chapter three
1381 Words
Chapter Three
The air in the ballroom shifted the moment Cassian walked in.
Isla felt her pulse spike as she stood between the two brothers, her fingers curling into her dress to keep still. Cassian’s smirk was subtle, but his eyes—sharp, unreadable—made her chest tighten.
Adrian, ever composed, didn’t flinch. “You didn’t mention you’d be attending,” he said coolly.
Cassian gave a lazy shrug. “I wasn’t invited.”
The tension between them simmered, cloaked in civility. Everyone knew the brothers were never close. Adrian, the golden heir, had always followed their father’s path. Cassian had taken another—one that wound through shadows and rumors.
And now he was here. At Adrian’s engagement party.
Isla swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak. “It’s... nice to see you again, Cassian.”
His gaze shifted to her, his smirk deepening. “Likewise.”
She felt Adrian watching them.
Before he could say anything, someone approached, drawing his attention. He turned away to greet an older gentleman.
Cassian stepped closer.
“Strange,” he murmured, just for her. “You don’t look like a woman thrilled to be engaged.”
Isla kept her expression neutral. “And you don’t look like someone here to celebrate.”
His smile didn’t fade. “Maybe I was curious.”
“Curious about what?”
His eyes locked with hers. “You.”
Her breath caught, just for a second. But she stayed steady.
“Then you wasted your time,” she said quietly. “I know my place.”
Something shifted in his expression—just briefly.
“Do you?” he asked.
Before she could answer, Adrian returned.
“Cassian,” he said smoothly. “Since you’re here, at least have a drink.”
Cassian chuckled. “How generous.”
Adrian signaled to a waiter, who offered a glass of champagne.
Cassian raised it slightly. “To your engagement,” he said, then took a sip—his gaze never leaving Isla.
She had no choice but to smile.
But the weight of his focus made her skin itch.
This was not the end of the night.
Isla went out onto the balcony later, when the guests had started to depart and the noise had subsided to a faint whisper. Her skin was touched by the night breeze, which calmed the storm within.
Footsteps approached.
She didn’t have to turn.
Cassian leaned against the railing beside her, looking out at the city lights.
“You looked beautiful tonight,” he said softly.
Her hands tightened on the iron balustrade. “Don’t.”
He glanced at her. “Don’t what?”
“Say things like that.”
A soft laugh escaped him. “Why? Because it’s true?”
She turned to face him, voice low but firm. “Because it doesn’t matter.”
He looked at her for a long, unreadable moment.
“It should,” he said.
She shook her head. “No, Cassian. It can’t.”
A silence stretched between them—dense with things unsaid.
Then he stepped back.
“Be careful, Isla.”
He vanished, disappearing into the night like a secret before she could ask him what he meant.
Not knowing that she was holding a breath, she released it.
She knew in her heart that this was just the beginning.
There was no stillness in the night. Despite the ballroom being empty, Isla felt the weight of it like a second skin. As though the lights below may provide answers, she stayed on the balcony and stared at them.
But there were none. Only Cassian’s voice, lingering in her mind.
Be careful, Isla.
She didn’t know what he meant.
Or maybe she did—and simply didn’t want to admit it.
Another pair of footsteps approached. She turned, expecting Cassian.
It was Adrian.
“You disappeared,” he said lightly, though his tone held curiosity.
“I needed air,” she replied.
He joined her, hands in his pockets. “Did he say something to you?”
She didn’t ask who he was.
“No,” she lied.
Adrian was silent for a moment before speaking again. “Cassian has a way of making people question things that shouldn’t be questioned.”
She turned toward him. “And what things are those?”
“Our engagement. Our families. Our future.”
He said it so matter-of-factly—like discussing a merger.
And maybe, in a way, that’s what this was.
He had never promised love. She had never expected it. Adrian was certain of their roles, their future.
She envied that certainty.
“You looked beautiful tonight,” he added, surprising her.
She blinked. “Thank you.”
He reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture should’ve stirred something.
But it felt... rehearsed. Like he was performing the part of the fiancé.
She wanted to believe he cared. That this arrangement meant something to him. But his affections were always careful, measured.
He saw her as a partner. A necessity. Nothing more.
But Cassian—
She shut the thought down before it could bloom.
Turning back to the city, she asked, “Do you ever wonder what it would be like... if things were different?”
Adrian tilted his head. “Different how?”
“If our families weren’t who they are. If we weren’t expected to do this.”
He paused before answering. “No.”
Her heart pinched.
“Why not?”
“Because wondering about what could’ve been is a waste of time,” he said simply. “This is our reality. No use questioning it.”
She said nothing.
Because what could she say?
He was right.
This was her reality.
And there was no changing it.
The next morning, Isla woke with a heaviness in her chest that sleep hadn’t touched.
She moved through her day on autopilot—breakfast with her parents, a wedding planning meeting, a dress fitting. She smiled when prompted. Nodded when expected.
Played the perfect fiancée.
But inside, she was unraveling.
Cassian’s gaze still lingered in her thoughts. And Adrian’s words echoed louder than they should have.
There’s no point in questioning it.
As if questioning meant weakness.
As if wanting more was foolish.
By afternoon, she needed to escape.
She told her mother she was going for a walk and left the estate with no destination in mind—just the need to breathe.
She ended up in a quiet café off the main street. Unassuming. Peaceful.
She ordered tea and sat by the window, watching the world pass.
And then, like fate was mocking her, Cassian slid into the seat across from her.
“You’re terrible at sneaking away,” he said, smirking.
Her pulse jumped. “Are you following me?”
“No,” he replied, leaning back. “I just like this place.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you want.”
She glanced around. “Someone might see us.”
“Let them.”
Her stomach twisted. “Cassian—”
“Relax,” he murmured. “I’m not here to ruin your picture-perfect engagement. I just wanted to see you.”
She looked away. “You shouldn’t.”
“But I do.”
Her heart thudded.
“I saw how you looked at him last night,” he continued. “Like you were trying to convince yourself this is what you want.”
Her hands tightened around her cup. “It doesn’t matter what I want.”
“Doesn’t it?”
She met his gaze. “No.”
He studied her, then leaned in, voice low.
“Then why are you here?”
Her breath caught.
Because she couldn’t breathe in that house.
Because Adrian’s certainty suffocated her.
Because Cassian made her feel something she wasn’t allowed to feel.
She opened her mouth—no words came.
Cassian sat back, smirk softening.
“You can lie to yourself all you want, Isla,” he said. “But don’t expect me to believe it.”
She wanted to tell him he was wrong.
She wanted to leave.
But she didn’t.
Because deep down, she knew—Cassian saw right through her.
And that terrified her.
- Writer
