Chapter 9
Eleanor accepted Tristan with surprising ease, allowing Cassandra to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
As soon as Eleanor heard that they had already registered their marriage, she enthusiastically urged Cassandra to move in with Tristan as soon as possible.
Eleanor didn’t care much about wedding ceremonies or formalities. All that mattered to her was that Cassandra would find happiness with Tristan.
After all, having lived so many years, Eleanor understood clearly what truly mattered in life.
Seeing her grandmother’s sincere approval, Cassandra felt more at ease. Still, when she remembered she would soon meet the Freeman family, nervousness crept back in.
Fortunately, Tristan would be by her side. He had reassured her several times that his family members were easy to get along with, so she resolved to do her best to impress them.
To help Cassandra relax, Tristan decided it would be better if she moved in with him before officially meeting his parents.
Cassandra agreed that this was a good plan. That said, she still found herself nervous around Tristan. His presence was so powerful yet subtle, effortlessly commanding respect.
Though he kept a low profile and seemed approachable enough, there was something inherently intimidating about him.
After Tristan left that evening, Cassandra packed her belongings under Eleanor’s watchful eye, preparing to move into Tristan’s home after work the following day.
Eleanor was relieved that her granddaughter had found someone reliable, finally giving her peace of mind.
Early the next morning, Cassandra had breakfast, then headed to the office.
Today, she planned to finalize the handover of her responsibilities and deal with her shares in the company.
If Aidan refused to buy her out, she was ready to sell the shares to someone else. All she wanted now was a clean break from him.
The moment Cassandra arrived at the office, her assistant, Evelyn Stewart, rushed over. “Cassandra, you’re finally here! Mr. Ziegler has been looking everywhere for you.”
Cassandra nodded calmly. “I see, thanks.”
Returning to her office, Cassandra immediately sensed something was off. Her computer had clearly been tampered with. She was meticulous about her workspace, so any changes stood out right away.
A slight smile formed on Cassandra’s lips. She knew exactly who was behind this.
Opening her computer, she quickly navigated to her design files. Sure enough, someone had browsed through them.
Cassandra’s eyes narrowed slightly, though her expression remained calm and composed. This confirmed that Aidan and Clara had begun their scheme, falling right into the trap she had set for them.
After all, aside from herself, Aidan was the only one who knew her computer password.
Cassandra realized she’d forgotten to change it. It was still Aidan’s birthday.
But rather than changing it now, she decided to leave it unchanged deliberately. If they wanted to play games, she was more than happy to oblige.
Cassandra knew exactly what they were after–her latest jewelry designs for the upcoming competition.
The contest had opened for submissions online, with an initial screening before finalists were chosen.
Clara, ambitious but lacking teal talent, undoubtedly hoped to ride Cassandra’s coattails by submitting Cassandra’s designs under her own name.
Aidan had surely planned this from the start. He knew Cassandra had won multiple awards and could easily sweep this competition.
All he needed to do was sweet talk Cassandra into producing the designs, then replace her name with Clara’s at the last minute.
Aidan clearly thought Cassandra was still as obedient and easily manipulated as before–no different from a pet dog.
“Aidan,” Cassandra whispered to herself coldly, eyes glinting sharply. “Did you really think I’d let you keep manipulating me like this?”
Without hesitation, she uploaded her latest design, along with detailed explanations of her inspiration and creative process, directly to the official competition
site
After confirming that everything was submitted, Cassandra exited the website. All submissions were confidential until the day of the preliminary round.
To be extra cautious, Cassandra discreetly installed a tiny camera in a potted plant next to her computer, leaving the sketches openly visible on her desk.
the united faintly, murmuring quietly, “Since you want my designs so badly, I’ll give you the exact ‘surprise‘ you deserve.”
Serished, Cassandra stood up and decided it was time for a clear discussion with Aidan.
As Cassandra approached the door to Aldan’s office, the atmosphere inside felt strangely heated.
She backend softly, and after a flurry of muffled sounds, Aidan’s slightly panicked voice called out, “Come in.”
Cassandra prned the door candy, her eyes cold despite the polite smile on her lips. Immediately, she noticed Clara hurriedly climbing off Aldan’s lap, her face Bustard, hair slightly disheveled, and clothes wrizikled.
Aiden preteseded to calmly straighten his shirt, eyes flickering nervously, clearly startled by Cassandra’s unexpected appearance.
“Cesise, what our you doing here?” for aslund, forcing componare bat failing to bide his awkwardness.
Casandra stepped into the office, her voice smooth but subtly sarcastir. “Oh, was any timing twonvenient? Did interrupt something? The and you were looking for
Chapter
me.”
Clara froze, quickly shaking her head and saying nervously, “Cass, please don’t misunderstand. We were just discussing work.”
“Oh?” Cassandra laughed lightly, her tone openly mocking. “Your discussions certainly seem… quite intimate.”
2.2
Aidan’s expression darkened instantly, and he warned her sharply, “Stop spouting nonsense, Cassandra! Clara was simply reporting work–related matters. Nothing happened between us.”
Cassandra gracefully sat on the couch and said nonchalantly, “What you two do is none of my business. We’ve already broken up. I’m here to discuss something important.”
Aidan frowned, anxiety creeping into his voice despite his attempts to appear calm. “What is it?”
Cassandra retrieved a document from her bag and placed it gently on the table. “This is the termination agreement with the company. I’ve already signed it. Please sign your name too.
“Since I’m leaving F&W, I don’t want to keep holding shares in the company. You can repurchase my shares at market value, currently estimated at 30 million dollars. If you don’t want them, I’ll sell them to someone else. Given F&W’s popularity, there will be plenty of investors interested.”
Both Aidan and Clara were stunned, exchanging a shocked glance.
Aidan abruptly stood up, panic creeping into his voice. “Cassandra, have you lost your mind? What are you trying to do?”
Cassandra smiled coldly, eyes unwavering. “Aidan, don’t you know the answer to that question better than anyone else?”
His face darkened further, voice becoming openly threatening. “Cassandra, stop being impulsive! Do you even understand the consequences of leaving like this? You could lose everything!”
Before Cassandra could reply, her phone rang suddenly. Glancing at the caller ID, she froze slightly. The screen simply displayed one word clearly–Husband.
