Marry me or not

The dinner table

The restaurant wasn’t the kind Cassandra was used to. Chandeliers glittered overhead, the air thick with perfume and cigar smoke. Men in tailored suits and women in diamonds filled the room, their laughter sharp, their eyes sharper.

Edwin guided her through it all with a hand at the small of her back. It wasn’t gentle — it was possessive, a silent claim. Cassandra felt every gaze on her, as though she had been placed on display.

“Sit beside me,” Edwin said, pulling out a chair at the long table. His tone left no room for refusal.

She obeyed, though her heart pounded. The dishes were lavish, the wine endless, but Cassandra barely tasted anything. She was too aware of Edwin’s gaze, heavy and constant, as though he was measuring her against the world he ruled.

Halfway through the evening, the doors opened again. Collins stepped in, his smile easy but his eyes burning with defiance. He didn’t belong here any more than Cassandra did, but he carried himself with a confidence that made heads turn.

Edwin’s jaw tightened. “You weren’t invited.”

Collins shrugged, sliding into a seat across the table. “Neither was she. But here we are.” His eyes flicked to Cassandra, softening. “I couldn’t let her walk into this alone.”

The tension at the table was palpable. Cassandra felt trapped between them, the room spinning with power and danger.

Edwin leaned closer, his voice low but sharp. “You think you can protect her from me?”

Collins met his gaze without flinching. “I think she deserves to choose who protects her.”

Cassandra’s breath caught. The words hung in the air, heavier than the crystal chandeliers. Around them, the guests pretended not to listen, but every ear was tuned to the storm brewing at the table.

Edwin’s hand closed around his glass, knuckles white. Collins’s smile never wavered, but Cassandra saw the tension in his jaw.

She realized then that this wasn’t just about her. It was about power, loyalty, and the dangerous line between love and possession.

When the dinner finally ended, Cassandra stepped outside into the cold night air, her breath visible in the dark. Edwin’s car waited at the curb. Collins lingered nearby, his hands shoved into his pockets.

For a moment, she stood between them, the city roaring around her. Coffee or tea. Bitter or sweet. Command or choice.

Her heart raced as she realized the truth: whichever man she chose, her life would never be the same again.