Chapter 355
Third Person’s POV
Cassian stared blankly at his phone screen, tapping out a coded message to Trista, “The trap is set p>
Trista stepped out of the inner office, her voice as cold as ice. “Foreign pressure is strictly prohibited in the intervention room. Miss Fernandez, come in alone p>
Samantha hesitated, clutching Cassian’s sleeve. “Cassian… my mental state is so fragile lately. Can’t you ask Miss Holmes to make an exception? I need my mom here p>
“If you don’t have even a basic level of professional trust, you can take your unraveling soul and get the hell off my territory right now.” Trista didn’t give an inch as she turned back into the room.
Samantha froze, embarrassed. “Cassian, I didn’t mean it like that p>
“Samantha,” Cassian said, his voice level but carrying the undeniable aura of an Alpha. “She only agreed to save you because I agreed to the severance. If you don’t trust her, you should at least trust me p>
Samantha stared at him. That one sentence-I agreed to the severance so she would save you hit her like a sledgehammer, crushing her last bit of doubt.
She was so moved her eyes actually welled up. “Cassian… did you really give up your bond just for me p>
“If you don’t believe me, you can go in there and ask her yourself,” Cassian replied smoothly.
Overjoyed, Samantha pushed her mother toward the exit. “Mom, go ahead. I’ll be fine with Cassian here p>
Cassian handed her a tissue, his gaze as deep and dark as a bottomless abyss. “Let’s go. I’ll walk you in p>
Like a submissive sacrificial lamb, Samantha followed him into the intervention room, which was thick with the scent of soul-suppressants.
By 3:00 PM, Samantha was under. Trista had guided her consciousness into a deep sleep, successfully triggering the hypnosis.
With Trista’s healing fluctuations stabilizing the connection, Cassian was able to drag every bloody secret out of Samantha’s mouth.
Trista watched the soul-frequency monitor, a chill running down her spine. Behind Samantha’s timid, pathetic act was a mind capable of terrifying malice.
To climb the social ladder, she hadn’t just used manipulation-she had lives on her hands.
The forty-minute session stretched into an hour and a half.
Seeing Samantha’s breathing quicken on the table—a sign she was about to break out of the trance-Trista decisively cut the aura. “She’s waking up. You have to stop p>
Cassian tucked the recorder away and grabbed Trista’s arm, pulling her into the adjacent sterilization room.
As soon as the door clicked shut, he spoke, his voice raw with suppressed emotion. “You heard her admit it. You heard everything. Trista, this is why I kept that snake close p>
Trista stood at the sink, scrubbing her hands with harsh disinfectant over and over.
“Alpha Cassian, I have zero interest in the Ironthorns’ internal garbage,” she said without looking back. “She’s about to open her eyes. Get out of my sight p>
Cassian grabbed her shoulders and forced her around, making her look into his bloodshot eyes.
“Trista, I was indecisive because of this old case, and I know I hurt you. But I swear, I never intended to actually dump our bond for someone like her p>
His breath was heavy, filled with a desperate, humble longing. “I know you won’t forgive me yet. I’ll wait. As long as it takes. Just… please stop being so cold p>
Trista calmly pushed his hands
away, her eyes so clear they made him feel hopeless. “Not every
betrayal can be washed away binet
‘having no choice.’ Stop obsessing over it, Alpha Cassian. The bond is gone p>
Just then, a light footstep sounded outside.
Cassian pulled the door open just as Zelda was walking in. The two shared a look;
the air was thick with tension.
“Dr. Holmes, the patient is awake,” Zelda whispered.
Trista nodded and walked over to the table.
Samantha’s eyelashes fluttered as she slowly came to.
Her first instinct was to grab her phone.
“What happened?” Samantha’s face fell the second she saw the time She let out a sharp shriek “It, supposed to be forty minutes! It’s four o’clock! Trista, what the hell did you do to me p>
Trista remained perfectly composed, glancing at Cassian as he stepped out of the side room.
Cassian didn’t miss a beat. He
stepped forward, his tone so warm and gentle it was impossible to spot
the lie. “You fell into a deep sleep during the intervention. told them not to wake you. How are you feeling p>
Samantha’s suspicion vanished instantly.
She touched her forehead, putting on a weak, appreciative act. “No wonder… I was
out cold. My headache is actually gone. I guess a top-tier healer really lives up to the hype p>
Trista watched the performance from a distance, her expression cold.
She had used hypnosis, but she hadn’t wasted a single drop of healing power on that toxic wolf.
Zander quickly went over the post-op instructions and began ushering them out.
Cassian didn’t linger. As he passed Trista, his pace slowed for half a second. He gave her one long, searching look before leading Samantha out the door.