Fourty Two

Cassandra sat at the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the slightly open window, letting the night breeze slowly creep into the room. The muffled noise of the city below echoed faintly, a reminder of how small and fragile the outside world seemed compared to the storm raging within her.

She bit her lower lip, her thoughts racing between anger and doubt. In front of her, Antonio was sound asleep, his peaceful face almost making Cassandra feel envious. How could this man appear so calm after everything he had done? Antonio was the man who had destroyed everything. He was the mastermind behind her family's downfall—the death of her parents.

Cassandra had sworn to take revenge, but now, at this moment—when she should have been destroying Antonio—she found herself trapped by a charm she never imagined would make her falter.

“Cassandra?” Antonio’s hoarse voice jolted her out of her thoughts. The man rubbed his face, his sharp yet warm eyes looking at her. “You’re not sleeping?”

Cassandra swallowed, trying to compose her emotions. She turned, forcing a small smile. “Just having a little trouble sleeping.”

Antonio extended his hand, signaling Cassandra to return to bed. She didn’t refuse, though every step felt like a betrayal of herself. As she lay down beside him, Antonio wrapped her in his warm arm, making Cassandra’s chest tighten. She should be using this opportunity to execute her plan, not get caught up in the embrace of the man she despised.

When Antonio began to speak, his voice was low and intimate. “I never thought we’d come to this point.”

“What point?” Cassandra asked, though she knew exactly what he meant.

“The point where I feel like I’ve finally found someone who truly understands me.”

That statement made Cassandra want to laugh bitterly. Understand? How could he say that after everything that had happened? Yet, there was honesty in his tone that made her pause. Was this just another ploy? Or perhaps… Antonio genuinely didn’t realize the depth of the wounds he had inflicted?

“You know,” Antonio continued, “I wasn’t always like this. Cold, selfish. A lot of things made me who I am today. Losing my parents at a young age, having to fight for myself… it all shaped me into someone who had to survive, no matter what.”

Cassandra looked at him, trying to find lies in his gaze, but found none. For the first time, she saw a human side to Antonio, one that had been hidden beneath the mask of a cunning and manipulative man. And that made everything so much harder.

Over the past few weeks, Cassandra had used every tactic to get close to Antonio. She had become part of his inner circle, teasing, manipulating, and creating moments to get closer. But as time went on, she began to see things she hadn’t expected. Antonio wasn’t just a man full of schemes; he was also a wounded human being. And those wounds reminded her of her own.

When they first shared an intimate moment, it was just a part of Cassandra’s plan. But tonight, with Antonio being so open and vulnerable, her heart began to betray her. Cassandra didn’t know whether she should pity the man or remain loyal to her vengeance.

With a sudden burst of courage from nowhere, Cassandra leaned toward Antonio. She cupped his face with both hands, pulling him closer before their lips met. The kiss was initially full of tension, like a small battle between two wounded souls. But then, it shifted into something softer, deeper.

Antonio was momentarily surprised but didn’t pull away. He returned Cassandra’s kiss with the same intensity. When they finally parted to catch their breath, Antonio’s eyes looked at Cassandra with a mix of confusion and something deeper, something he had never shown before.

“Cassandra,” he whispered softly, almost inaudibly.

Cassandra cut him off before he could say more. “I don’t want to talk tonight, Antonio,” she said firmly but with a trembling voice. “I just want to forget everything. I want… you.”

Her words rendered Antonio silent. He gazed at Cassandra with an expression that was hard to interpret, as if he was trying to comprehend something far greater than himself. However, when Cassandra pulled him back to the bed, he didn’t resist.

As they lay together, Antonio’s eyes fell on the small drawer nearby. Inside it were documents that could destroy Cassandra if her true identity was exposed. He knew the woman beside him was hiding secrets, just as he was. But tonight, he chose to ignore it all.

When Cassandra touched his face again, Antonio decided to surrender to the moment. For one night, he allowed himself to forget who he was, what he had done, and what Cassandra might do to him in the future. They lost themselves in each other, forgetting the outside world and all the conflicts that came with it.

As dawn broke, Cassandra woke up first. She looked at Antonio, still asleep, his peaceful face almost making her feel guilty. She knew that what had happened the night before wouldn’t erase the vengeance she harbored. But for the first time, she felt as if she had found something greater than her pain.

Cassandra got up from the bed, making sure her movements didn’t wake Antonio. She walked to the small desk in the corner of the room and opened the drawer. Her phone was there, along with the files that could ruin Antonio.

She picked up her phone, but this time she didn’t rush to send the files. Instead, she just sat there, staring at the screen with confused eyes. Behind her, Antonio began to stir, a sign that he would soon wake up.

Cassandra took a deep breath, trying to steel herself for the decision she had to make. Would she continue with her plan, or let her feelings guide her down a different path? For the first time in her life, she didn’t know the answer.