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CASSANDRA's POV

Ethan’s grip was firm, almost bruising, as he dragged me through the empty halls. Anger rolled off him in waves, palpable and suffocating. My heart raced, but it wasn’t fear that coursed through my veins. It was fury—raw, blistering rage that made my skin burn.

He shoved the door to his chambers open and pulled me inside, slamming it shut behind us. The echo reverberated in the room, matching the pounding in my chest. He spun me around, his eyes blazing with a mix of fury and something more unsettling—possessiveness.

“What the hell was that?” he snarled, stepping closer. “Blake? You let him touch you? You let him kiss you? You’re mine, Cassandra.” he declared with heavy possessiveness laced into his words, i could bareky stop myself from Rolliing my eyes, how dare he?, last i checked he had been the one rolling around in bed with someone else, he watched me die not having an ounce of pity for our unborn child.

.

I straightened, meeting his gaze head-on. “I’m not yours, Ethan. I never was.”

The words seemed to hit him like a physical blow. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, something fragile flickered in his eyes. Then he closed the distance between us in one swift motion, his hands gripping my arms. “You don’t get to say that,” he growled, his voice low and rough. “You’re my wife. My mate. Do you think I’m just going to let you go?”

Before I could respond, his lips crashed against mine. The kiss was nothing like the ones we had shared before. It wasn’t gentle or filled with love. It was desperate, angry, and consuming, as if he were trying to stake his claim on me through sheer force. His hands slid down to my waist, pulling me flush against him, and for a moment, I froze.

Memories of a time when I had loved him—when I had believed he was my everything—flooded my mind. My body reacted instinctively, the warmth of his touch awakening feelings I thought I had buried. But then the fire inside me roared back to life, and I pushed against his chest with all my strength, breaking the kiss.

“Don’t,” I gasped, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and something I didn’t want to name. “Don’t touch me like you still have a right.”

Ethan froze, his breathing heavy. His hands dropped to his sides, but his eyes never left mine. They were filled with a raw obsession that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked, his voice quieter now, almost pleading. “Why are you pushing me away? You've changed cassie, You know I love you.”

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “Love? You think this is love? You don’t even know what that means, Ethan. You only know how to take.”

His expression darkened, his jaw clenching as his hands flexed at his sides. “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for us. For you.”

“Don’t lie to me,” I snapped. “I see the way women look at you. I see the way you ogle at Pearl. Have you even started your affair with her yet? Or is this little display just your way of keeping me blind?” I spat bitterly unable to hold my rage and pain anymore 

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, his anger sparking again. “There is no affair,” he said sharply. “I—” He stopped himself, exhaling heavily as he turned away, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not who you think I am, Cassandra.”

“No,” I said, my voice hard. “You’re worse.” I snapped, my chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath, how determined was he, seemed like he still intended to keep on this act of his till the very end.

As the tension crackled between us, my gaze shifted to his desk, where a stack of papers lay scattered. Something about the ornate seal stamped on one of them caught my attention. I stepped around him quickly, ignoring his startled reaction as I grabbed the papers.

“Cassandra, don’t,” Ethan said, his voice sharp.

But I was already scanning the page. My breath caught in my throat as the words came into focus. It wasn’t just any document. It was a pact, a secret alliance stamped with the royal seal of Blake’s family. The bold text spelled it out clearly: an agreement to eliminate threats to the alliance. My father’s name was listed as one of those threats.

“What is this?” I demanded, my voice trembling with fury. “What does this mean, Ethan?” I asked again, stretching it towards his face.

He stepped toward me, his expression carefully blank. “It’s not what you think.” he murmured, his face had gone pale now, his lips cracked, he swallowed a visible lump in his throat, his eyes held terror to them

“Not what I think?” I hissed, holding the paper up. “This is a plan to kill my father. Signed by Blake’s family. Is he working with you?” I asked, my voice wavering. This was wrong, this was bad, Blake was the one I could trust, he would never do something like this, Ethan was the murderer, the one that killed our child and had an affair. Yet I could feel it down in my bones that something was different, coming back to life had changed things, changed people,changed events.

Ethan’s silence was deafening. His jaw tightened, and he looked away, refusing to meet my eyes. My heart pounded as the weight of the betrayal sank in.

“You knew,” I whispered, the realization cutting through me like a blade. “You knew about this, didn’t you? You were part of it.”

Ethan’s eyes snapped back to mine, his expression hard. “I didn’t kill your father, Cassandra. But I… I didn’t stop it, either.”

The papers slipped from my fingers, fluttering to the ground like dead leaves. My chest tightened, and tears stung my eyes as the full weight of his words hit me.

“You let them murder him,” I said, my voice breaking. “And you expect me to believe you love me?” 

Before he could respond, a sharp knock echoed through the room. Ethan tensed, his gaze darting to the door. “Stay here,” he ordered, his voice tight.

I didn’t move as he crossed the room and opened the door just enough to speak to whoever was on the other side. I couldn’t hear their words, but whatever they said made Ethan’s shoulders stiffen. He turned back to me, his face pale and his eyes filled with something I couldn’t decipher.

“You need to stay in this room,” he said, his voice low. “No matter what you hear. Do you understand me?”

My heart pounded as he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. The lock clicked into place, and I was left standing in the suffocating silence of the room, my mind racing with questions and my chest heavy with betrayal. 

Through the door, I heard raised voices. One of them was Blake.