Jordyn’s POV I didn’t mean to look at Cassandra so much during the fashion show, but she looked radiant and I couldn’t peel my eyes away from her. I hadn’t seen her since the incident on the cruise ship, although Lord knows I tried. I called her several times, hoping that she’d call me back. I just wanted to talk to her, to apologize again, to explain that I had no idea Ellie was capable of such a vile crime. I also wanted to tell her that Ellie was in jail and I would testify against Ellie if needed. What Ellie had done was wrong and she deserved to be punished for it.But Cassandra wouldn’t take my calls. I thought for sure I’d see her at one of the meetings since her chief designer still wasn’t back and Cassandra had taken over some of her duties but nope. Stella said Cassandra was far too busy, which I knew was just an excuse. Cassandra was a personal assistant. How busy could she be? She was avoiding me.I knew she’d be at this show tonight though. Just as I knew we’d be in the s
Cassandra’s POV Stella and I walked into the party beaming from ear to ear. The fashion competition had been a huge success. I defended our designs and the show continued. The judges named the winners of the contests and we personally congratulated them after the show. They were all young and they reminded me of a younger version of myself and Stella when we were just starting out. They had that awkwardness and lacked confidence. But with our help, I knew they would all be very successful one day.I didn’t talk to Jordyn at all that night. Once the show was over, Jordyn left. I did, however, see the look of shock on his face when I finally revealed my true identity on the runway. I couldn’t keep a secret anymore. Our company was being attacked and hiding my identity from Jordyn wasn’t worth risking our company. So it was all out in the open now.I figured he was probably pissed at me for lying, but I didn’t care. I had much more important things to focus on.Stella and I planned a cel
Cassandra’s POV I pulled into Stanley’s estate and grabbed the bouquet of flowers and caramels. I hadn’t seen Jordyn’s grandfather, Stanley, in a while and I was excited to see him. It had been a few days since our celebration at Dillon’s bar and when I called Stanley to ask for a visit, he assured me that Jordyn wouldn’t be there.I knocked on the front door and the maid answered. She brought me to the living room where Stanley was sitting, looking quite dapper in a polo shirt and pressed pants. He’d been home for a bit now and I was happy to see the color back in his cheeks. He smiled as soon as he saw me and went to get up, but I motioned for him to stay seated. He was doing well but he was still recovering.“Don’t get up on my account,” I told him, rushing towards him. I leaned down and he kissed my cheek.“Are those for me?” he asked, reaching for the flowers. “Oh Cassandra, orchids, my favorite. How lovely and thoughtful of you.”“And these are for later,” I said, handing him th
Cassandra’s POV I drove home and let myself in. It was very quiet and for a moment, I missed being at Dillon’s. After the cruise, I’d decided it was time to go back to my own house. I was all better now and there was no good reason for me to stay at Dillon’s. But I’d gotten used to our little routine, and I missed Dillon’s dinners and our after dinner board games and Netflix binges.I thought about calling Dillon and casually inviting myself to his place for dinner. But he’d been so busy lately as the newly appointed CEO of his family’s company. Besides, I couldn’t keep leaning on him so hard. He’d already done more than enough for me.I took out my phone and dialed up Dillon’s friend, Sam, the doctor who had checked in on me while I was at Dillon’s.“Hello?” he asked.“Yes, hi there. It’s Cassandra, Dillon’s friend? You visited me while I was at his house?”“Oh yes,” he said, his tone registering recognition. “Is everything okay?”“Yes, yes,” I assured him. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m a
Cassandra’s POV I stopped by the liquor store and picked a bottle of Pinot Noir, Dillon’s favorite red wine. Then I drove straight to his house. I knocked, but I heard him call out through the house:“It’s open!”So I let myself in. The moment I stepped inside his house, I felt comfortable and warm. There was something about Dillon’s house that made me feel at ease. Or maybe it was Dillon himself. I wasn’t sure. But in any case, I was glad to be there, even if it was so I could ask him for help.I went to the kitchen, wine in hand, and was met with the tantalizing scent of lasagna.“That smells amazing,” I told him, setting the wine down on the counter.“I’m glad you called,” he said, uncorking the wine. “I have enough lasagna to feed a small army. So, what’s up?”He poured the wine and passed me a glass.“It’s about Jordyn’s grandfather,” I stared, but I watched as Dillon’s face fell. “No, it’s not like that,” I explained in a rush. “He’s a very good friend of mine. This honestly has
Cassandra’s POV What?!Ellie wasn’t in jail anymore? My stomach dropped. Knowing that Ellie was safely behind bars had been one of the only things bringing me comfort over the past week. Ellie was unhinged and there was no way of knowing what she’d do next. Surely, she was furious with me and looking to retaliate. But since she’d been in jail, I hadn’t been overly concerned. She was free now though?“Are you sure?” I asked.“Yes,” Dillon nodded. “Martin made a call to the jail to get some more details on her arrest and to see if she had any prior arrests. But the jail informed him that Ellie was released earlier this afternoon on bail.”“I didn’t even know she had her bail hearing,” I said quietly. “Who bailed her out?”Dillon shrugged. “Martin doesn’t know. It’s confidential information. But he’s trying to find out. Cassandra, I really think you should stay here tonight.”I agreed. With Ellie on the loose, I didn’t feel safe going back to my house alone. She already tried to kill me
Cassandra’s POV“I’m surprised,” Dillon said. “I thought for sure Jordyn had bailed Ellie out. But I guess I was wrong. He seems really…” Dillon’s voice trailed off as he searched for the right word.“Worried?” I offered.“Yeah. I mean, he actually told me to look after you. That says a lot. I guess he’s finally realizing how awful Ellie is.”“Awful and dangerous,” I said.“So I guess we wait?” Dillon replied.“I guess we do,” I agreed. We turned our show back on but neither of us had the capacity to watch it. We were both tense and anxious. Hopefully, Jordyn could track down Ellie. In the meantime, there really wasn’t anything we could do.Roughly fifteen minutes later, my phone rang.“It’s Jordyn,” I said, answering it.“Her phone’s been disconnected,” Jordyn said as soon as I answered.“What?” I asked, stunned.“I tried everything. Her phone, her social media accounts, everything. But she’s blocked me on all her social media. I have no way to contact her.”“Why would she do that?”
Cassandra’s POV Dillon followed me around like a hawk for the next few days. He drove me into work every day and even personally escorted me to the elevator. He texted me every hour on the hour and at the end of the day, he was always waiting out front, leaning on his car. I didn’t mind though. I was actually pretty rattled by everything. Knowing that Ellie wasn’t in jail any more didn’t sit well with me.I laid awake at night, convinced that I heard someone outside the spare bedroom window at Dillon’s house. Of course, it was always just the wind, but still…I was constantly glancing over my shoulder, convinced that, at any moment, Ellie would appear and attack me. I was becoming paranoid and I hated it.Every night Jordyn phoned us but he couldn’t find hide nor hair of Ellie. It was like she’d just vanished into thin air. Jordyn had gone to her house and let himself in with his key. She wasn’t there though. Her toiletries were gone and her dresser drawers had been wide open. One o
Cassandra’s POV “What’s the address?” Cam asked as I stared at my phone in utter disbelief. I still couldn’t believe this was happening. Who would kidnap Stella? And why?“You can’t come,” I said, looking up at him, my eyes wide with shock.“What do you mean I can’t come?” he asked.“The person on the phone said I have to go alone.”The instructions had been very clear.Ping.A text came through the assigned meeting place. I scanned it.“I can’t let you go alone,” Cameron told me. “It’s not safe. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”I shook my head. “Then what will you have me do? Stella’s life is on the line, Cam. You saw the texts. I have to follow their directions perfectly or they’ll kill Stella.”Cameron sighed deeply and began to pace. It was coming on rush hour and the street was becoming jam-packed with cars as people left their jobs for the day. I had to go now, otherwise I risked being stuck in traffic.“I’m sorry,” Cameron finally said. “But I’m coming with you.”“No,
Cassandra’s POV Kidnapped? Stella was kidnapped? Who would do this? Who would kidnap Stella?The world around me lilted and I felt dizzy. I couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be.It felt surreal.“Holy shit,” Cameron said, his eyes scanning the text. Then sighed, taking a step back from the text on my phone. He wrung his hands through his hair before he looked up at me. “Let me see that again,” he said. I thrusted the phone at him so he could get a closer look. “I’m calling the police,” he told me after he’d read the text. He whipped out his phone.“No,” I pushed his arm, sending his phone flying through the air. It landed with a crash on the cement. It didn’t break though, thanks to his protective case.He went over and picked it up.“What the hell, Cass?” Cameron asked.“Sorry,” I said. “But look. It says, ‘instructions to follow.” Sure enough, my phone pinged with another text message.“If you want to save your friend,” the text said. “You must come alone. If yo
Cassandra’s POV Dillon followed me around like a hawk for the next few days. He drove me into work every day and even personally escorted me to the elevator. He texted me every hour on the hour and at the end of the day, he was always waiting out front, leaning on his car. I didn’t mind though. I was actually pretty rattled by everything. Knowing that Ellie wasn’t in jail any more didn’t sit well with me.I laid awake at night, convinced that I heard someone outside the spare bedroom window at Dillon’s house. Of course, it was always just the wind, but still…I was constantly glancing over my shoulder, convinced that, at any moment, Ellie would appear and attack me. I was becoming paranoid and I hated it.Every night Jordyn phoned us but he couldn’t find hide nor hair of Ellie. It was like she’d just vanished into thin air. Jordyn had gone to her house and let himself in with his key. She wasn’t there though. Her toiletries were gone and her dresser drawers had been wide open. One o
Cassandra’s POV“I’m surprised,” Dillon said. “I thought for sure Jordyn had bailed Ellie out. But I guess I was wrong. He seems really…” Dillon’s voice trailed off as he searched for the right word.“Worried?” I offered.“Yeah. I mean, he actually told me to look after you. That says a lot. I guess he’s finally realizing how awful Ellie is.”“Awful and dangerous,” I said.“So I guess we wait?” Dillon replied.“I guess we do,” I agreed. We turned our show back on but neither of us had the capacity to watch it. We were both tense and anxious. Hopefully, Jordyn could track down Ellie. In the meantime, there really wasn’t anything we could do.Roughly fifteen minutes later, my phone rang.“It’s Jordyn,” I said, answering it.“Her phone’s been disconnected,” Jordyn said as soon as I answered.“What?” I asked, stunned.“I tried everything. Her phone, her social media accounts, everything. But she’s blocked me on all her social media. I have no way to contact her.”“Why would she do that?”
Cassandra’s POV What?!Ellie wasn’t in jail anymore? My stomach dropped. Knowing that Ellie was safely behind bars had been one of the only things bringing me comfort over the past week. Ellie was unhinged and there was no way of knowing what she’d do next. Surely, she was furious with me and looking to retaliate. But since she’d been in jail, I hadn’t been overly concerned. She was free now though?“Are you sure?” I asked.“Yes,” Dillon nodded. “Martin made a call to the jail to get some more details on her arrest and to see if she had any prior arrests. But the jail informed him that Ellie was released earlier this afternoon on bail.”“I didn’t even know she had her bail hearing,” I said quietly. “Who bailed her out?”Dillon shrugged. “Martin doesn’t know. It’s confidential information. But he’s trying to find out. Cassandra, I really think you should stay here tonight.”I agreed. With Ellie on the loose, I didn’t feel safe going back to my house alone. She already tried to kill me
Cassandra’s POV I stopped by the liquor store and picked a bottle of Pinot Noir, Dillon’s favorite red wine. Then I drove straight to his house. I knocked, but I heard him call out through the house:“It’s open!”So I let myself in. The moment I stepped inside his house, I felt comfortable and warm. There was something about Dillon’s house that made me feel at ease. Or maybe it was Dillon himself. I wasn’t sure. But in any case, I was glad to be there, even if it was so I could ask him for help.I went to the kitchen, wine in hand, and was met with the tantalizing scent of lasagna.“That smells amazing,” I told him, setting the wine down on the counter.“I’m glad you called,” he said, uncorking the wine. “I have enough lasagna to feed a small army. So, what’s up?”He poured the wine and passed me a glass.“It’s about Jordyn’s grandfather,” I stared, but I watched as Dillon’s face fell. “No, it’s not like that,” I explained in a rush. “He’s a very good friend of mine. This honestly has
Cassandra’s POV I drove home and let myself in. It was very quiet and for a moment, I missed being at Dillon’s. After the cruise, I’d decided it was time to go back to my own house. I was all better now and there was no good reason for me to stay at Dillon’s. But I’d gotten used to our little routine, and I missed Dillon’s dinners and our after dinner board games and Netflix binges.I thought about calling Dillon and casually inviting myself to his place for dinner. But he’d been so busy lately as the newly appointed CEO of his family’s company. Besides, I couldn’t keep leaning on him so hard. He’d already done more than enough for me.I took out my phone and dialed up Dillon’s friend, Sam, the doctor who had checked in on me while I was at Dillon’s.“Hello?” he asked.“Yes, hi there. It’s Cassandra, Dillon’s friend? You visited me while I was at his house?”“Oh yes,” he said, his tone registering recognition. “Is everything okay?”“Yes, yes,” I assured him. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m a
Cassandra’s POV I pulled into Stanley’s estate and grabbed the bouquet of flowers and caramels. I hadn’t seen Jordyn’s grandfather, Stanley, in a while and I was excited to see him. It had been a few days since our celebration at Dillon’s bar and when I called Stanley to ask for a visit, he assured me that Jordyn wouldn’t be there.I knocked on the front door and the maid answered. She brought me to the living room where Stanley was sitting, looking quite dapper in a polo shirt and pressed pants. He’d been home for a bit now and I was happy to see the color back in his cheeks. He smiled as soon as he saw me and went to get up, but I motioned for him to stay seated. He was doing well but he was still recovering.“Don’t get up on my account,” I told him, rushing towards him. I leaned down and he kissed my cheek.“Are those for me?” he asked, reaching for the flowers. “Oh Cassandra, orchids, my favorite. How lovely and thoughtful of you.”“And these are for later,” I said, handing him th
Cassandra’s POV Stella and I walked into the party beaming from ear to ear. The fashion competition had been a huge success. I defended our designs and the show continued. The judges named the winners of the contests and we personally congratulated them after the show. They were all young and they reminded me of a younger version of myself and Stella when we were just starting out. They had that awkwardness and lacked confidence. But with our help, I knew they would all be very successful one day.I didn’t talk to Jordyn at all that night. Once the show was over, Jordyn left. I did, however, see the look of shock on his face when I finally revealed my true identity on the runway. I couldn’t keep a secret anymore. Our company was being attacked and hiding my identity from Jordyn wasn’t worth risking our company. So it was all out in the open now.I figured he was probably pissed at me for lying, but I didn’t care. I had much more important things to focus on.Stella and I planned a cel