Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Third Person’s POV
Cassian looked down at her.
Finished
In this moment, standing by his side, her scent was steady and her poise was flawless. She looked like an impeccable Luna.
Throughout the entire event, Trista had held the floor, never giving him a single opening to speak.
She had handled every question with surgical precision, keeping every potential emotional landmine buried deep beneath the surface. And then, as quickly as it had begun, she swept him off the stage and out of the building.
Faced with this version of Trista, Cassian could only sink into a long, heavy silence.
Her sudden icy composure didn’t bring him peace; instead, it gave him a terrifying sense that he was losing control.
As the media storm began to dissipate, the two of them walked out of the
press conference.
Trista kept moving, her eyes glued to her phone as she refreshed the latest updates, making sure the public narrative was firmly back on track.
Cassian followed, his face a mask of cold hostility, his presence radiating a restless, simmering frustration.
The driver opened the door, and Trista slid into the back of the Bentley.
Meanwhile, in a cramped dressing room across Los Angeles, the air was anything but controlled.
Samantha stared at the screen, watching the replay of the conference.
There they were–Cassian and Trista, standing shoulder to shoulder, fingers interlaced, publicly crushing the scandal.
Her breathing turned ragged in the small space.
With a sudden burst of rage, she swept the makeup off the vanity. Bottles and jars shattered against the floor with a series of sharp, jagged cracks.
She had thought this was her moment–a gift handed to her on a silver platter.
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Chapter 174
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She assumed that if the media dug deep enough into those photos, Cassian would eventually be backed into a corner and forced to come clean.
She never expected Trista to kill the entire story in a single night with just a few well–placed
sentences.
Watching Trista play the devoted lover on screen–and seeing the way Cassian’s eyes never left her, full of a heavy, possessive focus–Samantha felt a wave of jealousy that threatened to drown her.
“I was the first one he ever loved,” she thought, her grip tightening.
“I’m the one who actually holds a place in his heart p>
“As long as I’m still standing, Trista is on borrowed time p>
Samantha took a deep breath, forcing her features into a calm mask. She straightened her hair in the mirror and pulled out her communication stone.
The black Bentley cruised down a main LA artery.
The backseat was quiet–so quiet that their individual breathing felt deafening.
A faint vibration hummed from the armrest. The comm–stone flickered to life, a cold glow rippling across the crystal surface like a stone dropped into a dark pond.
Cassian glanced at the caller ID, then cut his eyes toward Trista.
Trista.was already tucking her own stone into her bag and zipping it shut with clinical efficiency.
She turned her head to meet his gaze, her voice devoid of any warmth. “If my being here is a problem, I can get out p>
There was no anger in her voice, no test.
It was a simple, logical choice she was handing him.
Before he could respond, she signaled the driver to pull over.
Cassian’s eyes sharpened, searching her face for a crack in the armor.
As the car slowed to the curb, Trista pushed the door open.
She hadn’t even taken a full step out before he grabbed her wrist.
Cassian slammed his hand over the glowing comm–stone, killing the light instantly.
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0:
Finished
“I cut the connection,” he rasped. “You don’t need to leave p>
Trista looked back at him. She didn’t argue; she simply shook his hand off and stepped onto the sidewalk anyway.
Standing outside the half–open window, she looked at him with a gaze that was almost cruelly calm. “You should probably call her back,” she said. “You know her better than I do. If she loses it and actually does something drastic, you’re the one who’s going to have to live with the regret p>
With that, she turned her back on him and stepped toward the curb to hail a cab.
The words hit Cassian like a physical blow, making his chest tighten.
He climbed out of the other side of the car and caught up to her in a few long strides.
When she heard him behind her, he was already blocking her path.
She looked up at him, her tone still perfectly controlled. “The press conference is over. Is there something else you need me to ‘perform‘ for p>
Cassian’s face was a storm, his eyes locked onto hers. “Trista, if you’re angry, if you feel wronged -just say it. You don’t have to keep doing this p>
Trista tucked her stone away, the distance in her eyes clear and chilling.
“So what if I’m angry?” she asked. “It’s not like I can break the mating bond p>
Her voice was steady, but every word was a serrated edge.
“So what if I feel wronged? You’re the one holding the leverage. You forced me into that agreement. I’m only holding it together because I’m terrified you’ll threaten me again- terrified you’ll send me back to that place p>
She took a step closer. “What good does talking do? Is it going to save me? Are you actually going to let me go p>
Traffic hummed beside them on the sidewalk.
They stood inches apart, yet they were on opposite sides of a canyon.
Trista laid out her questions with a haunting calmness, her voice laced with a faint, bitter irony.
Cassian’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
His chest was heaving, a mess of conflicting emotions swirling in his eyes before he forced
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He reached out and gripped her arm, pulling her slightly closer, his tone noticeably softer. “Your mom is being discharged today. I’m coming with you p>
Trista didn’t even blink. “You know perfectly well that my family has no interest in seeing you p>
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Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.