All Chapters of Hearts Unchained: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

CASSIEIt was a new day and I had taken a cooking class all because I wanted to run to the one place what I loved was reachable. The scent of garlic, bay leaf and butter filled the tiny cooking classroom, I inhaled deeply letting the aroma settle in. This was the one place I could act like I had my life all together, that I wasn't drowning from how my life was turning out, that my bank account wasn't a circus, my dreams weren't slipping away from me and my parent's voice weren't and echo in my mind, reminding me how much of a failure I was. It is what I'd call a temporary escape from the chaos my life had become.I stared intensely at the onions on my cutting board which were meant to be diced. Rather, they looked like large uneven chunks that had been chopped with a blindfold on."You're holding the knife wrong".I froze in my steps. I heard a deep, steady unfamiliar voice that didn't sound like the usual members I knew in this classroom who were just as clueless as I was.I turned s

CASSIEI thought to myself. ' I shouldn't have let him in.' I knew better how things like this go... it never goes well for me.I studied George meticulously as he sat across me at my kitchen table like he belonged there, completely unbothered by the fact that my humble abode was far beneath his taste.And worse? I let him stay.I cleared my throat as I pushed my plate away. "So… you just decided to show up here? Don't billionaires have better things to do?"George smirked. "Define. better.""I don't know, literally anything else." I shot back.He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, with amusement flickering in his eyes. "I wanted to check up on you."I blinked. "Why?""Because you looked like you needed someone.The air shifted.I wanted to laugh and brush it off. But there was something about the way he said it… he sounded sincere and that made my stomach twist.I hated that he was doing this.He saw me in a way no one else did. And if I were being honest, a tiny part of

GEORGEShe was nervous.I saw it in the way she kept shifting her weight, in the way her fingers curled into the hem of her sweater like she was holding herself together and in the way she constantly avoided eye contact with me.She didn't seem like she was ready to trust me but she hadn't sent me away either; so, I guess I'll take my chances.I stepped back, giving her space. "I was going to take you somewhere fancy, but you look like you need something low-key."She arched a brow. "So, what? You're taking me to a five-star restaurant in my sweater?"I smirked. "No. I was thinking something simpler. A drive. A walk. No pressure.She hesitated, her guard flickering. "Just us?""Just us."Cassie exhaled, looking away for a moment before finally nodding."Okay."I shouldn't have felt relief.But I did.I took her to the docks, where the city lights reflected over the water in a way that made everything feel softer. Less sharp. I had

CASSIE I told myself last time was the it was the last time. I would never see him again. That after last night, after breakfast this morning, that'd be it. I would put some distance between us. I would get back to my normal life and stop whatever this was before it turned into a wild beast I couldn't control. But George, he showed up at the café again. And at this point I couldn't detect if I was angry or I was just trying to play hard to get. His exuding warmth filled the room like he belonged there. Like he belonged with me. And for the first time, I wasn't sure if I wanted him to leave. I stayed behind the counter meticulously watching him, pretending I wasn't hyper-aware of his presence. While he sat in his usual spot, one arm resting casually on the table, his phone placed right in front of him but untouched because he wasn't paying attention to it. He was watching me as I cleaned the counter for t