G19
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“Cassian, I did love you once,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “But what do you take me for?”
“A pet? Something you can summon when you want and throw away when you don’t?” I exhaled sharply, my
chest tightening with fury
“And for your information–we’re already married. Legally.” Cassian’s expression twisted from shock to
BASAM & c
something darker, more dangerous
“You’ve changed,” he murmured, his voice low and cold. “You never used to talk to me like this.”
*That’s because I finally see you for what you are,” I shot back.
“You never cared about my feelings. You only wanted to keep me locked in a gilded cage, chained to you, available whenever you pleased.”
is!”
“I was protecting you!” he suddenly roared, his temper snapping. “You have no idea how dangerous the world
His breathing was ragged as he raked a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable.
*Zane is not a saint like you think he is,” he spat. “Not only is he lying about being blind, but just now–he drove a man to the rooftop and left him no choice but to jump”
He yanked out his phone, shoving the screen in my face.
A video played.
A middle–aged man stood at the edge of the Kensington Corp headquarters, his voice shaking as he shouted,
‘You forced me into this!‘
him
Then, without hesitation, he jumped
My stomach lurched
Zane’s face flashed in my mind–the cold, unreadable expression he wore before I left the house tonight.
I took a step back, my mind spinning.
*See?” Cassian’s voice was softer now, coaxing. “He’s dangerous, Liv.”
I was still staring at the phone when a familiar scent wrapped around me–cedarwood and something distinctly
A strong arm slid around my waist, pulling me back against a firm chest.
“Mr. Montclair.” Zane’s voice was smooth, polite and ice–cold.
“Considering the mess your company is in, I’m surprised you have the time to harass my wife.”
Cassian’s grip on his phone tightened.
“If you’re not happy with your current situation, I can always arrange for things to get worse,” Zane added, his
tone terrifyingly casual.
I turned slightly, looking up at him.
This wasn’t the Zane I knew–the one who spoke with quiet warmth, who reassured me in a low, steady voice.
The man beside me now was something else entirely. The calm, composed businessman had vanished. In his place stood someone sharp–edged, dangerous–a predator sizing up his prey.
Cassian’s face contorted with anger. His lips curled into a sneer, but there was something uneasy in the way
shifted on his feet.
he
*Don’t get ahead of yourself, Zane.” His voice was lower now, more restrained, but dripping with bitterness. “You think you can fool her forever?”
He exhaled harshly, shoving his phone back into his pocket.
“She looks like her, doesn’t she?” Zane didn’t move, but I felt the tension in his body coil like a wire pulled too
tight.
Cassian chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s why you married her. Not because you love her. Because she
reminds you of your dead first love.”
First love. The kind of love you never quite recover from. The ghost that lingers, no matter how much time has passed. A dull ache spread through my chest, but I refused to let it show.
Truthfully, I had always harbored doubts about Zane’s supposed blindness. If he had been faking it solely to
themselves without a purpose.
Yet, he had played the part of a blind man so convincingly–even injuring his hands at times. The entire Kensington Family seemed unfazed by it, as if it were completely normal.
I couldn’t understand why he had done it. I had tried to rationalize it, coming up with every possible excuse for him. But then–first love. Two simple words that made everything fall into place.
My y mind drifted back to the past few days, recalling the way he had acted. He was always affectionate but never crossed the final line. The way he held me, cared for me, yet never truly claimed me–it all made sense now.
I wasn’t the one he wanted. I was just the next best thing. A substitute, a temporary comfort, but never a true replacement. I knew I had no right to feel hurt. This was, after all, just a marriage of convenience.
And yet, after everything with Sloane, I had still ended up as someone else’s stand–in.
It was almost laughable in a bitter, ironic way.
“Zane,” I finally spoke, my voice quiet b
His jaw clenched, but he said nothing
steady. “You are never blind, are you?”
I let out a soft, bitter laugh. “Was it fun?” I continued. “Was it fun watching me make a fool of myself, bending over backward to take care of you?!”
