End of Flashback
Selena’s cheeks burned even now at the memory.
She had accepted the arrangement, telling herself that being his bedmate was enough—that one day he might crave her the way she craved him.
She had endured the clinical sex, the emotionless commands, the way he used her body without ever truly seeing her.
But today, watching him care for another woman with such instinctive gentleness... it shattered something inside her.
She shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, thighs pressing together as fresh embarrassment flooded her.
Even after nearly two years of sharing his bed, he had never carried her. Never cleaned up after her. Never looked at her with anything close to the storm she had glimpsed in his eyes when he looked at Isabelle.
So he was capable of it... just not with her.
The documents in her lap suddenly felt heavy and pointless. She was here as his secretary, yet she felt like an intruder.
She strained her ears, hoping to catch some sounds from upstairs. Cassian was still with her.
With Isabelle.
What were they doing up there... in his bedroom...together?
All this while, they had always met in his reserved suite in the Knight Hotel... Never in his home... never in his bedroom.
"Selena? What are you...When did you arrive?" Randy, who had just entered, asked upon seeing the woman.
Selena swallowed hard, forcing her expression into professional neutrality even as jealousy and humiliation twisted in her gut.
"Um...Hi Randy, I came to deliver some documents to the boss. They need his signature," she said.
"Oh, I think the boss is occupied," Randy said, his eyes flickering upstairs, then coming back to Selena.
He knew about the boss’s previous arrangement with the woman.
"Yeah, I surmised. I’ll leave them with you then. I’ll return to the office first," she added.
She should wait. She had always waited. Because no matter how cold he remained, no matter how detached... She still believed she could prove herself worthy.
But she just realised if she wanted to win Cassian back again, she needed to up her game.
She has been too lax recently after what happened, but she wouldn’t give up.
One day, those icy eyes would soften for her.
They had to.
"Oh...okay, you can leave them with me," Randy said, taking the documents from Selena.
She gave him a subtle smile and turned to leave.
~~~♧♧♧~~~
Cassian...
The bathroom door shut behind him with a quiet click.
Cassian twisted the handle of the shower without hesitation. Cold water came first—sharp, unforgiving—as it hit his skin.
He preferred it that way.
It was predictable relief.
Droplets ran down his face, but he didn’t move to wipe them away. His hand braced against the tiled wall, fingers tightening slightly as he lowered his head.
For a moment, his mind was quiet; there was nothing.
Then—
Her.
Not her voice. Not her words.
The feeling.
The way she had looked at him... uncertain, resisting, but not pulling away fast enough.
His jaw tightened.
His grip against the wall hardened. He turned the temperature lower, making the water colder.
It still didn’t help.
His mind replayed it anyway—her lips, the brief hesitation before she pushed him back, the way her body reacted before her mind caught up.
Cassian exhaled slowly, his breathing controlled and measured.
But something beneath that control shifted.
That wasn’t how this was supposed to work.
Desire, for him, had always been simple. Trigger. Response. End.
He was used to the hollow feeling.
Predictable.
Fleeting.
Disposable.
But this—whatever he felt with her?
It was neither predictable nor contained. His eyes opened, sharp and dark under the falling water.
Why her? Why was it Isabelle ’Quinn’?
The question came without permission. It irritated him more than anything else.
He straightened, rolling his shoulders slightly as if resetting himself.
He needed to get his head back in the game.
It was just a reaction. Nothing more.
A temporary disruption. It would pass. It always did.
But even as that thought settled in his mind...
His hand slid down slowly, stopping at that hard part of his body and stroking it to the memory of her.
The knowledge of her behind the fogged glass.
This was the second time... and for the first time—
He wasn’t entirely convinced.
~~~
Yvette’s POV
The sound of the shower stopped. For a few seconds... I heard nothing.
Then the door opened.
Cassian stepped out with a towel hung low on his waist, showing that V-curve. I hurriedly looked away, feeling mortified.
If he caught me staring, he didn’t show any reaction.
I heard him entering the closet, and when he emerged, he was dressed again, every line of him composed—hair slightly damp, black shirt clinging faintly at the collar.
The air shifted as soon as his gaze found me, blue eyes filled with that same unsettling focus.
Something in my chest tightened.
He wasn’t looking at me like before. Before, there had always been a layer of calculation, distance, and control. Now...
There was still control. But it felt thinner and sharper. He looked dangerous.
Cassian didn’t speak right away. His eyes moved over me slowly—not in a rushed or hungry way, but in a way that made me feel... assessed.
My fingers curled slightly at my sides. "Cassian..." I started, not understanding why my voice came out quieter than I intended.
He stepped closer, his scent invading my senses.
That was all it took... because it was enough to make me instinctively hold my breath.
"Ryan is still outside," I added quickly, as if saying that would break whatever tension was building between us...again. "You said you’d—"
"I know what I said." His voice cut in, calm... but different. Less detached, more deliberate.
His gaze didn’t leave my face.
"Did you want to go with him?"
The question landed softly. Too softly. I blinked, caught off guard.
"That’s not— I mean, he’s already here and he’s my—"
"Brother," Cassian finished, his gaze never moving from me, "Answer the question."
I hesitated. Not because I didn’t know the answer, but because of the way he was looking at me.
He didn’t look angry, and that made it worse. He made me feel like... My answer mattered.
And that made my pulse unsteady.
"I should go back," I said finally, though the words lacked their usual firmness. "My parents will worry if I stay too long."
Cassian watched me for a moment longer, his expression unreadable.
But something in his expression subtly shifted; it was almost imperceptible.
He didn’t seem displeased, nor did he look like he believed my excuse. It was something in between.
"Fine." He said, but instead of stepping away, he reached out.
His fingers brushed lightly against my wrist... then wrapped around it. It wasn’t tight enough to hurt.
But it wasn’t something I could ignore either.
His hold was warm, his actions deliberate.
My breath caught.
Cassian’s thumb moved slightly—just once—against my skin. Then he leaned in slightly, his voice lower this time.
"Next time..." he paused, holding my gaze, enough to make my heart trip over itself. "...don’t let him speak for you."
My eyes widened slightly, and before I could respond, he pulled away. Just like that.
As if nothing happened.
My fingers curled.
I shifted, trying to get out of bed. But before I could move further, he offered me his hand.
"Come here... I’ll carry you."
I averted my gaze, letting out a "hmph".
"Thank you, but I don’t need your help."
"Don’t be a brat," he chided.
My mouth hung open in surprise. "I’m a brat?!"
Ignoring me, he bent slightly and lifted me.
"What are you doing?"
"After what happened, are you sure you can walk on your own?"
Why did those words have a different meaning after coming from Cassian’s mouth?
My cheeks grew warm, and I lowered my head in his arms.
"Let’s get you freshened up before we go, shall we?" he said, already turning toward the bathroom door.
He lowered me down and filled the bathtub, making it ready for use.
"Um, you can go ahead. I can continue from here," I said softly, not meeting his gaze.
"What? Are you shy? I’ve seen everything already."
"Cassian, you pervert."
He chuckled, and oh boy, I nearly had an eye-gasm.
The sight of him smiling did something dangerous to my composure.
"Okay, okay, I’ll be reviewing some documents downstairs. Your clothes will be on the bed. When you’re done and looking all prepped up for me, just call me to carry you down."
He turned around and in the next second, I was alone in the large bathroom.