Chapter 26

That bitch definitely wasn’t getting a penny!

Valeria glanced back at the private dining room and noticed Parker had already left. She smirked with satisfaction. Anastasia had clearly pissed off their client, torpedoing the deal completely. She couldn’t wait to see how that stuck-up princess would explain this disaster to Jasper. Time to call and report the good news.

Valeria immediately dialed Jasper’s number, practically vibrating with excitement.

Meanwhile, Cassian and Anastasia arrived at his penthouse. He immediately retrieved a tube of aloe vera gel from the medicine cabinet and carefully applied it to her burns.

Anastasia honestly felt fine—the injury wasn’t that serious—but watching Cassian’s gentle ministrations made warmth bloom in her chest.

Within an hour, Phillips arrived with Parker’s signed contract. Anastasia was absolutely thrilled. The whole nightmare was finally over. Parker had clearly planned to make her evening hell, but one phone call from Cassian had sorted everything out. The power of being married to Manhattan’s most influential businessman was definitely impressive. She stole a glance at Cassian, her heart racing as the reality of their relationship hit her again.

After Phillips left, Cassian headed to the kitchen and returned with a warm glass of milk.

“This should help you sleep better,” he said, setting it on the coffee table.

Anastasia had always been a bedtime milk drinker, but she hadn’t mentioned that habit since moving in. Looking at the glass, she noticed it was her exact preferred brand. How could he possibly know that? Her chest tightened with emotion. She didn’t dare read too much into it—maybe it was just coincidence. He probably liked the same brand.

Since she’d had wine at dinner, the milk felt incredibly soothing on her stomach. After finishing it, she headed upstairs for a shower. Cassian watched her go with a soft smile. Having Anastasia in his space made everything feel more alive, more like an actual home instead of just an expensive place to sleep. He was getting surprisingly addicted to this domestic routine.

His phone buzzed with an incoming call from Yinsen.

“Dude, where the fuck are you? This was your idea! We’ve been waiting for hours!” Yinsen sounded pleasantly drunk but still coherent, his voice carrying obvious irritation. “Are you screwing with us?” Cassian could hear him taking a drag of his cigarette in the background. The guys were clearly still waiting for him to show up.

“I’m here,” Cassian replied absently. He’d completely forgotten about their plans the moment he’d seen Anastasia’s distress.

“Here where? We don’t see you anywhere. Did you get lost?” Yinsen’s voice pitched higher with confusion.

“Home,” Cassian clarified, running a hand through his hair. “Sorry, something came up and I forgot to text you guys.”

“…Jesus fucking Christ!” Yinsen exploded. “I’m sending you the bill. If I didn’t know you better, I’d think some woman kidnapped you.”

Cassian didn’t argue. He had essentially been kidnapped by a woman—his wife.

“Wait, hold up. Are you seriously with a chick right now?” Yinsen sounded like he’d been electrocuted.

“Yeah,” Cassian confirmed before immediately hanging up. He wasn’t giving his friends ammunition for interrogation.