Page 79 of Sinful Obsession

“I gave you enough money to last a lifetime,” he said, his gaze softening but still intense. “You took ten million and gavemy card to some street rat. I wanted you to be free from worry, Charlotte.”

“You think everything’s about money?” I snapped, my voice rising. “You threw me out, Cassian. You made that choice.”

“Can you let me inside?” he asked, glancing at my modest apartment, its warm lights glowing through the windows. “We need to talk.”

“No,” I said, planting myself in front of the door. “Say what you want here. I have to leave.”

He ignored me, striding to the door and pulling a key from his pocket.

My heart lurched as he slid it into the lock, the door clicking open with a sound that echoed like betrayal.

How the hell did he get a key? “What are you doing, Cassian?” I demanded, rushing after him.

“Taking back what’s mine,” he said, stepping inside without hesitation.

“That’s not me, right?” I asked, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and defiance.

He paused, turning to face me, his eyes burning with that familiar obsession. “That’s you, Charlotte. I came back for you.”

I followed him inside, my pulse racing, dread pooling in my stomach.

The living room was a snapshot of my life—crayons scattered on the coffee table, Aria’s glittery drawings taped to the fridge, a stuffed dragon on the couch.

I froze as Cassian’s gaze landed on a framed photo on the mantel: me with Aria and Asher at the beach last summer, their smiles bright, my arms around them.

“Are those your kids?” he asked, his voice low, almost reverent, as he picked up the frame.

I snatched it from his hands, clutching it to my chest. “No.”

“No?” He raised an eyebrow, sitting on the couch with a casualness that didn’t match the tension in his eyes. “They look the right age. Ethan’s kids, huh?”

I smirked, letting him cling to his false belief, my heart pounding with fear he’d see the truth in their faces—his face, mirrored in Asher’s sharp jaw and blue eyes. “What business is it of yours?”

“Can I see the photo again?” he asked, leaning forward.

“No,” I said, stepping back, my grip tightening on the frame. I was terrified he’d see the resemblance, that he’d suspect.

The twins were my secret, my treasure, and he didn’t deserve to know.

Not after abandoning us, after refusing to believe me. I had to get him out before he pieced it together.

Chapter 13

CHARLOTTE

Cassian’s piercing blue eyes that haunted my dreams, locked onto mine, his voice low and certain.

“That boy... he looks like me.”

My heart pounded, fear and fury warring in my chest.

“Cassian, go back to the States,” I snapped, my voice sharp.

“You sent me away like an animal, remember? So why the fuck are you here now? I’m running out of patience, and this isn’t Chicago where you’ve got every cop in your pocket. I could call the police right now.”

He didn’t flinch, his gaze sweeping the living room.

He stood, moving toward a small toy truck on the coffee table, picking it up with a reverence that made my stomach twist.