"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
Cassia stared at the door long after Darvan disappeared into the night. “Please, stay away from me. That way, you’ll hurt less,” she muttered, her eyes still fixed on the hallway even though he was long gone. Finally, she closed the door and leaned against it, her legs threatening to give way beneat
The next morning, Cassia woke up to the loud ringing of her phone. Her eyes remained closed as her hands fumbled across the bed until she finally grabbed it. "Hello," she mumbled sleepily, sniffing as her voice barely carried through. "Is this Miss Cassia Sterling?" a male voice asked on the oth
Stacy kept walking without looking back until she reached Martinez’s office and waited for Darvan to catch up. He was the one with something to say to his uncle, but she thought maybe she could tag along to show her support. After all, he hadn’t been himself since they returned from Paris. His frie
The truck that had collided into the vehicle Cassia was in sped away from the scene, disappearing into a shallow forest that lined the roadside. The driver, a man with a defined face and piercing eyes, brought the car to a stop and killed the engine. He stepped out, taking off his jacket to reveal a
Darvan clenched his jaw, his grip tightening around his phone. What was going on? Why in the world were Martinez and Cassia kissing so passionately on screen? Were they really a thing? A flood of thoughts raced through Darvan’s mind, and his irritation grew. Justin sat frozen, his phone still in h
"What should we do?" Cassia asked, moving toward the window, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening outside. "Just follow my lead, alright?" Martinez replied. Before Cassia could process his words, a sudden commotion outside the building made her heart skip a beat. Martinez’s grip on his p
"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