Yvette’s POV
"Hello Isabelle," Cassian drawled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that made the glass in my hand tremble. "You look...like I’ve intruded upon a secret."
My fingers tightened around the stem of the champagne glass, the delicate crystal threatening to snap under the pressure.
Shit! ... He heard sothing.
The thought slamd into like a physical blow, but I forced my expression to remain smooth, acting calm, composed...
I’m Isabelle Quinn... Isabelle.
"I didn’t realise eavesdropping was a habit of yours, Mr Knight," I replied lightly, lifting my chin just enough to et his gaze.
A mistake.
Cassian’s eyes darkened. Not with anger. It was sothing far worse.
Interest.
Wait... Why did he agree to this alliance again?
Around us, the air shifted. Conversations nearby slowed, their attention subtly redirecting toward us. No one dared to stare outright, but everyone was watching.
Of course they were.
The future Mr. and Mrs Knight.
Cassian didn’t look away.
Not even for a second.
Instead, his gaze dropped. His movents were slow and deliberate, tracing the line of my face, my throat... lingering just a fraction too long before returning to my eyes.
It felt like being dissected.
"I don’t need to eavesdrop," he said calmly. "You’re not very careful with your words."
My pulse spiked.
So he did hear sothing.
"How unfortunate," I said, tilting my head slightly and giving him my best smile. "And here I thought discretion was one of my better qualities."
His lips curved faintly.
Not a smile.
A warning.
Before I could react, his hand moved.
He reached for the glass still trembling in my grip and stilled it.
Just like that.
His fingers brushed mine.
Warm.
My breath caught.
Not because of the contact—
But because of how intentional it felt.
Like he ant to touch .
Like he was waiting for it.
His grip wasn’t tight.
But it was... sothing else... Possessive maybe.
"Careful," he murmured, his voice dipping lower. "You’re shaking."
"I’m not," I said quickly.
It was a lie. A weak one... and we both knew it.
His thumb shifted slightly against my fingers, and I froze.
It wasn’t inappropriate... Damn, it wasn’t even obvious, but it lingered.
It felt as if he were testing and asuring my reaction.
And oh, help , God, but my body refused to move. In fact, I leant further into him.
His gaze sharpened, as if confirming sothing only he could see.
Then, just as suddenly, he let go.
The absence of his arms felt... wrong.
I hated that.
"Mr. Knight," Roxanne cut in smoothly, her tone polite but firm. "It’s a pleasure to see you."
Why was she still here?
Cassian didn’t look at her. "Is it?" he replied flatly.
Roxanne’s smile stiffened.
"I was just congratulating Isabelle," she continued, recovering quickly. "It’s wonderful news."
"Is it?" he repeated again.
This ti, his eyes were on .
Not her.
Never her.
My stomach tightened.
This wasn’t a conversation; Cassian was playing a ga. And I was already losing.
Estelle and Joel appeared right on ti.
"Cassian, dear. Isabelle must have slipped. You know, the wedding and everything are making her jittery with nerves," Estelle said, looking genuinely remorseful on my behalf.
Right. The spill...
I had almost forgotten... Almost.
"Oh, it’s nothing," Cassian drawled.
"No, son. Co with ; let’s get you changed and allow the won to keep each other company," Joel added.
Cassian stiffened, his gaze full of hostility I was certain was directed at Joel.
It was a flash, but I caught it.
"Yeah, I should get this cleaned," Cassian agreed, glancing down at the faint stain of champagne on his shirt.
"I’ll co with you," I blurted before I could stop myself.
Silence.
Roxanne’s gaze turned to sharply. Estelle and Joel also watched with a hint of surprise.
Cassian’s gaze didn’t change, but sothing flickered beneath it.
Approval? Amusent?
No.
It looked like sothing darker.
"Of course you will," he said quietly. Like it was never a question.
~~~♧♧♧~~~
We didn’t speak as we walked, but I could feel him everywhere. His presence beside was overwhelming.
He felt too close, too aware. In fact, every step felt asured and deliberate. It was as if he were matching my pace on purpose.
When we reached the hallway leading away from the ballroom, the noise faded behind us, replaced by sothing quieter.
More dangerous.
The mont the door closed behind us—
I exhaled.
Another big mistake.
Because that was when he moved.
He was fast.
One second, there was space between us.
The next—
My back hit the wall.
A soft gasp escaped as his hand ca up beside my head, trapping in place.
Not touching.
Not yet.
But close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
"Now," Cassian said softly.
Too softly.
"Let’s try that again."
My heart slamd against my ribs.
"What exactly did you an?" he continued, his voice dropping further, "when you said... ’the man I’m in a relationship with’?"
The air shifted. Not loudly. Not dramatically.
It was in that quiet, suffocating way that made every instinct in my body scream danger.
Cassian looked at , his eyes sharp, like he could see right through , and with his scent invading my senses, I was a ss.
My throat went dry.
Think, Yvette. Think.
I forced a small, composed smile, lowering my gaze.
"A relationship?" I echoed lightly. "You must have misheard."
His eyes didn’t leave mine. "No," he said calmly. "I rarely do."
Cassian stepped closer, caging , making it impossible to ignore him.
It awakened mories of the past, that night in the Eclipse Club. How he had seed so comfortable with getting close to ... kissing ...
Was he like this with all won?
The thought made angry all of a sudden.
Why was I even angry?
"I don’t peg you as the clumsy type," he murmured, bringing to the present. "First lies... now this."
Heat crept up my neck.
"I didn’t plan on spilling champagne on you," I replied evenly. "You walked into ."
The faintest hint of amusent touched his lips. "Did I?"
My fingers tightened slightly at my sides. He tilted his head, studying with that sa intensity that made it feel like he was peeling apart layer by layer.
"Tell ," he continued, voice soft. "Should I be concerned about this... secret conversation I interrupted?"
There it was. The trap.
I held his gaze even though I was inwardly squirming. "There’s nothing for you to be concerned about," I said. "It was just girl talk."
"Girl talk," he repeated, his voice lingering on the words as if he were testing them. Then he stepped closer. This ti, there was no space left between us.
My breath caught.
"Funny," he said quietly. "You breathe differently when you’re lying."
My pulse jumped.
"That’s because you keep interrogating . You were the one who didn’t want this marriage... So tell , are you asking as my fiancé or as my prosecutor?" I winced the mont the words left my mouth.
The air changed.
Cassian’s eyes didn’t hold anger anymore. It held sothing worse.
"Careful," he warned. "You’re starting to give ideas."
My stomach dropped.
He leaned in slightly, his voice lower than a whisper. "The Isabelle I rember..." he continued, "would never speak to like that."
I swallowed, forcing my expression to remain calm.
"People change," I said. "Fifteen years is a long ti, and I could say the sa to you. The Cassian I rember didn’t look at with such suspicion."
His gaze searched mine, relentlessly and unyieldingly. As if he were waiting for sothing to slip.
"You are right," he said slowly. "We’ve both changed."
He paused, holding my gaze. "Or...you are just making a strong argunt."
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Because for a second I wasn’t sure which answer was safer.
His eyes dropped to my hand. The one I had instinctively curled inward.
"Show ," he said. My breath stilled.
"What?"
"The back of your hand."
Every nerve in my body went rigid.
"No." The word ca out too fast.
My tone was too sharp. too real.
His gaze was mocking, as if to tell , "You see?"
And just like that, I knew.
I had just given him exactly what he was looking for.
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