CASSANDRA’S POV
I had always believed emotions were a liability. They clouded judgment, slowed reaction time, made people sloppy. My mother drilled that into me before I learned long division. Never want what you cannot control. Never love what can leave you.
Alex Robinson was never supposed to be anything more than an alignment of interests. Power married to power, legacy reinforcing legacy, two families tightening their grip on the world. That was the plan, so why did my chest ache like something vital was being ripped out every time he looked past me, as if I were furniture?
I sat alone in my dressing room that night, heels discarded, silk dress pooled at my feet, staring at my reflection like it might confess something I didn’t want to admit. The engagement ring on my finger caugh
