CHAPTER 5: Cassie's First Strike

Jules.

I watched from my study window as Lena stood in the lobby thirty floors below, a small figure facing Cassie's dramatic gestures. I'd told security to give Lena privacy but to intervene if things escalated. I was just protecting my investment, maintaining control of the situation. That's what I told myself, even as my hand clenched around my whiskey glass hard enough to hurt.

Nate's words from earlier echoed in my mind: "She's not what I expected. She's... genuine. When's the last time you met someone genuine, Jules?"

I had dismissed it. Nate always saw the best in people—it made him an excellent mediator but a terrible judge of character. Lena was no different from any other woman. The trembling voice during the vows, the wide eyes, the careful politeness—all calculated to appeal to protective instincts. I'd seen it before.

Except I hadn't. Not like this.

I thought about lunch, watching Nate make her almost-smile. Watching her relax, bit by bit, like ice melting. The way she'd listened when he talked, really listened, asking follow-up questions that showed she cared about the answers. When was the last time anyone listened to me like that?

When was the last time I gave anyone reason to?

My phone showed the security camera feed. Cassie was in Lena's face now, her finger jabbing at Lena’s chest. Lena stood perfectly still, taking it. My free hand moved toward the intercom to tell security to remove Cassie, then stopped. I wanted to see how Lena handled this.

After Cassie left—security escorted her out when she started screaming—Lena didn't come back upstairs immediately. She sat on a lobby bench for ten minutes, staring at nothing. I watched her shoulders rise and fall with careful breaths. She wasn't crying. She was composing herself. Rebuilding whatever walls Cassie had torn down.

When she finally returned to the penthouse, I was in the living room pretending to read contracts. "Well?" I asked without looking up.

"It's handled."

"What did she want?"

"To remind me of my place." Lena's voice was steady. "She'll be at the dinner tomorrow night. She somehow got herself invited as someone's plus-one."

Now I did look up. Lena's face was calm, but there was a red mark on her cheek that hadn't been there before. My jaw tightened. "Did she hit you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Answer the question."

Lena met my eyes. "Yes."

Something hot and violent burned in my chest. I set down my drink carefully, because if I didn't, I might throw it. "Why didn't security intervene?"

"I told them not to." Lena's chin lifted slightly. "I've survived worse from her. I don't need protection from my own family."

"You're a Blackwood now. That makes it my business."

"I'm a Blackwood in name only. We both know this marriage is a transaction." She said it without bitterness, just stating facts. "You don't need to pretend to care about what happens to me in private."

The words hit harder than they should have. I stood, closing the distance between us. Lena didn't back away, even though I towered over her. Up close, I could see faint scars on her hands, the too-thin frame hidden under her ill-fitting dress, the exhaustion in her eyes that went deep.

"At tomorrow's dinner," I said quietly, "you will stay by my side. You will not engage with your sister alone. If she approaches you, you will tell me immediately. Do you understand?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because you're my wife." The words came out harshly. "And the Blackwood name doesn't tolerate disrespect. From anyone."

Lena studied my face like she was trying to solve a puzzle. "You're not protecting me. You're protecting your reputation."

"Does it matter which?"

"I suppose not."

She turned to leave, and I found myself saying, "Nate likes you."

Lena paused. "He's kind."

"He's naive. He thinks everyone has good in them worth finding."

"And you don't?"

I remembered my mother's tear-stained face as she packed her bags, swearing she loved her affair partner, not my father. I remembered my father's cold rage, the way he dismantled her entire life as punishment. I remembered being nineteen and learning that love was just another word for leverage.

"No," I said. "I don't."

Lena nodded slowly. "Then I suppose we have that in common. Good night, Mr. Blackwood."

She left. I poured another drink and returned to the window. My phone buzzed—a text from Nate: “How's married life? Lena seems sweet. Don't screw this up, Ice King.”

I deleted it without responding.

The next evening, I watched Lena come out from her room in the dress my personal shopper had delivered—a deep emerald that actually fit her, elegant without being flashy. She was still too thin, still moved like she was trying to take up less space, but there was something different. Her hair was styled. She wore minimal makeup but she still looked beautiful.

"Is this okay?" she asked, and I hated that she sounded uncertain.

"It's fine." I adjusted my cufflinks, not trusting myself to say more.

In the car, I briefed her on the attendees. "Anderson Corp, Westfield Industries, Billy Holdings. All potential partners for the Riverside development project. Smile, nod, don't offer opinions on business matters."

"Should I just stand there looking decorative?"

I glanced at her sharply, but there was no sarcasm in her face. She genuinely didn't know what was expected. "You're my wife, not furniture. Make conversation. Be polite. Just don't make promises I'll have to break."

"Understood."

The restaurant was exclusive, private—the kind of place where deals worth billions happened over truffle risotto. Nate was already there, lighting up when he saw us. "The happy couple!" He kissed Lena's hand, and I fought the urge to step between them.

The dinner started well. Lena was quieter than the other wives, but when spoken to, she was articulate and thoughtful. I noticed Anderson's wife warmed to her immediately when Lena asked genuine questions about her charity work. She wasn't performing; she actually cared.

Then Cassie arrived on the arm of Thomas Westfield's arrogant son, Derek. She wore a dress that cost more than most people's cars despite her family’s debt, dripping with jewelry, and her smile was fake as always.

"Oh my god, Lena!" Cassie's voice carried across the restaurant. "Look at you! All dressed up like you belong here. How adorable."

The table went silent. Derek smirked and I felt Lena stiffen beside me.

"Cassie," Lena said evenly. "I didn't know you'd be here."

"Derek invited me last minute. We're old friends." Cassie slid into a seat across from us, uninvited. "I had to come see my dear sister in her new life. It's so surprising, isn't it? Lena was always so plain. So forgettable and now she's married to one of the most eligible bachelors in the city." Her eyes gleamed with malice. "Though I suppose you settled for what was available, didn't you, Jules? Since the real Carter daughter wasn't interested."

My hand curled into a fist under the table. Nate jumped in smoothly: "Actually, I think Jules made an excellent choice. Lena's been a delightful addition to our circle."

"Has she?" Cassie's laugh was cruel. "That's sweet, Nate. But we both know Lena's only value is her last name. She certainly doesn't have anything else to offer."

Lena's face remained calm, but I saw her hands trembling in her lap. I was about to shut this down when Lena spoke, her voice quiet but clear.

"You're right, Cassie. I don't have your confidence, your beauty, or your charm." She looked directly at her sister. "But I also don't have your cruelty. And I think, in the long run, that matters more."

The table was dead silent. Cassie's face flushed red and Derek looked uncomfortable. I stared at Lena, genuinely surprised.

Before Cassie could respond, Thomas Westfield cleared his throat. "I think we should move on to business, gentlemen. Though I must say, Mrs. Blackwood, grace under fire is a rare quality. You handle yourself well."

The dinner continued, but I couldn't focus on the business talk. I kept seeing the red mark on Lena's cheek. I kept hearing: “I've survived worse from her.”

How much worse?

On the drive home, Lena was quiet. Nate had offered to escort her out while I finalized details with Anderson, and I'd watched them walk out together—Nate's hand on her lower back, protective, warm. Everything I wasn't.

"You handled that well tonight," I said finally.

"Thank you."

"What did Nate say to you when you were leaving?"

Lena glanced at me, surprised. "He asked if I was okay. He said if I ever needed anything, I could call him."

"How generous."

"He's your friend."

"He's my business partner. There's a difference."

We rode in silence. As we pulled into the building, I said, "You should have let me handle Cassie."

"Why?"

"Because you're—" I stopped.

 ~Because you're mine.

That's what I had almost said but that was ridiculous. She wasn't mine. She was a contract, an arrangement, a means to an end.

"Because I'm what?" Lena asked softly.

"Because you shouldn't have to handle her alone." I got out of the car, ending the conversation.

Later that night, I was working in my study when my phone buzzed. Security alert: someone had tried to access the building using Lena's maiden name. Cassie Carter, denied entry.

I pulled up the security footage. Cassie, drunk and screaming at the security guard. "She's my sister! She stole my life! Let me up there!"

The guard remained professional. "Miss Carter, I'll have to ask you to leave, or I'll call the police."

Cassie tried to push past him. Two more guards arrived. She was escorted out, still screaming.

I sat back, cold fury settling over me. I picked up my phone and made a call.

"Liam? It's Blackwood. I need a restraining order drawn up. Cassandra Carter. By morning." I paused. "And Liam? Make it airtight. If she comes within 500 feet of my wife, I want her arrested immediately."

I hung up and poured a drink. Through my study door, I could see Lena's closed bedroom door down the hall. She was probably asleep. She would never know about tonight, about the restraining order, about any of it.

I was protecting my investment. That's all.

My phone buzzed, a text from Nate: “Thanks for dinner. Lena is a good woman, Jules. Don't let her slip away.”

I stared at the message for a long time before deleting it.

The next morning, I found an envelope that had been slipped under my door. Inside was a photograph—Lena, maybe twelve years old, bruised and crying in a corner.

 On the back, in handwriting I didn't recognize: "Ask your wife about the accident that killed her mother. Ask her who was really driving the car that night. Some secrets are worth millions to keep buried." There was no signature, but I recognized it. It was from my own father's office.