Semua Bab Bound By A Broken Night: Bab 51 - Bab 60

The tension at the table sharpened into something almost tangible as Madame Rima fixed Cassie with a deathly stare, her eyes cold and calculating.“You suspect your mother’s death involved foul play?” Another voice cut cleanly through the charged silence. Everyone, including Cassie, turned to its direction and saw Ashton Pierce walking toward them.Mirriam was the first to react. She rose abruptly from her seat, smoothing her dress as though the movement were instinctive, practiced. A bright, eager smile bloomed on her lips as she tilted her head just so.“Ashton—you’re here too,” she greeted, lashes fluttering with unmistakable enthusiasm.He didn’t even glance her way, which immensely soured her mood. She did not even try hiding his irritation at Cassie. But no one gave her attention. Ashton walked straight past her, stopping only when he stood beside Cassie. His attention was wholly fixed on her now, his gaze steady, intent—waiting.Cassie met his eyes, surprised but unshaken.“M

I’ll cook the eggs. You just prepare the table,” Ashton declared, chest subtly puffed out, as if he’d just cracked a major business deal instead of a few eggs.“I’ll cook the eggs,” Zandrie countered immediately. “You already handled the bacon. It’s my turn.” He reached for the pan, fingers brushing the handle with intent.“You toast the bread and slice the fruit. Equal labor.” Ashton was undeterred, swiftly reclaiming the pan from Zandrie’s grasp. “I’ll make the eggs this time. You set the table.”The kitchen was small. Too small for two powerful men, two egos, and one frying pan.It was early morning when Cassie emerged from the bedroom, drawn out by the low bickering echoing through the hotel suite. She stopped at the doorway, disbelief washing over her as she took in the scene before her.She had thought their rivalry ended last night. Apparently, last night had only been a prelude.And now, she was about to face a far more serious predicament—two CEOs fighting over breakfast duti

Cassie allowed herself to bask in the shock and disbelief rippling through the small circle around her. Six years ago, she would have shrunk under those same stares—too small, too broken, too ashamed to even lift her head in the wake of a scandal she never truly understood, let alone controlled.Tonight, she faced it head-on.“Look how arrogant you’ve become,” Rima muttered coldly, her lips curling with disdain.“Are you not ashamed,” she continued sharply, “to reveal your scheme so brazenly in front of CEO Wallace and CEO Jefferson Holt?”Cassie met her scorn evenly. She didn’t rush to defend herself. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t explain.Her silence was deliberate—and it unsettled Rima far more than any argument could have.“This,” Rima pressed on, turning pointedly toward Zandrie, “is the woman you married, CEO Wallace. A woman without shame. Someone who schemed her way into her sister’s boyfriend’s bed.” Her voice tightened with venom.“You deserve better. You and Mirriam are the true v

Even after the ceremonial announcement concluded, the Knowles family remained dazed—frozen in a disbelief they could not quite swallow. In the span of a single breath, Cassidy had triumphed over them. Effortlessly. She had claimed what they had spent years scheming to deny her, and she had done it on the grandest stage possible.Worse, they were powerless to object.With CEO Jefferson Holt and CEO Zandrie Wallace standing firm at her side, Red, Rima, and Mirriam could do nothing but bite back their fury. Any outburst would only expose their disgrace to the very audience they were desperate to impress. So they smiled. They endured. And they waited.Their chance came when Cassidy finally stepped away from Zandrie, excusing herself politely as she headed toward the restroom.She had just reached the restroom when a sharp grip seized her arm.“What did you do, bitch?”Mirriam’s voice was low, venomous, her fingers clamped tightly around Cassidy’s wrist. The polished mask she wore in pub

The tension around the table thickened, coiling tightly in the air as all eyes shifted toward Ashton, waiting—almost daring—for his reaction.Mirriam and Rima exchanged a loaded glance, a silent understanding passing between them before identical sneers curved their lips.“Sister,” Mirriam drawled, her voice dripping with mock concern, “you really can’t stop flirting with Ashton—even in front of your husband and your father-in-law?”She paused deliberately, letting the accusation sink in before pressing on, clearly enjoying the attention she had stirred.“I honestly don’t know how much longer I can defend your shamelessness, Cassidy,” Rima chimed in, shaking her head as if deeply wounded. Her hand pressed to her chest, her expression a perfect imitation of disappointment and heartbreak. “Can you at least stop disgracing us? Even if you’re no longer under our roof, people still associate you with this family. Please—have some respect for us.”Cassie slowly turned to look at the two w