Vincent's POV:
After the divesting news of my marriage with Cassandra, both the families are trying their level best to stop the wedding but seeing the situation, I feel it's just a waste of time and we won't be able to do anything. But the only hope I have is Hazel will never leave me and if our families don't agree, we will get married and stay out of their lives forever.
After the outbreak of the news I and Hazel met the next day at a café and we promised to stay with each other forever. But all of a sudden I am feeling anxious and scared with the question what if? Even if I don't get to marry Hazel, what is the future with Cassandra? Will we be ever happy? Chuck happiness will I ever accept her as my wife?
Now currently I and my Dad are in Knight's family mansion, discussing and looking through the contract for solutions to get out of this nuisance of a marriage. The engagement between both the families spread like wildfire which my PR team nor Aiden's team was able to control. I guess our grandparents paid them a hefty amount to keep up with the news.
For what I am grateful is they did not reveal the name of the girl thinking people won't talk about Hazel since she is not a Knight but the crowd mistook it. I seriously feel bad, since people are talking nonsense about Hazel. I agree she is not my usual type but we fell in love why can't people accept it, rather they are throwing black shade at her. But people supporting Cassandra are responding very well.
Seeing the 2 powerful family's union lot of people started investing in our shares and it is skyrocketing now and requires all our attention. Now one more piece of new information is added up to our gossip column stating 'I knocked up Knight's girl' and thus now there is a marriage and from somewhere a doctor also popped up into the picture.
Now I lost hope I can do anything about the contract, those bloody assholes did not slip up anywhere, we all nearly went through the contract many times but absolutely no loopholes, not even a small one. Even our lawyers lost hope of breaking the marriage.
At the same time, I see Cassandra coming down the stairs. She looked like she was ill or something, it's clearly visible from her face. She even apologised to her parents about something, which nearly went above my head. Later one of her boyfriend Ryan came there for some signatures and complimented Cassandra's coffee-making skill, which surely I disagree with. She is the worst cook ever.
7 years ago.
It was Mr and Mrs Knights's anniversary and they were hosting a special celebration in their mansion. That day I was seated near the pool alone when Cassandra came along with a plate full of cupcakes and 2 cups of coffee.
She was looking beautiful as always but today she was looking super hot in the baby pink dress of hers and also it complimented my suit.
(Vincent's dress)
(Cassandra's dress)
She placed everything down and took her seat next to me. She handed me the cakes and coffee and she also took the coffee cup into her hand and said in her angelic voice "Vincent I know you like chocolate cupcakes, I baked these for you especially, do taste them and tell me how they are."
I took her hand into mine and questioned her "Hmm, what's up with you Cass, you never bake, what's the occasion today?" she giggled and tells "Hmm Vince, it's something special, I will only tell you when the time comes, but for now please have them and tell me how it is. By the way, what are you doing all alone?
I put my hand on her shoulder and said "Cass your brother is very busy with Laura, so here I am" She pouted which always makes me wonder how it will be to kiss those luscious lips when she is pouting but my nightmare Cole, the blood-sucking idiot called out for Cass and dragged her with him. She gave me an apologetic smile and followed him.
I took a bite of the cupcakes as they looked delicious but god it was completely salty she added salt instead of sugar for both the cake and the icing. I threw them on the plate and hurriedly sipped the coffee to save my taste buds but even there it was too salty. It seems she is a fan of salt. I started to caught badly and coughed out the coffee from my mouth into the plate.
While I tried to get up hastily and started to move towards the mansion for some relief I stepped foot on the plate and the entire plate flipped with cupcakes all over the place. Trying to avoid the cakes I spilled the coffee all over the place. What a mess I had created.
Later I didn't even talk to Cassandra, forget talking I did not even see her or that tail wagging Cole for the rest of the night. I am seriously happy about it or else I would have blasted Cassie up for those awful cakes and coffee.
When I was leaving Hazel gave me a gift-wrapped box and told me to handle it with care. I was not even interested in that but just took it with me. I went to my house and plopped on my bed and saw the gift I thought of opening it but when I saw the box I felt something was missing from the time I got out of my car, maybe the name card as there was a spot which had glue marks.
But never mind Hazel handed it over to me personally so I opened it and there were cupcakes once again I felt like throwing them into a dumpster after the evening's incident but these cakes looked pretty and better than the last ones. I just took the cream in my finger and placed them in my mouth and they were heavenly. I never had anything like them.
I finished the entire box within 5 minutes. After that day I never ate anything made by Cassandra for sure nor did I tell her how awful her cakes were.
*****
Then when Ryan got up and started to walk towards the exit I heard my dolancmante's voice. She shouted something like "Mom where are Cassie's hypothermia tablets, she had to take one now right?" what is she talking about, is Cassandra fine but even before I could process what she told me I see Ryan throw all the papers to the ground and started yelling at Cassandra.
What I picked up from their conversation is Cassandra had a hypothermia attack once when she was in UK and even yesterday, but none of the Knight's family members when it happened when Cassandra was in UK.
When Cassandra felt it was too much to bear with Ryan she started to move back and hit me, and we all we standing to close to one another for our own liking. From somewhere I got an instinct that I had to save Cassie from him, even though every single person knew he was no sought of danger.
I somewhat don't feel this fellow to be to loyal or something, I have a strong feeling he will betray Cassandra when time comes. We both started a round of verbal fight and Cass had to intervene and politely tell the fucker to fuck off. Then when the storm settled down and Cassandra's Dad threatened to explain herself, which she did.
Each word she told was a lie. Maybe a part of it was true but 80% of her story is a lie. After finishing what she had to tell, we both locked our eyes for a second and there I could see it in her eyes- fear, anger, nervousness, which let her façade down.
The only reason she left for UK was me. She was always a spoiled kid by her parents but she was too close to her family members. She would weekly once visit Aiden in Harvard too but after sometime she stopped. She was very fond of every one in her family and everyone here knew she won't be able to stay away from all of them but she shocked them all telling she wants to leave for UK.
Just before she decided to go to UK, she had got an acceptance letter from Harvard and she was too excited to go to Harvard but I broke her completely that day, which made her leave everything and save her sanity first. I do remember that day like it just happened moments before, her eyes, damm them, the power those black orbs hold is too much, her pain was clear in those eyes and they won't ever let me forget them.
After clearing everyone's doubts, Cassandra went to upstairs and I seeing no point in staying there walked towards my Ferrari and drove towards one of my nearest penthouse. I brought it 3 years ago for myself and Hazel. It was always our meeting spot.
It had two floors with clear view of Brooklyn city and is located on 50th floor. Everything is minimalistic with white and cream colours. The sofas were arranged in a circular manner. It was enhanced by gold LED lights everywhere. I threw my car keys on the sofa and made my way towards my personal gym and started to hit the bag harder to lose my anger.
*****
Cassandra's POV
After clearing the mess Hazel started I went to Aiden's room but it was locked. I knocked on the door a few times but he does not open the door. I waited for nearly an hour in front of his door but he does not respond. So I started to talk "Aiden please listen to me, I know you are angry with me but please don't ignore me as you did all those years ago, please Aiden, open the door I will explain you everything."
I don't even know when I started crying, after a few minutes I was crying were badly that Mom and Dad came from downstairs and explained to me "It's ok dear he will understand you, he will open the door when he cools down, for now just give him some space."
"but b..ut he is not..." I started to say something but I could barely form a sentence in my condition and I even started to feel lightheaded.
"Shh Cassandra it's all fine, he will come around now you get up, let's go to our room so you rest a bit." Mom said and they both helped me to my room. Due to my uneasiness, I feel asleep the very next minute my head touched the pillow.
I later got up and went down for dinner, there I saw Mom, Dad along with Hazel on the table but I don't find Aiden anywhere so I sat there simply and none of us uttered a word, after finishing my dinner, where I barely had 2 spoons, I got up filled up one plate with food and went to Aiden's room. I knocked on the door but no response so I finally shouted "Aiden you either open this damm door or else I will get the spare key."
"Just get lost Cassandra, I don't want to talk to you now, and don't even think of getting the spare key because I am naked here."
"You don't like me right, this is why you are pushing me away, you better dress up because I am coming in with or without your permission."
Later I went downstairs and brought the spare key and unlocked the door and I see he just sat there on the edge of his bed. His room is a shade of grey with red highlights, the bed had white sheets and on the wall was a photo hanging which I gifted him 3 years ago when he came to UK for Thanksgiving. There was also a chandelier hanging where he was seated, the room had 2 doors within the door, one leading to a walk-in closet, the other to the bathroom.
I went near Aiden and placed the plate next to him and sat down, he turned his face towards me and all I could see was fear in his eyes. "Why Cassandra?" was all he told. From his speech, his body language told me he was drunk and even the room smelled alcoholic.
"Aiden are you drunk?"
"What else do you expect me to do? He questioned with sadness in his eyes.
"I didn't know how to tell you Aiden nor anyone of you"
"That's what Cassandra why? Why could ain't you not tell anyone? We were surely not dead that you could not tell us." He yelled at me and stood up and threw the beer bottle that was placed next to him down such that he shredded into pieces.
"Aiden please calm down, I wanted to tell you but after I heard you, Nolan and Chloe speak that day when I visited you in Harvard, I could hardly talk to you about anything."
"You heard us? Completely?" he questioned me and I just nodded my head.
*****
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Published on- 31/10/2022
Updated on- 12/06/2023