The Chapter When Love was Gone

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."