Chapter 7
Cassandra Hartley.
Confident. Poised. Independent.
Long legs in silk trousers and nude pumps, chestnut hair in a loose bun, eyes so sharp they made themselves difficult to look away from.
Having graduated from one of the country’s most elite universities, holding a prestigious degree in Business Administration, she had stepped in when Cassian and Liam were drowning.
Short on staff, short on time, short on sanity.
She became their assistant, a lifeline until the situation stabilized.
Then Rohan took over as Cassian’s executive assistant, while Cassandra remained Liam’s assistant, though she was still often spotted hovering at Cassian’s side.
Liam’s sister.
Cassian’s friend.
And a complete stranger to me.
Those were the facts Naija had given me, nothing more than a handful of details about a woman I’d never expected to cross paths with.
Yet there she stood in my doorway, surprise flickering across her face the moment she saw me.
She was surprised?
Wasn’t this supposed to be my house?
A polished smile quickly replaced the surprise on her face. “Alessia, it’s so good to see you!” she said brightly, stepping forward with her arms opening for a hug.
I didn’t move. Arms hanging at my sides, I watched her approach until she had no choice but to wrap them around a very unresponsive statue.
After a brief, awkward second, she let go and took a small step back.
The warmth vanished from her expression instantly, replaced by a perfectly arranged look of sorrow.
“I heard about the accident,” she murmured, her voice softening into practiced sympathy.
“I’m so sorry. I wanted to visit, but Cassian said someone had to stay at work and hold down the fort.
” Her lashes lowered, and when she looked at me again, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
“I was so devastated for you. I’m just so glad you’re okay now. ”
Under different circumstances, I might have hugged her back. I might have smiled politely. I might even have believed her.
But I didn’t.
Because every part of it was a lie. Her tone was a performance, her expression a carefully crafted mask, and her words nothing but empty air.
I didn’t have my memories, but my instincts hadn’t abandoned me. Every nerve in my body seemed to recoil from her, leaving behind a deep, inexplicable sense of unease. I couldn’t explain why, but I knew one thing with absolute certainty: I didn’t like this woman.
And judging by the brief hardening of her eyes whenever she thought I wasn’t looking, the feeling was very much mutual.
So I said nothing. I simply sidestepped her and walked into my house, leaving her and her performance on the doorstep.
“Who is it—” Cassian appeared in the hallway, the rest of the question dying on his lips the instant his eyes landed on me. He stopped so abruptly it was almost comical, surprise flashing across his face before it gave way to something far softer.
I gave him a smile so sweet it practically dripped poison. “Your wife.”
And immediately wanted to throw up.
Cassian, however, looked like I’d just handed him the best news of his life. Warmth flooded his eyes as he crossed the space between us before I could react, one hand reaching for me. “You’re home—”
I stepped sharply out of his reach before he could touch me, burying both hands in my pockets. I tipped my chin toward Cassandra, who was still lingering by the doorway. “Care to explain?”
The question seemed to knock him off whatever happy little track his mind had been following. His brows pulled together as he glanced at Cassandra, then back at me, confusion replacing the relief on his face.
“Oh, we were just finalizing my schedule for the next few weeks.” He dismissed it with a casual shrug before turning his attention back to me.
“Forget about that. Where’s your stuff? Is it in the car?
” He glanced past my shoulder toward the driveway before waving the thought away.
“It doesn’t matter. We can get it later. Are you hungry? I can make you—”
I took another step back, a deep frown pulling at my brows. “What the fuck is going on? Are you on drugs? Or—” My gaze darted from his ridiculously hopeful expression to the strained smile plastered across Cassandra’s face. “Did I just interrupt one of those meetings?”
A crash sounded from somewhere deeper inside the house, followed by the unmistakable clatter of something metallic hitting the floor.
I lowered my voice to a conspiratorial whisper, my eyes narrowing toward the sound. “Are you two having an orgy?”
Cassian’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. His mouth fell open, closed, then opened again. Beside him, Cassandra went completely still, her smile freezing on her face.
For several painfully long seconds, nobody moved.
Then Cassian seemed to reboot. “What the fuck, Alessia?” he blurted, recoiling in horror. “Absolutely not! Why would you even think—” He broke off, dragging a hand down his face as a full-body shudder of disgust ran through him. “No. Just… no. The thought alone is repulsive.”
I raised my hands in surrender. “Hey, just making sure.”
His expression suggested that he would have preferred I accuse him of murder.
Another metallic clatter sounded from somewhere inside.
“What is he doing?” he muttered, the words accompanied by a dark scowl as he turned toward the hallway.
Naturally, I followed him inside. There was no chance in hell I was walking away without finding out what was going on.
We stepped farther into the house and found Rohan crouched over the floor, carefully retrieving the teaspoon that had caused all the commotion.
He straightened when he heard us, the spoon still pinched between his fingers, and blinked at the unexpected audience.
“Oh, hi. I was just making coffee for us.”
“Rohan!” I immediately brightened, slipping past Cassian before he could say another word and planting myself in front of him. “I didn’t know you were here too!”
He gave me a small, puzzled smile. “Yeah. I, uh—”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Cassandra interjected from behind. “I’m actually cutting down on coffee.”
Rohan looked at her, then at the half-prepared coffee in his hands. “I was actually making it for Cassian and me,” he clarified, gesturing between himself and Cassian. “I would’ve made one for you too, but I don’t know your preference, so…”
Cassandra’s smile remained in place, but the corners of her mouth drew into such a thin line that it barely qualified as a smile anymore. “Right.”
“You know, my offer still stands.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a business card, holding it toward him. “It’s for a different client, but the pay is extremely generous. Take this and call me, okay?”
Rohan’s fingers had barely brushed the card when Cassian swooped in, snatched it from my hand, and tucked it into his own pocket.
“Too bad,” Cassian announced, his attention fixed pointedly on his employee. “Rohan was just leaving.”
Rohan blinked at him, his gaze dropping to the half-finished coffee on the counter before shifting to Cassian’s pocket, where my stolen business card had disappeared. He let out a long-suffering sigh and gave a small nod. “Yeah. I was.”
He retrieved his bag and started toward the door, but I caught the strap as he passed.
“Oh, wait!” I stopped him and pointed at the bag. “What’s that?”
Rohan immediately looked down.
That was all the opportunity I needed.
I unzipped the front pocket, slipped another business card inside, and zipped it shut before he could figure out what I’d done. A sweet smile spread across my face. “That’s the number of the boss you’ll have after you leave this guy.” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder toward Cassian.
Rohan looked utterly scandalized. His eyes bounced between Cassian and me as he hugged his bag to his chest, clutching it like I’d just handed him a loaded weapon. He shot Cassian one final, wide-eyed glance before spinning on his heel and practically fleeing the room.
I turned toward Cassian, every trace of humor disappearing from my face. He opened his mouth, but I lifted a hand, stopping him before he could get a single word out. “First,” I said, holding his gaze, “never come between me and my work again.”
His mouth closed. He dipped his chin in a single curt nod, accepting the warning without a fight.
“And second…” A smile slowly returned to my face. I tilted my head, holding his gaze. “Can we talk privately, Mr. Sterling?”
He looked… scared.
“No—” He stopped himself mid-word, caught his mistake, and shook his head once. “I mean, yes.” He drew a breath, visibly gathering himself before nodding. “Yes,” he repeated, this time with considerably more certainty.
I inclined my head toward the other woman still occupying the room.
Cassian looked momentarily baffled. What?
he mouthed, his brows drawing together as he followed my gaze.
When his eyes finally landed on Cassandra, he blinked, seemingly surprised to find her still standing there.
“Oh,” he muttered, glancing at her as though she’d slipped his mind. “You’re still here.”
Cassandra’s polished smile faltered. Her eyebrows rose as she glanced between us. “Was I supposed to leave?”
“Rohan left,” Cassian said, as if that were explanation enough. He waved a dismissive hand toward the hallway. “You can go. I’ll discuss the rest with Rohan later.”
“But what if you need—” Cassandra began, taking a small step forward.
“I’ll handle it,” Cassian cut in, not even looking at her.
Cassandra’s gaze bounced between the two of us. For a fleeting second, the smile slipped, revealing a flash of annoyance underneath before she smoothed it back into place. “Of course.” Her voice was sugary enough to make my teeth ache. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.”
Does everyone want me to throw up today?
The click of her heels echoed down the hall, and finally, she was gone.
Cassian’s voice carried a note of caution when he finally spoke. “What did you want to talk about?”