All Chapters of THE WOLFE LEGACY: HEIRESS OF THE EMPIRE: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

~CASSIAN~The moment I walked into the restaurant, the whole atmosphere changed. I spotted Sienna right away, even though I didn’t want to. She looked like she had a guilty secret, sitting stiffly across from Aria, nervously twisting her napkin like she was trying to squeeze out her conscience. She didn’t once look me in the eye, but I caught every detail: the way she kept glancing around the room, the slight trembling in her hands, and the heavy silence between us.I held back my anger, not wanting to make a scene. Instead, I crossed over and sat down beside Aria and she looked up at me briefly, her expression impossible to read, and said nothing. I put my hand on the table, close enough for her to feel it, but not so close that it would seem like I was trying to stake a claim.While Aria and Sienna talked, I found myself distracted. Part of me focused on Sienna struggling to get her words out, but most of my mind kept drifting back to the night that my plans got altered. The night I

~CASSIAN~Aria opened the door and got out, her heels clicking sharply on the stone as she hurried toward the house, when the tires had barely ceased to crunch on the gravel. She remained silent as if she wanted to keep us as far away as possible and for a brief moment, I remained behind the wheel and watched as her tiny figure vanished into the night, her hair bouncing with each hurried stride. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and kept thinking about that question she asked me in the car, heavy and sour. It was hilarious but the expression on her face when I made fun of her? I was even more troubled by that.She didn't even give me a sidelong glance as she ascended the stairs by the time I followed her inside. I suppressed the urge to call out to her. I would only injure her more if I stopped her right away. I released her and watched her disappear into her room. I headed to my own room and as soon as I threw my jacket on the armchair, my phone buzzed. Vaughn’s name lit up

~ARIA~Breakfast had just ended when Cassian put down his glass and leaned back, his sharp gaze fixed on me.“There’s a party tonight,” he said casually, like it was no big deal. “A birthday for one of my associates. I want you to come with me.”I froze, my hand paused on the napkin, staring at him. My first instinct was to refuse - the word no was right there on the tip of my tongue. I was still brittle from yesterday (though I didn’t know exactly why), and the last thing I wanted was to parade myself around in his world full of polished smiles and sharpened knives.But my lips betrayed me. “Okay,” I whispered, surprising both myself and him.His brows rose slightly, as if he hadn’t expected me to give in that quickly. “I’ll have a dress delivered…”“That won’t be necessary,” I cut in quickly, lifting my chin. “I have plenty at the studio. I’ll pick from my own collection.”Cassian barely tilted his head before returning to his wine. The conversation was over.I crept off to my room

~SIENNA~While waiting for Aria's update on my request, my phone lit up with Celeste’s name, making my stomach drop hard.“New mission,” she said, her voice icy, sharp. “The boss wants eyes on Cassian and Aria tonight at an event. I’m sending you an invitation. Blend in, watch, and report back.”My mouth went dry. “And if they see me?”“They won’t,” she replied coldly, like a slammed door. “You know what happens if they do.”Just like that, my night and the last scraps of my conscience, were claimed.When I arrived, the party was alive with wealth and power. Crystal chandeliers sparkled above designer gowns, laughter floated like rehearsed music, smiles were sharp weapons hiding knives. My dress felt too tight, my skin even tighter, like I didn’t belong.Then I saw her.Aria.Bathed under a chandelier’s glow, wrapped in midnight silk made for her alone. Hair swept up, neck bare—a picture of quiet power that screamed louder than any polished socialite there. She was breathtaking.But i

~CASSIAN~Viktor swirls the ice in his crystal glass, the clinks soft, his gaze locked on mine. “Your father,” he starts slowly and deliberately, “he ruled with an iron fist. But even iron rusts, yes?” A faint, sharp grin curls on his lips, as if he knows something I don’t. “I wonder if the son is as strong as the man he replaced.”My jaw tightens, but I stay calm. I don’t flinch or give him the victory of a reaction. I lean back in my chair, deliberate, like I have all the time in the world to play this dangerous game.“Funny,” I say, my voice light but razor-sharp, “the last person who asked that out loud isn’t around to tell you the answer.” I let my words settle between us like a stone. I see Viktor’s brief amusement deepen, a warning flickering in his eyes.Vaughn, sitting beside me, doesn’t move but I feel the heat of his tension. We’re both coiled and ready, but this isn’t a war fought with guns just yet.Viktor chuckles low and dark, clearly savoring the verbal sparring. “I li