Chapter 2 The Twin

The request sounded simple enough, but to Frederick Jones, nothing was ever simple, not when it came to Cassie.

On their wedding day, he had felt like a man sealing a business contract rather than making a vow of love.

When they got intimate that night, it was purely out of duty, the fact that he needed an heir.

The moment she mentioned that she would have a child, his job was done. He had been her first, but Frederick's first and only love had always been Sienna. He had no regrets rekindling that flame.

Cassie had loved him since childhood, but he had only ever loved her as a sister. That changed after he received proof of her involvement in Sienna's accident.

The brotherly affection he once felt turned into something darker-loathing. The only reason he stayed was their daughter, Rose.

After Sienna woke from the aftermath of the accident, Frederick found another reason to believe Cassie had faked Sienna's sickle cell status to prevent their marriage.

And if that wasn't enough, he had proof Cassie had cheated on him after their wedding with her close friend, Sebastian Hale.

A woman with this level of sin did not deserve pity.

His heart had always belonged to Sienna Vale. Marrying Cassie had been the price of power. So he never cared, only made her suffer the consequences of her actions throughout their seven-year marriage.

Now, seated in his glass-walled corner office overlooking Chicago, Frederick felt both victorious and hollow. From this height, the city stretched endlessly beneath him, a living map of everything he owned, everything he'd sacrificed.

Becoming CEO of the Novarion Group had been his parents' reward for marrying Cassie. She had given him the family image he needed, even a beautiful daughter. But now, that arrangement had reached its end.

He leaned back in his Italian leather chair, his expression unreadable. "Have you thought this through?" he asked, voice clipped, detached.

Cassie stood across from him, her reflection framed in the polished glass behind him.

There had been a time when his voice alone could make her heart flutter. Now, it only made her stomach tighten.

He was still devastatingly handsome-dark hair, chiseled jaw, eyes that could charm a room, but every glance reminded her of what she had lost.

"You won't have custody of Rose," Frederick said coldly, his tone final.

Cassie's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "She already chose you and her."

His brows knit together. "She told you?"

"I forced it out of her," Cassie admitted quietly. "And I promised not to tell you. But I hope you'll be wise about how you use that information."

Frederick exhaled slowly, the faintest flicker of guilt in his eyes before it vanished.

He nodded once, businesslike, and reached for his pen. "If you're truly giving up custody, with only visitation rights, then I'll have my lawyer finalize this."

Beside him, Sienna sat with calculated grace, honey-blonde hair perfectly arranged, lipstick a shade too red for sincerity. A thin smile curved her lips until Frederick's next words wiped it away.

"My lawyer will get in touch about the paperwork," he said evenly. "And I'll determine what alimony you're entitled to."

Sienna's posture stiffened at the mention of money, her smile freezing. But Cassie only tilted her head slightly, her calm unnerving. "Keep your money, Frederick," she said softly. "And I'll keep mine."

Frederick's pen stilled. He looked up, composure cracking into irritation. "You have nothing, Cassie. Don't be foolish." Or was she trying to reunite with Sebastian?

His tone sharpened, but beneath the arrogance was discomfort, truth he didn't want to face. His parents would insist he treat her fairly, and that alone restrained him.

Otherwise, he wouldn't care if she disappeared entirely or made up with her old flame.

Cassie's voice remained steady. "If you insist on paying alimony, then I'll take five billion."

Sienna's eyes flashed, disbelief and anger mingling. "Five-what?"

Frederick slammed his pen down. "Be serious."

Cassie's gaze didn't waver. She didn't want Frederick to have a share in what was hers, even if it wasn't as much as his.

"That, or nothing. You decide. Either you pay what I know I'm worth, or I walk away with my dignity intact."

Frederick scoffed internally at her mention of 'dignity' but couldn't hide his confusion. Her money? As far as he knew, Cassie had nothing but her designer wardrobe and the credit cards he'd given her.

Yet there was something in her tone, quiet, determined, that made him hesitate.

When she turned to leave, Sienna rose abruptly and caught her by the arm.

"Cassie, please, don't be like this. I never meant for any of this to happen. But we don't choose who our hearts beat for... sickle status or not. I don't blame you for changing the result."

Cassie's eyes swept over her-flawless makeup, glittering jewelry, perfection that mocked her own disheveled simplicity.

Her loose waves, bare face, and casual dress made her look out of place in this cold, luxurious office. Yet somehow, she looked more real than either of them.

"Changing the result? I did no such thing," Cassie denied, but Frederick snapped. "Stop the lies. I spoke to the doctor. He said you paid him to have it changed."

Cassie had no idea what was going on, but one thing was certain. Someone had set her up, and Frederick didn't care to investigate it well enough.

Since she had no desire to stay in a marriage with a cheating husband, they could think what they liked.

"Sure, Sienna," Cassie said evenly. "There is nothing hidden that will not be brought to light. I hope that when that time comes, you'll have the dignity to stand, as I have mine leaving."

Sienna flinched, her fingers tightening on Cassie's arm. Bitterness ran deep. "Fred never loved you," she hissed. "He only married you to secure his position from his twin brother."

Cassie blinked, startled. "Twin brother?" So that was the reason he married her? She'd heard about his twin once or twice, but also that they weren't on good terms and had never met.

Before she could ask more, Sienna's grip turned violent. Cassie instinctively shoved her away.

Sienna stumbled backward, the sharp heel of her stiletto catching the rug. "Ahh!" she cried, clutching her abdomen.

Frederick was at her side in an instant. "Sienna!" His voice broke for the first time that day. One arm slid behind her back, the other under her knees. Then he froze.

There was blood.

Cassie's breath hitched when he glared at her. "I-she grabbed me-"

Frederick's gaze snapped up, dark and furious. "If anything happens to her," he said through gritted teeth, "you can forget your alimony. And you'll never see Rose again."

Cassie stood frozen as he lifted Sienna effortlessly into his arms and carried her out. The sound of his shoes echoing down the marble corridor stayed with her long after he vanished.

She didn't know what possessed her to follow them to the hospital. Maybe guilt.

Maybe desperation. Maybe the need to know whether she had truly hurt someone, or if fate had simply decided she'd been punished enough.

Her thoughts spiraled as she drove through the streets of Chicago. 'Was it my fault? Did I push her too hard?'

She didn't even see the oncoming car until the glare of its headlights filled her windshield.

The impact jolted her sideways-metal against metal, the sharp crack of glass, a screech of brakes. Her sedan spun once before she wrestled it to the shoulder of the road.

Her chest rose and fell in rapid bursts. The world steadied, but her nerves didn't. The other car, a Bentley Flying Spur, sleek and silver, came to a stop a few feet away. The door opened, and a tall man stepped out.

He was strikingly handsome, broad-shouldered, dark-haired, and commanding in his gray suit. There was something disarmingly familiar about him. When his eyes met hers, Cassie's breath caught.

"Frederick?" she whispered, stunned.

The man's expression didn't change. His voice was deeper, smoother, edged with authority. "You know my twin brother?"

Cassie blinked, disoriented. The resemblance was uncanny, but this man carried himself differently. His posture was stronger, his eyes sharper, his aura more dangerous.

Her heart thudded in her chest. This must be Franklin, she realized quietly, as he assessed her like a stranger from another world. Everyone in the USA elite knew the name Franklin Roth, the reclusive twin.

The one who'd left Wall Street years ago to build a global empire from the shadows. Rumor had it his wealth dwarfed even the Novarion's.

Glancing at the dent in his car, he sighed. "You're lucky I hit the brakes in time."

Cassie swallowed, still trembling. "I'm sorry for the damage. Just give me your mechanic's number. I'll handle the cost."

He stared at her, incredulous. "You?" His tone dripped with amusement. "Repair my car? Can you even afford the tires?"

"We'll work something out," she said seriously, her voice steadier than she felt. She didn't want to insist she could pay, especially not when she had no idea what his relationship with Frederick was like.

Franklin studied her for a moment, his gaze sharp and unreadable. Then he said, "Well, my parents are expecting me to bring a woman. Pretend to be my date, and I'll let it go."

Cassie blinked, stunned. "Pretend to be your date?"