in front of Jonathan. Let him stew in curiosity; that was only fair.“We’ll talk about it later,” Franklin said finally, his voice smooth, controlled, but threaded with an unspoken edge. After Cassie left the table, he turned fully toward Jonathan.“It’s a long story. Stay awake until we get back from the date, and I’ll tell you everything. For now, though, there are a few things I need to handle in my study.”Jonathan arched a brow, already guessing at what Franklin meant. “You still deep into all that crypto stuff?”Franklin shrugged casually, though there was a faint glint in his eye. “Want to see?”Jonathan shook his hea
“Jon, what’s going on?” Franklin asked, his voice calm but edged with something sharp beneath it.Cassie had just finished setting the dishes on the dining table, the warm scent of oats, pancakes, and toasted wheat filling the room.She felt it immediately. The strange shift in the air. The tall blond man across from her was looking at her like he already knew her, like he was trying to place a memory.“You’re Cassie, right?” Jonathan asked.Before Cassie could even open her mouth, Franklin answered for her, a hint of pride creeping into his tone. “Yes, she is. Did you see her fitness blog? Or the launch of her company?”Jonathan blinked, clearly thrown. “Company? No. What company?”Franklin frowned. That wasn’t what he’d expected. His gaze sharpened as he turned fully toward Jonathan. “Then how do you know her?”Jonathan hesitated, then shrugged. “Divorce case. A colleague of mine in Chicago handled it. He had her pictures all over his phone.”The room went quiet.Cassie froze mid-ste







