《Cassia, The Billionaire's Collateral》全部章節：第 11 章 - 第 20 章

Cassie's POV What have I done?! My eyes went wild with the deafening silence and the other women looking at me as though I had lost it completely… I guess I had. “I'm so so so so—” The door swung up before I could complete the word, revealing Lucien. I quickly turned away,swallowing hard. Why does he only know how to show up during the wrong moment? Fondling the hem of my shirt, I silently prayed that this single act of mine doesn't make him lose his patience because as brave as I was, I didn't want to experience something that someone who had stayed around way longer than I did was terrified of just imagining. “How is everything going?” I heard him ask, only making my breath hitched. My eyes glanced over where the tablet had fallen and it wasn't even hidden. I was screwed. Definitely screwed. “Uhm…” trailed off the moment she began to speak. A pang of guilt struck me at the moment because I didn't want her to take responsibility for what I had done. Still, I was too terrif

Lucien’s POVThe meeting was going to hold whether or not she did what she did. The only thing that changed was just her presence and the location. Meanwhile, speaking of her presence… that was the reason I couldn't even bring myself to get her and asked Carter instead. Her presence felt like a chemical… very strong chemicals that left my reflexes paralysed while teaching my nerves only to respond to her.I held my breath for a second when she stepped in with Carter. Not because there was a reason, but how her skin radiated under the light made me forget how too. I observed the way the men looked at her, and it ignited something in me. Something that could crack a skull without minding the outcome. I quickly claimed my spot around her, only answering her because a lot were not here for the meeting. They were here to spy and I'd not let a single attitude slip off about us not really being engaged. I stopped when I got to Don Maximo. He was the oldest and most cunning amongst the rest

Cassie's POV Before I could make another move, he lunged at me, shoving the knife I was holding to the floor.“I am not setting you up Cassie! I am trying to protect you!” He raised his voice at me, shaking me as though there were visible blocks that prevented his words from sinking into my head. Still, I couldn't bring myself to believe him. If there was anything Elena taught me to expect, it was that nothing went for nothing in this game and even if he were yelling the truth, it only meant that he was setting me up for worse.“Don't lie to me,” I broke into a painful whisper as I couldn't bear another argument or thought of his betrayal in disguise of help. “I'm not lying to you, Cassie,” he lowered his voice, and for the first time I looked into his eyes to recognise something I'd lived with and still do. Something that of all the men in the room, he was the very least I expected to see it in— fear… the fear of being misunderstood and something else I couldn't quite decipher, but

Lucien’s POVSeeing the level of mistrust and resilience she had, I lost sense of what to expect. First of all, I am Lucien Valez and it was definitely the most unusual reality that I wanted her to expect something good from me. That aside, I couldn't risk her leaving my sight anymore because if she tries to escape, then I wouldn't be surprised that one of my men would betray me. It wouldn't be their fault either, but Miguel's for placing a whole fortune on her head.“Still found nothing?” I asked Carter after making sure that Cassie had gone to take her shower. Hopefully, she would have eaten as well before I returned. The poor girl looked like hell when stressed.“Nothing yet. I was hoping to seek permission to personally go to New York. Maybe nothing has been found yet because they underestimate the men I've been sending, but they'll cooperate when it's you or me.”“That's brilliant, but silly. I can't risk you being out there in a time like this. Miguel is crazy and what if he dou

Cassie's POV Before I could stop pulling away from him, his grip around me tightened while he pulled me closer to himself. He kissed me gently like the most fragile thing on earth, even while his strong grip never loosened. With my hands buried somewhere in his hair and a strange need to melt into him, I involuntarily moved against his crotch, setting my entire body in flames. Before things could get worse, I pushed his chest and pulled myself away from him. “I'm sorry,” I mumbled, with my chest rising and falling rapidly while his gaze was glued to the floor as if what just happened was some sort of taboo. Of course it was. “I'll go back to bed,” I ran off even before completing my sentence and locked the door behind me.With every pant, I mentally slapped myself hard. Hard enough never to do it again or let myself look at him in any inappropriate way again. But then again, would he be okay? Just then, I heard something fall and break, but I didn't dare to go back there.I pressed