“My gut was right after all,” Martinez muttered to himself, smirking as he watched from his hiding spot. His plan had worked. Announcing that Cassia was fine had been a trap—one carefully set to lure out the mastermind behind the attack. And just as he had expected, they had taken the bait. In the
"What did I tell you, Remy? You made a mistake by running last night." Martinez took a step back, then leaned casually against the wall, his arms crossing over his chest. The faint smirk on his lips remained, barely hiding his amusement. The air in the room grew tense. The way Martinez stared at hi
Cassia stood frozen by the door, her fingers gripping the flash drive tightly. Martinez’s revelation unsettled her, but she refused to let anyone see it. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she turned back to her family and Liam, who were still seated at the dining table. "Who was that, honey?
"Save it for the station," the officer said, cutting her off as he secured the handcuffs around her wrists. Cassia stood still, watching as Stacy was led away, her heart pounding against her ribs. A hand gently pressed against her shoulder, and she turned to see Liam. "Are you okay?" he asked sof
"Stacy..." He gritted out, the name now bitter on his tongue. Darvan’s hands trembled as he gripped his phone, the video replaying in his mind. Stacy’s voice, her words....all of it was etched into his memory. He had defended her, convinced she wouldn’t do something like this again. But he was wron
Stacy’s laughter died in her throat, replaced by a heavy silence. Her eyes widened as she searched Darvan’s face for any sign that this was a cruel joke, a test, anything but the truth. But his expression remained the same, cold. The man she once thought would always be by her side now looked at her
The bar was dim and quiet, a place for people trying to escape their troubles. Darvan sat alone at a corner table, his fingers slowly tracing the rim of his whiskey glass. The golden liquid swirled under the soft light as he tilted it, but his mind was elsewhere, lost in memories he wished he could
Darvan left Cassia’s place, speechless at what she had said. As he drove through the dim, silent night, his mind was full of regret, guilt, and confusion. Each thought did nothing but worsen his state of mind. How could she still be so cold toward him? His thoughts consumed him so completely that h
Cassia stood beside Martinez, her hand in his. Cameras flashed, and reporters shouted questions. She still felt the warmth of Martinez’s lips from the kiss. It had happened so fast, and now everyone believed they were in love. This was the second time they had shared such a passionate moment, and
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