Chapter 75
Kayden.
I am not sure when or how or why, but I’m pretty damn sure that it’s Myron, my estranged cousin, who’s talking to Cassie, my ex–wife. And it looks like this is not their first encounter.
As I step closer to them, I can barely make out Cassie’s words, but I know her well enough to hear the angry desperation in her voice.
What is going on? Do they know each other?
I watch Myron lean forward to whisper in Cassie’s ear. But it is quite far from flirting. Cassie looks perplexed. And that’s how I know I should step in.
“What the f*ck are you doing here?”
Cassie turns forward, her eyes widen in shock. But I also do not miss the look of relief that crosses her face.
I was right. Myron is aggravating her. And I am not surprised. There is a reason why Myron is the black sheep of the family.
I step forward and pull KC towards me. I stand between them, shoving Cassie protectively behind me.
“Oh, f*ck!” Myron whispers.
“Why are you talking to my wife?” I ask him in a cold, antagonistic voice.
Myron widens his eyes at me, as if he’s trying to figure out if he just heard me right. Then he bursts out laughing. “Your wife? How can you call her your wife? Didn’t you divorce her after years of completely ignoring her?”
I wonder how he knew that. The last time I saw Myron, my uncle was throwing him out of their mansion. Literally. My uncle told him never to show his face to the family ever again. That was more than a decade ago. What he has done to deserve that? I can barely remember. With Myron it could have been many things. From gambling, to swindling, to drug trafficking, he’s been involved in all of them. He tried to hold positions in Steele Corp, but every single time that my uncle gave him a chance, he runs into all sorts of trouble, to the point that he’s becoming a threat to our family’s position in our own company.
“Wait. Do you know this guy?” Cassie asks me.
I sigh. I guess introductions are in order. I guess Cassie has the right to know who Myron is, so that in the future she may steer clear of him.
“Unfortunately, yes,” I reply. “Cassie, meet Myron Steele. My cousin.”
Cassie’s eyes widen in shock. Blood drains from her face, as if she cannot believe that this guy is related to me. Obviously, she has met Myron before. When, where and how, that’s what I need to find out.
“Oh, yes. I guess I forgot to mention that part, Miss Carlisle,” Myron says, smiling at Cassie. “Kayden is my beloved
cousin.”
“Now, how do you two know each other?” I ask him.
“Cassie and I are old acquaintances. We go way back, don’t we, Cassie? I helped Cassie land a job when she was working her way through her graduation. And that job really helped to alleviate her status in life. Didn’t it, Cassie?” Myron raises a meaningful smile at her.”
Cassie remains silent, as if she is trying to process Myron’s words. My heart races inside my chest as I watch Cassie
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struggle to compose herself, her eyes flickering with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
How could she have known Myron? And what job was he talking about? The pieces of the puzzle are slowly falling into place, revealing a past that I had never been privy to.
“And just recently, Cassie and I have entered into a deal. It’s great running into her here, so I can remind her of the terms and conditions of our agreement. And of course some… penalty clauses that she may have to deal with if she breaks our contract.”
That does not sound good.
I turn to Cassie, who now glares at Myron. “An agreement is between two people. If one party does not agree with the terms, there is certainly no meeting of the minds. You will find that I can perfectly capable of protecting my… assets, Mr. Steele. So, perhaps, you can take your business elsewhere.” With that, Cassie elegantly turns to me. “Let’s go.”
She turns to walk away. I give Myron a cold stare, full of silent warnings. “I hope this will be the last time we see each other. And I certainly hope that you never come near Cassie again!”
Myron takes a sip of his liquor. Then he gives me a smirk. “As you know, I don’t always play by the rules. Anyway, it’s good to see you, cuz.” He slams his glass on the nearest table and then he turns to walk away.
I follow Cassie into the the booth that I reserved for both of us. It’s at the farthest corner, away from any prying eye.
Cassie looks lost in her thoughts when I sit across from her. All the telltale signs are telling me that something is going on. And it’s not good.
“Hey,” I call her. “What’s wrong?”
She turns to me. “Is he gone?” she asks.
I nod. “Yes. What was that about? How did you know him?”
Finally, she sighs in relief and sits back on her chair. Tears start rolling down her ch*eks.
“Hey, Cassie. What is wrong? Tell me.”
I immediately stand up from my seat to transfer to the seat next to her. I gather her in my arms, giving her a comforting hug.
“Ssshh… You’re safe. I’m here. He won’t be able to hurt you. Myron is a bundle of mischief but he’s otherwise harmless.”
She shakes her head. “No. That’s not true!” she protests. “If you’re saying that, then you obviously do not know your own cousin!”
Cassie’s trembling in my arms sends a shiver down my spine. Her tears stain the delicate fabric of her dress, and her breath comes out in short gasps. I hold her tighter, my heart breaking at her distress.
“Why don’t you tell me, Cassie? What has Myron done?” My voice is gentle, coaxing her to share her burden with me. I stroke her hair, hoping to alleviate her fear and assure her that no one can ever touch her while she’s on my watch.
Suddenly, she pulls away from me. She quickly wipes the tears on her ch*eks and looks at me with desperate determination in her eyes.
“Kayden… let’s stop this,” she says.
I am taken aback by what she just said. “What do you mean by that, love?”
“This. this affair!” she cries desperately. “Let’s end this! I cannot see you ever again!”
