Page 60

"Cassie, you can't keep going like this," I finally snapped at lunch on the fifth day. "You're barely eating."

She set down her fork, her eyes meeting mine, hard and unyielding. "I told you, I'm fine."

"This isn't fine!" My voice rose, frustration spilling over. "You look sick. Let me get a doctor—"

"No." She cut me off, her tone sharp, final, like nothing I'd ever heard from her. "I don't need a doctor, and I don't need your concern."

She stood and walked out, leaving me at the table, anger and helplessness churning in my gut. I wanted to take care of her, make sure she was okay, but she was pushing me away, building a wall between us that grew taller every day. I didn't know how to break through.

Late that night, after a grueling emergency meeting, I dragged myself back to the estate. Dimitri was waiting with worse news.

"We found the traitor," he said, his face grim. "It's Martha, the kitchen maid. Marco's had her in his pocket for three months. We found bugs she planted in the study, living room, and kitchen."

My blood ran cold. Martha—the maid who always smiled at Cassie, who brought her tea with that fake warmth—was a fucking snake.

"What'd she give them?" My voice was a low growl, barely human.

"The estate's daily schedule, Cassie's routines, Anya's room location."

Rage boiled in my veins, hot and unstoppable. This bitch didn't just betray me—she put my daughter and my woman in the crosshairs.

I never touched women or kids, but she'd crossed a line. "Where is she?"

"Basement. Waiting for you."

I didn't say another word. I stormed to the basement.

It was dusk when I stumbled back to the main house, reeking of blood and fury. Martha got what she deserved, but the anger still burned, a restless beast clawing at my insides. I needed an outlet, needed Cassie—her warmth, her touch, something to pull me out of this darkness.

I slipped into her bedroom quietly, careful not to wake her. She was curled up on the bed, asleep, moonlight spilling through the window, casting soft shadows on her pale face. Even in sleep, her brow was furrowed, like she was carrying some heavy pain.

I stripped off my blood-stained coat and eased onto the bed beside her. She looked so fragile, so beautiful, it made my chest ache with the need to protect her, to love her. I pulled her gently into my arms, feeling how much thinner she'd gotten, her ribs sharp under my hands. It hurt to notice.

I kissed her neck, savoring the sweet warmth of her skin, her faint rose scent calming the storm inside me. "Cassie," I murmured, my hands tracing her body.

She stirred under my touch, waking with a soft blink. Her eyes flickered with confusion, then something complicated—recognition, but guarded. "Gennady?" Her voice was hoarse from sleep.

"It's me, ???????," I said, deepening the kiss, my fingers brushing along her waist.

Her body responded—her breath quickened, her skin warmed, her chest rising and falling faster. It lit a fire in me, knowing she still felt this pull between us. Her lips parted undermine, a soft sigh escaping, and it was like gasoline on my desire. My hands moved up her curves, feeling her softness, her heat, driving me to the edge.

"I missed you," I whispered against her ear, my voice rough with need. "These past days have been hell."

Her hands drifted to my chest, her touch sending sparks through me. I kissed her neck again, tasting her, listening to her soft gasps. Her fingers dug into me, leaving faint scratches that pushed me closer to losing control.

This was my Cassie, my rose. In this moment, she wasn't cold or distant—she was mine again, melting into me.

I deepened the kiss, my fingers working the buttons of her nightgown, her skin glowing like porcelain in the moonlight. Her soft moan was better than any music I'd ever heard.

But just as I thought she'd give in, she pushed me away. "No," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "I don't want this."

I froze, confusion hitting me hard. "Cassie?"

"I said no." She turned her face away, sliding to the other side of the bed.

Frustration and hurt exploded in my chest, all the pent-up anger and despair from the past days surging up. "Are you punishing me?" I sat up, my voice tight with barely controlled rage. "Because of our fight, you're gonna freeze me out forever?"

She was quiet for a moment, then said in a flat tone, "I don't want to be touched. Not now."