Page 59 of Neptune

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LUKE

Two years ago

I 'd never realized how much my brain could hold until it was forced to keep functioning despite all the problems and pressures shoved into it.

And I'd never known how much strength my body had until my heart had to keep beating despite countless days without rest due to overwork.

I didn't say that it was healthy—it definitely was not. However, what did I expect when I was trying to build my family's business back from ruins?

With this rate, I was almost close to bringing Klein Enterprise into its safe zone, and if I was lucky, I might be able to finish my mission five years after its bankruptcy.

Just like any other night before this, I stepped into my home office right after I got home from work. I was working nonstop.

Even when I reached home, the first thing I looked for was my desk. I still had to review some sales agreements—I hadn't managed to do so in the office due to the tight meeting schedules.

I tossed my suit onto the nearby couch and settled myself at my desk, turning on my laptop.

A smile touched my lips as my eyes dropped to the magazine on my desk. It had Cassie on the cover page, her perfect smile and enchanting chocolate eyes staring back at me.

Every day, Langston would place here the latest magazine or newspaper that had Cassie in it, making me feel like I was a creepy dude.

I didn't ask for it, but since Langston knew the story about us, she couldn't help but try to remind me why I shouldn't give up despite all the hardships that I was facing.

She'd noticed that I'd changed after my trip to Hallstatt five years ago—I'd become more driven.

I flipped through the pages of the magazine and read Cassie's interview about her latest album. I read every word and sighed, relieved that she was doing good.

I'd always believed that she would become someone big in the music industry, and indeed, she'd become a superstar, just as I'd predicted.

I could see her everywhere now, and it helped because I missed her, but it didn't make me long for her any less.

I grabbed the remote on my desk and turned on the TV. I'd decided to check the entertainment news tonight before I resumed my work.

Perhaps, they would talk about her. When the entertainment newscaster gossiped about the latest Victoria's Secret fashion show, I lost my interest and shifted my attention back to my laptop.

After a while, whoever delivered the news changed the topic, and when I heard Cassie's name, I looked up again.

I was sipping my coffee when they talked about her recent trip to Maldives with Jude Scott, and I instantly spit my coffee, standing up.

My eyes widened as they showed the latest picture of her and Jude all lovey-dovey at the beach, Cassie wearing a bikini and Jude wearing boardshorts.

I felt like my heart stopped beating.

What the fuck?

The newscaster's voice echoed in my ears as she talked to her partner, " Who would have thought that Cassie and Jude would become official? What a lovely couple. Oh, Bryce, I'm so happy for them. Look at them. They look so happy. What a perfect couple."

" I, on the contrary, have expected this big reveal, Rose. Most of their fans have already predicted this. Haven't you seen all those Instagram fan accounts who ship them? "

" What? Wow. I have to check them out. What's the ship name?"

"Something like 'Jassie.'"

"That's a perfect name. Oh, look at that picture, the way they stared at each other. Gosh, I have butterflies in my tummy..."

Whatever else they said faded out as my eyes zoomed in on another picture of Cassie and Jude playing with the waves, especially on Jude's hands, which were grabbing Cassie's ass. Her fucking ass, which was only covered in that fucking thin bikini bottom.

My rage was enough to make me want to kill that fucking bastard—I didn't even realize I’d knocked the cup of coffee off my desk, making it clatter on the floor.

The anger inside me was as powerful as the agony I was feeling.

What the hell is this? Why is she with that jerk? Are they dating?

But Cassie wouldn't date anyone because we made a promise. We promised that we wouldn't betray each other.

Cassie promised she would wait for me.

Am I taking too long? Does she not want to wait for me anymore? Is this what she meant when she begged me to come back to her after five years instead of seven years?

Can't she wait for another two years?

But I'm almost done. It's just a little bit more until I can secure my father's company. I've been trying my best to make it five years.

I couldn't believe my eyes. My whole body was shaking. Cassie wouldn't do this. She wouldn't betray me.

Or had I been a fool all this time? This was kind of realistic. No girl would believe a man who gave her his word and a ring but then vanished into thin air.

Was I the only one who thought that we were real? I should have expected this when I didn’t see her wearing her ring anymore.

But I'd thought that it was because she'd become a celebrity, that she might want to escape questions upon questions about the ring if she kept wearing it in public.

I'd never thought that she might have trashed it, along with my heart, which was bleeding now.

???

Just like a domino effect, after the devastating news about Cassie being with Fucking Jude, all of the other things crumbled too.

I started to think that God wanted to punish me when my family business received a threat from one of its major shareholders.

I was stabbed in the back by a person inside Klein Enterprise who used to be trustworthy, whose next business plan had a conflict of interest with his own business outside Klein Enterprise.

He was backed up by most of the directors because of God knows what fucking deal they had behind closed doors.

After they secured this dirty business plan, they would overthrow Klein Enterprise as their first competitor.

My father had a heart attack because of this and was admitted into the hospital, while my mother couldn't stop crying.

I'd never thought that I would reach the bottom of my hell, but this time, I believed that I finally had. This was the end.

It was when Josephine barged into my office and offered me the only solution to all my problems that I felt it was really the end.

She placed a paper on my desk. A deal. An agreement. Signed by her father.

"This is your only chance," she said calmly, and I knew for a fact that it was a threat coming out of her filthy mouth.

"My father has agreed to sign this agreement.

He has a share, and combined with yours, you two will become the majority shareholders.

The rest won't be enough to overthrow your decision. "

I stared at the paper on my desk, my eyes burning with rage, my fists clenched tightly at my sides.

"On one condition," Josephine continued, sounding like the snake she was. "You will marry me, his daughter. And we will merge our businesses."

I felt like I wanted to destroy everything. Was this the only way out?

Fuck.

"What are you waiting for, Luke?" Josephine asked, still with the same soft and alluring voice.

"This is the end of your problems. You won't get this kind of once in a lifetime opportunity again to fix everything.

After you sign this paper, everything will be over.

You won't lose everything that you've been working hard for. "

My jaw tightened, my blood boiling even more because I knew what she was talking about. If I signed this agreement, all my hard work wouldn't turn into nothing because I would still be able to save Klein Enterprise.

The business would collapse if I didn't do this, and there were many employees involved—they all depended on me.

My father was in the hospital, dying. My mother would be sick too if she kept breaking down. I could save them all if I married Josephine.

But if I married Josephine, what about my life? Surely, I could sacrifice my life if it meant saving more lives, couldn't I?

My heart felt like it was being sliced, so slowly, but each cut was deep as fuck. My heart would die if I ever married Josephine.

I never loved Josephine. I loved...

I grabbed my pen and put it over the paper, ignoring the scream in my heart.

"Do it, Luke," Josephine's voice turned firm. She was watching me, waiting for me to sign the paper, to commit myself to her.

The pen in my hand hadn't touched the paper. It almost touched. Almost .

And the only thing that I could think of in my mind was Cassie. Cassie .

Cassie, who'd already betrayed me. Cassie, who was now happy with another man. Cassie, who wasn’t waiting for me anymore .

But she was also my Cassie, whom I gave my word to, whom I promised that I would come back to.

Say, I didn't sign this agreement. What would happen? Would I still be able to save my family and everyone else?

Maybe I would, by going through an even greater pain and hell. But then, even if I could do all of that and came back to Cassie, would she ever come back to me?

She loved someone else. She didn't want to be with me anymore. She'd forgotten me. There was no us in the future.

"Do it!" Josephine shouted, her voice loud, echoing in my ears. "Do it, Luke!"

My hand was shaking when I put the tip of the pen on the paper.

I stared at my hand, at the ring on my finger. The ring that I'd promised Cassie I would never take off.

My hand shook even more, and I dropped the pen before throwing the paper off my desk. I panted.

I couldn't do it.

"Why?" Josephine cried, glaring at me, angry tears in her eyes. "Why the fuck didn't you do it?"

I couldn't do it. I would never be able to do it. I would never betray Cassie.

"Are you stupid?" Josephine lashed out. "You would sacrifice Klein Enterprise, your family, your workers and all your hard work just to not be with me? What the hell is wrong with you?"

I stared at Josephine. I wished that I could answer her. Yes, I was stupid. Hell yes, I was mad. I was crazy.