Page 28 of Sinful Obsession (Broken Vows #3)

“You’re fired,” Cassian said, his voice a lethal blade.

Viktor’s face crumpled, his eyes flickering to the stacks of work as if they could shield him. “Sir, this is a mistake. No one can step into my role without disrupting major accounts. I’ve built trust with clients over years —you can’t just—”

Cassian cut him off, his expression unyielding. “Stay away from Charlotte. She’s mine—always has been. This is your only warning. If I see you near her again, I’ll kill you. Test me, and find out.”

Viktor’s mouth opened, then closed, his bravado crumbling under Cassian’s stare. “You’re tearing the company apart on day one,” he stammered, “all because of some delusion about a woman who doesn’t want you.”

Cassian’s fist clenched, knuckles whitening, and for a moment, I thought he’d lunge across the desk and end Viktor right there. Instead, he pulled out his phone, his voice cold as he spoke into it. “Security, get this nuisance out. Now.”

The door burst open, and two burly guards stormed in, their faces impassive.

Viktor’s protests rose, sharp and desperate. “This is insane! I’ll sue the company—you can’t fire me for doing my job!” As they dragged him out, his voice faded down the hall: “Mr. Cassian, think this through... You’ll never have her...”

Cassian turned to me, his eyes softening, but only slightly, like a predator lowering its claws but not its guard. “I don’t want to suffocate you, Charlotte. You know that, right?”

I crossed my arms, my voice sharp with defiance. “That’s exactly what you’re doing. You’re everywhere—my work, my life, my head .”

“You didn’t answer my calls last night,” he said, stepping closer, his presence overwhelming. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to talk to you,” I snapped. “Get it through your head: we’re done. Six years apart, and now you think you can just barge back into my life? I need distance, Cassian, not your power plays.”

He tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “You can’t quit yet. Your contract locks you in for nine months post-resignation notice. You’re stuck with me—at least at work.”

My blood boiled. “You are disgusting.”

He paused, his expression flickering with something like hurt. “You hate me that much?”

“Yes,” I said, my voice trembling. “You sent me away, abandoned me for years, and now you’re trying to control me again. It’s too late, Cassian. Stop this.”

He studied me for a long moment, then straightened, his tone shifting to cold authority.

“You’ll report to my office three times daily—morning, after lunch, and before you leave.

You’re taking over Viktor’s role as department head.

Review his projects, pick up every thread.

I want nothing left undone. If you falter or show incompetence, I’ll demote you to an entry-level position.

You’ll be a laughingstock to everyone you used to outrank until those three months are up. ”

He turned and strode toward the door, pausing only to add, “Don’t test me, Charlotte.” Then he was gone, leaving me in the suffocating silence of Viktor’s office.

I sank into the chair, my hands trembling as I gripped the armrests.

Viktor’s cologne lingered on the leather, a cloying reminder of the chaos Cassian had just unleashed.

I couldn’t work here, not with Viktor’s scent tainting the air.

The office would need to be gutted—new furniture, new paint, anything to erase this day.

But more than that, I had to protect my twins.

Cassian could control my job, my movements, but my kids were my line in the sand. He could never know about them.

Hours later, I maneuvered my car through the city’s afternoon traffic, the hum of the engine a faint comfort as I headed to pick up Asher and Aria from kindergarten.

My eyes flicked to the rearview mirror every few seconds, half-expecting to see one of Cassian’s sleek black cars tailing me.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, willing my nerves to settle.

My phone buzzed inside my purse.

When I pulled it out and saw the school’s number flashing on the screen, my stomach plummeted. I answered on the first ring, dread already clawing at my chest.

“Mrs. Charlotte,” the teacher’s voice came, tight with urgency, “there’s been an incident with your children.”

“What happened?” I asked, my heart racing as I swerved into the next lane, accelerating.

“Aria drew a love emoji on a Maybach parked outside the school, and Asher painted over it, damaging the vehicle. The owner is a powerful man, and his assistant is demanding compensation—or they’ll take legal action against the parents.”

My breath caught.

My kids—always so spirited, but this? “I’ll be there in ten minutes,” I said, ending the call and pressing the gas harder.

Repairing a car was no issue; the money I’d taken from Cassian’s card six years ago was still sitting in my account, more than enough to cover any damage.

But the thought of who they’d crossed—a “powerful man,” the teacher had said—sent a chill down my spine.

In this city, “powerful” often meant dangerous, and with Cassian already tightening his grip, I couldn’t afford another enemy.

The school’s parking lot was nearly empty when I pulled in.

Most parents had already picked up their kids, leaving the grounds eerily quiet.

I spotted the teacher, Mrs. Grayson, standing beside the principal, both looking grim. “Where are my kids?” I demanded, my voice sharper than intended.

Mrs. Grayson pointed toward a sleek black Maybach parked near the playground, its glossy surface marred by streaks of red paint and a crudely drawn heart. “They’re with the owner,” she said.

I hurried toward the car, my heart pounding.

Asher and Aria stood by the vehicle, their small faces pale, eyes wide with fear.

No one else was there—no assistant, no owner. Relief flickered, but it was short-lived. A voice to my left froze me in place.

“Boss, thank God you’re here,” a man said, his tone agitated. “Some brats scribbled nonsense on your car. I’ve already notified the school—we’re suing their parents.”

The “boss” he addressed was engrossed in his phone, his back to me. Then he spoke, and the world tilted. “Good.”

The assistant hesitated. “But the kids—“

Cassian’s head snapped up, irritation flashing in his eyes. “What about the kids? You didn’t lay a hand on them, did you? Because I’ll put a bullet in you if you even thought about it.’

The assistant’s voice trembled. “Boss, those kids... they look like you.”

Cassian froze, his gaze shifting to the Maybach.

My heart stopped.

I bolted from where I’d been eavesdropping, my sneakers pounding the pavement as I reached Asher and Aria.

I grabbed their hands, ignoring their startled gasps, and pulled them toward my car, my pulse roaring in my ears.

“Let’s go, now,” I whispered, my voice shaking as I shoved them into the backseat, buckling them in with frantic hands.

I slammed the door and turned, only to find Cassian standing mere feet away, his eyes locked on me, then flicking to the twins.

His expression was unreadable, but the intensity in his gaze sent a shiver through me. “Charlotte,” he said, his voice low, dangerous. “Whose kids are those?”

“How long have you been hiding them from me?” he demanded, his voice low but laced with a dangerous edge. “Pretending they’re dead? Did you think I’d just accept that?”

I tightened my grip on the car door, my knuckles whitening. “I don’t want them near you. They’ve lived five years without you, Cassian. They don’t need you now.”

His jaw clenched, but his eyes softened, a flicker of pain breaking through his iron facade. “If I’m their father, it’s not about what they need—it’s about what I need. I want a DNA sample from them before I leave. Get it for me if you’re too scared to introduce them to a ‘stranger.’”

I hesitated, my stomach twisting.

Denying it would only fuel his suspicion, and a DNA test would confirm what I already knew.

Swallowing my fear, I pulled out my phone, my fingers trembling as I opened the gallery and shoved it toward him. “There’s no need for a test. They’re yours.”

Cassian’s eyes widened as he scrolled through photos—Aria’s gap-toothed grin at her birthday, Asher’s paint-smeared face from an art class.

His expression crumpled, a raw sadness etching lines into his face.

He handed the phone back, shutting his eyes as if the weight of regret was too much to bear.

“I deserve this,” he said quietly, his voice steady but heavy with regret.

“You do,” I replied, my tone cutting. “You didn’t believe me then. You cast me aside.”

He held my gaze, the sharp edges of his expression softened by something raw, almost vulnerable. “Charlotte... I can’t undo the past. But I can fight for what’s left of us. Don’t shut me out of their lives. Give me that chance—and I swear, I’ll never doubt you again.”

“No,” I snapped, stepping closer, my voice trembling with defiance. “I’ve given you everything I could—suffered, bent, endured—but not this. Not them. And you yourself said you’re dying, didn’t you? What’s the point of tearing open their world for a father who’ll vanish in a few months?”

The words landed like a blow, and I saw the hurt flash across his face, his shoulders slumping.

But I pressed on, desperate to keep him at bay. “I carried them alone for nine months, raised them for five years. I know for a fact I don’t want you in their lives.”

His silence was deafening, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “So you want them to grow up without a father?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice softer now, “but I’ve managed this long without you. They’re better off.”

“Go,” I said, my voice firm. “And stay away from their school.”

I turned to the driver’s seat, my hands shaking as I climbed in.

Through the rearview mirror, I saw Cassian standing there, his silhouette broken, like a man unraveling.

Asher and Aria stared out the window, their small faces pressed against the glass.

“Asher, that man looks like you,” Aria said, her voice bright with curiosity.