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CHAPTER 17
Last Updated:
2025-04-18 13:48:01
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Once Divorced, Now Desired CHAPTER 18
Cassandra’s POVI turned away from the mirror, intent on leaving before Violet could so much as open her mouth. Let her have her moment—her public display of affection, her carefully curated performance. I didn’t care.She was probably back with Marcus anyway.Good for them.I brushed past her, keeping my gaze straight ahead.“Cassandra,” she said sweetly, not moving from the doorway. “Do you have a minute? I was hoping we could talk.”Of course she didn’t seem surprised to see me here. Nothing ever caught Violet off guard. I should’ve known.I hesitated for a beat, debating if I should just keep walking. But something about her tone—too light, too prepared—told me she wasn’t going to let it go.I gave her a flat look. “Fine. Make it quick.”She led us to a nearby stairwell, the kind that was rarely used—quiet, shadowed.Wow. Definitely fitting. She leaned lightly against the railing, poised and calm, like we were two old friends catching up.“I came here with Marcus,” she started ca
Last Updated : 2025-04-18Once Divorced, Now Desired CHAPTER 19
Marcus’s POVWork had become my distraction. My shield.I buried myself in it—early mornings, late nights, back-to-back meetings, pages of plans and budgets. Anything to keep my thoughts from drifting to things I couldn’t fix.To her. Cassandra. I told myself I was fine. That if I focused hard enough, the sense of loss gnawing at me would fade. That I wouldn’t wake up thinking about the echo of Cassandra’s voice or the way she used to smile before everything went to hell.But of course, that wasn’t working.So when Violet reached out, saying she had a design collaboration to discuss and asked if I could join her, I didn’t say no. At first, I didn’t think much of it. She was part of the team now. And this was just business.Then Brad mentioned something that made me pause. “Sir… Cassandra’s studio is in the running for that project too.”That got my attention. I wasn’t sure why I said yes after that.Maybe I wanted to see her. Maybe I wanted to see what she was building without me. Ma
Last Updated : 2025-04-18Once Divorced, Now Desired CHAPTER 20
Cassandra’s POVMy body felt heavy, like I’d been underwater for hours—days. My head throbbed with a dull, rhythmic pulse, and the world around me was muffled at first, like I was listening through thick glass.Then, through the haze, a sound broke the stillness.I blinked, my lashes fluttering against the light. My eyes were heavy, the world blurred at the edges, but I forced them open.And the first thing that came into focus… was Royce.He wasn’t in scrubs, no white coat—just a soft gray sweater over a collared shirt, sleeves pushed up as he leaned forward to check the IV beside me.His brow was furrowed, his gaze focused on the slow drip of medication like it mattered more than anything else in the world.“Royce…” My voice came out like sandpaper.His head snapped up instantly. His eyes met mine, wide with surprise—then relief washed over his features.“Cass,” he breathed, exhaling as if he’d been holding his breath forever. “You’re awake.”I tried to move, but the ache in my head
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Cassandra’s POV“Mommy, you’re always like this—that’s why everyone hates you! It’s getting late and Grandma doesn’t like that.” our 6-year-old daughter Ava cried out impatiently.I froze, the words hurt me deeply. I never imagined that in Ava’s eyes, this was who I had become.Today was my mother-in-law Margret’s birthday. She held a party in the luxury mansion.I looked at my phone. Still, no message from my husband Marcus.Marcus had promised we’d all go together, but I didn’t know if he had returned from his business trip yet.Then my phone buzzed in my hand. Finally, Marcus.But as I glanced at the screen, it was an unknown number.Ava isn’t your biological daughter.I frowned, felt shocked, and didn’t understand the exact meaning of the message. Is it a joke? But who would joke like that?Before I could finish the thought, Ava cried again, “We’ve already wasted too much time. Having a mom like you is so embarrassing!”I lowered my head. The fact that my daughter felt ashamed of
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Cassandra’s POVI pressed the phone tighter against my ear. “Hello? Who is this? Where’s Marcus?”Silence.Then, just as abruptly as it came, the call ended.I stood there, phone still pressed to my ear, my thoughts spiraling. It was so late — how could a woman be the one answering his phone? His assistant was clearly a man.Before I could dwell on it any longer, the sound of liquid splashing snapped me back to reality.Ava stood by the dining table, her small hands gripping the now-empty glass as the last of the milk trickled into the sink.“Ava!” My voice came out sharper than I intended.She flinched, then scrunched her nose in frustration. “I don’t want milk!” Ava shouted, her arms crossed tightly.I exhaled slowly, walking over to clean up the mess. “Ava, if you don’t like milk, you should have told me instead of wasting it.”She huffed, not even looking at me. “But Violet said I don’t have to drink anything I don’t want. She said I don’t have to do anything I don’t like!”My fin
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Cassandra’s POVAva’s words hit me so hard, and I felt a knot tighten in my stomach.“Ava,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm despite the growing frustration, “you can’t stay up all night. I’m just trying to help you.”“Help? You don’t help. You just boss me around all the time. I don’t need you to tell me what to do every second!”“I’m your mother, Ava. I have to make sure you’re okay.”She crossed her arms, her voice became cold. “I don’t want to talk with you.”With that, she turned and slammed the door shut in my face, cutting off any chance of response.With a sigh, I walked to the kitchen to prepare dinner, my hands moving automatically.But the silence of the house seemed to stretch, a stark reminder of the distance between us.Later that night, I kept calling my husband, but he didn’t answer. I was used to it by now—late nights at the office, missed dinners.Yet, no matter how often it happened, a small part of me still held on to hope, foolishly waiting for him to acknowle
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Cassandra’s POVMy hands were still shaking as I climbed into the driver’s seat, my mind a chaotic blur.The report sat on the passenger seat beside me, mocking me with its impossible truth. There had to be an explanation—one that didn’t shatter everything I thought I knew.I felt extremely worried and I needed to talk to Marcus. Now.With quick fingers, I dialed his number, pressing the phone to my ear as the engine roared to life.One ring.Two rings.Then—“Mr. Cole’s office,” a professional voice answered. I recognized it at once. Brad, his assistant. “It’s Cassandra,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I need to speak with Marcus. It’s urgent.”A brief pause. Then, in a tone laced with practiced politeness, he replied, “I’m afraid Mr. Cole is currently unavailable.”My patience frayed at the edges. “Where is he?”Another pause. “He’s at the amusement park.”My eyes narrowed, wondering what he was doing there at this hour. “Emmm… I believe he is there with Miss Violet Lan
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Cassandra’s POVI opened my mouth to say more to the nurse, but then I saw Royce Harrington.He stood near the nurse’s station, flipping through a patient file, his posture straight but relaxed, just as I remembered. Royce had been my classmate, and we became friends after working together on a competition. Back in school, he was like a brother to me—always supportive and willing to help.“Cassandra?” His voice carried the same warmth I remembered, tinged with surprise. “Wow. It’s been a long time.”I forced a smile, trying to push down the whirlwind of emotions threatening to surface.“It has,” I agreed. “I didn’t know you were back.” He studied medicine abroad.“Just recently. What about you? What brings you here?”I hesitated, my fingers tightening around the edges of the report.“I, uh, brought my daughter Ava in for a checkup earlier,” I fibbed. “They told me she has mild anemia, so I wanted to follow up.”Royce frowned slightly. “Anemia? That can be managed, but it’s good that
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Once Divorced, Now Desired CHAPTER 20
Cassandra’s POVMy body felt heavy, like I’d been underwater for hours—days. My head throbbed with a dull, rhythmic pulse, and the world around me was muffled at first, like I was listening through thick glass.Then, through the haze, a sound broke the stillness.I blinked, my lashes fluttering against the light. My eyes were heavy, the world blurred at the edges, but I forced them open.And the first thing that came into focus… was Royce.He wasn’t in scrubs, no white coat—just a soft gray sweater over a collared shirt, sleeves pushed up as he leaned forward to check the IV beside me.His brow was furrowed, his gaze focused on the slow drip of medication like it mattered more than anything else in the world.“Royce…” My voice came out like sandpaper.His head snapped up instantly. His eyes met mine, wide with surprise—then relief washed over his features.“Cass,” he breathed, exhaling as if he’d been holding his breath forever. “You’re awake.”I tried to move, but the ache in my head
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Marcus’s POVWork had become my distraction. My shield.I buried myself in it—early mornings, late nights, back-to-back meetings, pages of plans and budgets. Anything to keep my thoughts from drifting to things I couldn’t fix.To her. Cassandra. I told myself I was fine. That if I focused hard enough, the sense of loss gnawing at me would fade. That I wouldn’t wake up thinking about the echo of Cassandra’s voice or the way she used to smile before everything went to hell.But of course, that wasn’t working.So when Violet reached out, saying she had a design collaboration to discuss and asked if I could join her, I didn’t say no. At first, I didn’t think much of it. She was part of the team now. And this was just business.Then Brad mentioned something that made me pause. “Sir… Cassandra’s studio is in the running for that project too.”That got my attention. I wasn’t sure why I said yes after that.Maybe I wanted to see her. Maybe I wanted to see what she was building without me. Ma
Once Divorced, Now Desired CHAPTER 18
Cassandra’s POVI turned away from the mirror, intent on leaving before Violet could so much as open her mouth. Let her have her moment—her public display of affection, her carefully curated performance. I didn’t care.She was probably back with Marcus anyway.Good for them.I brushed past her, keeping my gaze straight ahead.“Cassandra,” she said sweetly, not moving from the doorway. “Do you have a minute? I was hoping we could talk.”Of course she didn’t seem surprised to see me here. Nothing ever caught Violet off guard. I should’ve known.I hesitated for a beat, debating if I should just keep walking. But something about her tone—too light, too prepared—told me she wasn’t going to let it go.I gave her a flat look. “Fine. Make it quick.”She led us to a nearby stairwell, the kind that was rarely used—quiet, shadowed.Wow. Definitely fitting. She leaned lightly against the railing, poised and calm, like we were two old friends catching up.“I came here with Marcus,” she started ca
Once Divorced, Now Desired CHAPTER 17
Cassandra’s POV“So you chose to fight for custody of Ava even after you realized she wasn’t your biological daughter?”Emma’s voice was gentle, but the question struck like a pin pressed into skin—sharp, quick, real.I adjusted the phone against my ear, staring out the window of the studio as I leaned against the frame.“Yes,” I said softly. “Because it doesn’t matter whose blood she carries. I’ve raised her. I’ve loved her. There’s no difference between her and a daughter born from my own body.”There was a pause on the other end, then the faint sound of Emma exhaling.“I don’t think anyone could question that,” she said.I smiled faintly but it didn’t reach my eyes. “But I feel like I failed my real child. I didn’t know she’d been switched. I didn’t even suspect. What kind of mother doesn’t realize—” My voice faltered. “I was careless. And now I’m trying to find my real daughter, but the truth is… I don’t even know where to start.”“You’re not careless,” Emma replied quickly. “You
Once Divorced, Now Desired CHAPTER 16
Marcus’s POV“Marcus?” Violet’s voice came through the line—as if I hadn’t just watched her walk into my office after Cassandra had left that envelope on my desk.“Violet,” I said, keeping my tone even, “have you seen a document in my office? Something that looked like… a divorce agreement?”There was a pause—just a breath. If I hadn’t been listening for it, I might’ve missed it entirely.“A divorce agreement?” she echoed. “No, I don’t think so. What happened?”I rubbed my temple, pacing the length of the empty conference room. “Cassandra claims she filed for divorce. That she left the documents on my desk. But I haven’t seen anything.”“Wow,” Violet murmured. “I had no idea.” She sounded sincere. Maybe she was. But something about her tone—too calm, too smooth—nagged at the back of my mind.“I’m still looking into it,” I said. “Just thought I’d ask in case you moved anything.”“Sorry. I didn’t notice anything like that,” she replied. “But I’ll keep an eye out, just in case.”I ended
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Marcus’s POVThe drive home was quiet.Ava had fallen asleep in the backseat somewhere between the hospital and the house. She looked peaceful—like the chaos of everything hadn’t touched her.I wished I could say the same.As I pulled up to the front gate of the house Cassandra and I used to share, I caught sight of Violet standing at the door, arms crossed, her expression tense.I parked, got out, and gently unbuckled Ava, lifting her into my arms. She stirred a little but didn’t wake. Violet stepped forward quickly, opening the door for me.“She fell asleep?” she asked softly.“Yeah,” I replied, brushing a strand of hair away from Ava’s forehead.But the moment I stepped inside, Violet’s soft demeanor shifted. She appeared restless. Reaching into her bag, she handed me a slip of paper.“What’s this?” I asked.“Cassandra’s studio,” she said. “That’s the address. I drove past it earlier.”I stared at it, blinking. “She opened a studio?”Violet nodded slowly. “Apparently. I had no idea
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Cassandra’s POV“Marcus, no!”My scream tore through the studio lobby as Royce stumbled back, a sickening crack echoing in my ears. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he caught himself against the edge of the reception desk, dazed.I rushed toward them, shoving past Marcus’s broad frame. “What are you doing?!”Marcus’s chest heaved, his fists still clenched, his entire body tense like he was barely holding himself back from throwing another punch. His voice came out sharp and venomous. “He needs to stay away from my wife.”I turned to Royce, gently cupping his face as I inspected the damage. My hands trembled at the sight of the blood—dark red against his skin, so stark it made my stomach twist. “You’re bleeding,” I whispered, trying to steady my breathing. “I’m so sorry, Royce. Are you okay?”Royce nodded stiffly, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. “I’ll live,” he muttered, jaw tight with restrained fury.“Marcus, have you lost your mind?” I snappe
Once Divorced, Now Desired CHAPTER 13
Cassandra’s POVI sat in a nice café, with soothing music playing in the background and happy little conversations buzzing all around me. But no matter how hard I tried to stay present, my mind kept circling back to the hospital. To the way Marcus had looked at me—calm, detached, like nothing between us had changed.Like I hadn’t already walked away and let him go. Is he really still holding on? Or had he just not noticed I was gone?Maybe he was only trying to keep up appearances for Ava. Or maybe… maybe he really didn’t care at all.The thought sat heavy in my chest. I had made the choice. So why did it feel like I was the one being left behind?I blinked away the sting in my eyes and took a deep breath. I couldn’t let myself spiral now. I had more important things to face.I need to talk to Marcus—about the divorce, and about Ava. Because Violet’s words still echoed in my head, wrapping cold fingers around my heart.Ava is my daughter.How could that be?There was a truth buried
Once Divorced, Now Desired CHAPTER 12
Marcus’s POVAva’s hospital room was empty.The bed was made, the lights dimmed, and not a trace of her or Cassandra in sight. My steps slowed as confusion crept in.Just then, a nurse walked past with a clipboard in hand.“Excuse me,” I said, stopping her. “Where is the patient who was in this room—Ava Cole?”She gave me a polite smile. “She’s in Exam Room 3C for her morning check-up. Just down the hall to your left.”I nodded, murmuring a quick thanks before heading in that direction. My phone was still in my hand, screen lit up with the last message I’d sent to Violet ten minutes ago:Already parked. Where are you?No response.Strange. She always replies fast. Unless something had happened…I hurried to the examination room. And as I approached, I heard voices echoing faintly through the corridor—sharp, tense, unmistakably female.My gut tensed. I turned the corner and immediately froze. Violet was on her knees, her arms gripping Cassandra’s legs, tears streaming down her cheeks,
