The Arms I Never Noticed
4616 Words
It Was Me From the Very Beginning (Part One)
A full week had passed since the engagement scandal.
Yet the whispers throughout New York's upper society had never truly died down.
Every day, a different version of the story surfaced across financial news outlets, celebrity tabloids, and anonymous online forums.
Some claimed Ethan Hastings had already been involved with another woman long before the engagement.
Others insisted Natalie Vanderbilt had forced the marriage by leveraging her status as the sole heiress of the Vanderbilt family, only to end up humiliated before everyone.
There were even people who vividly described the engagement banquet despite never having stepped foot inside the Vanderbilt estate.
They dissected every moment of her humiliation, embellished every detail, and waited eagerly to see the once-proud Vanderbilt heiress finally crumble.
Richard Vanderbilt responded swiftly.
The Vanderbilt Group mobilized every public relations resource at its disposal.
Articles disappeared overnight.
Entertainment tabloids received legal notices.
Several anonymous accounts that had spread defamatory rumors found themselves facing lawsuits before sunrise.
Even media companies under the Ashworth family—who had initially tried to fuel the controversy—quietly backed off after losing several lucrative advertising contracts with Vanderbilt Hotels.
On the surface...
The storm seemed to be fading.
But those who truly understood high society knew otherwise.
The harder a powerful family tried to suppress a scandal, the more convinced the public became that something far worse was hiding beneath the surface.
---
Throughout that week, Natalie barely left the estate.
Every morning, she appeared at breakfast dressed as elegantly as ever.
Her makeup was flawless.
Her posture remained impeccable.
She calmly discussed the company's newest hotel acquisition with her father, politely listened as her mother mentioned an upcoming charity gala, and even assured her parents that she would attend if necessary.
Not once did she cry.
Not once did she lose her temper.
She behaved as though nothing had happened.
Only the staff inside the mansion knew the truth.
The meals delivered to her room came back almost untouched every day.
And long after midnight...
The light inside the library remained on.
---
Three days after the banquet, Ethan's parents personally came to the Vanderbilt estate.
Marcus Hastings and Selena Hastings remained in the drawing room for nearly two hours.
Marcus apologized repeatedly, insisting Ethan's behavior reflected only his own immaturity—not the stance of the Hastings family.
Selena, her eyes rimmed with red, tried desperately to explain that Ethan had simply acted impulsively and never intended to humiliate Natalie.
Alicia Vanderbilt listened quietly.
She instructed the housekeeper to refill their tea.
She allowed them to finish every apology.
Only then did she speak.
"The engagement between our children has come to an end."
No accusations.
No shouting.
No emotional confrontation.
Yet her distant courtesy was far colder than anger.
Richard Vanderbilt didn't even escort them to the door.
By the time Marcus and Selena left, they both understood one thing.
This wasn't merely the collapse of an engagement.
It was the fracture of trust between two of North America's most powerful families.
---
But the Hastings family wasn't ready to give up.
Because they all knew...
There was still one person who might be able to see Natalie.
Only one.
Cassius Hastings.
---
He arrived late Friday afternoon.
The winter sky hung low over the city, shrouding the Vanderbilt estate beneath layers of gray clouds.
A black Rolls-Royce glided through the long tree-lined driveway before coming to a smooth stop in front of the mansion.
The chauffeur stepped out first and opened the rear door.
A pair of polished black leather shoes touched the damp stone pavement.
Cassius emerged from the vehicle.
He wore a charcoal three-piece suit beneath a tailored black overcoat.
Everything about him was immaculate.
Not a wrinkle.
Not a careless movement.
The black eyepatch covering his left eye only sharpened the cold authority radiating from him.
A silver ear cuff caught a faint glimmer beneath the fading daylight.
When he entered the Vanderbilt mansion...
Even the servants instinctively lowered their voices.
It wasn't simply because he was a Hastings.
It was because he was Cassius Hastings.
Officially, Ethan was the heir to the Hastings family.
Unofficially...
Every influential person in North America's financial world knew who truly held the power.
Cross-border investments.
Energy empires.
Family decisions.
None of them moved without Cassius's approval.
People feared him not because he shouted.
But because he never needed to.
---
Richard and Alicia were already waiting inside the drawing room.
Cassius removed his leather gloves before offering a respectful nod.
"Mr. Vanderbilt."
"Mrs. Vanderbilt."
"I'm here today on behalf of the Hastings family."
He paused.
"To formally apologize for Ethan's behavior."
Richard regarded him with an unreadable expression.
"Marcus has already apologized."
"I know."
Cassius met his gaze steadily.
"But he's Ethan's father."
"There will always be a part of him trying to protect his son."
"I won't."
Silence settled over the room.
Cassius spoke calmly.
"If Ethan didn't want this engagement, he had every opportunity to refuse."
"He could have discussed it."
"He could have rejected it."
"He could have walked away from his position as heir if necessary."
"But bringing another woman to a formal engagement banquet..."
"...was never an act of courage."
"It was humiliation."
Every word landed with quiet precision.
"He disgraced Miss Vanderbilt."
"He disgraced the Vanderbilt family."
"And he disgraced the Hastings family."
"I will not make excuses for him."
Alicia's expression softened ever so slightly.
Richard, however, continued watching him.
"So?"
"You came all the way here just to say that?"
Cassius accepted a dark gray document folder from his assistant and gently placed it on the coffee table.
"The compensation package can wait."
He paused before adding,
"I'd like to see Natalie first."
Alicia instinctively glanced toward her husband.
Richard remained silent for several long seconds.
Finally, he sighed.
"She's locked herself inside the library."
"I know."
"That's exactly why they sent me."
Richard studied him for another moment before turning toward the butler.
"Take him upstairs."
---
The library was dimly lit.
Heavy curtains blocked most of the evening light, leaving only a narrow beam stretching across the polished wooden floor.
Natalie sat curled up in the armchair beside the window.
An open book rested on her lap.
She hadn't turned a singlsingle page for over an hour.
Her phone lit up every few minutes.
Missed calls.
News alerts.
Concerned messages from friends.
Reports from the company's PR department.
She ignored every single one.
Then—
A knock sounded at the door.
She didn't answer.
A few seconds later...
The door slowly opened.
Steady footsteps crossed the carpet.
She knew who it was before she even turned around.
Without looking back, she spoke quietly.
"I said... I don't want to see anyone."
A familiar voice answered.
"Not even me?"
Natalie's fingers froze around the edge of her book.
Her breathing caught.
Slowly...
She turned around.
Cassius stood only a few feet away.
His overcoat had already been removed, leaving him in a perfectly tailored dark suit.
The fading evening light outlined the sharp contours of his face.
He simply looked at her.
No pity.
No hesitation.
Just the same calm expression she had known for years.
"...Uncle Cassius."
The words came out barely above a whisper.
Only then did she realize how hoarse her voice had become.
Cassius's gaze softened almost imperceptibly.
"Mm."
Just a single syllable.
Yet somehow...
That quiet response shattered every wall Natalie had spent the past week desperately trying to build.
She had endured it for seven days.
She had held herself together in front of her parents.
She had smiled before the household staff.
She had ignored every headline that turned her into the laughingstock of New York's elite.
She had convinced herself she was stronger than this.
But the moment Cassius stood before her...
Everything collapsed.
Her vision blurred.
A tear slipped silently down her cheek.
Then another.
She quickly turned her face away.
"Don't..."
Her voice trembled.
"...don't look at me."
Cassius didn't move.
Instead, he asked quietly,
"Why not?"
"I'm pathetic."
Her lips curved into a bitter smile.
"I look ridiculous."
For a long moment, he simply looked at her.
Then, in the same calm tone he had always used around her, he said,
"You've looked far more ridiculous before."
Natalie blinked.
His words weren't mocking.
If anything...
They carried a trace of familiarity.
Almost warmth.
Without warning, memories flooded back.
She remembered falling off a horse at the age of seven, covered head to toe in mud, refusing to leave the stable because she was too embarrassed.
She remembered ruining her piano recital at eleven and throwing her trophy into the garden pond while sobbing uncontrollably.
She remembered sitting alone on the staircase at fifteen after Ethan had ignored her yet again, insisting she didn't care while crying so hard she could barely breathe.
Every single time...
The person who had found her...
Had been Cassius.
Always Cassius.
Her chest tightened.
Something inside her finally snapped.
Before she could stop herself—
She stood abruptly and threw herself into his arms.
Cassius froze.
Just for a second.
His body stiffened beneath the sudden embrace.
His hand remained suspended awkwardly at his side before it slowly lifted, resting lightly against her back.
He didn't hug her tightly.
He never crossed that line.
Instead...
He simply stayed there.
Steady.
Silent.
Like he had done countless times throughout her childhood.
Natalie buried her face against his chest.
She didn't care anymore.
Not about dignity.
Not about appearances.
Not about the expensive shirt she was undoubtedly ruining with her tears.
Everything she had bottled up over the past week burst free.
"I thought..."
Her voice broke.
"I thought he just wasn't ready."
"I thought once we got engaged..."
"...he would finally look at me."
She clutched the fabric of his shirt tighter.
"I knew he didn't love me."
"I really did."
"But I never imagined..."
Her shoulders shook violently.
"...that he hated me that much."
Cassius lowered his eyes.
His hand gently rested against the back of her head.
"He isn't worth this."
She laughed bitterly through her tears.
"You don't have to comfort me."
"I'm not comforting you."
His voice remained calm.
"I'm stating a fact."
"Ethan was wrong."
"And I won't defend him simply because we're family."
"If he didn't want the engagement..."
"He could have refused."
"He could have walked away."
"He had choices."
Cassius's expression darkened slightly.
"What he didn't have the right to do..."
"...was use your feelings while betraying you behind your back."
"...and then humiliate you in front of both families."
"That wasn't honesty."
"It was cruelty."
Natalie slowly shook her head against his chest.
"No..."
"It's my fault."
Cassius frowned almost imperceptibly.
She continued,
"Everyone thinks I'm pathetic."
"The girl who shamelessly chased Ethan for years."
"The girl who couldn't take a hint."
"The girl who forced him into an engagement."
She laughed softly.
A laugh completely devoid of joy.
"They're right."
"I knew."
"But I pretended not to."
"I kept telling myself..."
"If I loved him enough..."
"...he'd eventually choose me."
She closed her eyes tightly.
"And now..."
"This is exactly what I deserve."
Silence lingered between them.
For several moments, Cassius said nothing.
Then he spoke quietly.
"No."
Natalie looked up.
"It's not entirely your fault."
She stared at him.
He met her gaze without hesitation.
"You were stubborn."
"You refused to listen."
"I warned you."
"More than once."
A distant memory resurfaced in Natalie's mind.
The night before the engagement had been announced...
They had stood together on the balcony of the Hastings estate.
Cassius had asked only one question.
"Are you certain?"
She had smiled brightly back then.
Certain beyond doubt.
She had believed Ethan simply needed more time.
She had believed love could overcome indifference.
Now...
Looking back...
She suddenly understood why Cassius had looked at her with such unreadable eyes that night.
"You were living inside the future you wanted."
Cassius continued quietly.
"No matter what anyone said..."
"...you only believed the version where Ethan eventually loved you."
He paused.
"So yes."
"You made mistakes."
"But your mistake..."
"...was loving the wrong person."
His voice softened ever so slightly.
"That still doesn't make what happened acceptable."
Natalie's tears fell silently once more.
Not because she was hurting.
But because...
For the first time since the banquet...
Someone had finally told her...
She wasn't the only one to blame.
---
Only after several minutes did she finally calm down.
She slowly stepped away from him.
And immediately froze.
His pristine white dress shirt—
The one beneath his tailored suit jacket—
Was soaked.
There were tear stains everywhere.
Even...
A very obvious smear where she had wiped her nose without thinking.
Natalie's eyes widened in horror.
"Oh my God..."
"I'm so sorry."
She instinctively took another step back.
"I..."
"I ruined your shirt."
"I'll replace it."
"I'll have it professionally cleaned—"
Cassius looked down at the mess on his shirt.
Then back at her.
"It's only a shirt."
"But—"
"Natalie."
He interrupted gently.
She looked up.
A faint smile finally appeared at the corner of his lips.
It was so subtle...
Most people would never have noticed it.
"When did I ever teach you..."
"...that you had to be this strong?"
Natalie blinked.
Before she could answer—
He reached out.
His fingers lightly brushed through her slightly messy hair.
Just as he used to do years ago.
"And another thing."
He tilted his head slightly.
"You cry..."
"...then immediately run away."
A trace of amusement flickered in his eyes.
"You weren't nearly this polite when you were little."
Natalie's ears flushed crimson.
For the first time in days...
She almost felt embarrassed instead of heartbroken.
Cassius quietly withdrew his hand.
The fleeting warmth disappeared from his expression.
Once again...
He became the composed, untouchable head of the Hastings family.
His gaze shifted toward the documents resting on the desk.
"Now."
"It's time to discuss something important."
Cassius walked toward the mahogany desk and laid the thick folder upon it.
The room fell silent.
Natalie drew a slow breath before following him.
When she looked down, the first document waiting for her wasn't an apology letter.
It was a property transfer agreement.
She frowned.
"What is this?"
"The Hastings family's compensation."
Cassius opened the folder himself.
One after another, four sets of documents were placed neatly before her.
"The first two are commercial lots in Midtown Manhattan."
"The third is a waterfront development site in Vancouver."
"The last one borders the Vanderbilt Group's planned luxury resort in California."
Natalie's pupils narrowed.
She recognized every single location.
These weren't ordinary pieces of land.
They were prime assets.
Projects countless corporations had fought for over the past several years.
Some weren't even available on the market.
Money alone couldn't buy them.
She slowly looked back up.
"...They're transferring all of these?"
"Yes."
Cassius answered calmly.
"They'll be sold to the Vanderbilt Group at a symbolic price."
"There are no hidden conditions."
"No future claims."
"No restrictions."
His tone remained flat, as though he were discussing tomorrow's weather.
Natalie stared at the contracts in disbelief.
"The family agreed to this?"
"They did."
"They owed you an answer."
She remained silent.
Carefully, she flipped to the next document.
This one bore the official Hastings Group seal.
It was a public statement released that very morning.
Unlike Marcus's private apology...
This was addressed to the world.
The statement openly acknowledged Ethan Hastings' inappropriate conduct in handling his personal relationship and formally apologized to Natalie Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt family.
No vague wording.
No attempts to shift responsibility.
No excuses.
For a family like the Hastings...
Such a statement was nearly equivalent to admitting fault before the entire financial world.
Natalie closed the file slowly.
"So..."
She whispered.
"This is how the Hastings family intends to atone."
"You could call it that."
Cassius neither denied nor softened the truth.
"None of it can erase what happened."
"Neither these properties..."
"...nor a public apology."
"But the Hastings family must pay a price."
He said it so matter-of-factly...
As if he weren't speaking about his own family.
Natalie couldn't help looking at him.
"Why did you agree to this?"
Cassius met her gaze.
"Because we owe you."
Not...
Ethan owed her.
Not...
Marcus owed her.
We.
One word.
Simple.
Yet strangely comforting
Natalie lowered her eyes.
She was about to close the folder when Cassius reached into another document case.
This one was black.
Much thinner.
Without a word...
He placed a stack of photographs on the desk.
Natalie frowned.
Then...
She picked up the first one.
Everything inside her froze.
The first photograph showed Ethan walking out of a luxury hotel in Paris.
Beside him—
The same woman who had appeared at the engagement banquet.
His arm rested naturally around her waist.
She continued flipping through the stack.
Boston.
The Hamptons.
Milan.
Private clubs.
Underground parking garages.
Luxury yachts.
Different cities.
Different seasons.
The same two people.
Always together.
Natalie's fingers slowly tightened around the photographs.
Then she noticed something else.
The dates.
One year ago.
One year and three months ago.
One year and eight months ago.
Long before the engagement announcement.
Long before anyone knew about the wedding.
She felt as though every bit of air had been sucked from the room.
"So..."
Her voice was barely audible.
"It wasn't recent."
Cassius answered quietly.
"No."
"The earliest confirmed record dates back one year and eight months."
Natalie stared blankly at the photograph.
One year and eight months.
At that time...
She had still been planning Ethan's birthday party.
Fighting for investment opportunities on his behalf.
Persuading her father to support one of his projects.
Smiling whenever Ethan accepted even the smallest gesture from her.
Meanwhile...
He had already been sharing his life with someone else.
She looked at one photograph after another.
In every picture...
Ethan smiled.
A genuine smile.
One she had spent years trying to earn.
One she had never once received.
Her fingertips trembled.
"So he knew."
She whispered.
"He knew he'd never choose me."
Cassius's eyes darkened.
"He did."
"Then why..."
Her voice cracked.
"...why didn't he tell me?"
Cassius didn't hesitate.
"Because your feelings benefited him."
Natalie slowly raised her head.
"He didn't want to marry you."
"But neither did he want to lose everything your affection brought him."
"You were the Vanderbilt heiress."
"Your support carried influence."
"Resources."
"Connections."
"He wanted to keep all of that."
Cassius's voice became colder.
"While keeping someone else."
The words struck harder than any insult.
Natalie had spent the last week blaming herself.
Thinking she had loved too much.
Pushed too hard.
Expected too much.
But these photographs revealed a far uglier truth.
Ethan had never been trapped.
He had simply been calculating.
Calculating how long he could continue accepting everything she offered...
Without giving her anything in return.
Her grip on the photographs tightened.
The glossy paper bent beneath her fingers.
Cassius stood quietly across the desk.
Watching every subtle change in her expression.
His single visible eye remained unreadable.
There was no pity.
No sympathy.
Only an unnervingly calm focus.
Because despite what most people believed...
Cassius Hastings had never been a good man.
Not even close.
The entire Hastings family knew it.
No one seized control of a financial empire before turning thirty by being kind.
He understood power.
Patience.
Timing.
He knew exactly how to destroy someone...
Without ever raising his voice.
His gaze rested on Natalie for several long seconds.
Then—
He finally spoke.
"Natalie."
She looked up.
His voice remained low.
Measured.
Dangerously calm.
"Would you like me..."
"...to teach him a lesson?"
Natalie blinked.
For a moment...
She thought she had misheard him.
"...What?"
Cassius leaned casually against the edge of the desk.
His expression revealed nothing.
"I asked..."
"Would you like me to deal with Ethan?"
She frowned.
"...How?"
A faint smile finally appeared on his lips.
It wasn't warm.
Nor gentle.
It was the smile of a man who had already thought several moves ahead.
"What if..."
He said softly.
"...you started dating me instead?"
Natalie stared at him.
Completely speechless.
For several seconds...
The room fell utterly silent.
She wasn't sure whether he was joking.
Or whether he had truly lost his mind.
"...Excuse me?"
His smile deepened just a fraction.
"It would certainly upset him."
Natalie's eyes widened.
"You're joking."
"A little."
Cassius admitted without hesitation.
"But not entirely."
Natalie let out an incredulous laugh.
"That wouldn't solve anything."
"It would only make this entire situation worse."
She shook her head immediately.
"People are already talking."
"If I suddenly became involved with Ethan's own uncle..."
"They'd tear both our families apart."
Cassius nodded once.
"I agree."
She blinked.
"...You do?"
"I do."
He straightened.
"So..."
"We won't make it look like you became involved with me."
He paused.
Then calmly delivered the sentence that would change everything.
"We'll simply tell the truth."
Natalie frowned.
"...The truth?"
Cassius looked directly into her eyes.
"The man you were engaged to...
"...was never Ethan."
A chill ran through the room.
"It was me."
Natalie stared at him in complete disbelief.
"...What did you just say?"
Cassius met her gaze without the slightest trace of hesitation.
"I said..."
"The man you were engaged to was never Ethan."
"It was me."
Silence consumed the library.
For several long seconds, Natalie simply looked at him, convinced she had misunderstood.
"...Cassius."
She finally found her voice.
"That isn't funny."
"I'm not joking."
His tone remained composed, almost indifferent.
Natalie shook her head instinctively.
"This doesn't make any sense."
"Everyone knows I was engaged to Ethan."
"They don't."
Cassius answered immediately.
"They assumed."
Without another word, he reached into the folder and withdrew another document.
It was the original engagement announcement jointly released by the Vanderbilt Group and the Hastings family two months ago.
He slid it across the desk.
"Read it carefully."
Natalie frowned.
She had seen this announcement before.
At the time, she had been so overwhelmed with happiness that she hadn't paid much attention to the wording.
Now, under Cassius's calm gaze, she read every line again.
Her breathing gradually slowed.
The statement read:
> The Vanderbilt family is pleased to announce the engagement of their only daughter, Natalie Vanderbilt, to a member of the Hastings family.
Nothing more.
No photograph.
No full name.
No mention of Ethan.
Only—
A member of the Hastings family.
Natalie's eyes widened.
"...It doesn't say Ethan."
"No."
Cassius folded his arms.
"It never did."
"But..."
She looked up.
"Everyone believed—"
"Because everyone wanted to believe it."
Cassius interrupted quietly.
"You've loved Ethan since you were young."
"The entire social circle knew."
"So when the announcement was released..."
"No one questioned it."
"They simply assumed the groom had to be Ethan."
Natalie lowered her eyes to the paper again.
He was right.
No one had ever confirmed it.
Not once.
Even during the engagement banquet...
Neither family had formally introduced Ethan as her fiancé.
People had simply accepted what seemed obvious.
Cassius continued,
"The surname 'Hastings' belongs to more than one person."
"It was never specified."
The room fell silent again.
Natalie slowly looked up at him.
"...You're planning to use that?"
"I'm planning to correct a misunderstanding."
His answer came without hesitation.
"Tomorrow morning, both families will release a joint statement."
"The original engagement announcement referred to me."
"Ethan was never the groom."
"The engagement banquet was a private family gathering."
"What happened there had nothing to do with the engagement."
Natalie frowned.
"...People won't believe that."
"They don't have to."
Cassius's voice remained calm.
"They only need enough evidence."
"The original announcement."
"Our joint confirmation."
"Our engagement rings."
"Our public appearance together."
He paused.
"The rest..."
"...the media will do for us."
Natalie stared at him.
For the first time...
She truly understood why people feared Cassius Hastings.
He wasn't forcing reality to change.
He was simply redirecting it.
Piece by piece.
Until everyone believed the version he intended them to believe.
It wasn't a lie.
Not entirely.
But neither was it the complete truth.
It was...
Control.
Absolute control.
---
Natalie slowly sat down.
Her thoughts were in complete disarray.
"So..."
She murmured.
"If we announce that you're my fiancé..."
"Everyone who mocked me..."
"...will think they misunderstood from the very beginning."
"Exactly."
"And Ethan..."
Cassius's expression remained unreadable.
"He becomes irrelevant."
Natalie lowered her gaze.
For the first time in days...
She saw a way out.
Not revenge.
Not vindication.
Simply...
An end.
An end to the endless humiliation.
An end to becoming everyone's favorite topic.
Still...
She couldn't ignore the absurdity of it all.
She looked back at Cassius.
"...This is insane."
"It is."
"And people will criticize us."
"They will."
"They'll speculate."
"They always do."
Natalie let out a helpless laugh.
"You've already thought this through, haven't you?"
"I don't make proposals I haven't calculated."
His answer was so matter-of-fact that she couldn't help laughing again.
It was the first genuine laugh she had managed since the banquet.
Very faint.
Very brief.
But real.
Cassius noticed.
Though he said nothing.
---
An hour later...
The four of them sat once again inside the Vanderbilt drawing room.
Richard and Alicia listened silently as Cassius outlined every detail of his proposal.
When he finished...
Richard's face darkened immediately.
"No."
His answer came without hesitation.
"I won't allow it."
The room became quiet.
Richard looked directly at Cassius.
"My daughter has already suffered enough."
"And now you're asking her to marry Ethan's uncle?"
He shook his head.
"I won't restore my family's reputation with another deception."
Cassius remained perfectly composed.
"It isn't another deception."
"It's damage control."
Richard let out a cold laugh.
"My daughter was publicly humiliated."
"And your solution is to announce she's marrying another Hastings?"
"You expect society to applaud us?"
"They won't."
Cassius answered evenly.
"They'll stop talking about Ethan."
Richard narrowed his eyes.
"And why would they?"
"Because..."
Cassius leaned forward slightly.
"There is a difference between Ethan Hastings..."
"...and me."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Even Richard remained silent.
Cassius continued calmly.
"Ethan is the family's nominal heir."
"I am the man who actually controls the Hastings Group."
"If Natalie marries Ethan..."
"She marries potential."
"If Natalie marries me..."
"She marries certainty."
No arrogance.
No raised voice.
Just facts.
Cold.
Precise.
Impossible to deny.
Richard didn't interrupt.
Cassius continued,
"From a business perspective..."
"The Vanderbilt Group loses nothing."
"The Hastings family will immediately open two overseas energy investment funds to Vanderbilt Capital."
"We'll also provide priority financing for every luxury hotel project Vanderbilt launches over the next five years."
He placed another contract on the table.
"The estimated value exceeds four billion dollars."
Richard remained expressionless.
Cassius continued,
"From a public relations standpoint..."
"The media's attention will shift overnight."
"No one will continue discussing Ethan."
"They'll only discuss why the head of the Hastings family is marrying Natalie Vanderbilt."
Richard slowly looked up.
"...And what do you gain?"
For the first time since arriving...
Cassius fell silent.
Only for a second.
"The alliance between our families remains intact."
"The Hastings family's reputation is preserved."
Richard looked at him steadily.
"That's all?"
Cassius held his gaze.
"...That's all."
No one in the room noticed the lie.
Not Richard.
Not Alicia.
Not even Natalie.
Only Cassius himself knew...
The business alliance had never been what he wanted most.
He had hidden it too well.
For years...
No one had ever realized.
What he truly wanted...
Was simply the chance to stand beside Natalie.
Openly.
Legitimately.
Even if...
It lasted only two years.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD