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?”He repeated himself with the same, calm voice.“I don’t want a divorce.”I was speechless!Speechless and angry! Where was this coming from? Who did he think he was? What did he mean ‘he didn’t want a divorce?’I stared at him, bewildered, unable to mutter even a single syllable.“I believe we can save our marriage,” he continued. But I held up my hand to stop him.I didn’t want to hear this. I didn’t want to hear ANY of this.“Jordyn,” I said, regaining my composure. I gently placed Stanley’s hand down on his blanket and stood up, to face Jordyn. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”“Please listen to me,” Jordyn pleaded. “I can explain. I can…”“Stop,” I shook my head. He did. He furrowed his brows and swallowed hard. Then he waited for me to continue. My mind was reeling. I didn’t even know where to start.“It’s not…it’s not that simple,” I said. “You neglected me for years. Do you know how many nights I sat alone, waiting for you to come home? Craving your aff
Cassandra’s POVI called Stella first thing the next morning and explained the situation. I wanted to go back to the hospital to visit Stanley, but I wasn’t sure how she’d react. She thought Jordyn was a total asshole so I didn’t think she’d be overly sympathetic.To my surprise, however, she was.“Of course, Cass. Don’t worry about anything. I’ve got it covered. I’ll look after things here at the company while you visit Stanley,” Stella told me.“Really?” I asked, unable to hide the shock in my voice.“Yes,” she laughed. “I’m not a cold-hearted bitch! I know you care about Stanley. I hope he recovers soon. Just check in with me, okay?”I agreed and hung up, a little flummoxed by her support. Clearly she understood that this was about Stanely, NOT Jordyn.A little while later, I pulled into the hospital parking lot and was surprised to see Ellie. She was just getting out of her car and she hadn’t seen me.“Really?” I scoffed to myself. It was hard not to get riled up when I saw her.
Cassandra’s POV“He’s awake!” I gasped, rushing to his side. “Stanley, can you hear me?” I gently took his hand. He squinted under the bright light, waiting for his eyes to adjust. For a moment, he looked confused. Then realization dawned on him.“Cassandra?” he asked, turning his head towards me and smiling weakly. “What are you doing here, dear? There’s no need to fuss over me.”I squeezed his hand. I was so relieved to hear his voice. For a moment last night, I thought I’d never hear it again. He still looked very weak and he was hooked up to an IV, but he was awake and alert.“Nonsense,” I smiled at him. “Of course I’m here. How are you? Are you in pain? What do you need? More pillows? Water?”“Slow down,” he chuckled. “Always the caregiver, that one,” he pointed at me and winked at Persa.“I just want to make sure you’re comfortable,” I told him. That’s why I was there, after all. To take care of him. “I’m perfectly fine, Cassandra. In fact, seeing your beautiful face is medicin
Cassandra’s POV“I meant my boss, obviously, any problem?” I said quickly, feigning innocence. I whispered a prayer that he’d buy it. How could I have been so stupid? I was overtired and careless.He nodded quickly. “Well, please let me know as soon as you hear anything,” he said. Apparently, he didn't take my words seriously.Phew. I dodged a bullet and managed to circumvent any suspicion.I told Jordyn I had to go but that I’d check back in with Stanley later. I went straight to the studio and sat down in Stella’s office.“How’s Stanley?” she asked. I sighed deeply.“He’s recovering,” I told her. “But I don’t know, Stell. It’s strange. He was perfectly healthy and then bam, he just developed this heart condition. The doctor’s looking into it. Running more tests. That sort of thing.”“Well,” she said, resting back in her chair. “I’m glad to hear he’s doing okay. Hopefully, you’ll have more information soon.”I nodded.“And Jordyn?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.“I saw him just befo
Cassandra’s POVThe next day, I pulled up to the café to meet with Dillon. I was a bit nervous as I walked through the door. I didn’t know why I was nervous. Was it because I had to tell him we wouldn’t be moving forward with the collaboration?Or was it something else?I did my best to shrug it off. This was a business meeting, after all.Dillon had chosen the café. He said it was one of his favorite places, and raved on and on about pastries or scones or something. Originally, I’d wanted to meet in his office, since that felt far more ‘business-like’, but he’d persuaded me.He was already there, seated in the corner of the small café. He was wearing a crisp white shirt, rolled up at the elbows with a couple of the top buttons undone. He looked casual and comfortable, like usual. He saw me and waved, a huge smile breaking out onto his face.I went over and he motioned to three coffees on the table.“I took the liberty of ordering a coffee for you,” he said. “But I didn’t kno
Cassandra’s POV“Do I look like an assistant?” I asked.It was three days later and Stella and I were standing outside Jordyn’s office. We were about to meet with him to sign the contracts but I, of course, had to keep posing as a personal assistant.“What the hell does that even mean?” Stella laughed.“I don’t know,” I said defensively. “I mean, like, am I dressed okay?”Ever since I’d almost let my true identity slip at the hospital, I’d become a little paranoid. I really didn’t want Jordyn to discover who I really was until the divorce papers were signed.“Yes,” Stella huffed. “You’re fine. Stop worrying so much. He already thinks you’re an assistant. He had no reason to think otherwise. Now come on, we’re gonna be late.”Stella and I met the receptionist, and then we were led into a large conference room. Jordyn and his team were already waiting for us.“Miss Sinclair,” Jordyn said, standing to address Stella. “I hope traffic wasn’t too bad.” He extended his hand and Stella shook i
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