Gilbert and Michelle were scrambling to protect Yuria, making sure she didn’t get pinned with attempted assault charges.

Yuria finally caught on and quickly put on her innocent act, nodding frantically, “Yeah, I was just so freaked out, I couldn’t see straight.”

Cassian’s voice was ice cold. “The Rhodes family values truth above all else. How can you just throw around accusations without any proof?”

Yuria’s face burned like she’d been slapped. “But… but Anastasia was deliberately trying to provoke me! That’s why I got so mad and pushed her,” Yuria bit out, dropping another bombshell.

Cassian just gave a flat, “Oh really?” and said, “Got any evidence of that?”

The security footage only showed Yuria shoving Anastasia, then Anastasia panicking and grabbing onto Yuria as they both went down. The old surveillance system only had video, no audio.

Anastasia spoke up. “I wasn’t trying to provoke her—I was just stating facts. And I have proof.”

Cassian had been backing her up this whole time, but if they didn’t have evidence, people might say he was just playing favorites. As Cassian’s wife, she wasn’t about to let anyone – even family – think badly of him!

“When Yuria lied about my mother-in-law calling me over, I got suspicious. So the second I saw her, I started recording on my phone,” Anastasia explained.

Yuria’s eyes went wide. No wonder she’d seen Anastasia toss her phone away when she fell – it all made sense now! Which meant… maybe Anastasia had been ready for this the whole time and hadn’t actually been caught off guard by the push at all!

Yuria’s expression turned complex as she stared at Anastasia. What a calculating bitch! Absolutely disgusting!

But Anastasia wasn’t paying attention to Yuria’s murderous glare. She was searching around on the ground until she found her phone. The recording started playing their conversation.

“But Cassian and Sonia grew up together! If it wasn’t for you, they totally would’ve ended up together!”

“Stole what exactly? Her crush? Or are you telling me Sonia and my husband were actually a thing and I broke them up?”

“But Cassian and Sonia grew up together! If it wasn’t for you, they totally would’ve ended up together!”

“Oh really? If they actually wanted each other, they’ve had years to make it happen. The fact that they didn’t probably means someone wasn’t feeling it, don’t you think?”

Anastasia could feel Cassian’s intense gaze on her and couldn’t bring herself to look at him. What had felt like a totally justified conversation at the time now seemed embarrassingly like she was marking her territory or something.

Little did she know, Cassian was absolutely loving this “possessive” side of her. Hearing her words, Cassian was grinning so hard he looked like the Cheshire Cat.

But when he turned to Yuria, his expression went arctic. “Yuria, I don’t belong to anyone. And I’ve never had feelings for Sonia. Not once.”

Yuria looked like she’d been struck by lightning. She shook her head frantically. “No, that’s impossible! But you always used to defend her! Everyone said…”

“Don’t I defend you too?” Cassian shot back.

Yuria was speechless. Did that mean Cassian’s feelings for Sonia were the same as his feelings for her? But that—

It had to be because Anastasia was here – Cassian was too embarrassed to admit the truth? She was about to say more when—

“Yuria’s young and easily influenced by gossip. She was definitely wrong here, and I will make sure to discipline her properly."

Before Yuria could react, Gilbert was already trying to drag her away.

“Stop right there.”

Suddenly, Grandfather Rhodes appeared, leaning on his walking cane as he approached them.