Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Cassie Taylor POV:

A fragile peace settled in the week that followed our confrontation. We lived in separate wings of the penthouse, communicating only through our assistants. The incident in the study was never spoken of again. Avery Adkins, true to Adam's word, had gone silent. Her number was disconnected, her social media wiped clean. For a moment, I allowed myself to believe he had chosen me, that our bloody pact still held more power than his infatuation.

It was a fool's hope.

She found me at a quiet café I frequented near Central Park. I was reviewing quarterly reports when a shadow fell over my table. I looked up into the wide, deceptively innocent eyes of Avery Adkins.

She smiled, a sweet, saccharine expression that didn't reach her eyes. "Hello, Cassie."

My bodyguards, discreetly positioned at a nearby table, started to rise. I gave them a subtle shake of my head. I wanted to hear this.

"Adam is with me right now," she said, her voice a triumphant purr. She gestured to a black town car parked across the street, its tinted windows hiding its occupants. "He feels terrible about what happened. He says you're... unstable."

I took a slow sip of my coffee, my eyes never leaving hers.

"Losing the baby was sad, of course," she continued, placing a hand over her stomach in a gesture of mock grief. "But it just made Adam feel more protective of me. He said he owes me. He's going to love me twice as much now, to make up for it."

She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "So in a way, I should thank you. Your little stunt was the best thing that could have happened to me."

Her gaze flickered down to my silk blouse, then back up, a smug smirk playing on her lips. She wore her confidence like a new piece of jewelry, a certain glow about her that spoke of late nights and whispered promises. It was a look I recognized; it used to be mine.

Then, her smile widened into a victorious grin.

"And the best part is," she said, her voice dripping with venomous sweetness, "I'm pregnant again."

The world narrowed to her smiling face, her triumphant words echoing in my ears. She saw the flicker of pain in my eyes and seized upon it, twisting the knife.

"It's a shame, isn't it?" she mused, her tone dripping with false pity. "All those years with him, and you have nothing to show for it. No children. I heard you even had a loss once. How tragic."

The ceramic of my coffee cup grew hot under my fingers. My knuckles were white.

"But don't worry," she cooed. "I'll give Adam all the sons he desires. I'll give him the family you never could."

I placed my cup back on the saucer with a deliberate, sharp click that cut through her monologue.

The sudden, sharp sound made Avery flinch, and her own hand jerked, sloshing hot coffee onto herself. She yelped, a high-pitched cry that was more surprise than pain, jumping back and clutching her hand. It was a clumsy, desperate ploy for victimhood.

My bodyguards remained seated, their faces impassive. They had seen the truth as clearly as I had.

"You monster!" she cried, her carefully constructed composure shattering. "You cold, empty woman!"

Two of my men rose in a silent, coordinated movement. They didn't touch her. They didn't have to. Their presence was a wall she could not pass, a quiet dismissal more potent than any force.

"Adam will make you pay for this!" she shrieked as she began to back away.

I watched her, a cold calm settling over me. I tapped a perfectly manicured nail on the table, the sound a steady rhythm in the suddenly silent café.

"You think your position is secure because he desires you?" I asked, my voice cutting through her hysterics. She stopped her retreat, turning to look at me, her eyes wide with confusion and hate.

"You think a pretty face and a fertile womb are enough to sit on the throne I helped build?" I continued, a small, humorless smile touching my lips. "My dear, you are painfully naive. My place beside him was never earned in the bedroom."

I leaned forward slightly, my voice dropping to a low, instructive tone.

"It was earned in boardrooms and back alleys. It was paid for with loyalty, strategy, and resilience. Things you know nothing about."

She fled the café, her final, desperate threat swallowed by the city noise. I picked up my cup, signaling the waiter for a refill, my hand perfectly steady.