All Chapters of Bound By A Broken Night: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The night of glamour had finally drawn to an end, its glitter fading with the morning light. Cassie’s next appointment loomed far less forgiving: the stockholders’ meeting. The first since the acquisition. The first under a new name.Knowles and Greene Corporation.It would be her battlefield.There, behind polished tables and courteous smiles, she would face the restrained fury of her father—and the sharpened resentment of his family. She could already imagine the tension thick in the air.But not yet.Before walking into that war, she allowed herself a small indulgence. Shopping, after all, had always been a reliable remedy for boredom—and nerves. A new set of jewelry might do more than lift her mood; it would serve as armor.The moment she stepped into one of Bay City’s most luxurious jewelry boutiques, her eyes lit up like the diamonds gleaming beneath crystal-clear glass. Soft lighting cascaded over elegant display cabinets, making every gemstone shimmer with quiet opulence. It

A heavy silence settled over the boardroom after Cassidy’s departure.It pressed down on everyone—thick, uncomfortable, inescapable.Ashton and Zandrie exchanged a brief look, one loaded with frustration and restraint, before both men let out slow, measured breaths. The other board members sat stiffly in their seats, unease rippling through the room as they processed what had just unfolded.All except one.Elvira Knowles leaned back in her chair, a thin, satisfied smirk curving her lips as she stared at the door through which Cassidy had vanished—victory gleaming in her eyes.“Let us all settle down,” Ashton said calmly, breaking the silence.His gaze swept across the board before coming to rest on Madame Elvira and CEO Red Knowles, lingering just long enough to remind them he had not missed a single word spoken earlier.“CEO Wallace,” Ashton continued, turning to Zandrie, “we may proceed with the meeting now.”He gestured toward the head of the table—the seat Red Knowles had occupied

“Why do you keep showing up in places where you’re clearly not welcome, Cassidy?”The mockery in the voice was unmistakable as Rima Knowles stepped forward, deliberately blocking Cassie’s path to the elevator.Cassie paused, her gaze shifting calmly from Rima to Mirriam, who stood beside her with the same unmistakable hostility.“Well,” Cassie replied evenly, her tone polite but cool, “I’m here to visit my husband. Not to be welcomed by you, Madame Rima.”Mirriam let out a short, humorless laugh.“Then you’re an eyesore,” she said bluntly. “You can wait for your husband at home—like what good wives usually do.”Cassie tilted her head slightly, as if considering the remark. Then her brows furrowed in feigned confusion.“That’s interesting,” she murmured. “Because I was actually wondering why the two of you are wandering around the company… when you’re supposed to be in your offices. You know—doing the jobs the company pays you for.”A brief silence followed.Then Cassie’s eyes widened

"You really are a fool, Ashton Pierce,” Mirriam said with a hollow chuckle, her eyes glistening with a mixture of fury and wounded pride.“You were the one who drove Cassidy away.”Her laughter held no humor—only bitterness sharpened by years of resentment.“And you’re an even bigger fool for choosing her over me.”Her gaze hardened, locking onto him with naked hostility.Then, without warning, she moved.The shift was so sudden that no one reacted in time.Her attention snapped from Ashton to Cassidy—who was still standing there, stunned and disoriented by the revelations, her mind struggling to process everything that had just been said.Mirriam lunged.Her hands shoved forward with force.Cassidy barely had time to register the movement before the impact hit her shoulders, her balance breaking as the world tilted backward.“Cassie!”Ashton’s voice cut through the chaos—sharp, urgent, and stripped of its usual control.The next moment, before she could fall, strong arms caught her.

"Yeah… you’ve told me that countless times.”She gave a small, hollow chuckle and nodded, as if agreeing with something long settled, something she no longer had the strength to argue against.Turning away from him, she faced the lagoon. The water was calm, the surface reflecting the quiet sky—but her vision blurred as fresh tears slipped down her cheeks.“But do I really deserve all this?” she whispered.The question drifted into the open air, carried by the wind more than directed at him. Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides.“I wasn’t asking for much,” she continued softly. “I just wanted to be accepted. I just wanted to know what it feels like to have a family.” Her voice trembled, but she didn’t wipe the tears.“A family that cares. A family that sees me… and doesn’t treat me like I’m something they’re forced to tolerate.”More tears followed, unchecked, as if she had finally grown too tired to hide them.She gave a faint nod, her lips curving into a fragile, self-mocking