I Don't Love You Like I Did Yesterday

“What do you take me for?!” My chest heaved. “You promised you’d marry me.”

The weight of humiliation and heartbreak came crashing down all at once. The betrayal, the broken promises—it was too much. A sob tore through my chest as I clutched at my hair, yanking at the strands in a desperate attempt to ground myself. My voice rose into a scream, raw and unrestrained.

Cassian hadn't moved since I slapped him. He stood there, stunned, as if he'd never expected me to break. But the shock faded quickly, replaced by something darker. His expression hardened, and in an instant, his fingers clamped around my wrists, yanking my hands away from my hair.

“Stop it! Who say you can you permission to hurt yourself?” he snapped, his breath hot against my skin. “You know this marriage is just business. Why don’t you get that?”

My body trembled in his grip, my strength drained. The boy I had once worshiped—the one who had shielded me, promised me forever—was gone. In his place stood a man who had mastered the art of cruelty, wielding it like a blade against me.

Cassian must have sensed my surrender because his hold loosened slightly. His voice softened, coaxing. “Alright, alright. I know you’ve been miserable the past few days.” He exhaled heavily, pressing his forehead against mine as if his touch could erase the damage he had inflicted. “You’ve always wanted to see the Aegean Sea. Let’s go to Greece after my engagement with Sloane. Or Turkey—Cappadocia, riding in a hot air balloon. Your pick. Just stop bringing this up, okay?”

I turned my head away, closing my eyes against the sting of fresh tears.

“Come on, Pixie,” he coaxed, his lips ghosting over my temple. “You’ve hit me, screamed at me—what more do you want? Stop being difficult, yeah?”

Difficult. The word was laughable. My entire world had just shattered and he expected me to sit pretty and wait for scraps? To remain his backup plan while he played house with Sloane?

When I still didn’t respond, Cassian clicked his tongue, his patience thinning. Then, as if struck with an idea, his fingers trailed lower, brushing down my spine, settling at my waist. His touch burned through the fabric of my dress.

“I think I know why you’re so upset,” he murmured, amusement laced in his voice. “Watching me with Sloane must have been hard for you. Got you all worked up, didn’t it? You’re just frustrated because you can’t have it. I should’ve known. I should’ve taken care of you first.”

His hand slipped under my shirt, fingers tracing down my spine. Disgust churned in my stomach, bile rising before I could stop it. I jerked away violently, gagging.

“Get the hell away from me!”

He recoiled, his jaw tightening as anger flashed across his face. Then, something more dangerous settled in his expression—offense. As if my reaction had insulted him.

His fingers dug into my chin, forcing my gaze back to his. “You dare reject me?”

The air between us grew suffocating. I could see the storm brewing in his eyes, his possessiveness boiling to the surface.

“Did you forget who pulled you out of that freezing lake? You owe me your life, Livia.” I flinched at the way he said my name—like it was a claim, a brand burned into my skin.

Cassian leaned in, his lips a breath away from mine. “I own you,” he murmured, deadly soft. “And unless you plan on paying me back with your life, you’ll do exactly as I say. Got it?”

A chill spread through my veins. He was right–I knew him. I knew for a fact that he wasn’t just spitting empty threats. He was obsessive and domineering to his core, willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted.

He had endured years of patience and careful maneuvering just to force his parents into accepting Sloane. And now, he was doing the same to me—wearing me down, luring me into surrender with carefully laid traps.

Cassian never lost. If he wanted something, he got it.

That included the lucrative project the Kensington was about to secure—he could easily manipulate Sloane into helping him claim it, ensuring both business success and the woman he wanted.

A man like that wouldn’t simply accept my rejection. I couldn’t afford to push him any further. So I swallowed my rage, pushed down my disgust and forced myself to give him the only answer that would keep me alive. I nodded.

Even so, I recoiled from his touch, curling in on myself.