Chapter 4
1096 Words
Isla’s POV
I wasn’t done with him.
He had dropped to his knees in the hallway like a crumpled shadow, begging for mercy in front of my staff.
But if there was one thing I had learned in the years I spent rebuilding myself it was that power without control was useless. I didn’t want to scream at him. I wanted to watch him squirm where everyone could see.
So I asked Anya to schedule a meeting.
“Make it formal,” I told her. “Book the conference suite at Cobalt Garden. I want the reservation under my name.”
She glanced at me curiously, but didn’t ask questions.
Good.
Two hours later, I arrived at the restaurant before him. I sat by the large window, back straight, hands clasped loosely in front of me. I sipped my lemon water and waited.
When Cassian walked in, I recognized him instantly even though he looked nothing like the man I once loved.
He was thinner. His shoulders slouched, so much that his clothes looked borrowed. His eyes were bloodshot, the sort of fatigue that came from more than just sleepless nights. When his gaze met mine, something broke inside him.
Immediately he saw me, he dropped to his knees again. Right there in front of half the restaurant.
“Isla,” he whispered, too loud, too desperate. “I’m sorry. I’ve waited years for this moment. I thought you were dead. I..if I had known you were alive, I would’ve...”
I held up one hand. “Sit down.”
"Please I just need you to..."
"I said sit down."
He obeyed immediately, breathing hard. His eyes scanned my face like he was trying to memorize every detail.
“I searched for you,” he said again, now seated across from me. “I didn’t know they were going to send people after you. I swear on the Goddess, Isla. I didn’t know. After the wedding, I begged Jamie to tell me where you went. He said you ran. That you left by choice.”
I stared at him, calm.
“Cassian,” I said, “this is not a reconciliation dinner. This is a business meeting. If you can’t keep it professional, I’ll leave.”
He swallowed hard. “I need your help. The Moon Dragon Pack is falling apart. My businesses are gone. The elders are breathing down my neck. Jamie spends every coin on feasts and beauty pageants. And Celine… she’s not what I thought.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And what did you think she was? A gift? A reward for your betrayal?”
He dropped his gaze.
“I thought she was stable.”
I laughed softly. “You chose her because she was safe. Because she didn’t have the blood of a ‘traitor’s daughter’ running through her veins.”
He winced. “I made a mistake.”
“Too late.”
He leaned forward. “I know. But I thought you were gone. Everyone thought you died. I never stopped hoping...”
“Stop,” I said, my voice sharp. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”
His shoulders slumped.
I continued. “My company won’t be offering you a loan. We will not enter into any partnership. If you want to salvage your legacy, try someone else.”
“But Isla..”
“I built this empire with my own hands. I rebuilt myself. I cried alone, bled alone, and gave birth to my own brand in silence. You don’t get to walk in here, throw around regrets, and expect a second chance. You lost that when you let them throw me to the wolves.”
His mouth opened and closed again.
The waiter came with a tray of bread and water. I barely touched mine.
Cassian ran a trembling hand through his hair. “Can’t we at least talk, somewhere private?”
“No.”
Just as I gathered my bag, a sound floated through the restaurant—a burst of laughter.
I turned.
And time slowed.
Lucian and Liora came running through the door, giggling, as they were being chased by one of the family guards who had been watching them while I handled the meeting.
“Mommy!” Liora called, running toward me. “He said I can’t beat him at racing!”
“Because you can’t,” Lucian said, smug.
I froze.
Cassian’s head turned toward them.
He didn’t breathe.
I placed my hand gently on Liora’s shoulder and gave Lucian a quick nod. “Go wait by the car.”
“But...”
“Now!”
The guard appeared behind them, clearly flustered. “I’m sorry. They ran ahead.”
“It’s fine. Please take them back.”
Cassian’s eyes didn’t leave them. His lips parted slightly. His face drained of color.
They looked too much like him.
Too much like me.
“I see you're married with children” he murmured.
“You see nothing,” I said coldly.
He looked up at me. “Isla…”
“Don’t.”
The guard returned quickly, ushering the children out. I gave him a nod of thanks and turned back to Cassian.
“I have no interest in helping you. I only decided to meet with you here because I don't want you to cause a scene at the office. Do you understand?”
He didn’t reply.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
I stood. “Good. Then let this be the last time we ever meet.”
When I got home, the lights in the dining room were already on. Leonidas had changed into a black shirt and was already plating dinner when I walked into the dining room. A bottle of red wine stood open on the table.
"Perfect timing," he said. "I was just about to come find you."
I slipped off my heels and joined him. "Thank you for this."
“You okay?” he asked, walking over to place a kiss on my lips. “How’d the meeting go?”
I turned to face him.
There was a softness in his gaze that made my chest ache. The kind of softness that promised safety.
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed.
Then again.
Then a flood of pings.
I glanced at the screen and froze.
Leonidas noticed the change in my face.
“What’s wrong?”
I unlocked the phone and scrolled through the notifications.
Photo after photo.
Screenshots of me at the restaurant. Sitting across from Cassian. Him kneeling in front of me.
The headlines were terrible.
- Writer
