Cassia stood on the stage, her heart swelling with a mix of triumph and relief as the judges took turns offering their congratulations. Each word of praise felt like a warm embrace, validating not only her talent but the long, difficult journey that led to this moment. "Your innovation and craftsma
"She’s... alive?" he muttered under his breath, his voice barely a whisper. Cassia arched a worried brow, turning fully to face the waiter in front of her. "What did you say?" "Nothing." He cleared his throat, his gaze darting everywhere but at her. "I said you're... pretty." Her eyes narrowed sl
Kelvin walked down the street, his hands tucked into his pockets, his head tilting repeatedly toward Martinez's house. "She really doesn’t eat chocolate?” he muttered to himself, his brows knitting together in confusion. The thought clung to him as he continued walking. "Maybe she’s not the woman
"Aliyah..." Lucas's voice came again, more impatient than before. His tone got on her nerves, leaving her with no choice but to end the call. But Lucas wasn’t one to give up easily, and she knew that. He called again, his persistence only annoying her further. With no choice, she ended the call once
"Cassia?" Her mother called, her voice soft and filled with disbelief. Cassia froze, tears streaming down her face as her feet remained rooted to the spot. Her dad, Mr. Jenkins, spoke up, his voice filled with concern. "Why didn't you go in? Would you have left without a word if we hadn't come?" He
Cassia felt a sting from her words, the burn of unshed tears pricking at her eyes. “Mom…” she said softly, her voice trembling. But Evelyn wasn’t done. “If you were having a hard time, why didn’t you come home? Did I do something wrong? Was coming over on the weekends too much to ask? Did I offend
Darvan groaned, rubbing his temples as the lingering effects of last night’s drinks clouded his mind. His gaze shifted to the side of the bed, where Stacy slept soundly, her usual pajamas conspicuously absent, her hand resting on his chest. Was he imagining things? Was this real? Did he and Stacy...
Cassia stood frozen, staring at the bouquet of flowers Liam had handed her. The room buzzed with congratulatory chatter, but her focus remained entirely on the man standing before her. "Congratulations on your wins," Liam repeated, his tone calm, yet his gaze was intense. Cassia couldn’t help hers
"Mom—" Cassia started, but her mother cut her off, making her inhale quietly. "That amount shouldn't be hard to get, right? I promise this is the last time. My boutique just needs a few more items," her mother said. Cassia's grip tightened around the phone. She said nothing. What was she suppose
Mr. Jenkins and his wife sat in their living room that evening, watching the replayed news on their screen. The screen displayed a picture of Cassia and Martinez, from the announcement of their engagement to a photo that made it look like they were kissing. "This news has been circulating for two
He turned to Cassia, a smile playing on his lips. "Do you want this place?" Cassia blinked in shock. "What?!" What was Martinez doing? Why was he putting her on the spot like this? Ignoring her stunned expression, Martinez simply smiled before turning to Evans. "You can leave now," he said.
—THE FOLLOWING MORNING. Martinez stood outside his car, leaning against the door as he waited for Cassia. The moment she stepped out of her apartment building, he smirked. "You packed light," he said, eyeing the single suitcase she dragged behind her. "I don’t plan on staying forever," she repl
It was evening when Martinez decided to drive Cassia off to her place. As she stepped out of the car, he did the same. His phone vibrated, probably for the tenth time, if not more. At this point, he'd lost count. No matter how many times it rang, he continued to ignore it. "Who is it? Why are yo
Cassia rubbed her temples as she slowly scrolled through the endless flood of articles, social media posts, and speculation about her so-called engagement to Martinez. The internet was on fire, with every major media outlet picking up the story. Some praised the unexpected pairing, while others spu
***** Hours later, Cassia left the office and decided to visit Nora with Martinez so they could get full details of the contract. Cassia let out a long sigh as she stepped out of the car and adjusted her coat. The entire day had been hectic, but now she was finally here...at Nora’s place. Martin
Cassia remained speechless as she stared at Martinez, who stood there looking completely at ease, as if he hadn’t just called himself her fiance in front of half the company. The murmurs grew louder. Cassia inhaled gently, pressing her lips together before shifting her gaze to Matthew, who looke
"What?" Cassia pulled the phone away from her ear and glanced at the screen, double-checking that she had called the right person. Once she confirmed, she returned the phone to her ear. "So… when do we start pretending to be a couple?" His voice came through again. She blinked, gripping her phone