The moment Anastasia unlocked the door, Cassian spun around and pulled her inside.

BANG! BANG!

Cassian pressed her against the door as it slammed shut, pinning her there with his body.

Anastasia’s breath caught. In the dim entryway lighting, she could see him staring at her with laser focus, his dark eyes like twin whirlpools drawing her in. Maybe it was the alcohol, but his eyes seemed hazier than usual, almost dreamy. The shadows softened his usually sharp features, making him look less intimidating and more… vulnerable. Anastasia stopped breathing entirely, just staring at him in a daze. Her eyes were like pools of water, shimmering and absolutely mesmerizing.

Cassian reached up, cupping the back of her head and gently pulling her toward him. She fell into his arms, and even through their clothes, she could feel the heat radiating from his body. With his other hand, he tilted her chin up and captured her lips, stealing both her voice and her breath. Anastasia couldn’t help the soft sound that escaped her: “Mmm…”

That gentle moan was like a feather brushing against his most sensitive nerves. His eyes grew darker as he closed them and deepened the kiss. He was like a starving wolf, eyes glowing with hunger, ready to devour her completely.

The next day at work, Anastasia wore a silk scarf around her neck. This time it wasn’t for fashion–she really needed to cover up the “evidence” from last night. Though even if Narissa noticed, she probably wouldn’t dare make another scene.

At lunch, Tamia called to ask if Anastasia wanted to grab food together. Anastasia happily agreed. Since Tamia worked in sales and was always traveling for business, she just happened to be near Rhodes Global today.

“Ana! Over here!” Tamia waved from across the street when she spotted her. Anastasia saw her and walked over with a smile.

“I’m in a shitty mood today, so I’m treating you to sushi,” Tamia announced. Anastasia looked shocked. Tamia was usually super frugal–she sent almost every penny home to her family after covering basic expenses. This was completely out of character.

Anastasia held up her hand dramatically, “Wait, is hell freezing over? Are pigs flying?”

Tamia shot her a look. “Cut it out. I’m seriously in a bad mood.”

Anastasia could tell Tamia was genuinely upset.

“Okay, fine. If you’re feeling down, I’ll treat you instead,” she offered. “Whatever you want, my treat.”

Tamia shook her head stubbornly. “No way. I’m paying.” Anastasia figured something must have really gotten to Tamia to make her act like this. She’d just listen and be supportive.

They headed to a new sushi place nearby, but there was a massive line stretching around the block.

“Why are there so many people?” Tamia frowned.

“You need to get back to work soon. Should we try somewhere else?” Anastasia suggested.

“No! I want to eat here!” Tamia insisted. Anastasia didn’t argue and got in line with her, prepared to wait it out.

Suddenly, a woman with an obvious baby bump walked up to the front and asked, “Do you have a priority line for pregnant women?”

The hostess glanced at her slightly rounded belly. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but since we’re a sushi restaurant serving mostly raw fish like salmon and tuna sashimi, we actually don’t recommend pregnant women eat here.”

Valeria’s eyes flashed with anger, and her voice shot up. “What gives you the right to keep me out? This is discrimination against pregnant women! I’m posting about this racist establishment online!”

The hostess panicked. She’d only been trying to be helpful. Who knew she’d run into someone like this?

The hostess looked desperately at Jasper, who was standing next to Valeria. Jasper didn’t know what to do with Valeria either. They’d been shopping when she suddenly decided she wanted sushi. He’d tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen.

“Val, why don’t we go home and have some delivered? We can get the good stuff flown in,” Jasper suggested.

Valeria wasn’t having it. “No! I want it now! Your son is craving it right now!”

Jasper was stuck. “Could you maybe make an exception? Pregnant women can’t stand for long periods.”

“Um… let me check with my manager,” the hostess said. She came back shortly and said they could accommodate them–as soon as someone left, she’d seat Valeria and Jasper immediately.

A satisfied smirk crossed Valeria’s face. Her little tantrum had worked perfectly.

“Valeria’s pregnant?” Tamia’s eyes went wide with disbelief, staring at the obvious bump. “Please tell me that’s just a food baby.”

Anastasia chuckled. “Nope, it’s real. She’s definitely pregnant.”

“Looking at the size of that bump, she’s pretty far along!” Something dawned on Tamia and her expression changed dramatically. “That means they were hooking up way before you guys broke up!”

Tamia looked at Anastasia, who seemed completely unfazed.

“Ana, are you really okay with this?”

“How could I be okay with it? When I first found out she was pregnant, it was like getting struck by lightning. I felt sick thinking about how he was with me while also sleeping with Valeria.”

“But then I realized–thank God I found out what a disgusting person he was before it was too late. Getting out while I still could was probably the best thing that could have happened.”

Tamia reached out with both arms. “Come here, give me a hug. Consider it like getting bitten by a rabid dog.” Tamiaknew that despite how casually Anastasia was talking about it now, she must have been devastated when it first happened.

“I’m fine now. It’s all in the past,” Tamia said. “Come on, let’s find somewhere else to eat.”

“I thought you said you had to eat here?”

“Actually, I don’t really care where we eat. I’m just in a pissy mood because my brother posted about going out for expensive sushi with friends–and he was paying. He graduated a year ago and still hasn’t gotten a job. He’s living off our parents‘ money.”

“He has zero consideration for how hard they work. I commented on his post telling him to think about our parents before splurging, and he went off on me. Said parents are obligated to support their kids, and if they couldn’t afford it, they shouldn’t have had him. He said he never asked to be born into this world to suffer.”

“He gets to enjoy the good life without working, so why shouldn’t I?”

Anastasia knew Tamia often clashed with her brother, but this seemed like more than their usual sibling drama. There had to be something else Tamia wasn’t telling her.