Se connecterThe car ride back to the apartment was filled with a fragile kind of hope. Reggie kept Cassie’s hand firmly in his the entire way. His thumb traced slow, soothing circles on her skin. After the emotional rollercoaster of the the night before and the morning, both of them were drained. All they wanted to do was put everything behind them. As the car made a stop at the gate, Cassie leaned her head against Reggie’s shoulder. “I just want to be home with you,” she whispered. “No more secrets. No more running.” Reggie pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “Me too. We’ll figure this out together. I promise.”The constant reassurance made Cassie feel that everything was going to be just okay. They had passed a turbulence, their first fight. They walked from the garage, hand in hand. Reggie frowned the moment they reached the door. It was slightly ajar, a thin sliver of warm light spilling out into the dimly lit corridor. “That’s strange,” Cassie said softly, tilting her hea
The back office door opened once more. The club manager stepped inside, looking pale and deeply apologetic. In his hands was a thick folder and a USB drive. He approached Reggie with his head slightly bowed. “Mr. Reginald, I’m truly sorry for everything that happened tonight,” the manager said, voice filled with regret. “We’ve done an internal audit. There was clear sabotage. Dominic had unauthorized access to the security archives. I do not know who gave him access but I promise to find out soon and let you know. "You better do that as soon as possible or kiss your job goodbye," Reggie warned. "I will work on it boss. These are the original files we recovered.” He handed over the folder and the drive. Reggie opened the folder immediately. It contained the original photos from Cassie’s night at The Forbidden. The raw, intimate, and deeply personal pictures stared at him. His jaw tightened painfully, but he nodded slowly. It was not like he had expected to date a virgin but he fel
Reggie stormed back into The Forbidden like a force of nature, his blood boiling with unrestrained fury. The cool night air outside had done nothing to extinguish the fire raging inside him. His split knuckles throbbed painfully, but the physical sting only fueled his determination. The bouncers at the entrance recognized him immediately and stepped aside without a single word, sensing the dangerous storm in his eyes. He pushed through the crowded main floor, shoving past masked bodies writhing to the heavy bass, ignoring the half-naked scenes unfolding around him. Everything that once felt familiar now turned his stomach. He had to find Dominic. He needed to end this tonight. “Where is he?” Reggie growled at the first staff member he spotted near the back hallway, his voice low and lethal. The man paled and pointed nervously toward a door at the far end of the corridor. Reggie didn’t hesitate. He slammed the door open with such force that it cracked against the wall, rattling the
Sarah quietly closed the door behind him, leaving Reggie standing in the softly lit guest bedroom. The air felt thick with tension and unspoken pain. Cassie was curled up on the bed, facing the wall, her back turned to the world. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and even from across the room, he could see the faint shudders running through her body. The sight of her so small and broken twisted something deep inside his chest. “Cassie…” His voice came out rough and strained, heavy with hurt and confusion. She didn’t turn around at first. A soft, broken sob escaped her lips. It was barely audible. Reggie crossed the room slowly and sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to startle her. “I need the full truth,” he said quietly, his voice trembling. “Please. I do not want to believe whatever Dominic told me. I’m losing my mind here. I need to understand what’s been happening.” Cassie slowly rolled over to face him. Her eyes were swollen and red-rimmed, fresh tears already streaming d
Chaos erupted around them the moment Reggie’s fist connected with Dominic’s chin. Shouts rose above the pounding music as onlookers backed away. Dominic lay sprawled on the floor, blood trickling from his split lip. He was glaring up with pure venom. Before he could rise, two burly bouncers in black shirts pushed through the crowd and grabbed Reggie by the arms, hauling him backward with professional efficiency. “Enough!” one of them barked. “Take it outside or to the office. Now.” Reggie struggled against their hold, chest heaving, eyes still locked on Dominic. “Get your hands off me.” The second bouncer tightened his grip. “Club rules. All fights go to the office. Let’s go.” “I’m not going anywhere with you,” Reggie snarled, voice low and dangerous. “I’m a silent partner in this club. Call your boss. Tell him Mr. Regginald is here and he’ll confirm it. I’m not wasting time on your bullshit procedure.” The bouncers exchanged uncertain glances. One of them spoke into his earpiec
Reggie’s heart slammed against his ribs like a war drum as he pushed through the masked crowd, eyes locked on Cassie’s retreating figure. He couldn't believe the coincidence. He had left her at home and ran here and she had come? Had she come for him? No, she couldn't have known that he was here. Maybe she had come to find the man in the photos. Or was it not Cassie? But he knew her and could tell her apart, even from a thousand women. She couldn't have come here looking for the other man. No. He refused to believe it. The pain and confusion etched on her face when their eyes had met across the floor cut him deeper than any physical wound. Something was horribly wrong. He needed to reach her. He needed to fix whatever had shattered in her eyes. He needed the truth. "Sir, we were just getting started, " his companion said. "Not now Bess. Not now, " Reggie shouted before walking away. “Cassie!” he shouted, but the heavy bass of the music swallowed his voice whole. He broke in
Cassie poked at her breakfast with her fork, barely aware of the way the scrambled eggs cooled in front of her. The tray Sarah had brought up sat on her lap, untouched save for a bite or two. Her room was quiet except for the hum of her friends' conversation in the background.Emily sat cross-legge
The sun had begun its slow descent, casting long golden shadows across the hallway floor. Cassie stood in the center of the living room, her sleeves rolled up and her hair tied back with an old ribbon she’d found in one of her mother’s drawers. Around her were open boxes, piles of mismatched china,
Cassie stood in the doorway of the kitchen, fingers tightening around her phone. The smell of fresh coffee drifted toward her, mingling with the faint scent of pine from the air freshener Asher always used. His house was tidy- books arranged neatly on shelves, an old familiar quilt draped over the
The sky had dipped into deep lavender by the time Asher pulled up in front of the house. Cassie, Sarah, and Emily hurriedly hurried with their make-up and dresses.“Your carriage awaits, ladies,” Asher told them as soon as they stepped out. Cassie had made an effort. Her mourning did not mean that







