CASSANDRA'S POV~
The morning slipped by faster than I expected.
Between Adriano’s relentless teasing and my frantic scramble to get ready, it felt like the minutes had wings. He stayed true to his word—drove me all the way to work in his sleek Rolls Royce, one hand casually on the wheel, the other resting too close to my knee for comfort. The air between us had been light, charged with a mix of stolen glances and unspoken words. But even then, I never expected what he had planned next.
Because Adriano didn’t just surprise me this morning.
He shocked me.
I stood in the hallway of the hospital, completely still, as I watched the nurses wheel my mother—down the corridor and into one of the hospital’s most luxurious VIP suites.
My throat tightened.
Just this morning, she had still been
