Chapter 3 Show Me Your Abs
937 Words
The next moment, a chill from the snow-covered landscape hit her face as Cassian leaned in, blocking Levi's view. His cool fingers tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear as he breathed, his tone gentle, "You stayed up late binge-watching again? What did you promise me last time?"
Margot was stunned.
All Lucas had ever mentioned was that Cassian was a business genius with a sharp eye and ruthless style.
She had seen him a few times before, and in her memory, he was always cold, distant, and had a slight obsession with cleanliness.
But now, it seemed all that was up for reconsideration!
Cassian was an excellent actor, no doubt.
He could fake things convincingly—so much so that it almost fooled her.
Margot found herself caught in his gaze, and surprisingly, she actually sensed a hint of tenderness in those eyes.
She couldn't help it—her breathing got uneven, and her heart skipped a beat.
It must be the body's lingering instincts after all these years...
To distract herself, she quickly grabbed the velvet box from the table. Inside was a Baroque-style jewelry set, worth a small fortune.
Cassian had already stood up, speaking softly, "If you're tired, take a nap. I'm heading to work. I'll have the driver take you to get your hair and makeup done later."
His voice was gentle.
Margot felt a complex mix of emotions.
He sure adapted quickly—too quickly!
After Cassian left, Margot wandered around the villa.
The house wasn't too big—just a two-story building with a small garden. She had planted irises and white roses in the garden, and they were in full bloom, filling the air with a rich fragrance. Inside, the décor was simple yet elegant, and there was even a swing set on the second-floor terrace, where, when swinging high enough, she could take in the entire view of the neighborhood.
It was exactly the kind of home she had always dreamed of.
But the thing was, she had only ever shared these dreams with Lucas. And now, the man she was actually married to and living with was Cassian.
Margot exhaled deeply. 'It's pointless to think about it now. I need to focus on the situation at hand.'
In the afternoon, the driver came to pick her up for her styling session ahead of Evelyn's birthday party that evening.
Margot leaned back in the plush chair, bored out of her mind, as the stylist fussed with her hair. She opened her phone, planning to skim through her chat history to remind herself of the changes in her life over the past few years and figure out her relationship with Cassian, so she wouldn't slip up at the party.
The top two conversations in her chat list were Cassian's and Toby's.
She opened Cassian's chat first. Her eyes quickly skimmed through the messages, wishing she could just blind herself and avoid seeing them.
Margot: Honey, how do you like my new pajamas?
Attached was a selfie of her in a black lace nightgown, with a revealing cut that barely left anything to the imagination.
That wasn't the worst part, though.
The real bombshell was the message that followed.
Margot: Now show me your abs.
And to her shock, Cassian had actually sent a picture back.
Margot's hand trembled as she held her phone, unable to look at it anymore. She shut her eyes, unable to bear it.
The context of these messages was that Cassian had been abroad for business for half a month. During that time, they had video chatted almost every day. His messages were short, but he always checked in on her.
She had never imagined that someone like him, who appeared so reserved, could actually be so clingy.
She didn't have the courage to scroll further.
At that moment, the manager walked in with a gift box, smiling brightly. "Mrs. Vale, this is a dress Mr. Vale specially ordered for you from abroad last month. It's custom-made according to your measurements."
Margot glanced at it. The dress was a mermaid-style gown with a side slit and cascading fringes, elegant and fluid in design—exactly her style.
The manager, eager to flatter, added, "Mr. Vale clearly cares for you a lot. In this industry, most marriages are business arrangements, but yours... it's rare to see a couple so genuinely in love."
Margot gave a dry nod. "Yes..."
If it had been yesterday, she would have never imagined the words "genuinely in love" would be used to describe her relationship with Cassian.
But after seeing the abs photo on her phone, she was starting to believe that nothing was impossible in this world anymore.
As the sky began to darken, Margot stepped out of the styling studio and received a call from Cassian.
"Hello?"
Through the static, Cassian's voice sounded deep. "I've already picked up Toby. Head to Rosewood Villa first. We'll be there soon..."
Before he could finish, Toby snatched the phone away.
With an exaggerated tone, Toby complained, "Mommy! You promised you'd come pick me up, but it's Daddy again!"
Margot couldn't help but laugh.
It seemed like this wasn't the first time this had happened.
She softened her voice. "I'm sorry, sweetie. How about this? As compensation, Mommy will sleep with you tonight, okay?"
Toby was still suspicious. "Really? Will Daddy sneak in and steal you away like last time?"
"Of course not."
Margot thought to herself, 'If I really have to sleep in the same bed with Cassian, it'll be less painful to just stab myself than endure that.'
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