The Chapter When Love was Gone

After getting married, Winter Adeline had stopped taking on cleaning jobs. But this time she said yes, only because the middleaged excoworker asking for help had always been kind to her.

She never expected to walk into the villa and find her husband, who was supposed to be away on a business trip, sitting there.

"Cassian, how do I look in this outfit?"

The woman on the sofa was bundled in layers, the way new mothers often were during recovery after childbirth.

Cassian let out a soft sigh and sat beside her. "You look great in anything, but put your socks on first."

He took her foot in his hands and slid the socks on with gentle care. Then his touch lingered, drifting upward over her hips, along her waist, until his hand slipped beneath her sweater. Then, their lips met.

Behind them, Winter, who was wearing a mask, stood frozen. The bucket of water in her hands tipped and spilled across the floor.

Both of them turned, startled, but instead of snapping at her, Cassian asked kindly if she was all right.

She shook her head, trembling. Before he could say anything else, she grabbed the bucket and hurried into the bathroom.

Leaning against the doorframe, numb, she fumbled for her phone in the pocket of her cleaning uniform.

Her voice shook as she asked, "Cassian, where are you right now?"

His voice came first from outside the bathroom door, then again, through the phone.

"What’s wrong, sweetheart? I’m on a business trip. I’ll be home in two days."

"I can’t talk right now because the client’s rushing me. I brought you that tiedye scarf you liked. Just wait for me, okay?"

The call clicked off. Tears blurred her vision.

There was no client. She recognized that voice in the background, Yvonne Harris.

So, when he had said he would be gone for a month on business, what he really meant was that he would be here, playing the doting husband to Yvonne, his exwife, during her recovery.

The low murmur of flirtation outside the bathroom seeped into her ears. Her heart felt torn apart.

What was even more frustrating was that she didn't even have the luxury to fall apart.

A message from the housekeeper popped up. [My boss is disappointed and wants to file a complaint.]

She wiped her face quickly, refilled the bucket and stepped back out.

The woman on the sofa was gone. Yvonne had left.

Winter kept her head down, dropping to her knees to mop up the spilled water.

Until the conversation overhead made her freeze in place.

"Are you really going to divorce Winter, Cassian?"

Cassian handed over a glass of water.

"Yeah. It’s the third thing Yvonne asked for. I agreed a long time ago. Winter knows."

Yohan shifted uneasily. "Does she know you’re divorcing her just to remarry Yvonne? If she finds out, it’ll break her."

Cassian paused for a moment. "She won’t find out. I won’t let her. Besides, Yvonne just needs my name in the father’s box on the kid’s birth certificate. Once that’s done, I’ll marry Winter again."

Yohan hesitated for a moment.

"Cassian, will you really? Or let me put it another way. Do you still love Winter?"

The man remained silent, not answering either question.

That silence hit Winter like a blast of winter air—cold enough to seep into her bones.

"I can see it, Cassian. You’re different with Yvonne now. You’ve got a kid with her, you’re about to remarry her… but what’s left for Winter?"

The question seemed to rattle him. He remained quiet for a long time before finally giving an answer.

"I will marry her again. She’s been with me for ten years. I owe her. Taking care of her for the rest of her life… that’s my responsibility."

A debt. A duty. But not love.

Winter twisted the rag in her hands until no more water dripped from it. Then she fled, back into the bathroom.

She pressed her palm over her mouth so her sobs wouldn’t escape.

Outside the door, their voices carried on and each word cut deeper.

She had never imagined a simple parttime cleaning job would strip the truth bare.

It turned out that Cassian didn’t love her anymore and that she had been fooling herself into thinking they would find their way back.

Her parents had died when she was young, leaving her to be raised by her uncle’s family.

At sixteen, her uncle had tried to undress her more than once. She had tried to run away again and again, but he always caught her and dragged her back.

One afternoon, she climbed to the roof of the school, ready to jump—until Cassian Luke pulled her down to save her life.

She couldn’t break free from his grip, so she told him everything, hoping he would help her escape.

He said back then, "Then come with me. I promise I’ll go hungry before I ever let you starve."

With nowhere else to go, she left school and followed him to Melbourne to make a living.

And yes, she never went hungry again.

At twentytwo, while filing documents for Cassian’s small company, she was cornered by a rich brat.

She called the police for help, but the scandal nearly bankrupted Cassian’s business.

In the end, to save the company, he accepted Yvonne’s offer.

The Harris Family was one of the most powerful in the city and with their backing, his company bounced back fast.

The night before his wedding to Yvonne, he held Winter in his arms and cried until dawn.

He had assured, "Don’t worry, Winter. I don’t love her. Three years from now, I’ll find a way to divorce her and marry you."

Because she blamed herself for putting him in that position, she couldn't bring herself to walk away.

From that night on, she wasn't his partner anymore—and became his caged bird.

Because of the Harris Family’s conditions, she had to step down from Cassian’s company.

She didn’t want to live off him, but without a degree, the best she could find were odd jobs. Eventually, she started cleaning houses.

Three years later, he kept his word. He divorced Yvonne and gave Winter a lavish wedding.

However, the price for that wedding had been agreed to on three demands from Yvonne.

The first was a child, even if it meant IVF. This, Cassian refused.

It wasn't until today that Winter finally understood that he had rejected the IVF part. In fact, he had been willing to have a child with her all along.

The second demand was a villa and he bought it for Yvonne.

Meanwhile, after the divorce, Winter and Cassian stayed in the same cramped rental apartment they had always shared.

The third condition… she only learned about it today. It was a divorce.

A month ago, Cassian had told her the company was in trouble and he didn’t want her dragged into the fallout, so he said they should divorce for now.

When it came to Cassian, she never questioned, as she had always trusted him completely.

And so, she signed without hesitation. The mandatory waiting period was almost up.

Now she knew it had all been a lie.

Now she understood that his gentleness, his easy agreement to whatever she wanted—they weren’t signs of love, but of obligation.

Ten years together and not once had he told her he loved her.

He had spent three years spending his time with the woman he truly loved and what was left for her was a sense of duty.

Yes, Cassian was a man who kept his promises, but love was never one of them.

The realization felt like someone had torn her heart in two. Tears splashed at her feet.

She lifted her head, searching for air, but every breath only tightened the ache.

Perhaps it had all been a mistake—from the very moment he had pulled her back from that rooftop.

She couldn’t remember how she got through the rest of her threehour shift. The second she stepped outside the villa, she staggered to the trash bin and threw up.

Her knuckles went white around the rim of the bin and she noticed blood in the saliva.

She took a taxi back to her apartment with thoughts spinning in her head. Then she picked up her phone.

"Tanya, I’m coming to stay with you in Mapleton Village."

Her friend’s voice instantly brightened. "What? Are you for real?"

And before she could answer, Tanya went on, "Well, either way, I’m done caring about Cassian. I’ll take five days off and come get you."

The warmth of true friendship hit her like sunlight breaking through clouds. A faint smile tugged at her lips. "All right. Don’t worry about him."

Because in Cassian’s eyes, she wasn’t his safe harbor anymore—just an anchor, dragging him down.

Maybe letting go would lift the weight from his shoulders.

And maybe, that would be the last gift she could give him.

The moment she stepped inside, Winter collapsed onto the sofa and could no longer hold back her tears.

This cramped apartment had been home for ten years and every corner of it held pieces of her life with Cassian.

The framed photo on the wall, the stubborn oil stains on the kitchen backsplash, the sagging couch, the blueberry plant they had once tended together.

One by one, the memories replayed in her mind like an old slide reel.

By the time the sky outside had gone dark, her tears had finally run dry.

She sat in silence, eyes roaming over the room. But her thoughts kept drifting back to the spacious villa she had seen earlier that day.

It was a home filled with Cassian’s presence, too, but it showed two completely different worlds.

And suddenly, she knew—she was the only one still clinging to the past.

Perhaps this apartment was nothing but a reminder to Cassian of the years he would rather erase.

After all, this room was a reminder of his lowest point—when he was more used to taking orders than giving them and the best meal he could afford was instant noodles with a single sausage.

The ceiling sagged under layers of makeshift waterproof sheeting, slapped on after leaks had ruined important papers more than once.

There was still a patched hole in the door—left from the time the landlord kicked it in, shouting for rent.

Back then, he covered her ears and hummed quietly, telling her she didn’t need to be afraid.

On the nightstand sat a glass jar filled with tiny folded paper stars.

They had written wishes on each one years ago. Supposedly, those wishes had all come true by now, so the jar no longer served a real purpose.

She thought about tossing it straight into the trash, but instead, she began unfolding one star open.

Back then, neither of them had shared what they had wished for, so she was curious to see if any of his wishes had been about her.

One by one, the paper stars were unfolded, revealing his wishes, but not a single one mentioned her name.

By the time she reached the last star, she did not even want to look. A laugh burst from her, sharp and wet with tears.

She crumpled the star in her fist, then tore every scrap of unfolded paper into pieces and dumped it all in the trash.

The bedroom walls were plastered with photos of them. She ripped them down, cut them into shreds and flushed them away.

When she came across an old photo of them together, she froze. She couldn’t bring herself to destroy it, so she shoved it into an old cardboard box instead.

The more she cleared, the emptier the apartment became. By the time she was done, the 600squarefoot space felt so hollow.

She carried all the discarded things to the hallway, where the junk collectors would pick them up in the morning.

When she finally sat back down, a strange numbness settled over her. She sat on the sofa, staring at nothing.

Until her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Winter? This is Yvonne.”

Winter stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

Yvonne’s voice was light, almost teasing. “You saw what happened today. So, are you going to walk away on your own, or do I need to push you?”

It took a moment for the words to sink in. And then, like a delayed punch, she realized that the kind middleaged excoworker who had asked for help earlier had deceived her.

Yvonne had been looking for her the whole time. And because Winter had quit her cleaning job, she used someone Winter trusted to lure her into the villa.

All of this suddenly felt ridiculous.

Ten years in this city and she didn’t even have one single real friend.

When she still didn’t answer, Yvonne’s tone sharpened. “You know I’m not letting go of Cassian. But as long as you’re around, he won’t leave you. I’ll give you half a million dollars to disappear.”

“If you don’t, his company will be finished before long. I’ll give you a week to think about it.”

Winter spoke before the line could go dead. “No need for a week. I’ll tell you right now—I’m leaving.”

She did still love Cassian and she couldn’t stand the thought of watching him lose everything again. But this time, she was saying yes for herself, not for him.

He had once saved her life and she had repaid him with ten years of hers. That was enough.

Yvonne arched a brow. “Fine. Just make sure you mean it. Don’t play games with me.”

A faint, bitter smile tugged at Winter’s lips. Play games?

That would only work if Cassian loved her too. And he didn’t.

That night, she tossed and turned. Her dreams played the same scene over and over.

In there, Cassian was standing beside Yvonne at their wedding. Not once did his eyes find her.

She wept in every dream until her eyes throbbed, trying to wake, but her body wouldn’t move.

And then—through the blur—Cassian began walking toward her.

“Winter? What’s wrong? Wake up.”

She woke to the warmth of a palm against her cheek. Blinking her eyes open, she saw Cassian.

For a moment, she thought she was still dreaming—her vision still hazy.

He gently brushed the tears from her face, his brows knit in concern.

"What were you dreaming about? Why are you crying like that?"

And that was when Winter knew she was awake, because the Cassian in her dreams never wiped her tears. He only looked at her with that same cold detachment.

She turned away from his hand, brushing the tears off herself.

"It’s nothing. I don’t even remember."

Cassian stared at his empty palm for a beat, thrown off.

Then, he unzipped his suitcase and pulled out a scarf.

"You’ve always loved tiedye from this brand, right? I brought this back for you. Do you like it?"

One glance told her it was a cheap print, not real tiedye.

There was a time she had believed he simply didn’t know any better—that he didn’t understand her tastes.

Now she knew he just didn’t care enough to try.

In the past, she would have teased him for it, maybe even mockthreatened him to bring the real thing next time.

But that spark was gone. If he couldn’t bring her what she loved, she would go see it for herself.

She took the scarf, offering a small, polite smile. "Thanks."

The word seemed to catch him off guard. A strange, cool distance settled between them, one that made him uneasy.

And if she truly loved tiedye so much, how could she not notice it was fake?

He had braced himself for her to playfully scold him, maybe even throw a pillow his way, but she did nothing.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, his phone chimed, right as she spoke.

"Why are you back so early?"

He typed a quick reply and then ruffled her hair with a smile.

"Because today’s the end of the coolingoff period. If we miss it, we’ll have to reapply."

"I didn’t want my mistake to hold you up, so I wrapped up work and came back sooner."

Her breath caught. A faint sting burned behind her eyes.

She lowered her head, hiding the flicker of hope she didn’t want him to see. Her halfsmile was tinged with ache.

Of course, he hadn’t come back early because he missed her. It was because of the divorce.

Winter took a slow, steady breath before finally lifting her head. "Let’s go."

Cassian’s fingers froze midtyping. He glanced at her, sensing something was off, though he couldn’t quite name it.

The shrill ring of his phone broke the moment. He silenced it and walked toward the living room.

When Winter emerged, she found him carefully plucking the strawberries off a small cake.

It was a habit he had picked up after marrying Yvonne. Every time he came home to see her, he would bring her one of these little cakes.

Once, she had thought it was a romantic gesture. Now she understood it was a silent apology.

Cassian said apologetically when he saw her coming. "Winter, I was in a rush. All I could grab was a strawberry cake. I picked off the strawberries so you could have it."

She shook her head gently. "Don’t bother. Let’s just go."

The truth was, she had never liked these cakes and she was allergic to strawberries.

Worse still, she had spotted this exact box sitting in the villa’s fridge yesterday.

She wondered how many times she had been handed leftovers from someone else’s table, but now the thought alone made her stomach turn.

Without another glance at Cassian, she walked to the door first.

He felt that strange distance once again. The woman who used to cling to him like a little puppy was suddenly acting cold and indifferent.

As he followed her out, ready to ask what was wrong, he stopped short. A row of cardboard boxes lined the hallway.

At first, he thought they belonged to someone else. But the longer he looked, the more familiar the contents became.

His chest tightened as he turned to her. "You packed all this? Why are you throwing so much away?"

She answered evenly, "Just some things I don’t need anymore. Cassian, I'm actually planning to—"

Before she could finish, her words were cut short by his phone ringing again.

The rest of the sentence—I'm actually planning to leave Melbourne—stayed lodged in her throat.

Watching his back while he answered the call, her eyelashes trembled. She wouldn’t tell him about it, then. Let it be a surprise.

At City Hall, it only took a few questions before the staff slid two divorce decrees across the counter.

Winter stared at the covers, her vision blurring.

Something she had held onto for ten years had popped like a soap bubble in less than one.

The marriage that felt like a dream was officially over.

Cassian was moved by the tears in her eyes so much that he couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze. He pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Winter, once the company gets through this rough patch, we’ll definitely remarry. Just wait for me, all right?"

For the first time, she didn’t give him the answer he wanted. She buried her face in his shoulder and whispered, "No."

But his phone rang before he could hear her.

He glanced at the screen and quickly declined the call—but not before she caught the caller’s name. My Princess.

A prince belonged with a princess. She… she was just a Cinderella without the magic.

She turned her face away to force her tears back and lift her head to calm the storm within.

Cassian slipped on the suit jacket draped over his arm and ordered a taxi for her.

"Go home and wait for me. I have to run by the office."

After saying that, he gave the driver a string of instructions to drop her off close to the entrance so she wouldn’t have to walk far and to drive slowly so she wouldn’t get carsick.

He spent ten whole minutes making sure every detail was right before getting into his own car.

Winter kept her head bowed, catching her tears before they could fall. Her throat ached as she swallowed them down before she spoke to the driver.

"Let’s go."

She didn’t care where Cassian was going… until the roads began to overlap.

At a fork, she found herself quietly telling the driver to follow him.

She wasn’t prepared for where he stopped. City Hall, again.

From the backseat of the taxi, she watched Cassian stride up to Yvonne with arms wide open. Then, he pulled her close in a full embrace.

The wedding ring that had once matched Winter’s was gone from his hand. A bright red tie replaced the one he had worn earlier, all to make himself completely belong to Yvonne Harris alone.

She had known he had divorced her to marry Yvonne, but she hadn’t expected it to be the same day.

The ink on the divorce papers had barely dried and the next moment, he and Yvonne had already obtained their marriage certificate.

Seriously, Cassian couldn’t wait even one day?

The clerk’s office had been cleared just for them. In less than five minutes, they walked out holding a fresh marriage certificate.

Cassian took out a bouquet as if from thin air, then bent and scooped Yvonne up in his arms, carrying her bridalstyle to the car.

This was how he loved someone. It was the first time Winter had ever seen that light in his eyes.

Her fingers tightened around the divorce certificate in her lap as she rolled up the window.

"Drive."

As the car pulled away from City Hall, she kept her gaze fixed on the blur outside, her eyes heavy with tears that refused to fall.

She didn’t go home. Instead, she headed straight to the office.

The moment she stepped inside, Yohan, one of the senior staff, spotted her and came over with a grin.

"Winter, I thought you were off today. What brings you in?"

Winter offered a faint smile. "I’m here to hand in my resignation."

Since Cassian's divorce with Yvonne, she had come back to work, though her role as Yohan’s assistant was more honorary than anything, so there was never much for her to do.

His smile faltered upon hearing her reason. "Why resign? Does Cassian know about this? He’s not going to agree to this."

Her eyes welled up. She first slid a signed contract and uploaded the digital version to the company system.

"You’re my direct supervisor. I only need your approval."

Yohan could clearly guess she knew something, but was not daring to ask.

He tried to talk her out of it, but she didn’t budge. In the end, he pulled out his phone and dialed Cassian.

The line rang and rang. When Cassian finally picked up, all he said was, "Whatever it is, you decide."

His expression turned awkward as he hung up.

A dull ache spread in Winter’s chest, but she forced a graceful smile.

"Don’t feel bad. I already talked about this to him and he’s fine with it. I just need a break. Planning to take a trip, clear my head. I’ll be back before you know it."

Yohan felt slightly relieved upon hearing she was planning to take a trip.

He told himself that only a handful of people knew the truth and there was no way it could have reached her ears. So, he didn't even think twice before agreeing.

She said her goodbyes, but still didn’t want to return home.

On the way home, she walked the entire way, as if she wanted to take in the entire city where the man he loved was.

She ended up by the river. Sitting down on a bench, she realized she had been here before—with him.

Back then, the land across the water was nothing but weeds and dirt, with rumors that luxury villas would be built on it.

Back then, Cassian had been wearing an old, faded shirt, picking at a flimsy takeout box. When she had taken his hand, the tips of his ears went red and he had covered his shyness with words.

"When this place is developed, I’m buying you the sunniest villa there."

At that time, she had just laughed and called him a liar.

Now, the promise had come true, just not for her.

The villa where Yvonne lived was exactly as he had described, flooded with golden light.

A breeze brushed her cheek, snapping her out of the memory.

She looked down and found her face was already wet with tears.

Her chest ached. She pressed a hand to it, head bowed, breathing heavily. But the tears kept coming, harder now.

Her phone suddenly rang. She swallowed the sobs threatening to escape and answered.

"Hello?"

Her voice was thick, choked with emotion and Cassian froze for a moment.

He strode out of the room and found a quiet place. "What's wrong?"

Winter blinked away the heat in her eyes and forced a few deep breaths. "Nothing. Just yawned. Do you need anything?"

Relieved she wasn’t hurt, he got straight to the point. "I’ll send you an address. Can you bring some things over for me?"

At this point, she had had enough of being at his beck and call, so she immediately refused.

"Why not ask your assistant? I—"

But before she could finish, he had already hung up. A moment later, a text came through with the address and the list.

With that came one final line. [Winter, stop messing around. This is really urgent.]

She didn’t answer. Instead, she forwarded the message to his assistant.

She wanted him to understand that she wasn’t going to say yes every time.

Ten minutes later, her phone rang. It was the assistant.

"Winter, I’m so sorry… my grandma’s sick. I’m back in my hometown for two weeks. I can’t help you since I'm not in Melbourne."

The girl sounded panicked, like she was already halfway to packing her desk.

Winter caught the fear in her voice and sighed, "Okay, take good care of your grandmother. Don't worry about it."

She ended up buying the things herself and taking them to the address of Cassian’s banquet.

She knocked several times, but no one answered. With no other option, she handed the bag to the security guard and asked him to pass it along. He just waved her inside, telling her to deliver it herself.

Left with no choice once again, she pushed open the door.

As soon as the door opened, she stepped into a sudden hush. Then came the whispers.

"Who’s that? Looks like she’s wearing rags."

"Even my tablecloth is better quality than that. Guess we’re getting a little variety in the entertainment tonight."

"I’ve seen her before. Isn’t she the mistress of Yvonne’s exhusband?"

"Huh. If that’s the mistress standard these days, charity work would be a better use of time."

Winter barely flinched. Years of standing beside Cassian in business had made her immune to insults.

But when she heard them call her a mistress, something in her chest twisted.

Two days ago, she would have snapped back—she was his wife, not some other woman. But today… she wasn’t sure what she was anymore.

Not a mistress, but not a real wife either, because Cassian had never loved her.

She weaved her way awkwardly through the crowd until she spotted him near a sofa.

A glass of wine in his hand, he stood facing Yvonne, who was smiling brightly at him. Together, they looked like the perfect pair, wrapped in their own little world.

Her grip on the paper bag tightened as she stepped forward.

"Cassian, here’s what you wanted."

He glanced at her clothes and frowned.

"Why didn’t you call me? Why just walk in like this?"

His eyes and voice dripped with obvious contempt and in that instant, Winter felt the sting of humiliation.

She had brushed off every cold remark and cutting comment from the crowd earlier, but one sentence from him had knocked down the walls she had built around herself.

Suddenly, she felt ridiculous for even bothering to bring him painkillers.

She tossed the paper bag onto the sofa, jaw tight and met his gaze without flinching.

"I called, but you didn’t answer. Transfer me the money for the meds. Anything else? If not, I’m leaving."

Before he could say a word, she stepped back and turned to go—only to hear someone call her name.

"Don’t take off so fast, Winter. Stick around for a bit."

Winter paused midstep but didn’t turn around.

"I’m not sure my exhusband’s exwife and me qualify as friends who hang out together."

The words exhusband that came out of Winter's mouth made Cassian’s hand falter, a knot tightening in his chest.

She wasn’t wrong, but he told himself it was nothing more than the leftover pull of old habits.

He let out a quiet sigh, told Yvonne to drop it, then stepped forward and caught Winter’s hand.

"Winter, Yvonne and I just bumped into each other. Don’t read too much into it. You said you wanted to be friends with her. Well, you’ve met now, so why not stay for a little while?"

His tone was light, almost coaxing, but his grip left no room for her to say no.

When Winter finally turned to look at him, it struck her how much he had changed.

The man who once had that roguish grin, one hand on a cigarette and the other pulling her out of trouble—that man was gone.

In his place was someone polished and composed, the kind of man who fit seamlessly into the city’s upper circles.

And her, in her cheap clothes, like dirt on his tailored suit.

She should have realized long ago that they were living in different worlds now.

Her eyes reddened as she looked straight at him. "Do you really want me to stay and sit with you?"

The intensity in her voice caught Cassian off guard. Before he could answer, she pressed again, "Do you really want me to sit there with them?"

His fingers tightened around hers. Without thinking, he reached up to brush away her tears.

"It’s just conversation. Think of it as meeting someone new."

She turned her face away, giving a flat, "Fine."

Without another glance at him, she walked over and sank into the sofa.

In her heart, she swore this would be the last time. After tonight, whatever debt she owed him for saving her life would be paid in full—and erased from her memory.

Cassian stared at his own hand hanging awkwardly in the air, a strange ache twisting in his chest.

Yvonne caught the moment. A glint of something sharp flickered in her eyes.

She called over a few more friends to the private lounge, then slid into the space beside Winter. Cassian took the other side.

"Let’s make it interesting. Spin the bottle—whoever it lands on either removes a piece of clothing or picks someone else to take a drink for them. If that person refuses to drink, they get a dare instead."

No one protested.

Winter silently encouraged herself. Then she felt Cassian’s hand pat her shoulder quickly to give her a flicker of courage.

After a few spins, the bottle still hadn’t landed on her and she allowed herself to relax. Then it stopped, pointing at Yvonne.

Yvonne leaned over and rested a hand on her shoulder. Cassian wordlessly lifted his glass, offering to drink for her.

Cheers exploded around the table. Winter’s stomach knotted.

The next spin landed on her. The noise around her shifted to taunting voices.

She shut her eyes, ready to say she would drink, but the glass was snatched up before she could touch it. Cassian started to raise it to his lips—until someone cut him off.

"Not how the game works, man. You’ve got to choose one person to drink for."

"Perfect chance—Yvonne or her. Choose."

The room went still. Winter’s nails bit into her palms under the table. She wished him to pick her. After all, he was the only person here she even knew.

But as her eyes met him nervously, he spoke.

"Yvonne."

The moment that one name was spoken, the crowd erupted, shouting so loudly that Winter’s head began to pound.

She turned to Cassian, her eyes dark with disbelief. Her breathing hitched, her jaw trembling as she fought to keep the tears from spilling.

Yvonne was dressed sharply in a tailored women’s suit with a light jacket, while all she had was a single, cheap dress.

Cassian didn't dare to meet her gaze—he kept his head lowered, silent.

There was no time for her to ask why. The crowd’s relentless egging on made her hands clumsy and her thoughts scatter.

She forced a smile, offering awkward apologies, until finally she bargained her way out of stripping by agreeing to down three shots of vodka.

But it didn’t end there. Somehow, it was always her turn again.

The first three shots, then another three...

She lost count of how many she had had. Her stomach burned, her head spun and eventually she slumped over the table.

When her turn came around yet again, she lifted her bleary eyes and reached for the glass, but Cassian’s hand closed firmly around her arm.

"That’s enough."

Winter caught the faint spark of anger in Cassian’s eyes and let out a low laugh.

She leaned in close to his ear. "You’re the one who chose Yvonne. You’re the one who told me to stay. I played my hand and took the loss, so why are you angry now?"

After speaking, she slipped her hand from his and forced down the drink in one go, fighting the urge to vomit.

The moment the words left her mouth, she stumbled toward the bathroom, clutching the toilet as wave after wave of nausea wracked her body.

When she finally straightened, she leaned against the sink, running the tap to wash her hands. That was when a rough hand slammed into her body, shoving her back against the wall.

"I hear you’re Cassian’s side piece. They said you’ve got some skills. How about you come with me instead? I’ve got more money than he does."

Tears blurred her vision, her legs too weak to hold her, but she still found the strength to spit in his face.

His expression darkened instantly. One hand clamped around her throat while the other slid toward the hem of her skirt.

"You just spat at me, huh? Guess you’ve got a death wish!"

Before he could touch anything, a solid kick sent him sprawling to the floor.

"It’s you who’s got a death wish."

Cassian’s voice was cold as steel. He didn’t even flinch as he drove his fist into the man’s face again and again until security hauled him away.

Winter sank to the floor, her mind slowly clearing. She had just started to push herself up when Cassian’s hand seized her jaw.

"So this is why you stayed? Freshly divorced and already chasing someone else? Do you honestly think men like that would want you?"

"I told you to wait and we could get remarried. Have I not kept you fed? Given you everything you need? Or is it that you can’t go a day without a man? Is this about Yvonne? Are you really that petty, Winter?"

His expression stayed composed, but his hand on her jaw was trembling.

The fear still hadn’t left Winter’s chest, but the way he questioned her cut deeper than the fear ever could.

So this was what he thought of her?

Wait? Wait for what? For him to marry Yvonne, then divorce her? For them to have kids and grandkids together while she stood on the sidelines?

What a joke. The confident, driven young man she once knew had been eaten alive by money.

Maybe it was the alcohol loosening her guard, but Winter couldn’t keep the hurt inside anymore.

Tears blurred her vision and her voice broke as she asked the man in front of her.

"Cassian… did you ever love me? If I walk away, will you even care? Between me and Yvonne—who do you really love more?"

Her tears stung him, but her question seemed to grate on his nerves.

"So this is about Yvonne, after all."

"She just got out of the hospital. She can’t drink. I stepped in for her because I didn’t want anyone getting hurt."

"You’re leaving? And where exactly would you go? Don’t waste your breath on questions that don’t matter."

And with that, he crushed the last flicker of hope she had left.

For a split second, Winter wanted to throw the truth in his face, to tell him she knew everything.

But what was the point? He wouldn’t even care.

Winter instantly went quiet. As she lowered her gaze, Cassian caught a glimpse of something in her eyes, like shards of broken glass.

A ripple of panic passed through him, but before he could say anything, she brushed his hand aside. "All right, I get it."

He didn’t go after her right away. When he finally did, she was back in the private room, already reaching for the bottle.

The veins in his temple pulsed. In the end, he turned and walked out without a word.

That night, Winter drank until her stomach bled and it was Cassian and Yvonne who rushed her to the hospital.

They thought she was passed out, so they started making out in the front seat.

Completely unaware that, under the glow of the streetlamp, Winter saw every detail.

When she woke up after the procedure, Cassian and Yvonne were standing at her bedside.

His eyes were colder than she had ever seen, almost unreal.

Looking down at her, his voice was colder than ice. "Winter, you’ve really let me down."

"I’m giving you a week to think about what you’ve done. Stay away from the office. I don’t want to see you. If you need to reach me, go through Yohan."

She heard every word. As he turned to leave, she reached out and caught the edge of his shirt.

"Cassian… I’m leaving. Can you at least say goodbye?"

His brow furrowed and he shook her off without hesitation. "Getting your stomach pumped isn’t the same as dying. Stop being so dramatic."

With that, he walked out with Yvonne by his side.

Just before leaving, Yvonne glanced back over her shoulder, her expression dripping with smugness. Her lips formed a single, silent word.

"Loser."

They didn’t realize that as the elevator doors slid shut, the one next to it opened.

Tanya burst out, rushing down the hall, her voice carrying through the quiet.

She ran into the ward, breathless—and the moment she saw Winter, her face lit up.

"Let’s go home."