Chapter 81
Sonia looked directly at Anastasia, her voice cutting through the boutique’s polished atmosphere. “Look, Anastasia, you can’t force something that wa never meant to be yours. I’m sure you’ve seen the tabloids by now, so let’s drop the pretense.”
Anastasia’s eyebrow arched. Oh, so we’re done playing game’s now?
Before, it had been all subtle digs and passive aggressive hints. Now Sonia was going full scorched earth.
Not that Anastasia could blame her for the desperation. Jenny had done some digging and discovered that Cassian and Anastasia were actually living together. This morning, Cassian had even driven her to the mall himself.
So what were they exactly? A couple?
The revelation had sent Sonia spiraling. She’d always pegged Cassian as the type who kept women at arm’s length–reserved, emotionally constipated, the whole nine yards. But here he was, shacked up with Anastasia like some lovesick teenager.
It completely blindsided her.
There was a time when Sonia had been the only woman in Cassian’s world. How the hell was she supposed to just roll over and accept this?
If her competition had been some blue–blood heiress or career powerhouse, maybe Sonia could have swallowed her pride. But Anastasia? She was nobody special–just another pretty face you’d find at any Starbucks in Manhattan.
What gave her the right to be with him?
Tamia had caught the gossip sites too. She’d meant to ask Anastasia about it earlier, but they’d gotten sidetracked. Seeing Sonia now brought it all flooding back.
But watching Sonia’s hostile body language made Tamia’s stomach turn.
“Jesus, what’s the world coming to? Homewreckers used to at least have the decency to stay in the shadows. Now they’re bold enough to start drama right in front of the actual wife? That’s some next–level audacity right there.”
Sonia’s face went cold. “Excuse me? Who the hell are you calling a homewrecker? In case you missed the memo, the person who isn’t loved is the real third wheel here.”
Anastasia’s voice turned deadly quiet. “So you’re telling me you and Cassian are
in love?”
A few weeks ago, Anastasia might not have had the balls to call Sonia out like this. But after last night–after they’d finally crossed that line and become a real married couple–everything felt different. She could feel how Cassian looked at her now, like she was something precious he was afraid to break.
She’d been around him long enough to read him pretty well. Cassian wasn’t some player who collected women like trophies. He was solid, deliberate about his choices. If he actually had feelings for Sonia, why the hell would he have married her? He’d been crystal clear about not treating marriage like some casual hookup.
And last night… God, she wasn’t even sure if she’d imagined it, but she could swear he’d whispered “I love you” against her ear. It was right in the middle of everything, when her whole world had narrowed down to just his voice–rough and tender at the same time. The words had hit her like electricity, and even if she’d misheard, the feeling was burned into her memory.
Sonia’s mask slipped for just a second before she pulled herself together. She laughed, but there was no warmth in it. “Really, Anastasia? You think Cassian actually gives a damn about you? He married you because his family was breathing down his neck about settling down, and I had my career to think about.”
“Cassian’s bankrolled movies and TV projects for me. If I ever needed him, he’d drop everything and come running. We could test that theory if you want.” Sonia’s smile was pure poison.
Anastasia felt like someone had just punched her in the gut.
Why was Sonia so damn confident? Was there actually something going on between them?
