Chapter 20
e
+8 Pearls
When news broke that Evelyn had fallen ill, the entire estate was thrown into chaos for half the night. Servants scurried through the halls, whispering anxiously, while Adrian personally summoned a private doctor to stabilize her condition.
After examining her, the doctor turned to Adrian with a grave expression. “I’ve treated your mother before, but my skills can only go so far. The best specialist in the city for heart conditions is Dr. Nathaniel. His medicine, Snowdrop Pills, is the only thing that can keep her condition from worsening.”
Adrian clenched his fists. “She’s been taking those pills for a year now. Can’t you do something else?”
The doctor shook his head. “I’ve controlled the episode for now, but without continued treatment, her condition will deteriorate. If she suffers another attack, I may not be able to save her.”
With that, the doctor gathered his things and left, leaving Adrian seething with frustration. He had personally gone to Nathaniel’s clinic, only to be told that the doctor refused to see him. Adrian knew exactly why. Cassandra had something to do with this her final attempt to manipulate him, to pressure him into giving up on marrying Vivian.
Fury burning through him, he stormed into Grace Mansion, kicking the doors open with a force that made them slam against the walls. Cassandra, sitting at her mahogany desk under the soft glow of a lamp, barely flinched. Instead, she calmly set down her pen, as if she had been expecting him.
“Bella, Fiona, Anna, leave us,” she said softly, dismissing her staff without so much as a glance in their direction.
Adrian stalked toward her, his tall frame casting a shadow over her delicate features. His voice was ice–cold. “Get Nathaniel to treat my mother. Tomorrow.”
Cassandra met his glare, her expression unreadable. “Or else?”
His teeth clenched. “Or else I’ll leave you.”
A beat of silence stretched between them. Then, to his shock, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
“You’ll leave me?”
His jaw tightened. “You were right the other day. I have more than enough reasons to end this arriangement.”
The lamplight flickered, illuminating the perfect porcelain of her skin. She was still breathtaking just as she had been when they first got together, only now there was a steeliness in her gaze that hadn’t been there before.
“Good,” she said lightly, “Now that you’ve finally admitted it, I see where we stand. I’ll wait for you to draft the seperation papers.”
His pulse pounded in his ears. “You should know that once I leave you, you won’t get your dowry back.”
Cassandra’s smile didn’t waver, “Oh, the dowry? Keep it. But if you want a proper, clean break, then do it right. Tomorrow, invite both family heads, our closest neighbors, and the matchmaker who arranged this. Sit them down, present the papers, and I’ll sign them without hesitation.”
He jabbed a finger at her, nearly touching the tip of her nose. “Fine. Tomorrow at noon, I’ll leave you and send you away.”
With that, he turned on his heel and strode out, the weight of his decision settling over him like a storm cloud. But as he walked away, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that, despite everything, Cassandra had won this round.
Bella stormed into the room, her face red with frustration. “Miss Cassandra, once you go through with this seperation, everything your entire dowry goes to him. You can’t just let this happen!”
Anna was near tears, shaking her head in disbelief. “Exactly! How can you just walk away and leave it all behind? Your mother left you half the family’s wealth as your dowry! That was meant to secure your future, not fund his ambitions.”
I stayed seated, my fingers tracing the rim of the porcelain teacup in front of me. Adrian’s expression from earlier still lingered in my mind cold, unwavering, as if I were nothing more than a contract he was eager to void. A year ago, I had still held onto a shred of hope that he might change. Foolish. Despite the distant, formal nature of our relationship, he was the man my mother had chosen for me. A part of me had wanted to believe in him, in his promises. But today, those illusions
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12:38 PM
Chapter 20
had been shattered completely.
+8 Pearls
“If he leaves me, he’ll pay a hefty price too,” I said, my voice calm despite the storm inside me. “As for my dowry… That’s another matter entirely. Let’s see if he really thinks he can take it all from me.”
Bella folded her arms, anger flashing in her eyes. “Exactly! You spent a year taking care of his mother, running this household, sacrificing so much, and the moment he gains recognition, he decides he’s too good for you? He wants to cast you aside and marry another woman, all while selling off the family’s remaining assets just to afford the engagement gifts? And now, he’s aiming for your dowry too?”
Anna still looked unconvinced, worry etched across her face. “Even if you fight for what’s yours, Miss Cassandra, I fear he’ll find a way to take it all. And being a divorced woman… it won’t be easy for you. Your reputation”
I sighed, already having considered the same concerns. “I know. But there are things even Adrian can’t control.”
The Governor’s approval for the seperation was still pending. I had petitioned for it, leveraging my family’s past business contributions. But my father and brothers were gone, their sacrifices long buried in history. The king was focused on his new generation of business owners, men like Adrian. What if he changed his mind? What if he decided keeping me bound to Adrian was more politically convenient?
The dowry itself wasn’t my concern. The deeds, the banknotes, the silver I had all the documentation I needed to reclaim what was rightfully mine. The only things Adrian’s family might be able to seize were the jewelry, silk, and household ornaments. A loss, yes, but a minor one compared to my freedom.
If Adrian truly went through with this, then he would see exactly how heartless I could be.
Bella huffed, crossing her arms. “You even considered calling Nathaniel to treat his mother? After everything?” She scoffed. “Not worth it, Miss Cassandra. Not worth it at all.”
I lifted my teacup to my lips, smiling faintly. “No, it isn’t.”
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