Chapter 17
+8 Pearls
Adrian took a deep breath, his piercing gaze locked onto mine, filled with disbelief. Was I really serious about walking away, or did he think this was some elaborate manipulation?
But I knew the truth he would never agree to a seperation. Not because he loved me, but because it would ruin the image he had so carefully built. Ending our marriage would bring a wave of public backlash that neither he nor Vivian could afford.
The press would crucify him. The business world would whisper about how he had abandoned the woman who had supported him through everything. And most importantly, his colleagues the ones who had admired my father, who had built their careers under his guidance would lose all respect for him. My father was a legend in their eyes. And Adrian? He was just a man trying to fill shoes that were too big for him.
“I won’t leave you,” Adrian finally said, his voice tight with frustration. “You’ll be taken care of. You’ll have everything you need. But you need to stop all of this, Cassandra. What you did this time was beyond cruel.”
I arched a brow. “And what exactly did I do?”
He let out a sharp breath. “Using my mother’s health to blackmail me? Really? That’s low, even for you.”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “So now I’m the villain? Have you ever stopped to consider why Nathaniel refuses to treat your mother? Maybe the problem isn’t me, Adrian. Maybe it’s you and your precious Vivian.”
He clenched his jaw. “Stop it. Just stop. If you’re mad at me, fine. Take it out on me. But leave my mother out of this. You’re ruining your own reputation, Cassandra. Do you think anyone will stand by you after this?”
I crossed my arms, my voice cold. “Is it that you won’t leave me, or that you’re too afraid to?” I took a step closer, watching his expression tighten. “Let me guess leaving me would make you look like the heartless man who abandoned the woman who put him through school. The same woman who spent every dime of her inheritance to support him while he built his career. That wouldn’t go over well, would it?”
His nostrils flared, but he stayed silent.
I tilted my head. “You want to have it both ways. You want to marry Vivian, but you don’t want to lose everything I brought to the table. You overestimate yourself, Adrian, and you underestimate me.”
His hands curled into fists at his sides. “Enough.” His voice was sharp, final. “You know this enagenment was arranged. The contract was written before we even had a say in it. The board expects me to do what’s best for the company, and marrying Vivian solidifies that. If you have any demands, just name them. I’ll make sure you’re compensated.”
I scoffed. “Compensated? I don’t need your money.”
He studied me, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface. “Cassandra, I thought you’d be more reasonable. Your father was a man of principle. Your brothers were, too. They would’ve understood that this isn’t personal it’s business. I didn’t think you’d make this so difficult.”
I met his gaze, unflinching. “You thought I’d just step aside and let you marry another woman?” I laughed, shaking my head. “You give me too much credit, Adrian. If this conversation is over, then so is my patience.”
His jaw tightened. “Fine. If you want to be stubborn, I’ll take this straight to the board. You’re refusing to cooperate, making things difficult for everyone. We’ll see how long your defiance lasts when you have to answer to them.”
I smirked. “Let them come. I have nothing to lose.”
He turned on his heel, storming out, but I stood tall. I had spent years sacrificing for him, waiting for the day he would finally see my worth. But that day would never come.
And I was done waiting.
I leaned back against the plush velvet couch, my fingers lazily tracing the rim of my untouched wine glass. The city skyline glittered beyond the floor–to–ceiling windows of my penthouse, but my mind was elsewhere. Adrian’s rage had barely faded from the room, his sharp words still echoing in my ears.
“What a joke,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. “I’m just a woman, not some corporate executive. How exactly
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Chapter 17
does he plan to punish me for refusing to how to his whims?”
+8 Pearls
1 knew exactly where he was headed to the Queen Dowager of our social elite, the matriarch who had always adored Vivian. He’d go running to her, painting me as the villain, as if I was the one who had betrayed our vows.
Adrian had barely made it to the elevator when I called after him, my voice dripping with mockery, “You might want to figure out how to afford that extravagant wedding first. Need a loan?”
He stiffened but didn’t turn around. He’d rather die than borrow money from me, but I knew the thought had crossed his
mind.
After the doors slid shut, Anna, my ever–loyal assistant, peeked her head around the corner. “Miss Cassandra, if he actually asked to borrow money, would you have given it to him?”
A slow smile spread across my lips as I finally took a sip of my wine. “Of course. With interest. He’d have to pay back every
cent.”
Anna giggled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “And if he didn’t?”
I’d send debt collectors to his office every single day”
“I’d s
1 set my glass down and sighed, glancing at the untouched bowl of soup that had been knocked over in Adrian’s fit of anger. A waste, really, “Anna, is there any more soup left? I’m starving”
“There’s plenty. We also have chicken soup. Which one would you like?” she asked, already heading toward the kitchen.
“Both,” I declared, stretching my arms with a satisfied sigh. “And make sure the staff gets some too. Oh, and everything’s packed, right?”
“All set,” Anna confirmed, grinning, “We’re just waiting for the final confirmation before we leave this place for good,”
I nodded, my heart lighter than it had been in years. It was almost over the waiting, the lies, the humiliation. Adrian was undoubtedly off trying to negotiate with Vivian’s family, scrambling to lower the costs of their lavish engagement. And Vivian, ever the accommodating darling, would agree.
After all, what choice did she have?
With a smirk, I leaned back into the couch, ready to enjoy my meal and watch my past unravel from a comfortable distance,
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