Page 28 of Crushed Vow

Something in my chest softened. I hadn’t realized how much I missed simple things—small acts of thoughtfulness with no strings attached.

“Thank you, Ethan,” I said quietly. “I didn’t even realize how much I needed one until now.”

He smiled, just a little. “I figured. And there’s more—it’s secured. No one can track it. Not your father. Not even Cassian. In case... you ever need a way out.”

My fingers tightened slightly around the phone.

I felt Cassian’s gaze sharpen from across the room—intense, possessive, searing into my skin. And then, to my surprise, I heard his footsteps retreating. He was walking away.

But I didn’t look at him.

My attention was still on Ethan—because right now, it was easier than facing the man who’d once made me feel like I had no escape.

“Are you okay?” Ethan asked gently. “Are things... better?”

“I spoke to a trauma specialist,” I said. “Not a hospital doctor. He took a blood sample—wants to see what drugs were still in my system from the ward. I’ve been having episodes... flashbacks. He thinks it might be withdrawal, or some kind of memory interference.”

Ethan’s expression darkened. “I’m so sorry, Charlotte.”

He leaned back slightly, voice low. “A friend of mine is throwing a party tomorrow. Not wild—more like a low-key thing. Food, music, games. I think it might help... to be around people. Somewhere normal.”

“I want to,” I admitted. “God, I want to. But I don’t think Cassian will let me go.”

Ethan’s voice softened even more. “Talk to him. If he loves you... truly loves you, he’ll want to see you healing. He’ll want to give you that freedom.”

I didn’t respond right away. I just looked down at the phone in my hands.

Then, finally, I whispered, “I’ll try.”

Chapter 6

CHARLOTTE

“I know he’s possessive of you, I know he’s intense, but from everything I’ve uncovered... he’s also broken without you.” Ethan said gently.

I raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

Ethan leaned forward, his tone low but urgent. “I dug into him with the best surveillance tech I have. Cassian disappeared for nearly three months after you vanished. No phones. No sightings. Rumor had it he lived alone on a cliff, didn’t shave, didn’t bathe, survived off beans and rainwater, like some self-punishing monk—just waiting for a miracle. Meanwhile, his men scoured the entire continent looking for you. He emptied accounts, bribed governors, even made contact with foreign presidents trying to use every legal and illegal channel to track you down.”

My lips parted, stunned. “He really did all that?”

Ethan nodded. “And more. I still think he’s an asshole. But if you’re going to survive whatever this is between you two, you should at least have the full story.”

I swallowed hard. “He’s still... possessive in a way that terrifies me sometimes. But I’ll talk to him. I want to go to the party. I need something normal, something light—just one night to feel like I belong in the world again.”

“You deserve that much,” Ethan said, voice soft. “Do whatever makes you happy, Charlotte.”

Just then, the door opened and Cassian walked in—with a man I instantly recognized. The burly man who’d driven us back to safety after the crash that nearly killed us.

Only this time, he wasn’t empty-handed.

He carried a massive black duffel, which he dropped on the glass coffee table. Unzipping it, he began pulling out box after box.

My brows knit in confusion. And then my jaw parted.

Inside were rows of iPhone boxes. Dozens.

Cassian didn’t smile. He stood with that unreadable mask he wore so well—still, sharp-eyed.