Chapter 6

Cassandra stood silently, watching with cold eyes as Aidan helped Clara up from the floor. Clara immediately leaned into his embrace. "Aidan, it's okay," Clara said softly, sounding fragile and innocent. "I just tripped by accident. It wasn't Cass' fault. But I think she misunderstood something and got angry because I damaged her amulet." Cassandra's eyes grew colder, a mocking smile forming at the corner of her lips. Clara's acting was flawless as usual. Anyone watching would pity her immediately. Aidan glanced down at Clara's face and frowned sharply. His voice turned harsh as he demanded, "What happened to your face?" "Aidan, don't blame Cass..." Clara replied meekly, her implication clear enough. The dim lighting accentuated Aidan's stern features, creating sharp shadows across his face. Cassandra felt briefly disoriented by the sight, memories and reality blending painfully. Suddenly, Aidan lifted his head and snapped at her authoritatively, "Cassandra, apologize to Clara right now. No matter what happened, you have no right to hit her." Cassandra laughed coldly, her eyes sweeping over them with undisguised contempt. "Apologize? And why exactly should I do that?" Aidan's frown deepened, his voice turning icy, "Cassandra, when did you become like this? You're really disappointing me. I'll say it one last time. Apologize to Clara." "Apologize?" Cassandra scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "I'll say it again. I'm not apologizing. I'd rather die first." Her stubborn refusal instantly ignited Aidan's anger. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and slapped Cassandra across the face. Cassandra's eyes widened in disbelief. She touched her burning cheek, fingertips trembling as shock quickly turned into icy resentment. She slowly lifted her head, her gaze piercing Aidan like knives, her voice hoarse and chilling, "Aidan, this slap settles everything between us." Aidan's hand froze mid-air, his palm tingling painfully. Staring at Cassandra's reddened cheek, he suddenly felt overwhelmed with panic and regret. "Cassie, I... I didn't mean that... If you'd just apologized, I wouldn't have hit you," he stammered nervously. "You know I never hit women. After all this time together, I've never once hurt you. But you shouldn't have touched Clara. It wasn't her fault." It was the first time Cassandra had heard Aidan say so much at once, but it no longer mattered. They were completely done. Cassandra straightened her spine, her face pale but resolute, eyes red with restrained emotion. "Aidan, we're over!" Without waiting for a response, she turned to leave. Seeing her walk away, Aidan panicked and instinctively reached out to grab her. "Cassie, wait. Please don't..." Cassandra shook his hand off, her eyes glaring coldly, "Don't ever touch me again." His hand froze mid-air, complex emotions flashing through his eyes as he watched Cassandra's determined back. A sudden dread rose in his chest. They might truly be finished this time. Clara, watching quietly from the side, felt a flicker of triumph. She quickly concealed it, gently tugging Aidan's sleeve and speaking softly. "Aidan, don't blame Cass. She's just really upset right now." Aidan nodded slowly, regaining his usual confidence. "It's probably my fault. I've spoiled her too much. Give her a couple of days. She'll come back wanting to make up, then I'll have her apologize to you." It was just as he'd thought. He should never have spoiled a woman too much, or she would only become more unreasonable. A moment later, Aidan left with Clara clinging to his arm. Clara's lips curled upward in satisfaction. She was determined to win Aidan completely. Cassandra returned from the restroom, her phone suddenly buzzing with a bank transfer notification. She stared at the string of zeros in disbelief, unable to count the amount before her phone rang. When she saw the caller's name, her heart raced wildly. She steadied herself and answered the phone. "Mrs. Freeman, did you receive the money?" Tristan's deep, magnetic voice came through clearly. Hearing herself addressed as "Mrs. Freeman" made Cassandra's heart leap into her throat. She instantly felt flustered. "Y-Yes," she stammered nervously. "But I have my own money. You didn't need to send me any." "Your money is yours. But you're my wife, so my money is yours too—and so am I," Tristan teased. Cassandra felt her face grow hot, unable to imagine someone as cold as Tristan saying something so playful and sweet. It was a stark contrast to the sting she felt from Aidan's slap moments ago. Instead, a peculiar warmth blossomed in her chest. She felt valued, truly cared for. "Alright," she replied softly. "We'll meet my parents in a few days," Tristan continued. "If you need anything, just buy it. Don't worry about the money." "Okay, I understand," Cassandra replied. After ending the call, Cassandra couldn't help but marvel at the absurdity of the situation. Still, Tristan's words reminded her that she had to prepare gifts before meeting his parents. Gathering her thoughts, she returned to the restaurant, planning to go shopping with Victoria after lunch. Seeing Cassandra come back, Victoria looked puzzled. "What took you so long? I was about to look for you. Wait, what happened to your face?" Cassandra shrugged it off casually. "Nothing, I just ran into Aidan and Clara. Got delayed a bit." Victoria immediately jumped to her feet, anger rising. "What? Those two scumbags are here? Did they hit you? Where are they? I swear, I'll deal with them right now!" "They probably left already. Besides, I slapped Clara too, so we're even," Cassandra reassured Victoria calmly. Victoria sat back down, still fuming. "Next time I see them, I'll tear those two jerks apart! Unbelievable!" "Forget about them. Don't ruin your appetite. Let's eat quickly. Afterward, you're shopping with me. I need to pick out some gifts," Cassandra said, steering the conversation back on track. "Perfect! I'm more than happy to tag along and shop with you," Victoria joked, instantly brightening up and starting to eat again. After lunch, the two of them headed straight to a nearby upscale shopping mall. Inside the mall, the glittering lights reflected off countless luxury displays, creating a dazzling and glamorous atmosphere. Victoria hooked her arm through Cassandra's excitedly. "Cassie, what are you shopping for today? Clothes? Bags? Jewelry?" Cassandra smiled, scanning the elegant displays around them. "I'll look around first." She carefully considered her options. The Freeman family was Belvery's most prominent and wealthy household. They clearly lacked nothing. Whatever gift she chose needed to show sincerity and thoughtfulness, but couldn't be overly expensive, or it might leave a poor impression. The two of them began to leisurely explore various boutiques. But it seemed Cassandra had terrible luck today as trouble seemed to follow her everywhere.