Chapter 5- A party

Cassie woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. She rubbed her eyes, trying to remember how she got there. But her mind was a blank.

She slowly got out of bed and looked around the room. It was a luxurious penthouse with a stunning view of the city. But Cassie had no idea how she ended up there.

She stumbled forward, feeling a little dizzy. That's when she saw a tray on the bedside table with a glass of water and a pill.

"For your head," a deep voice said.

Cassie turned to see a tall, imposing man leaning against the doorframe. He was watching her with a sympathetic expression.

Cassie's eyes narrowed at the mystery man. "How did I get here?" she demanded.

The mystery man pushed off from the doorframe and walked towards her. "You passed out on the side of the road," he said, his expression unreadable. "I brought you here."

Cassie's mind was a jumble of confusion. She tried to remember what had happened, but her memories were hazy. And then it hit her - she hadn't finished her medication. She had been so caught up in the drama with Trent that she had forgotten all about her concussion.

The mystery man handed her the glass of water and the pill. "You should take this," he said. "You're clearly not feeling well."

Cassie took the pill and swallowed it.

"So you're a stalker," she said, finding his eyes.

His expression changed, Cassie saw a faint smile and a hint of amusement dance in his eyes. "That's no way to thank your helper," he said, his voice low and smooth.

Cassie felt a flush rise to her cheeks as she heard his deep voice from a closer range. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to sound sincere. "Thank you for taking me in. I appreciate it."

He nodded. "You're welcome," he said. "My name is --" He was cut off by a loud warbling sound.

"Is that your alarm?" he asked.

Cassie nodded, "Yes, it's the fourth one. I didn't hear the other three. That means I was really knocked out!

She reached for her phone to silence the alarm. As she picked it up, she saw that she had several missed calls from Cora, as well as a text from the repair shop saying that her car was ready. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, feeling a bit more alert.

She got out of bed, "I need to leave, my friend must have reported me missing by now."

He chuckled. "That's a joke right?"

Cassie's expression didn't change.

"You're not joking," he said in a high pitch. "Okay, let's get you home. I'll have my assistant bring you some fresh clothes."

"No," Cassie declined politely, "You've done so much already. Thank you." She felt like some sort of leach. And she didn't even know that man.

"Okay..." he said, "Umm, I'm on my way to work so..."

"Can you give me a ride... Please?"

"Of course, let's go!" he said.

As she walked through the penthouse, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The house felt... empty, almost as if he had just moved in. She frowned, trying to focus on the next task at hand.

Shrugging off the feeling, Cassie grabbed her purse and headed out the door. She had a lot to do today, and she was determined to get everything done in one piece.

...

They pulled up to Cora's condo. The building was located in the most exclusive part of Bel-Air, and the sleek, modern design screamed luxury.

He raised an eyebrow as he took in the sight of the condo. "Rich people," he said with a sly smile, his tone dripping with amusement.

Cassie chuckled and nodded at him. "Touché," she said with a laugh.

As they got out of the car and walked towards the building, Cassie explained, "My friend Cora lives here. I've known her since college, but..." she stretched, "I can't afford a place like this!"

He glanced at her with interest, but said nothing. Cassie wondered what he was thinking, but before she could ask, they arrived at Cora's door.

He turned to her with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I hope you can afford your coffee, Uber, and Airbnb money," he said with a chuckle, "because you're racking up a tab."

His laughter was a charming, low sound that seemed to vibrate through her entire body. For a moment, all her worries melted away.

"I hope we see each other again," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.

She smiled back at him, feeling a flutter in her chest. "Maybe next time I won't run away, or cry and faint," she said, laughing.

He chuckled. "Very odd combinations," he said, shaking his head.

As he turned to return to his car, he called out, "Call me if you need anything. A driver, precisely. I have a lot of experience." He smiled again, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Remember, you have my card."

She smiled, "Thanks," she said, closing Cora's door shut. Cassie couldn't help but wonder if she would see him again.

...

Cora sat in the living room, sipping a cup of coffee as stared at Cassie. "I didn't know you had it in you, I'm so proud of you girl."

"What? What on earth are you..." Cassie gasped, "It's not what you think, after paying the twenty million, I didn't have any money left so he paid for my coffee so I signed the divorce papers and he took me home and--"

"Cora out down her coffee mug, wait what? Can we start from twenty million!"

Cassie sighed, "It's a long story baby."

"I've got time, you're my best friend. You come before everything."

"I'll tell you when I'm back, I'm heading to the shop to pick up my car," Cassie said, standing up.

Cora's eyes narrowed. "The one you got in the accident with?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain. "Ugh, that man is a total jerk."

Cassie sighed, knowing that Cora had never been a fan of Trent's. "He asked me to bring the company car and cards," Cassie explained.

But Cora waved her hand dismissively. "Don't bother. I can have my driver go pick up your car. You don't have to face Trent."

Cassie hesitated, tempted by the offer. But then she shook her head. "No, I need to do this," she said, her voice firm.

Cora raised an eyebrow. "Why? You know Trent is just going to be his usual condescending self."

Cassie took a deep breath, admitting the truth to herself. "I just want to see him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe the man I loved is still in there somewhere."

Cora looked Cassie up and down before raising an eyebrow. "You're not going to dress like that are you?" she asked, "Don't dress like your problems, Cassie."

Cassie shrugged, pulling on the sweatpants and faded t-shirt that she usually wore when she was at Cora's. "I'm too depressed to spit on him, let alone dress up," she said, her voice flat. "He doesn't deserve the effort."

Cora hissed. "Girl, you look like you're off to deliver food."

Cassie sighed, "I don't want to hear it, can you drive me to the shop?"

"Okay, okay. Lil miss grumpy. Get in the car, I need to get to work so, sure I'll drive you."

Cassie smiled.

Cora dropped her off and went her way.

Cassie picked up her car from the shop and drove to Trent's house because he was never at the office. That was her job. That and everything else.

She was let in by security. Cassie was in shock as she pulled up to Trent's house. She expected him to be alone, but instead, she was greeted by the sound of laughter and music, and the sight of a crowd of people mingling on the lawn.

This was a party, a celebration of the new acquisition. This was supposed to her moment.

All eyes were supposed to be on her, congratulating her on her success. But instead, Trent was standing at the center of the party, a smug look on his face as he accepted congratulations from her colleagues.

Cassie's vision began to blur as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

He always did this, but this one hurt more because he was celebrating stealing everything from her. Trent had done it again - he had taken the credit for her hard work.

She tried to back out of the driveway, to escape the scene before anyone noticed her. But it was too late. Trent's parents, who had just pulled up behind her, were now blocking her way.

She got out of the car and walked over to them, trying to remain calm.

"Excuse me, I need to get through," Cassie said, trying to reason with them.

But Trent's parents didn't budge. Instead, they turned on her, "You're not going anywhere, thief!" Trent's mother, Taylor spat, her voice was loud and shrill.

Cassie's eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about?" she asked, trying to defend herself.

Trent's father, Harris joined in. "Don't pretend Cassidy, Trent told us all about the embezzlement. We know you've been stealing from the company."

Cassie felt nauseated. "That's not true!" she shouted, but Trent's parents just kept yelling at her, causing a scene in front of the whole party. She was trapped.