Chapter 18
Tristan turned around and frowned when he saw Cassandra’s pale face.
Sensing her downcast mood, he asked gently, “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing. I just feel a little tired.”
He did not press on. Instead, he gently held her hand. The warmth from his touch sent an electric jolt through her body.
“Tell me if anything happens.” His voice was firm and steady, offering her a sense of security,
She nodded at him. “Yeah. It’s fine now. I’ve left those horrible people and their actions in the past.”
He knew she must have returned to the Callum residence. The horrible people she referred to had to be her dad and the other two.
“Yeah. Stop thinking about it if you’ve left them in the past. I’ll treat you to dinner.” He shifted the topic of conversation.
“Okay.”
Without warning, a car appeared and nearly rammed into them. The driver quickly stepped on the brakes.
Cassandra fell onto Tristan’s lap and let out a shocked gasp. She felt his strong arms around her waist. Before she knew it, he had wrapped her in a protective hug. The lighting in the car was a little dim, but they could see each other clearly.
Her face turned red immediately. They were so close now. Her heart raced wildly, and her face burned in embarrassment.
She could feel his steady heartbeat and smell his crisp scent as her body was pressed against his chest.
He lowered his deep and gentle gaze, with a hand still on her waist.
She felt the warmth of his fingers through the fabric. It gave her a fuzzy feeling.
“You okay?” His deep and tender voice was laced with concern.
C
Cassandra finally gathered herself. She clumsily left his arms and kept her head low. “I–I’m good. Thanks.”
Her voice was barely audible. Her cheeks were still flushed red from the embarrassment.
Tristan put on a tiny smile when he saw her shy face. “That’s good to hear.”
The driver, who was rather shocked, turned around to apologize. “I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Freeman. That car suddenly switched lanes. I couldn’t react in time…” Tristan waved it off and calmly said, “It’s fine. Keep moving, and make sure to drive safely.”
“Got it, Mr. Freeman.” The driver seemed relieved as he restarted the car and carefully merged into traffic.
The next day, when Cassandra arrived at work, Aldan came to her again.
She thought he was there to hand her the agreement, but she didn’t see it anywhere.
Looking aloof, she warned himp, “Aidan, if I don’t see the signed agreement today, I’ll sell my stocks to someone else.”
Cassandra wanted to get it out of the way. She no longer wanted anything to do with Aidan. The idea of any further interaction with him appalled her.
Besides, she had agreed to meet Tristan’s parents once she settled matters with Aldan.
Aidan seemed upset. He said, “I agree to sign the agreement, but you need to attend a dinner with me tonight because the client specifically wants you there.” She furrowed her brow. “Keep your word.”
“Of course,” he promised glumly.
“Fine. I agree to go. I’ve handed over my work. This will be my last business dinner,” she reminded him.
“Okay,” he said through gritted teeth, knowing that he could no longer make her stay.
Aidan wondered what had gotten into Cassandra. She had undergone a massive transformation.
In the past, she had been loyal to him and torgave him every time he cheated on her.
However, she seemed dead set on breaking up this time.
At first, he thought she was playing hard to get, but she appeared to be serious.
Since he couldn’t make her stay, he would take full advantage of her while it lasted.
Russell Hawk was a difficult character and a sleazy man. Many designers were reluctant to deal with him.
Hence, Aidan deliberately sent Cassandra to handle Russell.
Cassandra had no choice but to agree to it since she wanted Aidan to sign the agreement.
That evening, Cassandra texted Tristan after work to inform him she had a work–related social event to attend.
After reading the inessage, Tristan invited his childhood friend and a few other friends to a drink since he’d be bored at home anyway.
Cassandra and another colleague of hers left the company They didn’t expect Clars to tag along afterward.
“I’ll attend too”
Chapter 18
2/2
Cassandra knitted her brows together, worried that Clara would stir trouble.
Why was Clara always following her around?
Clara noticed the frown on Cassandra’s face. She stated brazenly, “I’m there to supervise the both of you. Mr. Hawk is an important client. We can’t afford a misstep in negotiations.”
Clara sounded like the boss of the company. In truth, she had volunteered to go with Cassandra. After learning that Cassandra would meet with Russell, she decided she couldn’t miss the chance.
Russell had a reputation for being sleazy. She was curious to see how Cassandra would handle him.
Cassandra pointedly ignored Clara and marched over to the car.
Cassandra ordered some dishes in the private dining room. Soon, Russell showed up with his assistant in tow.
“Hello, Mr. Hawk. I’m Cassandra Callum,” she politely greeted Russell.
He checked her out before reaching for a handshake. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Callum.”
Seeing that, she reached out to shake his hand.
However, she somehow felt Russell softly scraping her palm, which gave her goosebumps all over.
When she looked at him, he acted normál. She could only conclude that she had been overthinking things.
After they took their seats, the highly trained waiter in a white shirt served the dishes. The waiter walked around the table professionally.
Cassandra took the opportunity to pull out the contract and discuss it with Russell.
However, he briefly glanced at her and stated, “Ms. Callum, there’s no rush. Let’s have some drinks first.”
After that, he immediately poured her a full glass of wine. Under his insistence, she drank a glass of wine.
“Ms. Callum, you’re such a good sport! I like working with people like you. You’re young, pretty, and talented. What a rare sight!” While speaking, he’d casually brushed his hand against hers once more.
She instinctively moved her hand away, feeling a little apprehensive under his salacious gaze.
Still, she tolerated the exchange. At that moment, she finally understood the reason Aidan had sent her to this meeting. It turned out that Russell Hawk was a difficult man.
That explained it. Aidan was such a jerk for doing this to her!
“Mr. Hawk, I’m flattered. Why don’t we talk about the contract now?” She immediately cut to the chase.
“I’m not in a hurry.” He made an excuse.
Seeing that, Clara got up and asked the waiter to serve more drinks.
Since Cassandra remained so stuck–up, Clara decided to lend Russell a hand.
Later, they’d finally see how much of a slut Cassandra was.
