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Zane never rushed me.
He moved at my pace, never pushing, never demanding.
We never spoke openly about it, but we both understood. It was an unspoken agreement between two adults- one neither of us had the need to clarify.
Yet, just when I had finally started to let go of my reservations, when I thought we were getting closer…he suddenly pulled away
It was subtle at first.
A lingering touch that didn’t last as long. The absence of his usual warmth at night. The space between us, which had been gradually closing, was now widening again. He went back to treating me with polite distance, just as he had in the beginning.
No one likes throwing themselves at someone who doesn’t respond. And someone like Zane–proud,
accomplished, desired by many–had no reason to
He had needs, just like any man and I had been the one rejecting him all along. Maybe he had finally lost interest. Maybe I had bruised his ego one too many times.
That night, determined to fix things, I finally made the first move.
Gathering my courage, I slid my arms around his waist from behind, pressing my forehead against his back.
But just as my fingers traced the firm ridges of his abs, he tensed–then abruptly pulled my hands away.
A moment later, he turned his back to me, his voice stiff.
“It’s been a long day. Get some rest.”
Something inside me twisted painfully.
For the first time, I was the one being rejected. And I hated how much it hurt. After all, I was the one who had set the boundaries. I had been the one keeping my distance. So what right did I have to expect anything different?
This… this was exactly what I had wanted wasn’t it?.
45 AM
I forced myself to close my eyes, telling myself that once I fell asleep, none of it would matter anymore.
The next morning. I received an invitation to an exclusive gala from a designer I had recently met.
Among the guest list was an Italian architect–a name I recognized, someone I might work with in the future. It seemed like a good networking opportunity, so I accepted.
Zane was supposed to accompany me.
But at the last minute, something urgent came up at the company. His younger brother stormed in, pulling him away with a serious expression, leaving me to attend the event alone.
I hadn’t expected to run into Cassian
The moment he spotted me, his expression shifted–shocked, intense.
Panic flared in my chest. Instinctively I turned to walk the other way, but he was faster
“Livia!” He caught my arm before I could escape. “Don’t go.”
I was barely able to protest before he dragged me into a quiet corner of the ballroom, pinning me between himself and the wall. Revulsion crawled up my spine.
I struggled, but his grip was firm, unyielding. So I did the only thing I could think of. I sank my teeth into his neck With a sharp curse, he recoiled, loosening his hold just enough for me to shove him away Bu
instead of backing off,
he slammed a hand against the wall beside me, panting, his eyes wild
“Liv, please just listen to me.”
“I was set up. Zane did this. He made me take that project. He orchestrated everything–including Sloane coming back into my life. It was all to break us apart, so he could have you for himself.”
I stared at him, stunned.
“He’s lying to you,” Cassian pressed on desperately. “He’s not even blind, Liv! He’s pretending to be weak so you’ll pity him, so you’ll fall right into his trap! You’re too innocent–you’ll never see through him until it’s too late.”
A bitter laugh bubbled up in my throat.
“That’s enough, Cassian.” I wrenched my arm free from his grasp. “Whether or not Zane set you up, you were the one who brought Sloane home and flaunted your romance in my
ce! You made that decision yourself!”
“You were the one who lied to me. You were the one who hurt me.
For a moment, Cassian looked genuinely taken aback.
Then his eyes brightened–like he had just found hope
“You’re mad because of Sloane, aren’t you?” he said eagerly. “That means you still care. You still love me.”
He reached for me again.
“Listen, I was only engaged to her to secure a business deal. It was never real. It’s over now–I ended things with her. I even restored the house to the way it used to be. The garden is filled with your bougainvillea again, just the way you like it.”
“Come back to me, Liv.”
His voice softened, coaxing, pleading
“It’s not too late. You and Zane aren’t legally married yet. We can go back to how things were.”
I slapped him across the face, hard–hoped it would finally knock some sense into him
