Chapter 13 #3
He blinked, thrown by the question. “Because it didn’t matter.”
“What do you mean, it didn’t matter?”
His confusion only deepened. “Why would it? You wanted to know why you left. I was the reason. She doesn’t matter.”
My head tilted. “Let me get this straight. You forgot the party I threw for you. You were out celebrating with your team—a team she is on. And then you finally came home at 2 a.m…. with her. And you thought that detail was irrelevant?”
He frowned. “She was drunk out of her mind. She kept puking. I waited for her to be done so I could drop her home, but she couldn’t even stand, let alone tell me where she lived. I was desperate to get home, so I brought her here to sober up. It’s not a big deal.”
It’s not a big deal.
When Cassandra had cornered me today, going on about her “profound connection” with Cassian, I’d dismissed it as the ramblings of a woman who had lost touch with reality.
But what if she hadn’t?
What if she’d been telling me the truth?
“So you coming home late at night with your mistress is not a big deal?”
He froze.
Every part of him went still, his eyes fixed on me.
His face contorted, his expression twisting into unmistakable disgust. He recoiled as though the suggestion itself had left a foul taste in his mouth.
“Alessia, I know you’re angry, but this—” He made that disgusted face again, struggling to even form the words. “Even you have to know that’s a stretch. Cassandra is like a sister to me. No,” he corrected, his voice firming with conviction, “she is a sister to me.”
I took a few slow steps back.
“Are you stupid, Cassian?” I let the question hang before shaking my head. “No, wrong question. I already know the answer to that. The real question is, do you think I’m stupid? Do you genuinely expect me to believe that?”
Cassian met my eyes, the accusation striking him with such force that his face went pale. “I am not lying to you. She is a sister to me. If you believe one thing I have ever told you, believe that. I would never cheat on you, Alessia. Never.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, your ‘sister’ cornered me today to enlighten me about the ‘unbreakable connection’ you two share. She was quite certain I could never have what she has with you.”
His face contorted, disgust and disbelief crashing together. “What the fuck? What connection? We barely spoke before she started working for me, and even then, it was work. That’s it. There was never anything else between us.”
He closed the distance between us in two quick strides.
“Alessia, you have to believe me. She’s lying.
I have never, ever given her a reason to think that.
I can’t believe she had the audacity to say that to you.
” Then, a dawning horror cleared his gaze.
“Wait… is that why you’re leaving? Because of her? ”
“Yes, it’s because of her. And during the ride back here, I managed to draft the divorce papers.” I gave him a slow once-over. “Seriously, how are you running a company with that brain?”
He ignored my jab. “Alessia, nothing is going on between her and me. You have to trust me on this.”
I studied him. The desperate sincerity in his eyes, the earnest set of his jaw. “You truly had no idea she had feelings for you?” I asked. “You want me to believe you were that blind?”
“Yes,” he insisted. “Because it’s the truth. I never noticed because I never looked at her. My eyes were only ever on you.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better? It doesn’t, Cassian. The fact that you didn’t look at another woman is meaningless.” I stepped back, the anger between us leaving no room for his excuses. “The real failure is that you stopped looking at me. And that is more than enough.”
I turned to leave, but his hand closed around my wrist, stopping me before I could take another step. I looked down at his fingers, then back at him.
“Alessia, I will fix this,” he vowed. “I’ll make sure she never comes near you again. I’ll deal with my mother. I’ll fix every part of this that I can. Just…” He faltered, the plea hanging between us. “Please. Stay.”
“That wouldn’t change a thing. I’m not leaving because of Cassandra, and I’m not leaving because of your mother.” I paused, making sure he understood every word. “I’m leaving because of you. And that’s something you cannot fix.”
I looked down at where his fingers were wrapped around mine.
“Let go of my hand.”
He lowered his gaze, tears slipping down his face. His fingers loosened around my wrist one by one, and I pulled free.
I turned and walked out of the house without looking back.
That whole conversation was the most important one we’d had.
Because it made me realize something.
Mrs. Garcia was wrong.
I didn’t need to give people chances.
I didn’t need to wait for them to magically get better.
Because the bottom line was simple.
They never do.
They only get worse.
I was walking away from the wreckage left behind by giving someone a chance.
So, from now on—
Fuck giving people chances.
Fuck waiting for them to get their shit together.
And more importantly,
Fuck Cassian.