Semua Bab Bound By A Broken Night: Bab 31 - Bab 40

A feverish heat swept through my body as fervent, demanding kisses claimed my half-parted lips as a familiar figure hovered above me. I could feel his weight pinning me.Those kisses stole my breath, left me dizzy—overwhelmed—yet aching for more, as though my body already understood this language long before my mind could grasp its meaning.“Ahh…”The sound slipped from me unbidden, soft and fractured, startling in its raw honesty. I had never known a sensation like this—so consuming, so relentless—yet it felt impossibly familiar, like a memory buried deep beneath my skin, long forgotten and suddenly awakened.“Cassidy…”My body went rigid at the sound of my name, growled low and dark, the syllables thick with something dangerous. Heat flooded me instantly, curling tight in my chest before spreading downward, until it felt as though something inside me was burning—without a name.“Ahh…” Another moan tore from my lips, sharper this time, broken by pleasure as my body arched instinctive

"Rima? Mirriam?”The voice cut cleanly through the charged stillness of the lobby, sharp enough to shatter the fragile standoff.Cassie stiffened.She recognized that voice instantly—and her heart ached for reasons rooted deep in the past. For a moment, it felt as though time folded in on itself, dragging her backward into memories she had long tried to bury.Like Rima and Mirriam, she turned toward the source. Her breath caught painfully in her throat. Standing there was her father.After six long years.Red Knowles looked older now—not merely from the passing of time, but from the weight of it. Stress had carved deeper lines into his face, his shoulders held the unmistakable burden of a man struggling to keep a crumbling empire upright. The once-imposing presence of the Knowles patriarch was still there, but it was tempered now by exhaustion and pressure—by a company teetering on the edge of collapse.“Cassidy?” he muttered, recognition flickering across his face.For half a second

"I wasn’t expecting this meeting,” I said calmly as I lifted my gaze to my father. “What can I do for you, CEO Knowles?”Early that morning, Drie received a message from Lemuel informing him that Red Knowles wanted to meet with me. I didn’t hesitate—I welcomed the request.If anything, I had been expecting it.Now, we were seated in one of the upscale restaurants tucked into the heart of Bay City’s bustling downtown. Inside, everything was carefully curated—soft music, muted conversations, polished silverware, and the faint scent of roasted coffee and expensive cologne.The perfect place for civil smiles, polite lies, and carefully negotiated apologies. And I was more than ready to indulge.I already knew what this was about. Anyone with half a mind would. After what happened yesterday, this performance was inevitable. Madame Rima’s carefully softened expression and Mirriam’s unusually restrained silence said everything before a single word was spoken.Still, I chose to play dumb.Re

Zandrie placed the order, and while they waited for it to arrive, the table settled into polite small talk—harmless remarks, easy laughter, the kind meant to fill space rather than meaning.They only quieted when their orders arrived. Mirriam, however, wasted no time.A subtle nudge followed—her foot pressing against Cassie’s beneath the table, deliberate and impatient.Cassie smirked inwardly. She took another unhurried spoonful of her dessert, savoring it, before finally setting the teaspoon down with careful grace.“Drie,” she said sweetly, lifting her eyes to him, “how are your negotiations with Knowles Corporation going?”Mirriam stilled, her attention sharpening as she waited for his response.Drie lifted a brow, amused. “I didn’t know you were interested in business, babe.”“Well,” Cassie replied lightly, pursing her lips as she reached for her spoon again, “Knowles Corporation is my family’s legacy.”“Business is stressful, Cassie,” Drie said gently, his tone indulgent rather

Days passed without Zandrie returning to the hotel. Unlike the previous nights, however, a message finally came through.The collaboration had been sealed—or, more precisely, it was an acquisition. Every term had been met after more than a week of relentless negotiations.Cassie read the message once. Then again.“Great job, Zandrie,” she murmured, a rare note of genuine approval softening her voice.Whatever his peculiar habits and personal indulgences, Zandrie was dependable where it mattered. Give him clear objectives and boundaries, and he always delivered results. This time was no different.For a brief moment, she allowed herself to relax.That moment didn’t last.Only a few days after news of the acquisition began circulating within business circles, a rumor surfaced—swift and vicious. It spread like wildfire, fed by speculation and sharpened by malice.Worse, it was backed by what was claimed to be leaked CCTV footage.Cassie frowned as her phone received a message. The articl