Chapter 4

Ryan remained out of the loop. "You held on for 15 years, Ms. Blake. I even heard Cameron mention that you two are trying to have a baby. What exactly are you playing at?" "I only need the word from you, Attorney Scott. Are you helping me or not?" He said nothing, simply studying her as if trying to peel away her facade and see through her schemes. Just then, a waitress approached carrying a tray of coffee but slipped slightly, bumping into Cassandra. The latter lost her balance and stumbled into Ryan's arms instead. Not far from outside the cafe, a camera shutter clicked, instantly capturing the moment. Ryan's senses sharpened at the flash. Slightly annoyed, he gently but firmly pushed Cassandra away. "You're being followed." She stumbled slightly and steadied herself with a hand on the table. "No one's following me." "Someone just took a photo of us," he said with a teasing edge. "Did you offend anyone lately? Because with the way we looked just now, it'll probably be hard for you to explain if that photo gets out." Cassandra chuckled. "There's nothing to fear if I've done nothing wrong. You're a man of integrity too, aren't you, Attorney Scott?" Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Are you… always this forward?" She gathered her things and slipped on her sunglasses. "I have somewhere else to be. I'm hoping the divorce can be finalized as soon as possible, and I believe you do too. Once you've drafted the authorization letter, send me a digital copy. I'll find a way to get Cameron's signature, and we can then move quickly through the process." "Alright." Without another word, Cassandra turned and walked out. She hailed a cab and left. Mid-ride, her phone lit up with a message of several photos—all of her and Ryan. The angles were sharp and deliberately chosen, making it appear as if Ryan had his arms around her. It was an undeniably intimate pose. "Check out the photos I just took. Let me know what you think." The one who texted was Cassandra's best friend, Roxanne Miller, a seasoned wedding photographer. Naturally, she was an expert at capturing ambiguous moments like this. Cassandra: "They're good. Thank you, Roxy." Roxanne: "I don't understand what they're for, though. Is it to trigger Cameron?" Cassandra: "He doesn't hold enough importance for me to do that anymore." Roxanne: "What are they for, then?" Cassandra: "Ryan's the rebellious, unpredictable type. I need something on him, just in case he tries to trip me up." Roxanne: "You're worried he won't help with the divorce? Seriously? Hasn't he always wanted you and Cameron to split?" Cassandra: "He'd rather make things difficult for me than see the divorce go smoothly." It wouldn't be the first time. Every time she tried to do something, Ryan seemed to make it his personal mission to oppose her. Now that she was determined to end her marriage, she couldn't help but worry he would change course and throw a wrench in her plans. She needed leverage, just in case. Suddenly, the cab jerked to a hard stop. Cassandra was thrown forward, slamming into the back of the front seat with a thud. Even the driver swore under his breath, "Why the hell are they hugging in the middle of the road? Geez…" It was only then that she noticed the couple standing a short distance ahead. The man seemed to have just picked something up from the ground and handed it to the woman. She covered her face, visibly emotional, and threw her arms around him in a hug right in the middle of the street. Several cars screeched to a halt behind them, brakes squealing. From a nearby black sedan, someone stepped out, clearly annoyed. "Can't you have your little love story at home? Do you know how dangerous this is for all of us?" The man, with one arm wrapped protectively around the woman and the other flashing an apologetic "OK" gesture, responded with a smile, "Sorry, my girlfriend dropped her bracelet. I was just picking it up for her." The man was Cameron. "Even so, you can't just walk into oncoming traffic to pick it up! What if a car hit you? Who'd be responsible? And what about all the drivers you just held up? You owe us an explanation!" Cameron remained calm as ever. He raised his voice slightly and said, "Apologies, everyone. I'll cover the losses. Once you've calculated the amount, contact my assistant. I'll triple the compensation." Money talked. The moment he said "triple", the few drivers who had gotten out and were ready to argue immediately backed down, their anger deflating on the spot. Harold hurried over and collected their contact numbers. Soon, the traffic cleared up. "Uh… Ma'am, would you mind waiting for a moment?" the cab driver asked Cassandra, half-hopeful. "It won't take long! I'll just give my number and be back in a minute." The driver was clearly tempted by the triple fare. Cassandra replied calmly, "This ride costs about 30 dollars. Even tripled, it's barely a hundred. I'll give you a thousand, so just drive." "Oh! A-Absolutely!" the driver affirmed, grinning ear to ear as he hit the gas. No wonder people said money could move mountains. She rubbed her temples, a dull ache forming behind her eyes. Suddenly, she found herself understanding Annabelle just a little. A handsome, mature, and composed man had visited her store every day, never crossing the line nor pressuring her, yet he'd buy a piece of jewelry from her each time. He'd take it from her hands with the same steady gentleness… That kind of slow-burning, determined pursuit wasn't something that any woman could resist, especially someone like Annabelle, who came from a rough background and was always strapped for money. "That woman sure is lucky. She has a handsome boyfriend who's willing to risk his safety to pick up her bracelet for her. That's crazy." Cassandra stayed silent, and the driver continued, "But if he's so rich, why doesn't he just buy her a new one? Why did he have to run back into the traffic like that? It was so dangerous!" Right. It was extremely dangerous. Suddenly, a memory of her first meeting with Cameron surfaced in her mind. Their first encounter had happened in almost the exact way. She had been in eighth grade at the time, walking home from school, when she found an injured kitten by the side of the road. Hugging it to her chest, she decided to take it to the nearest vet. As she was crossing the street, however, the kitten suddenly wriggled free and darted into traffic. Cars sped by, horns blaring. Several nearly ran the poor thing over. Panicked and eyes stinging, Cassandra was just about to dash into the street when a swift figure came running from the opposite side. With one smooth motion, he scooped up the kitten mid-run, dodged past the cars, and arrived safely beside her. The teen boy had been wearing a white basketball jersey and a matching white headband across his forehead. Sweat glistened on his skin, dripping from the ends of his hair. "Is this yours?" He pulled her away from the road and into safety, gently placing the kitten back in her arms. "A cat's life matters, but so does yours. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" Back then, Cameron was already a senior in high school. He was several years older than her and nearly a head and a half taller. Holding the trembling kitten to her chest, Cassandra stood completely in his shadow, biting her lip as she gave a quiet nod. A few of his close friends had been with him that day. One of them looked her over and frowned slightly. "That cat's hideous. If you really like cats, just get a better-looking one. How dumb are you to risk your life over something like that?" Cameron shot back, "Shut up, mouth breather." "I'm just stating the facts. The cat is hideous! And it's so dirty—" "Say another word, and I'm tossing your ugly shoes onto the road." "Ugly? You called my favorite pair of shoes ugly? Its name is AeonWing. Have some respect!" Cameron crossed his arms and sneered, "But to me, they're ugly and stinky. If you like shoes, why not just buy a new pair? It's not worth risking your life running into traffic to pick up an old pair." His friend immediately went quiet, deflated. Cameron turned back to Cassandra with a gentle smile and reassured her, "It's okay. You're fine now." "T-Thanks." He lowered his head and glanced at the school emblem on her shirt. "You're from Hawthorne Academy as well. What's your name?" "Cassandra Blake." He smiled lightly. "I'm Cameron Dorsey. If you need any help in the future, you can always come to me." Cassandra was a reserved girl. Even after learning his name, she never went looking for him. Instead, he consistently came to her. Over time, it became clear what his intentions were. That first encounter marked the beginning of their relationship, and today's chance meeting would likely be the end of it. Cassandra thought to herself that maybe this was for the best. It should end just as it began. It had been 15 years. Love and sweetness were bound to come to an end, after all.