Owned by the Betrayer

2

The ballroom stretched out before me, a dazzling spectacle of crystal chandeliers and swirling cigar smoke, the air thick with the heavy scent of ambition and power. Politicians, their faces beaming with false camaraderie, leaned in to kiss my ring, their laughter echoing too loudly, as if they feared I might forget who had paved their golden paths tonight. The Carta family had finally crumbled, conceding the southeastern route, and every opportunist in the room was eager to stake their claim on this hard-won victory.

At my side, Reyna glimmered like a star in her silver dress, her smile perfectly crafted, a mask of confidence that belied the chaos swirling beneath the surface. She had been with me since I had yanked her off that jet earlier in the day. I knew my grandfather would not approve of her presence, but the truth was, whether in my legitimate enterprises or my darker dealings, everything seemed to flow more smoothly with Reyna beside me. She was a constant, a familiar presence that offered a sense of safety amidst the storm of my life.

As I navigated through the crowd, reveling in the moment, Liam—my trusted second, my brother in all but blood—leaned in closer, his voice a low murmur that sliced through the symphony of laughter and music.

“Boss,” he began, his tone urgent and laced with tension. “About that plane we lost last week? The one the Carta bastards sabotaged?”

“Yeah?” I replied, my curiosity piqued.

“Gemma was on it.”

The glass I had been raising to my lips froze in mid-air, my heart slamming against my chest.

The laughter, the crystal clinking, the elegant strains of the string quartet—all of it faded into a dull roar, as if I had been submerged underwater.

“What the hell did you just say?” The words escaped my lips, laced with disbelief and rising fury.

Liam remained unfazed, his gaze steady. “The flight crew manifest came back clean this morning. She was listed as auxiliary staff. Survived with the rest. Minor injuries. She’s been home for three days.”

Three days.

Three days, and no one had bothered to inform me that my own wife had been aboard a plane that someone had tried to obliterate from the sky.

Reyna’s grip tightened on my sleeve, her voice a whisper that cut through my spiraling thoughts. “Cassian?”

I felt a surge of anger and guilt crash over me like a tidal wave. I had explicitly forbidden her from boarding any planes. Being my wife was a perilous existence in itself; I had vowed never to place her in the line of fire again.

Reyna hesitated, her eyes searching mine before she leaned in closer, her voice barely audible. “Cassian, what if it wasn’t an accident? What if Gemma orchestrated this? She’s cunning enough to convince anyone. If she found a way onto that manifest, it wasn’t by chance. You know how she operates.”

My jaw clenched so tightly it felt as if it might shatter. Damn it. I hadn’t even considered that possibility.

Deep down, I knew Reyna was onto something.

Gemma had been itching to get closer to my world for years. Her beauty was a weapon, capable of bending the will of any man—and most women—to her desires.

The thought of what could have happened to her made my blood run cold. If anything had gone wrong, if I discovered that someone within my ranks had dared to lay a finger on my wife, I would make them pay. No contract would save them from my wrath—Gemma was mine, and I would protect what was mine at all costs.

The part of me that was struggling to drown in whiskey was suddenly thrust aside by a primal need for action.

Keys. Coat. The startled expressions of my men as I stormed through the crowd, slicing my way toward the exit.

“Cassian!” Reyna called after me, but I didn’t look back.

The drive home became a blur of red lights and the screech of tires against asphalt.

I told myself I was furious.

I told myself I would confront her, put her in her place at last.

But beneath that façade of anger lay a gnawing fear. What if she wasn’t okay? What if the crash had left her more damaged than I could imagine? What if she was hurt, unconscious, or—God forbid—worse?

When I arrived home, the darkness enveloped me like a shroud. Not a single light flickered in the house.

That was unusual.

The air was thick with that maddening scent that was uniquely hers—the one I pretended not to notice, yet it always left me feeling both aroused and frustrated—mingled with the faint remnants of whatever she had prepared for dinner.

“Gemma!” I called, my voice echoing in the silence.

I flung the bathroom door open, and there she was, startled, her eyes wide with surprise. The emerald dress she wore was half-off, pooling at her waist, leaving one creamy shoulder and a delicate arm exposed, a hint of black lace peeking beneath. For a fleeting moment, the only thought that consumed me was the possessive certainty that she was mine.

*****

**Gemma**

In that instant, Cassian kissed me for the first time.

He pushed me back, his body hovering over mine on the bed, and I could feel the tension radiating from him, a battle of restraint playing out in the depths of his steel-gray eyes. “I’m going to f**k you, Gemma. Tell me you want this.”

My breath hitched in my throat. Even though his words were laced with authority, I recognized the underlying question. I knew I had the power to say no.

But I wanted this. I had craved this moment every single day for what felt like an eternity.

His cold, gray eyes locked onto mine, reminiscent of a time three years ago when everything had unraveled. If my father hadn’t died, if my stepmother and her precious daughter hadn’t vanished with every last dime, leaving me drowning in debts and enemies, I would never have found myself on his doorstep that stormy night. Soaked, trembling, bleeding—an unwitting lamb seeking refuge in the lair of Cassian Blackwell, my father’s sworn enemy, the only monster more terrifying than the ones pursuing me.

I still recalled that downpour, Cassian standing behind the iron gate, his sharp features framed by the black umbrella, looking down at me like a deity. Cold rain cascaded down my face, and just as I thought my enemies would drag me away, he had stepped in, saving me.

His grandfather had offered me three hundred million dollars to become Cassian’s wife.

Desperate to pay off my debts and treat my mother’s illness, I had agreed, tears staining my cheeks.

But deep down, I sensed that all Cassian truly desired was Reyna.

“I want this,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He kissed me again, his hand cradling my cheek before sliding down to my breast. I gasped as he squeezed, a wave of pleasure radiating through me, igniting a fire I had never known.

I was a virgin, untouched, and yet here I was, ready to surrender to him. I had played the role of his dutiful wife for three long years. I had harbored feelings for him—why not indulge in the fleeting moments of passion while I still could?

How had he managed to keep me at arm’s length all this time?

As his lips traveled down my jaw and neck, he tore open my nightgown, feasting on my breasts, sucking my n*****s into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sensitive peaks.

“Cassian!” I cried out, lost in a haze of need. My fingers tangled in his hair as I arched my back, pressing against him, desperate for more. I didn’t even know what I sought, but he seemed to understand my unspoken desires.

He parted my thighs, settling between them, and I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes from the overwhelming sensation of his hardness pressing against my core.

We should have talked about this, but we didn’t. He explored my body, igniting sensations within me that I had never dreamed possible.

He was driving me wild. I writhed beneath him, feeling as if I were chasing something just out of reach.

“Cassian, please!” I half-sobbed, my voice breaking. “I don’t know… I need… I need…”

Then his fingers slid between my legs, finding the slick folds of my desire, and everything shattered as pleasure coursed through me, ripping me apart and then piecing me back together.

All this time, we could have been experiencing this? What had he been thinking, sleeping in a different room?

“That was incredible,” I breathed, but a frown creased my brow. I might have been inexperienced, but I wasn’t naïve. “But what about you?”

He stroked my face, his gaze piercing into mine. Despite the pleasure coursing through me, I sensed a guardedness in his eyes that sent a chill down my spine.

“But we aren’t finished yet. I’m not finished.”

With that, he stood, shedding his clothing, revealing a body sculpted by the moonlight, every muscle and curve reminiscent of marble.

A flutter of nerves twisted in my stomach as he climbed back into bed, nudging my thighs apart with his knees. He was so big, and I questioned whether I could handle him.

Yet as he kissed me again, I felt that familiar ache begin to stir within me once more.

I cried out as he slid one finger inside me, then another, testing, stretching. His mouth traveled to my breast, and I gasped as his thumb found my c**t, working me slowly in and out.

A wordless sound of pleasure escaped my lips.

“f**k, you’re so wet,” he groaned, his eyes locking onto mine.

“Tell me you’re ready for me, Gemma. Tell me you want me to f**k you.”

“I want it…” I began, but suddenly nerves gripped me.

Before we had married, Cassian had been notorious for his playboy reputation. He had likely been with countless beautiful, experienced women.

There was no way he had stayed faithful to me for the past three years. A man like Cassian wouldn’t deprive himself of pleasure for a wife he barely tolerated.

Sensing my hesitation, he pulled back slightly. “What is it?”

I licked my lips, trying to find the right words. “I… I don’t know how to do this. I won’t be like the women you’re used to…”

“Used to?” A dangerous glint sparked in his eyes.

He leaned in, kissing my jaw, his teeth grazing my neck, igniting a fire within me. He moved my body in ways that made me cry out, the pleasure almost overwhelming.

His lips brushed against my ear, and he whispered, “How many women do you think I’ve had in the last three years, Gemma? Take a guess.”