Page 83 of Sinful Obsession

He sighed, his shoulders slumping, but his eyes didn’t lose that predatory glint. “Think about it,” he said, lingering a moment before turning and walking out, his heavy footsteps echoing down the hall.

I sank into my chair, my hands trembling as I gripped my sketchpad.

Viktor’s words, Cassian’s presence, the lie about the twins—it was all too much.

My life, so carefully built, felt like it was unraveling.

Chapter 14

CHARLOTTE

The evening wrapped the house in a quiet cocoon.

I’d picked Asher and Aria up from kindergarten.

Now, the kitchen was warm with the aroma of chicken kiev, its golden crust glistening beside creamy mashed potatoes— one of their favorites.

I served their plates, ruffling Asher’s hair as he reached for a fork, and ensured Aria ate before retreating to my bedroom, exhaustion tugging at my bones.

I’d barely collapsed onto the bed when my phone buzzed on the nightstand.

The screen lit up with an unfamiliar number, but my gut twisted with certainty: Cassian.

His persistence was relentless.

I stared at the glowing digits, my thumb hovering over the decline button.

Let him call.

I wasn’t ready to face him. I silenced the phone and let sleep pull me under, a merciful escape.

Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, pulling me out of sleep.

I reached for my phone, and my stomach dropped when I saw the screen: 109 missed calls.

My mouth fell open.

Had he even slept at all?

The endless calls said more than words could—Cassian Moretti wasn’t the kind of man who let go, and this was proof of it. His obsession clung to me like a shadow.

I pushed the dread aside and forced myself into the rhythm of the morning.

Breakfast for the twins, their cheerful voices filling the kitchen as they argued about which cartoon character was better. Then the drive to kindergarten, their little hands waving excitedly from the car window while I smiled back, hiding the storm inside me.

Work should have been my escape, but as soon as I walked into the office, the normal steady hum of typing and phone calls was gone.

In its place was restless chatter. Small groups of staff huddled together, whispering, papers stacked untouched on desks, half-drunk coffee cups going cold.

The disorder scraped against my nerves.

Usually, I kept to myself here.

My twins were the only ones who truly knew me. But today curiosity pulled me toward Jenna, one of the few coworkers I could stand. She was a bright-eyed marketing assistant, always quick with gossip and never without a story to tell.

“What’s going on?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “Shouldn’t everyone be prepping for the day?”

Jenna leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. “A new buyer just took over the company. We’ve got a new boss—new CEO, actually.”