Chapter 26
+B Pearls
Cassandra stood before Adrian, her expression unreadable, though the cool smile on her lips sent a sharp pang through my chest. “So, Mr. Carters truly has my best interests at heart? Even going so far as to ensure I keep half of my dowry?” Her voice was calm, but the underlying edge was impossible to miss.
Adrian stiffened. “This isn’t from Vivian. She didn’t write this,” he insisted, though the signature at the bottom of the letter betrayed him.
Cassandra arched a perfect brow. “Is that so? Then tell me, Adrian, if you leave me today, will you return my dowry in full so I can leave with what is rightfully mine?”
Before reading the letter, Adrian wouldn’t have hesitated–he would have agreed in a heartbeat, even if it went against his parents‘ wishes. But Vivian had made it clear she expected him to keep. half. If he disregarded her wishes, she would undoubtedly be disappointed. And the thought of that alone unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.
Cassandra chuckled softly, shaking her head. “You’re hesitating
man you claim to be.”
So much for being the honorable
Her words were gentle, yet each syllable felt like a dagger. Though her smile remained intact, there was no warmth in it–just cold calculation and resignation. Adrian opened his mouth, but no words came. He simply watched as Cassandra stepped past him, her presence leaving behind a bitter chill
Theodore, standing with his usual imposing stance, immediately turned to her as she entered the room. “Cari, has the Warren family mistreated you? If they have, speak freely. You have nothing to fear with me here.”
Cassandra’s lips trembled as she knelt before the old man, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Granduncle Theodore, I’m sorry you had to come all this way because of me. I never wanted to bring you trouble.”
Theodore’s face darkened with sorrow, and for a moment, his age weighed heavy on hist shoulders. “Stand up, child.”
Looking at her, he couldn’t help but recall the Sinclair family’s past–the men lost in assasination, the proud legacy left hanging by a single thread. The sight of Cassandra kneeling before him, the last of her lineage, only deepened the pain in his heart.
“Come,” he said firmly. “We will not cower. Even if you are the last of your family, no one will treat you as insignificant.”
Evelyn, who had been watching from the side, let out a scoff. “What exactly are you suggesting, Mr. Sinclair? Vivian was never meant to overshadow Cassandra–they were supposed to share equal standing. Are you saying we mistreated her? Do you truly believe we have been cruel to her?”
1:16 PM
Chapter 26
+8 Pearls:
family, has anyone insulted you? Has anyone raised a hand against you? Have I, as your mother- in–law, ever treated you unfairly?”
Cassandra slowly shook her head. “No,” she admitted quietly.
Evelyn’s sorrowful expression twisted into one of anger. “If that’s the case, why do you act as if you’ve been wronged? Is it jealousy? Are you envious of Vivian? That marriage was decreed by the king himself. Your jealousy and refusal to accept reality have left us no choice but for Adrian to set you free. What do you have to say for yourself?
Theodore’s voice cut through the tense air like a blade. “Hold on. You claim she is disobedient, yet everyone in the capital knows how she has cared for you. Since the day she entered this house, she has dedicated herself to you. She prepared your meals, ensured you took your medicine, managed your treatments. And now you dare accuse her of disobedience?”
Silence fell over the room as Cassandra stood tall, her gaze steady. No matter what happened next, she knew one thing for certain–she would not leave here as a broken woman. She had given everything she had, and she would walk away with her dignity intact.
Evelyn folded her arms, her expression cold and unreadable. “Yes, I once thought Cassandra was respectful and considerate, too. But the moment the marriage agreement came through, she turned into a completely different person. She stopped arranging for my medication, refused to acknowledge me, and even went as far as to petition the court to have the marriage revoked. Tell me, Mr. Sinclair, does that not reek of jealousy?”
I swallowed hard as the tension in the room thickened. Theodore hesitated, his mouth opening and closing as he searched for a counterargument. But he knew, as we all did, that jealousy- though common–was indeed grounds for separation in our legal system.
Cassandra stood stiffly, her face an unreadable mask, but I knew her well enough to see the flicker of hurt in her eyes. “I agree to the seperation,” she finally said, her voice devoid of emotion. “But what about my dowry?”
Evelyn lifted her chin. “We’re not after your dowry. However, since you are the one being divorced, the law states that your dowry remains with the husband’s family. Out of respect for
time with us, we will allow you to take thirty percent.”
A sharp intake of breath came from Theodore as he slammed his cane against the marble floor. “Outrageous! You call that fairness? That is exploitation, pure and simple! You are taking advantage of her family’s misfortune. Jealousy is a natural reaction, not a crime worthy of such humiliation!”
I clenched my jaw, feeling the weight of their gazes on me. Vincent, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. “Adrian, you are a man of honor, a leader of integrity. Tell us, do you truly believe this is just? Must you go through with this divorce? And if you must, do you really intend to take seventy percent of Cassandra’s dowry?”
A suffocating silence fell over the room. All eyes were on me. My mind raced, but no words came. The weight of my choices pressed down on me, and for the first time in years, I felt uncertain
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1:16 PM c
