Cassandra’s POVThe next morning, I was halfway through a double shot of espresso. I’d been out too late last night and now I was tired. But I HAD to make some headway on this difficult dress of Ellie’s.So I did my best to stay focused. But suddenly, I heard a commotion outside my office.“Ma’am? You can’t go in there…”“I DEMAND to see the CEO,” a shrill woman’s voice reverberated down the hallway. There was clearly something happening at the front desk. So I left my office to go and see what the problem was.As soon as I stepped out of my office, though, I noticed that a lot of employees were standing out in the hall. They stared at me as I passed by. I didn’t understand why until I got to the front desk.Velma.She was cursing at the receptionist, her face contorted in anger. The receptionist was keeping her cool, though. She wasn’t letting Velma rattle her.I couldn’t say the same for other people in the office though. They cowered in the hall. Velma was an intimidating person wh
Cassandra’s POV“Well that hardly proves anything, Mother,” Jordyn said. His frown turned into a sly smile.I was surprised by this. I’d expected Jordyn to take his mother’s side. In fact, as I watched Jordyn study the picture of me and Dillon, I’d been fully prepared to ask the security guards to escort them BOTH out of the building.“What do you mean?” Velma balked. “She’s with another man. Clear as day. Right HERE!” She continued to brandish her phone but Jordyn only shook his head.He turned back around to face his mother.“That picture shows nothing. I don’t know why you think that’s proof, but it’s not. You’re making a scene, Mother. And you’re embarrassing both me and yourself.”“She cheated on you,” Velma stared but Jordyn cut her off.“Leave,” he said, his tone tired. “This isn’t the time nor the place. I came here today for work. And you’re spilling out my private life to all these strangers?”Again, I was surprised. In the past, Jordyn had almost always taken his mother’s si
Cassandra’s POVStella and I were both silent for a beat as we absorbed the information.“Really?” Stella asked. “They want to meet with us? Fox Finch Holding? Let me see the email.”I passed my phone over to her. I was just as shocked as she was. Fox Finch Holding was a massive company with connections and clients we could only dream about. That’s one of the reasons I’d been trying to get a meeting with them.“Well that changes this,” Stella mused. “Do you think they want a collaboration?”I nodded. I could see no other reason for the meeting.Our company paled in comparison with Fox Finch Holding when it came to size. But we were gaining ground. We were growing and we were creating buzz. We might not be as successful as Fox Finch Holding, but we brought a lot to the table.Jordyn saw our potential. So why wouldn’t Fox Finch Holding? “Maybe we should hold off on Jordyn’s offer then? Wait and see what Fox Finch Holding has in mind?” I suggested.Stella agreed. “If they offer us bette
Cassandra’s POV“Now that we’ve made our introductions, I’ll leave you three alone to discuss the details of the collaboration,” Damion said, pushing back his chair. He waltzed out of the room, leaving Stella, Dillon and I alone.“The CEO of Fox Finch Holding is your father?” I asked, turning to Dillon. He must have seen the shock on my face because he chuckled.“You got me!” He threw his hands up in the air. “The ruse is up! Yes, that’s my father. And yes, I’m next in line for CEO.”“I thought you were a lawyer,” I shook my head.He smiled, the corner of his brown eyes crinkling. “I am,” he confirmed. “But I also have an MBA. I didn’t tell you about any of this because I wasn’t sure if I was going to take over the company. It’s a lot of pressure. Sometimes I feel like, from the moment I was born, my father was talking about his ‘son’ taking over the family business. But I had to sort it out for myself. You know? Make sure it was something I wanted. And not just something I was doing
Cassandra’s POVTwenty minutes later and we were driving through downtown in Dillon’s car. It was a Ferrari with luxurious tan leather seats. Dillon professed his love for sports car as we ripped down the street.“Some people say they’re overpriced, but I don’t know. If you love something it has value, right? So I see their value. I have an entire collection.”“Of sports cars?” I laughed.“Yup. You should come see it sometime.”I nodded. I’d been anxious at first when he hit the gas, but he was an expert driver. Dillon told me he liked to drive himself instead of using a chauffeur, and truth be told, I could see why.He wove in and out of traffic expertly. It was exhilarating. Plus, it was nice to be in the front seat for change instead of in the back. I was so used to being driven around. I forgot not all cars come with a piece of glass that separates the passenger from the driver. We were listening to one of his Spotify playlists, and I was surprised to admit I liked pretty much ev
Cassandra’s POVCameron approached our table. I could see the surprise on his face. Clearly, he hadn’t expected to see me and Dillon here, alone together, having an intimate dinner.“Well, what do we have here?” Cameron asked, eying the open bottle of champagne on the table. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think this was a date.”He raised his eyebrows at us, a smirk on his face.“Hardly,” Dillon said quickly. “This is a business dinner.”“Hm,” Cameron teased. “A business dinner with champagne?”“Cassandra and I were just discussing the details of a business collaboration,” Dillon smiled.I realized in that moment that we hadn’t discussed business at all. On the contrary, our conversation had actually taken a really intimate turn.“Must be quite the discussion,” Cameron said, gesturing to the multiple plates of food on the table. He reached over and snatched a piece of bread right off my plate.“You know, Cameron, I’m a little upset with you,” I replied haughtily. I wanted to steer the c
Cassandra’s POV“I have to go to the hospital,” I told Dillon. “It’s Jordyn’s grandfather. Something’s wrong.”I stood up and pushed back my chair, grabbing frantically for my purse.Despite whatever was going on between me and Dillon, I adored Stanley. My heart raced.“I’ll drive you,” Dillon said without missing a beat.We hurried outside and rushed to the hospital.“I’ll wait here,” Dillon said, squeezing my hand. “Good luck.”I nodded thankfully and then ran into the hospital. I found Jordyn and Velma standing outside a surgery room. Jordyn looked disheveled and Velma was pacing.“Jorydn,” I said, hurrying towards him.Velma saw me, stopped, and shot me a disdainful look.“What are YOU doing here?” she scoffed snidely. “This is a FAMILY matter.”“Mother,” Jordyn snapped at Velma. “This is a hospital. I won’t tolerate your snide remarks. Not here.”Velma shut her mouth, but she glared at me. I ignored her hostility, choosing instead to focus on the real issue – Stanley.“How is he?
Cassandra’s POVWe all bolted onto our feet. The surgeon approached us as he removed his plastic gloves. We waited expectantly, fearing the worst. Jordyn took my hand and held it so hard, I thought he would crush my knuckles. “He’s stabilized,” the surgeon said.Jordyn let out a long breath. He released his grip on my hand.“Really?” Jordyn asked, relief in his voice.I was relieved too. I’d been so worried that the surgeon was going to come and tell us that Stanley hadn’t made it.I couldn’t even bear the thought of it.“Yes,” the surgeon confirmed, nodding his head. His tone was dry and factual. “He’s out of the woods, so to speak. His life is no longer in danger.”“Thank God,” Jordyn said.“Not God,” the surgeon quipped. “You have modern medicine to thank for this one.”“Yes, of course,” Jordyn said absently. I couldn’t tell if the surgeon was joking or not. His face remained serious.“Fortunately, the myocarditis hadn’t progressed to the point where he needed a heart transplant.
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