"Don’t leave tonight, Finn. Please."
Cassandra held her breath, swallowing whatever pride she had left. Her loose hold on him tightened until her fingers trembled.
"Please," she whispered. "Just... make one bad decision tonight."
A helpless look flickered in her eyes—sothing she couldn’t fake or force. It was a cry for help because Cassandra knew that if he left, she would end up walking down a very dangerous path.
The thoughts in her head had been starting to scare her—along with what else she might be capable of doing.
Finn lowered his head as a deep breath escaped his nostrils. Slowly, he turned around to face her. The only reason he had looked away before wasn’t that he was flustered, but because he thought he shouldn’t be looking. Now, as his gaze settled on her, his eyes briefly swept over her body before eting hers.
He didn’t even flinch, as if there was nothing to be srized by. Not that there was anything wrong with her. He could tell she had a figure that countless n would drool over.
"Cassandra," he said, his voice calm yet distant. "I don’t know what’s actually going on, but you don’t want this."
"Who are you to tell what I want and don’t?"
"No one," he shrugged, reaching for her hand on his arm. "But I just know you’re better than this, Cass."
Finn paused, nodding at her encouragingly. "You are better than this, Cassandra."
Maybe it was the alcohol or the frustrations she had been suppressing for so long, but Finn didn’t appreciate this scene at all. Not because he was repulsed, but because it didn’t feel right. For the first ti since waking up in this lifeti, he felt uncomfortable around her.
"You’ll be fine," he said, gently peeling her fingers off his arm while keeping his eyes on her. Once he placed her hand back at her side, he cupped her face and brushed his thumb over her cheek. "You will be fine—whatever you’re going through right now. I know you will be fine because you’re Cassandra."
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he nodded at her once more. "Goodnight, Cassy."
With that, Finn turned his back on her and left without hesitation—without looking back.
Cassandra stood there motionless.
The sound of the door closing echoed in her ears, reminding her that he had really left her all alone tonight.
Slowly, she hung her head, tears slipping down her cheeks.
She had been with n before, and whenever they saw her in a bikini—even complete strangers—they would break their necks just to follow her figure. So would even strip her with their eyes.
As soone in her profession, she could always tell. She could see the desire in their gaze.
But she had just stood naked in front of Finn, and he didn’t even flinch. He didn’t give her a second look. Instead, he offered an affectionate yet entirely platonic touch.
There wasn’t a shred of interest in his eyes.
If anything... he looked a little repulsed.
He might deny it, but she had seen it clearly.
"I did ask him to make a bad decision," she whispered to herself, laughing through her tears. "And he just did... a much more terrible one."
Slowly, Cassandra lifted her gaze, looking in the direction Finn had gone.
"I’m sorry too, Finn, but I... always get what I want."
A dangerous glint flickered across her eyes as the last tear fell.
---
The next day, at Pierson Corporation...
Zoren was enjoying a short tea break when a knock broke the silence. Lifting his eyes, he saw Benjamin peeking his head in.
"Sir, Sir Finn is here," Benjamin said, earning a nod from Zoren. The assistant bead and closed the door. A minute later, Finn entered the office.
"I hope I’m not disturbing your tea ti," Finn said as he approached the couch, nodding before taking a seat. "I dropped by to hand over so materials to Atlas Bennet for the Pierson redevelopnt project. And for so reason, he decided his assistant was useless and told to bring these papers to your office instead."
With a small smile, Finn placed the docunts on the table. "I’m not angry about it."
"You shouldn’t be," Zoren replied. "He’s going to be your first brother-in-law. He does that to too."
"I know. That’s why I’m not angry." Finn shrugged and smacked his lips. "I know I should keep things strictly business in your office, but I heard my fiancée spent the night at your place last night?"
"Unfortunately."
Finn laughed. "Well, I knew you wouldn’t like it, even if you agreed with Penny. Not that I was happy about it either—I had plans to go ho to her last night."
"I see." Zoren rocked his head slightly, holding his teacup and saucer. He studied Finn carefully, making the latter furrow his brows.
"Did I say sothing wrong?" Finn asked. "I feel like you’re thinking about sothing that involves ."
"I’m wondering if you’re planning to start living in my ho now too," Zoren replied, his voice flat but curious. "Not that I’d mind, as long as you manage to keep your fiancée from making my wife want to sleep elsewhere."
Finn blinked in confusion. "Why would I start living at your place?"
Zoren looked up for a second before responding.
"Ah." He nodded slightly, then placed his tea down. Without another word, he pulled out his phone and called Penny.
"Penny, I just had a slip of the tongue," he confessed.
Penny, who had just finished her customized greeting spiel to her husband, nearly bit her tongue. "What?"
"Finn is here, and I almost told him that Nina received a dead bird as a gift last night, which is why you rushed over there and I had to co pick both of you up," Zoren said—loud and clear—deliberately making the "mistake" as he spoke.
"..." Penny blinked. Then blinked so more.
anwhile, Finn’s brows slowly crinkled as he stared at Zoren. Before Penny could respond, he asked, "What happened to Nina?"
And his question and the confusion on his voice reached Penny’s ears.
Penny: "..."
Zoren: "..." He blinked slowly, casting Finn a deadpan look before responding in an eerily even tone. "Oops."
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