Page 103 of Crushed Vow

His face was close, his glasses slightly fogged, and I could feel the heat radiating from him, our bodies still pressed together. My chest heaved, and I clung to him, unsteady but emboldened.

I turned to Luca, my fear replaced by a fire Cassian had ignited. “What the fuck do you want, Luca?” I demanded, my voice sharp.

He looked rattled. “I thought you two were divorced.”

“So?”

“I asked you a question,” I snapped. “What. Do. You. Want?”

Cassian’s hand gripped mine, grounding me. Silently daring anyone to lay a finger on me.

Luca ran a hand through his hair, his composure slipping before he straightened, his voice cold. “Here’s the marriage contract I drafted. Sign it.”

I laughed in disbelief. “Have you gone mad?”

“No,” he said tightly. “It’s the only way to stay alive. The Volkov Bratva is working with me now. You’re vulnerable, Charlotte. You and Cassian are nothing but ants we can squash. This contract is your only hope.”

Cassian said nothing.

I snatched the contract, tore it into pieces, and let the paper fall like ash.

“You manipulated my brother, worked with my father, and aligned with the Volkov Bratva just to force me to marry you? For what? Money? Power? Aren’t you already rich enough?”

Luca’s jaw twitched. His hands clenched and unclenched. I could tell he wanted to hit me.

But Cassian was there. Silent. Watchful. Deadly.

“Cassian,” Luca turned to him, voice rising. “You know better. Talk to her. You signed the divorce papers to protect her. Now convince her to marry me—or she dies. We know where she sleeps. We can get to her.”

He turned to walk away.

Cassian lunged, yanking Luca by the collar with a force that made the air crack.

His fist connected with Luca’s face, a sickening crunch echoing as Luca staggered back, blood streaming from his nose, now skewed to one side.

Cassian stood over him like death.

“Divorced or not,” he growled, “she will always belong to me. Threaten her again—in my presence or not—and I’ll bury you.”

Chapter 15

CHARLOTTE

Luca wiped the blood off his nose with the back of his hand, his jaw hanging slack in disbelief.

His lips curled into a smug, twisted smile as crimson dripped down his face. “You dare to hit me?”

His voice was drenched in mockery, like he couldn’t believe Cassian had the audacity, but then he laughed—a low, mocking sound that scraped beneath my skin. “In three days, we’ll see if you’re not the one on your knees begging me for mercy. Or maybe...” His eyes flicked to me. “Maybe I’ll be mourning the girl you’re losing your mind over.”

Cassian didn’t flinch. He simply stepped forward.

Another punch landed—this one brutal, fast, and final. A single, clean hit to the face that dropped Luca like a collapsing wall.

His massive frame hit the pavement with a thud that echoed down the street like a thunderclap. People passed by, glancing, whispering—but none of them dared stop.

Cassian stood over him, unflinching. Eyes dead.

“You crossed a line,” Cassian said, voice cold enough to freeze breath. “You opened your mouth about her one more time—after I warned you.”