Cassie’s POV
I was already at the pharmacy — after Kate had taken the entire batch I’d left out the night before, there weren’t any left at this one. I checked the next street over, looking for anywhere still open this early.
I was already dressed for work, my ride circling the area while we hunted for somewhere selling what I needed. Eventually we found one. I grabbed the pills quickly, relieved, and had him swing by a café on the way so I could pick up coffee for the plan.
Almost 9am.
Damien was probably already at the office. I rushed into the elevator, praying no one else was in there with me — I had a very specific plan to execute, and I didn’t need witnesses.
I’d picked up two coffees from Lola’s. One drugged, one clean. The plan was simple: once he drank the drugged one, I’d swap the cup for the clean one before anyone could trace it back to me.
I tucked the backup coffee carefully into my bag, making sure the lid was secure, and walked into the office holding the other one steady in my hand.
Luckily, he wasn’t in yet. I set it down on his desk and sank into my chair, waiting.
Twenty minutes passed. Still no Damien. Where is he? Then the door opened.
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.
"Good morning, sir." I said it almost too brightly.
"Mm. Morning, Cassie." He actually smiled back. "You seem like you woke up on the right side of the bed today."
"I really did, sir."
"Good for you." He sat down, already pulling up his laptop.
I kept glancing his way every few seconds, waiting for him to finally notice the coffee sitting right there, but he seemed completely oblivious to its existence on his desk.
I couldn’t focus on a single task on my desk, my whole attention locked on that cup. Finally, he reached for it — right as his phone started ringing loudly across the desk. He set the coffee back down to answer it instead.
Who the hell calls someone exactly as they’re about to drink their coffee? It was business, apparently, but surely whoever it was could’ve waited five more minutes.
He finally hung up — and forgot about the coffee entirely, again. My heart was pounding. Should I say something?
"Sir, your coffee’s getting cold. You don’t like it cold."
"Right, the coffee." He said it like he’d genuinely forgotten, then took a sip without a second thought.
"This is actually really good." He said it like a compliment, completely unaware of what he’d just swallowed.
I smiled. "Enjoy it, sir." Satisfaction bloomed in my chest. This is for the bathroom. And everything before it.
A few minutes later, I heard it — a loud, unmistakable snore. I glanced over. Out cold. Completely gone.
I could’ve celebrated right there.
When break came, I slipped out quietly, careful not to wake him.
In the cafeteria, I greeted everyone with an unusually bright energy. The chef looked at me twice. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy. What’s going on?"
"Nothing, really. Just a good day." I smiled as she loaded my plate with an extra turkey sandwich. "Thank you."
I grabbed some fruit and water and headed to the center table — completely empty, though not for lack of people walking past it, each one choosing somewhere else.
I spotted CeCe heading my way, genuinely relieved at the idea of company for once, but she walked right past my table too, settling somewhere else entirely without even slowing down.
Our eyes met briefly across the cafeteria. She looked away first, clearly not interested in whatever I had to say.
Is she mad at me? Normally I wouldn’t think twice about it, but today felt different enough that I actually cared.
I picked up my tray and walked over anyway, sitting down despite the clear "don’t you dare" look on her face.
"Cece. Did I do something?" I asked, knowing full well I’d been avoiding her.
She said nothing, focused entirely on her food.
"Fine. We’ll just eat in silence, then." Still nothing — not even a glance, which was genuinely unlike her. She usually had something to say about everything, even Aaron’s questionable new haircut.
"I’m sorry. I know I’ve been distant. I’ve just been... processing a lot. It really affected me."
"Finally. Accountability." She finally spoke.
"I want things back to normal between us."
"Honestly, you’ve been acting completely out of character lately. Or maybe this is just who you are now."
"No — my head’s just been a mess. I’ll do better. Are we okay?"
"Yeah. We’re okay."
"Yes! Thank you." I nearly hugged her right there.
"You look way too happy today. What’s up?"
Part of me wanted to spill everything, but she had feelings for Damien — I wasn’t about to make this complicated. I kept it vague.
"Honestly? I just feel free. Lighter. Like I’m finally at peace after everything."
"That sounds... nice, I guess," she said, clearly unconvinced. "Glad you’re in a better place."
"After everything I’ve been through, I think I deserve it."
"What about Damien? I heard his girlfriend showed up yesterday and he sent her packing." She tried to sound uninterested, but I could tell she was dying for details — and I was happy to feed her.
"Started with a phone call, actually. He told his security not to let her anywhere near his house. She was practically begging."
She nodded slowly, clearly intrigued despite trying to play it cool. "Once Damien decides something, that’s it. No going back, ever. That’s just how he operates." Her eyes said keep going, don’t stop now.
"Then she showed up at the office, begged him to forgive her, and he told her to leave and never come back. Called it a mistake."
"What happened between them?" Her excitement was obvious now.
"She cheated on him."
"What?" Her jaw dropped. "She cheated on Damien? The man every woman in this building would kill to have?"
"Yep. And when she wouldn’t leave, he threatened security. She left pretty fast after that." I paused for effect. "Want to hear the worst part?"
"Obviously."
"He had me print her photo and distribute it to every security post. She’s permanently banned from the building."
She burst out laughing. "Okay, that’s a little extreme, don’t you think?"
"Honestly? No. She cheated. She deserves it."
"Wait — lunch ended ages ago. Why are you still here?"
That snapped me back — Damien. Still passed out in his office.
"I need to go check on him." I stood quickly.
Back in the office, he was exactly where I’d left him, slumped in his chair, drooling slightly. I settled at my desk, sorting through files, feeling strangely at peace.
His phone kept buzzing nonstop. I finally silenced it, nerves creeping in despite myself.
Hours passed. He hadn’t moved an inch the entire time — just lying there, breathing steadily, snoring occasionally, completely unresponsive to anything around him. I was starting to genuinely panic, pacing between my desk and his office every few minutes.
What if something goes wrong? I checked his pulse, his breathing — both fine, steady — but he still wouldn’t wake up no matter what I tried.
By then I remembered I hadn’t swapped the cups yet. I pulled out the clean coffee, dumped the matching amount down the drain, and tossed the evidence, swapping the cups before anyone noticed.
I called Kate immediately, my voice shaking more than I expected it to. Something’s wrong with Damien. You need to come now.
She rushed over, and found him exactly as I’d left him — snoring, drooling, dead to the world.
"What happened?" She rushed to his side. "Is he actually asleep?"
"He’s been like this since before lunch. I thought he just needed rest, but he won’t wake up."
She tried everything she could think of — shaking him by the shoulders, pushing at his chest, even a light slap across his cheek. Nothing worked at all.
"We need to get him to a hospital, right now." Real panic crept into her voice. "He never does this, not once, ever. Something is genuinely, seriously wrong here."
Oh god. What have I actually done? I should’ve measured the dose far more carefully before any of this. I never meant for it to go this far, not even close.
"I’ll get security to help carry him." I bolted out to find help.
Security came in fast, lifting him carefully between two of them, and got him settled into the back of the car. Kate and I climbed in right behind, and we were moving within minutes, heading straight for the nearest hospital.
I sat there the whole ride, terrified, silently praying under my breath. I only wanted to punish him. I never meant to actually hurt him. I should’ve just flooded his office instead, or honestly, just let the whole thing go entirely.
What if this gets traced back to me?