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 POVThe revised divorce papers sat on the table. The room was completely silent.Ellie’s eyes flew open. Jordyn stared at the papers in stunned silence.“Jordyn,” Ellie started, but he waved his hand dismissively at her. “Leave, please” he said. “All of you.”Everyone stood and awkwardly filed out of the room, Stella included. But as Stella left, she winked at me, gave me a little thumbs up, and mouthed:‘Good luck’.“What are these?” Jordyn asked, his eyes fixed on the papers on the table.“You know what those are,” I said firmly. I was done with playing games. He agreed to sign the papers after his meeting with my company’s CEO. And I was holding him to it.“The divorce papers?” He looked up at me and I saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes. But I couldn’t let myself care. I reminded myself of our marriage and the way he had treated me all those years. His feeble apologies now didn’t make up for the years of neglect.“Yes, Jordyn,” I replied, lifting my chin. “Sign them.
Cassandra’s POVI arranged all the papers back exactly the way I’d found them.My heart beat quickly in my chest. I resisted the urge to read through all the files. Surely, Jordyn was waiting for me and he’d wonder what I was doing if I took too long. The last thing I wanted was for him to catch me snooping around on his desk.I racked my brain, trying to think. But I couldn’t reconcile my memory of that night with the picture. I hadn’t been there, the night of the accident. I didn’t remember being anywhere near the scene.Yet, I was in that picture, clear as day.I wasn’t sure what was going on, nor why I was in a picture at the scene of Ellie’s accident. I couldn’t dwell on it though. I had to file those thoughts away for the time being.I had more pressing matters to attend to.I’d come here determined to have Jordyn sign the divorce papers. Enough stalling. Enough beating around the bush. He apologized that night at the hospital, as though his weak apology could somehow wash away
Cassandra’s POVI texted Stella as I left the boardroom. I wanted to find her ASAP so we could finally get the heck out of there.‘Where are you?’ I texted her.‘Parking lot,’ she replied.Oh. She’d already left? Good.I hurried out of the building, my heart racing. I scuttled across the parking lot as quickly as my high heels would allow. Sure enough, Stella was waiting, her back leaning up against the driver’s door. She saw me and shot me an expectant look.I couldn’t contain myself. I broke out into a run, almost tripping several times. I waved the divorce papers proudly in my hand as I approached the car.“No!” she said, practically bouncing with anticipation. “Is that what I think it is? Did it…did it ACTUALLY work this time?”I held out the divorce papers to her with a flourish.“Take a look for yourself!” I said. She scanned them, a big smile on her face.“He signed?” she asked, her eyes bright.“He signed!!!” I practically shouted.“Holy shit, Cassandra! I don’t believe it.
Cassandra’s POVStella and I pulled up in front of the Vicious Circle.“Remember this place?” Stella asked, a mischievous look on her face.“Of course,” I said. It just also happened to be the same building where Dillon and I had our ‘business’ dinner. My mind flashed back to that wonderful dinner. All the amazing food. The easy conversation. The look in Dillon’s eyes…“Earth to Cassandra,” Stella said, waving her hand in front of my face.“Sorry,” I mumbled.“You really ARE a mess,” she said. “Well, it’s nothing that a few martinis can’t fix.”Just then, I remembered something.“Wait. I have this…” I reached into my wallet and pulled out a Vicious Circle VIP card.Stella’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit, Cass! Where did you get that?”“Dillon gave it to me,” I shrugged. He’d given it to me during our dinner. I tried to refuse but he was adamant. He said I should use it whenever I wanted.Stella snatched the card from my hands. She flipped it over.“Cassandra,” she said, “it’s a diamond-le
Cassandra’s POV“Seriously? Don’t be such an asshole,” I snapped at him. I assumed he was just playing dumb and I was SO over all his bullshit.“Everything okay here?” Stella asked, appearing at my side.“Yup,” I said. We both put our hands on our hips. Jordyn looked beseechingly at me. I didn’t get it. What did he want? The papers were signed. He was here with Ellie. She was glaring at him from across the room. It was time to move on! “I was just directing Jordyn here back to his beloved fiancé. He seems to have gotten lost.”“That way, fuck wad,” Stella said, pointing at Ellie. “Cassandra,” Jordyn started, but I waved my hand dismissively at him and walked away.“What a jerk,” Stella said. “Sorry, I didn’t see him pull you away. Next time, I clock him if you want me to. I have a good right hook. I even took boxing lessons. For cardio, of course. But I can throw a punch.”“Thanks. But I think that would only add fuel to the fire. Let’s just ignore him.”“Back to the bar?”“You know
Cassandra’s POVI took a step back to admire the dress. Finally, after what seemed like countless hours of work, Ellie’s dress was finished. I’d followed her list of instructions to a fault. I double-checked the stitching to ensure there weren’t any flaws. I inspected the silk to ensure it hadn’t bunched or unraveled anywhere. And of course, I scanned the hand-stitched embroidery to make sure it was perfect.I had to admit, although I’d been initially annoyed by Ellie’s long list of instructions and demands for the dress, the end product was superb. It was a glamorous gown, in a soft, cream-colored silk with a fitted, halter-style bodice covered in hand-embroidered, delicate designs in a rose gold.The skirt was floor-length and full with several stiff crinoline, hand sewn to perfection. On the skirt, there was more embroidery cascading from the waist to the knee. It had an open back that scooped to the small of the back.Needless to say, it wasn’t your average wedding dress. It had a
Cassandra’s POV“Holy crap!”I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! Had I just caught Ellie cheating? For a moment, I stood there like a stunned idiot. Then I snapped back to my senses.I wanted to get back to my car without being noticed, so I slowly turned around to skulk my way back to my car.“Cassandra?”Shit. That was Ellie’s voice. She’d seen me. I turned around. Ellie glanced at me then pushed the man away. He stumbled a few steps, then scratched his head. He cast Ellie a look that I couldn’t quite see from my position at the bottom of the stairs. Ellie held the door open for him and he slinked through.“What the hell are you doing here?” Ellie asked, turning to me, her hands on her hips. If she’d just been caught cheating, she sure wasn’t acting like it. She was acting like her normal, bitchy self.I held up the garment bag. Ellie glanced at it, then saw the Hot House Flower logo.“Oh my god,” she said, her expression changing. “Is that my dress?” Her face broke out into a smi
Cassandra’s POVOn the weekend, I went to visit Stella and her mom, Julia. I stopped by the flower shop on the way to pick up some orchids, since I knew they were Julia’s favorite flower. I also put together a little gift basket with some bath bombs and scented lotions, as well as a lavender candle.“You shouldn’t have,” Julia said when I gave her the gift. “Really, Cassandra, that’s so thoughtful.”“Don’t mention it,” I waved my hand dismissively. Stella mouthed ‘thank you’ as she served us tea. I was happy to see that Julia looked well. A little pale and fragile, but she was clearly on the mend. I’d always been really fond of Julia. Stella’s parents divorced when she was very young and her dad took off, never to be heard from again. So Julia had been a single mother most of Stella’s life.We chatted well into the afternoon and ordered Chinese take-out for dinner. Shortly after dinner, Julia began to doze off, so Stella covered her in a blanket and Stella and I went upstairs to her be
Cassandra’s POVJordyn’s voice had daggers in it. I took a moment to collect myself. Why was he being like this? He had no right to interrogate as to my whereabouts!Cameron and Dillon were talking. I really wanted to join them. It was time to cut this phone call short.“I’m with my family and friends,” I told him. “We’re just having a nice family evening.”“Is that so,” he replied sardonically.“Not that it’s any of your concern,” I added. “You’re about to marry Ellie. So why should you care about what I do?”Jordyn fell silent. I could hear him breathing but he didn’t say anything. This was ridiculous. Why was I still on the phone with him defending my actions? I could spend my time with whomever I wanted. I didn’t have to justify it to him. Maybe he should spend more time asking Ellie who SHE was with, I thought to myself snidely.I heard him inhale, then…click. He abruptly disconnected the call.I stared at my phone for a moment. He just…he hung up on me? Well fine then. Whatever.
Cassandra’s POVRealizing it was Jordyn, I stepped even further away from Dillon. I wondered what Jordyn could possibly want. It was a little late, after all. But then I realized it was probably a call about work.“I’m so sorry about the elevator, Cassandra,” Jordyn said quickly into the phone. “The elevator manager knew something was wrong with the elevator. He was supposed to post notices on each floor but I guess he skipped our floor. There was a malfunction with the electric pad. It had been misfiring. That’s why the elevator stopped.”I glanced over at Dillon. He was still sitting on the swing but his eyes were locked on me. It was almost like he could sense it was Jordyn. I knew that was impossible. Dillon was a good guy but he wasn’t a superhero with supernatural powers or anything. I was being silly.Besides, even if Dillon did know it was Jordyn on the phone, so what? I was in a business deal with Jordyn. I’d have to talk to him from time to time. Dillon and I were just frien
Cassandra’s POVI was deeply moved by Dillon’s words of support. I wasn’t used to feeling so supported and cared for. My marriage to Jordyn had done a real number on me, and when I found out he had cheated on me, it broke my heart. For weeks after our marriage ended, I felt inadequate. I asked myself the same questions over and over again. Why hadn’t he loved me? Why wasn’t I good enough? Why didn’t he want to be with me? I felt like such a colossal failure.But when the dust settled and it was all over, I looked back on the marriage. I’d spent pretty much our entire marriage feeling neglected. How often had I lied awake at night, waiting for Jordyn to come home, eager to see him? But then, when he had, he’d completely ignored me, choosing to take a shower and watch Netflix instead of cuddling with me. He hardly ever invited me out to his business events. Whenever I asked to go, I felt like I was annoying him. It was an awful feeling, trying to vie for someone’s attention. He was supp
Cassandra’s POV“I’m sorry,” Dillon said, misunderstanding my silence for a refusal to tell him. “I was pressing and I shouldn’t have. It’s your past. It’s none of my business.”Just then, I saw a shooting star. It seemed like some sort of sign. Dillon was a good person, and even though the incident from my past was difficult to talk about, if there was anyone I could share it with, it was Dillon. I always sort of feared people would look at me differently if they knew what had happened to me. But I knew Dillon wouldn’t. He wouldn’t judge me.He wasn’t like that. Which is why I knew I could trust him. I shook my head and told him it was fine. “I just don’t talk about it very often,” I sighed. “But it’s okay. I’d like you to know.”He took my hand and squeezed it. Then he sat and waited patiently while I collected my thoughts. I didn’t even know where to start. It had been such a traumatic ordeal.“I was kidnapped,” I said, my voice low.“What?” His eyes grew wide as saucers. “Are yo
Cassandra’s POVDillon drove me to my house.“I’m home,” I called as I came through the front door. “And I have a guest so set another seat at the table.”The maid came and took our coats.“Are you sure your parents won’t mind?” Dillon asked as I led him through the foyer.“Dillon,” I said, fixing him with a stern look. “Come on. You know you’re always welcome in our house.”“We’re out on the terrace,” my mother said in her sing-song voice.We went through the terrace doors and sure enough, both my parents were there. The table was set, with candles and fresh cut flowers. I could tell my mother had gone through some effort for this dinner.“It looks lovely,” I said, kissing her on the cheek. “I love eating outside.” Then I turned to my dad and kissed him on the cheek too.“We’ve been having such nice weather,” my father said. “So we figured, why not take advantage of it.”“Plus it’s not very often we get to eat together as a family anymore.”“Mr. and Mrs. Stoneworth,” Dillon said. “So
Cassandra’s POVI appreciated his kind words. I could tell that he really cared about me. We locked eyes for a moment. Then I realized something.He’d said he’d been looking for me and had called Stella to ask where I was.“Why were you looking for me?” I asked.“Oh my god! Right! I almost completely forgot,” he said sheepishly. “I wanted to invite you to…this thing.”He looked down at his hands. He was acting a bit shy.“What thing?” I prodded.“It’s a cruise party,” he said, fidgeting with his hands. “It’s next month.”“Oh, like a date?” I asked, confused. Dillon was always so confident but he was acting strange. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was afraid to ask me.“No, it’s not a date,” he said in a rush. Cameron’s coming, too. It’s out of town. So I thought we could all go. It’s a great ship. They have live entertainment so we could catch a musical. Have a nice dinner? I think they’re having a dance, too. Oh, and there’s a casino? I suck at black jack but we could hit up some
Cassandra’s POVDillon tightened his grip on my shoulder. The atmosphere between the two men was tense. I felt it.“Come on,” Dillon said to me. “Let’s get you out here. I’m sure you want to rest after all that.”Jordyn’s eyes narrowed at Dillon’s words. He seemed angry that Dillon had helped me. But whatever, I couldn’t dwell on that. I was so over Jordyn and his drama and his complicated feelings.If Jordyn was jealous, that was his issue. Didn’t he have enough on his plate with Ellie and his engagement? He needed to start focusing on his own life. “Are you sure you’re okay, Cassandra?” Jordyn asked, stepping towards us. “Maybe you should come back to my office to get checked out before you go.”Back to Jordyn’s office was the last place I wanted to go.“She’s fine,” Dillon said dryly. “I’ll make sure she gets home safely.”“I’d feel better if you just sat down for a bit,” Jordyn said, completely ignoring Dillon. “I know how much you hate confined places and…”“Thank you for your
Cassandra’s POV“Cassandra!” Dillon exclaimed. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” His eyes anxiously scanned my body.“No, I’m fine,” I said, looking up at him. I was relieved that the doors were finally open. But he was above me. Which meant the elevator was dangerously between two floors. My heart sank. The doors were open but I still had to get out. “Just stay there,” Dillon instructed. “The maintenance crew is here with me. They’re going to help you out.”I was happy to see Dillon, but I suddenly wondered what he was doing there. This was Jordyn’s company’s office building. It seemed awfully coincidental that Dillon just happened to be there at the same time I got trapped in an elevator. “What are you doing here?” I asked. Dillon flashed me a smile.“Don’t worry about that right now. I’ll explain later,” he told me in a voice that left no room for arguing. “Let’s get you out of there first, okay?”I nodded.“Do you think there’s enough room to pull her out?” Dillon asked whoever was