Chapter 7
1351words
Lily grumbled, running her hands through her hair, "If I'd known it would turn out like this, I would've been more ruthless. I should've just told the driver to kill Cassidy outright. I'd already paid him a fortune anyway.
"Who would've thought that all he had gotten rid of was a baby? And now Zane can't stop thinking about her because of it."
Zane's hand tightened around the door handle, his body frozen. He lifted his head in disbelief.
Then Lily let out a light laugh. "But hey, at least he lost something, all because he looked down on a lover like me. Sooner or later, I'll make him lose even more—his company, his career, everything."
She laughed as she opened the door to head to the office, but the moment she opened it, she met Zane's dark, grim face.
Lily's steps faltered, her face turning pale. "Mr. Bender? What are you doing here? When did you get here?"
Ignoring her, Zane turned to walk away.
Immediately, Lily ran after him, her voice dripping with desperation. "Mr. Bender, please! Let me explain! It's not what you think!"
Before she could say anything else, Zane grabbed her by the neck, slamming her against the wall. The commotion instantly drew everyone's attention.
"There's no need to explain, Lily," Zane said icily. "I'll have everything investigated, and you'll see exactly what happens to those who betray me."
Lily tried to go after him, but his bodyguards stepped in and dragged her straight into Zane's office.
Within moments, the team of professionals had pieced everything together.
It turned out that Lily was a spy sent by a rival company. She approached Zane from the start with the sole purpose of destroying Cosmo Group.
Not only that, but she was also the rival CEO's lover, and they even had a child together. But what made Zane the angriest was the truth about Cassidy's car accident.
When he saw the transaction records between Lily and the driver, his eyes instantly turned bloodshot. He lunged toward Lily to grab her by the neck again, wishing he could simply snap it.
Tears streamed down Lily's face as she kicked and begged for mercy. The bodyguards had to forcibly pull Zane away to stop him.
Zane couldn't believe he'd been played by a woman. He immediately called lawyers and the police, and Lily was taken away for questioning that very day.
After she was gone, Zane practically smashed everything in the office in a fit of rage.
Collapsing onto the couch, he stared at the city lights outside before glancing down at the quiet chat window with Cassidy. It felt like a thousand-pound weight was pressing on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
This whole time, it had all been Lily's scheme.
He was no stranger to his lovers using every trick in the book to fight for his attention, so why hadn't he noticed a thing this time? That feeling of losing control overwhelmed him again.
He immediately called his other secretaries, his voice trembling ever so slightly. "Find Cassidy. I want her located by tomorrow."
After hanging up, he somehow found himself at the desk Cassidy used to sit at. It was spotless, as if no one had ever worked there.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a box in the corner. A simple note was stuck on it. "Zane, I'm returning this to you."
His hands shook as he opened the box. When he saw the couple's mug they had made together, he froze.
He quickly rummaged through the box, discovering that beneath the cup were numerous photos of him and Cassidy together, as well as various gifts he had given her.
At the very bottom was Cassidy's employee badge.
Zane had no clue how he'd left the company that day. All he knew was that a sudden downpour had started.
Sitting in his car, he stared at the badge in his open palm, feeling completely out of control on the inside.
In the past, when women left him in a huff, he had laughed and even felt relieved that he didn't have to push them away.
But Cassidy's disappearance made him feel like a piece of his heart had been ripped out, leaving him feeling empty and hurt.
He thought of Lily's words. Could it be that to him, Cassidy really was different? Perhaps so.
Take the day Cassidy refused to bring him the condoms, for example. Although he and Lily went at it hard, his mind wasn't completely in it. It felt more like he was letting off steam than enjoying it.
Zane smacked the steering wheel in frustration. Then he saw a familiar figure dash past the front of the car. It was Kayla. He immediately flung open the car door and ran over to stop her.
Kayla stopped in her tracks, her voice sharp as she asked, "Mr. Bender, do you need something from me?"
Suppressing his anger, Zane asked, "Do you know where Cassidy is? She blocked me."
Kayla snickered, mockery thick in her tone. "Cassidy? Why are you even looking for her?"
Zane frowned, realizing Kayla knew something. "Tell me. Where is she?"
Hearing his still-arrogant tone, Kayla scoffed. "Mr. Bender, I'm no longer your employee, so I'm under no obligation to tell you that. Besides, she's just a thing you've grown bored of, no? So why does it seem like you care about her a lot? Don't tell me that you've actually fallen for her?"
Zane's whole body went rigid all of a sudden.
Upon seeing his reaction, Kayla chuckled. "I was just joking around, Mr. Bender. Why are you reacting so strongly?"
That day, no matter how many times Zane asked, Kayla refused to give him any information about Cassidy.
In the past, he could pressure anyone to talk by threatening them with things like their career, but he knew he couldn't do that now because Cassidy would be furious if she found out.
Cassidy… That name clung to him like a curse that was impossible to shake off.
That night, he barely slept, plagued by dreams of Cassidy's smile.
He remembered the first time he met her. She was unlike any of his other lovers. If those women were flashy, thorny roses, Cassidy was a stubborn wild daisy.
Her world was completely different from his. For instance, she loved cheap fast food, stuff Zane had never touched. He always thought such food was unhealthy, but the first time he tried it with her, he found it incredibly delicious.
And once, Cassidy took on a pottery date. He thought it was super childish at first, like it was something only teenagers in love did. But by the end, he was the most serious about it.
Being with Cassidy was unlike anything Zane had experienced before. He recalled all the little moments he shared with her, like when he first touched her, and she gave a slight shiver and soft moan.
Zane slowly opened his eyes, and for the first time, he had to admit that he might actually love Cassidy. Yet, she was gone, and before leaving, she lost their child.
That night, he stayed awake, staring at the ceramic mug and the badge.
The next morning, John called. Zane grabbed the phone almost frantically. "Is there news about Cassidy?"
"Mr. Bender, we found her. She's gone to Brudivia, and her records show she's currently an employee at Vertex Group."
"What? Vertex Group?" Zane exclaimed. "How did Cassidy get into such a powerful company? And how did she get hired so quickly? Had she been planning to leave Cosmo Group all along? What's going on here?"
The barrage of questions left John at a loss. He stuttered, "M-Mr. Bender, we don't know either—"
Zane impatiently cut him off, "Book me the next flight to Brudivia, the sooner, the better."
