Cassian
My jaw clenched as I kept my gaze fixed on him. "Where she is and who she stays with is none of your business," I said, my voice deadpan. "My life isn’t something for you to poke your nose into."
I didn’t give him the satisfaction of confirming anything. Doing that would only give him and Asher another target to shoot at.
I stood up from the armchair, straightening. "This is going to be the last time I sound a warning to you," I said. "Tell your son to back off. The next time he tries anything, I won’t come to your office. You and your son will taste a pill of your own medicine."
I turned on my heel and began walking toward the double doors. "You always think you can control everything, Cassian. Just like when father left the whole inheritance to me. You think you’re better than everyone else, but you’re still just as bitter inside. You haven’t changed at all."
My footsteps stopped dead in their tracks. My hands curled into tight fists at my sides, my knuckles turning white as rage boiled in my chest. Norman was my older brother, but in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to turn around and land a heavy punch right across his arrogant face. He loved bringing up the past, using our family’s ugly history like a knife to poke at my chest.
I took a slow breath, forcing my voice to stay completely flat as I looked over my shoulder. "I am no longer living in the past, brother," I said coldly. "Make sure you remember that."
Without waiting for his reply, I opened the door and walked out. I took the elevator straight down my blood burning. I unlocked my car, stepped into the driver’s seat, and slammed the door shut.
I hit my fist hard against the leather steering wheel, the sound echoing through the quiet car. Pain shot through my hand, but I barely felt it.
I fucking hated it. I hated that I shared the same blood with Norman. I hated that we came from the same parents, born into the same messed-up family. And now, he and his weak son were trying to use the fucking past to mess with me, using Elvie as a pawn in their pathetic game.
They thought they could push me into a corner. But they were about to learn that when I strike back, I don’t stop until there’s nothing left of them.
**
Later when I pulled into the driveway, the rage inside me hadn’t settled one bit. I had stopped on the way back and grabbed a bottle of champagne, needing something strong to wash down the bitter taste my brother had left in my mouth.
I was expecting the house to be quiet, assuming Elvie would already be in her room or asleep. But as I opened the front door and stepped into the living room, I found her pacing back and forth across the rug.
The moment she heard my footsteps, she whipped around and rushed over to me, her eyes filled with worry. "Cassian... you haven’t been picking up your calls. Is everything okay?"
My phone had been buzzing in my pocket the whole time, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak to anyone while my blood was boiling.
"Why are you still up?" I asked, my voice flat as I looked at her.
"I was worried," she murmured softly. "Because of the way you left..."
I forced a breath through my nose, trying with everything in me to swallow down the anger. I didn’t want to bring that dark energy anywhere near her. I didn’t want her to see how much my brother’s words had gotten under my skin.
"Have you eaten dinner?" I asked, shifting the subject.
She shook her head quietly. A sudden burst of frustration snapped inside me. "Why wouldn’t you eat? What were you waiting for? You didn’t eat dinner?!"
Elvie flinched, her eyes widening in absolute shock as she took a small step back.
Regret hit me instantly. A heavy wave of guilt washed over me the second I saw the hurt flash across her face. I closed my eyes, raking a hand through my hair with a harsh breath, trying to regain control of myself.
"Go warm up something and eat," I said, opening my eyes, my tone softer but still firm.
"I’m not hungry," she said quietly.
"Elvie."
"I’m not hungry," she repeated, her chin trembling slightly as she looked up at me. "I don’t know why you’re acting this way. I was waiting for you... you just came home, and you’re being so cold. What did I do wrong?"
Her words cut straight to my chest. She hadn’t done a single thing wrong. She fucking didn’t do wrong. It was Norman. It was my pathetic excuse of a brother. Or maybe it was just me, being a bastard for shouting at the one person who actually cared enough to wait up for me.
I set the bottle of champagne down. "Come here," I said in a tired voice.
She lifted a brow. Instead of waiting for her to move, I reached out, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her flush against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, tucking her head under my chin and holding her.
"I’m sorry," I whispered into her hair, my chest aching as I held her close. "I’m sorry for lashing out at you, Elvie. I didn’t mean to do that."
She softened in my arms, her stiff frame slowly relaxing against me until her forehead rested in the hollow of my neck. Her hands came up to grip the fabric of my shirt.
"You scared me," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "When you drove off like that... I thought you were going to do something terrible."
"I didn’t do anything," I lied quietly, pressing a soft kiss into her hairline.
I pulled back just far enough to look down into her face, my hands resting on her hips. Her eyes were searching mine, still filled with that quiet, earnest care that made something heavy unravel inside me.
"Now," I murmured, my thumb tracing the line of her jawbone, "You need to eat something. I’m not asking, Elvie."
She sighed, a tiny, reluctant smile tugging at the corner of her lips before she nodded. "Fine. But only if you eat with me."
"Deal."
I sure as hell wouldn’t trade this moment for anything. I took her hand, leading her into the dimly lit kitchen. I grabbed two plates, warming up the dinner that had been left covered on the counter, while she reached for two glasses and the bottle of champagne I’d brought inside.
As we sat down at the kitchen island, we ate in silence. Every few seconds, I caught her looking at me over the rim of her glass, as if trying to read my eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked setting her glass down.
I leaned back, my gaze locking onto hers. "I’m thinking about how much I dislike coming home to see you upset. And how much I intend to make it up to you tonight."
A soft flush crept up her neck, spreading across her cheeks. She picked up her glass again, taking a slow sip just to avoid my gaze, but the slight tremor in her hands betrayed her.
"You don’t have to make anything up to me," she whispered, setting the glass back down on the marble counter. "You were just stressed."
"I was out of line," I corrected. I reached across the island, my fingers wrapping around her wrist and pulling her hand into mine. "And I don’t like hurting you, Elvie. Not like that."
She looked up, her eyes locking onto mine, completely exposed. "I just... I hate seeing you like that, Cassian. Whatever happened with Asher, whatever he said to me—"
"Forget about Asher," I interrupted, my grip tightening slightly around her wrist—not enough to hurt, but enough to anchor her completely to me. "He is nothing. A minor inconvenience. You don’t need to waste a single thought on him or his family."
She swallowed, nodding slowly. "Okay."
"Finish your food," I commanded softly, stroking the back of her hand with my thumb. "And then we’re going upstairs."
Her lips parted slightly. She didn’t argue. She quickly ate the rest of her dinner under my watchful gaze, her cheeks staying a warm, dusty pink the entire time.
When she finally set her fork down, I stood up immediately. I took her plate, placed it in the sink, and then turned back to her.
Without a word, I reached down, slid one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back, and lifted her effortlessly off the kitchen stool into my arms.
A quiet gasp escaped her lips, her arms instinctively wrapping around my neck as I carried her out of the kitchen and up the grand staircase toward my bedroom.
"Cassian," she breathed out, her heart hammering against my chest. "The shopping bags... we left them in the car."
I didn’t slow my stride for a second. "They can wait until morning. Right now, my focus is entirely on you."