Chapter 0005

Cassia stood in her new sitting room, looking around as she tried to figure out where to start unpacking. The space felt fresh, filled with light pouring in from the large windows, and she couldn’t help but smile at the thought of a new life.

Just as she was about to start unpacking, a soft knock came through. She frown slightly, wiping her hands on a her jeans and walked over to answer it. She hadn’t expected anyone to drop by since she didn’t know a soul in the neighborhood yet.

But when she opened the door, she was greeted by the last person she had expected to see.

"Hey!" a familiar voice called out with a grin.

Cassia’s jaw dropped. Standing on her doorstep, looking just as effortlessly charismatic as ever, was Liam.

"Liam?" she called out, eyes wide with disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Liam’s grin faltered for a second, confusion written across his face when he realized she was his new neighbor.

"Wait… Cassia?" He blinked rapidly,, clearly just as surprised as she was. "You’re the new neighbor?" He asked.

"Yeah, I guess?," Cassia muttered, taking in her lips, still processing the coincidence. Liam chuckled, running a hand through his hair as he looked at her.

"I just came by to introduce myself to the new neighbor, and it turns out it’s you." He smiled stepping into the house, as his eyes took in the boxes that were scattered across the floor

"I'm living at the next apartment and Welcome to the neighborhood." He said, turning to face her.

"Thanks. I didn’t expect my neighbor to be the famous Liam I know." She smiled gently

"Famous?" Liam raised an eyebrow, with a playful smirk on his face. "I guess I’ll take that as a compliment." He said softly while she could only smile. He turned to look at the house again before facing her.

"Seems there's a lot to do...which is going to the kitchen, room and which is staying in the sitting room?" He asked gesturing at the pile of boxes across the place.

Cassia watched him as she hesitated for a moment.

"I can..." she didn't complete her words when he picked up one of the large boxes as if it were a book.

"I think I know how best to go around it.." Liam said taking the box to the kitchen while Cassia followed behind. She didn't want to bother him which was why she had hesitated. He was a busy man. Imagine the mighty Liam Amsterdam, in her apartment, helping her unpack. How absurd did that sound?

"I'm not bothered at all okay? Besides, I'm just helping my neighbor. I'd have done it for anyone else" Liam said, seeing the expression on her face. "So can you stop staring at me and let's get this done in a jiffy?" He asked and she slowly nodded, moving to help him.

Liam helped Cassia carry the heavier boxes inside, and together they unpacked the essentials. As they worked, Liam began, talking about the projects, the industry, and what had brought him to this quiet neighborhood.

Cassia found herself enjoying his company more than she expected. Liam had always been fun, but it's been years, and he had gotten even popular, so she hadn't expected him to still be so... Nice?

Despite his fame and success, Liam was down-to-earth and genuinely kind, always offering advice on everything from design choices to the best places to grab coffee nearby. His passion for design was infectious and Cassia couldn’t help but feel inspired just being around him.

As they finished setting up the last of the furniture, Cassia stood back, looking around the room as if she'd accomplish something great, which infact, she had. It was still a work in progress, but with Liam’s help, it already felt more like home.

"Thank you so much, Liam," she said, wiping a bit of dust off her hands. "Thanks for all of this. It would have taken days without you." She said again.

"It was fun, so no need thanking me" he smiled at her, brushing the hair sticking on her face to the back of her ears. She blinked rapidly and forced a smile as he did that.

"Well, I still owe you one," she said thinking for a while. "How about dinner? My treat. It’s the least I can do for now."

"Dinner?" Liam thought, considering it for a moment before grinning. "Alright, I’m in. I know a great spot not too far from here."

"Great.. let me quickly shower." she said and left for her room. When done, she came back to meet Liam seated, reading through a documentary. He placed it down when she arrived, and they walk out of the house together.

*****

Darvan stood in front of his enormous wardrobe looking frustrated. He went through his hangers looking for something, anything that made sense but found none. Each suit he took felt wrong... either too casual or too formal for the Gala he was attending tonight.

His wardrobe that was once organized by Cassia now felt chaotic.

She had always known how to balance his style, creating a perfect blend of elegance and uniqueness. The brooches, cufflinks, and ties she had selected for him were often the talk of the place.

Now, with her gone, he felt completely lost.

After days of relying on the outfits she had pre-planned, the reserves had run dry. He had even worn one of last year’s suits to work earlier that week, earning a raised eyebrow from his assistant who said, “That’s not like you. I thought you had this season’s wardrobe planned out.”

He thought about it for a long time and finally threw on a black suit.

.....

At the gala, as Darvan entered, he was immediately greeted by his friends but instead of the usual admiration for his incomparable style, he was met with confused look.

"That’s an…interesting choice," Marc said, eyeing his casual watch with a more confused expression.

"Are you back to last season’s fashion? What happened to your usual sharp sense of style?"Justin teased gently, gesturing toward his suit.

"Man, why's your outfit so plain tonight, so different from the impressive clothes you used to wear." Someone from the event said when she approached him. He only forced a smile as he was speechless, but the anger within him grew. How could he explain this? After all, his wealth was no less than anyone else’s in the room, not to mention that his attire was always a focal point at any event he attended. But today, if not for his handsome face, his outfit would have looked downright shabby. Everyone was suddenly looking at him in a weird way.

Fredrick shook his head, remembering how Darvan use to take the spot light with his appearance on Gala Event in a Classic double breasted suit with satin lapels, and a slim tie or bow tie.

Was it at Red Carpet Event? What about Fashion Show or Avant-Garde Event?

He remembered how Darvan confidently pulled off a bold, patterned suit at the summer music festival. Even his casual outfits were stylish, like the sleek black leather jacket with distressed jeans and a crisp white shirt he wore to a rooftop bar.

But now, nothing made sense in Darvan's dressing style. What happened to the friend who used to dress so well and stand out with his confidence and style?

Darvan smiled awkwardly, feeling the eyes of the place on him, but not in the way he was used to. The whispers followed him like shadows, as people exchanged puzzled glances. This made him feel annoyed.

Stacy's smile faltered as she approached him, her eyes scanning his outfit. She had dressed gorgeously for this event, but this was boyfriend, dressed so plainly.

"I can’t believe you came dressed like this. " She grimaced, looking around, hoping none of her friends were around to witness this.

"Next time, let me pick something for you okay?" she added, her voice half-teasing but filled with judgment.

Darvan clenched his jaw feeling embarrassed. He managed a stiff smile as he turned to face Stacy.

"I’ll keep that in mind." he excused himself and headed for the restroom after those words.

He looked at himself in the mirror, thinking about his friends’ comments, and his expression grew darker and darker.

Taking out his phone, he scrolled through his contacts but remembered she had blocked all his numbers. Frustrated, he logged into his social media account and searched for her name. Without thinking, he tapped on it, hoping he could tell her about her chance to come back and how he was ready to take her back if she apologized for leaving him. But the message, "You can't message this user," appeared instead.

"Blocked?" His eyes widened. He knew she had blocked his number, but he hadn’t expected her to block him on social media too. His anger flared even more. He would never forgive her—not after this!

"I'll approach you, make you realize you've just lost me. I'll make you beg me on your knees saying you regret leaving me!" He said firmly before storming back into the gala, neglecting the eyes on him.

Meanwhile, his friends were discussing about Cassia and sharing their experiences of all accounts being blocked as well.

"Does she mean it this time?" Marc laughed, finding it funny.

Stacy who stood a distance away, walked up to them with a smirk. "Maybe she must have finally come to her senses and realize she has been holding onto someone else's boyfriend."

Darvan scoffed lightly at her words, his mind drifting to Cassia. He hated to admit it, but it pained him that she had blocked all the possible way to reach her.

*****

Seated at the restaurant with her colleagues was the only female cousin of Darvan; Aurora. She was chatting about work as she absentmindedly looked around the place when a familiar face caught her eye.

There, a few tables away, was Cassia talking with another man she found extremely familiar. She looked really happy with this man who wasn't her cousin.

"Is she cheating on my brother?" She wondered lowly, taking a quick photo of them. This was going to stir things up. She never truly liked Cassia and enjoyed it when Darvan maltreated her.

She smirked, sending the photo to Darvan with the message: "You won’t believe who I just saw, but don't worry, I've got you covered."

After that, she stood up from her seat, ignoring her colleagues' questions about where she was going. Holding a cup of coffee, she made her way toward Cassia's seat.

Without hesitation, she poured the coffee on Cassia’s face. Cassia gasped, and so did Liam.

"Oh, Cassia! My mistake, it slipped from my—" Before she could finish, Cassia, knowing it was all an act, swiftly grabbed Liam's coffee and returned the favor. It was much worse—Cassia made sure Aurora’s white outfit was soaked.

"Oh, Aurora… I didn’t mean to," Cassia said mockingly, grabbing a tissue as she leaned closer.

"You think I’m still the old Cassia? The one who accepted all kinds of nonsense? No, honey, the person standing here now returns all favors," she whispered.