Chapter 328
But Aurelia was a bit allergic to romance those days, so she didn’t dwell on it and quickly averted her gaze.
Since it was her birthday, she figured she should mark the occasion somehow.
Aurelia asked the waiter to take a group photo of the three of them and posted it on Instagram with a simple caption.
[Happy birthday to me.]
Just as soon as she posted it on Instagram, Aurelia spotted a new update right below hers from someone with the username “Cool Down.”
He’d shared a photo, too.
It was a shot of fireworks lighting up the night sky.
But what caught Aurelia off guard was his caption.
[Happy birthday.]
‘Huh, someone else has the same birthday as me, but it’s not really a big deal, Aurelia mused, a little surprised.
So Aurelia glanced at it, put her phone away, and focused on dinner with Ella and Joey.
She’d promised Ella she’d spend the day with her and wouldn’t deal with any work stuff.
In Ashmont, Tessa was literally counting the hours.
Every day felt like an eternity.
Life in the detention center was hell.
Four days had crawled by, but to her, it felt like a lifetime.
‘No way. I can’t even imagine actually going to prison,‘ Tessa thought, panic rising in her chest.
Every time a staff member walked by or brought her food, Tessa would ask, “Did anyone come to visit me today?”
But the answer was always the same: “No.”
This isn’t how it’s supposed to be, Tessa thought, her heart sinking with anxiety.
She kept telling herself, ‘Cassian would never abandon me.
“Things must be messy right now. He just needs some time to fix it.
‘Yeah, that’s it. That has to be it!
Tessa kept telling herself to stay calin and to keep her cool.
She had to keep believing in Cassian,
‘He loves me so much. He’ll definitely come for me, she thought, clinging to that hope.
Finally, on the fifth day, a staff member unlocked the door to her cell and called out. “Tessa Rowe, vou have a visitor.”
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Tessa’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope.
‘I knew it. Cassian would never let me down,‘ Tessa thought, relief washing over her.
She fussed with her hair, anxious not to let Cassian see her looking so rough and worn out.
But with the bare–bones supplies in the detention center, no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible to clean herself up
That made Tessa feel even more defeated.
The staff member, getting impatient, told her, “Hurry up. Don’t waste time.” So Tessa rushed out of her cell.
As she got closer to the visitation room, Tessa’s nerves were on edge.
She tried to act calm, so Cassian wouldn’t get worried about her.
She took a deep breath, then pushed the door open and walked in.
As soon as Tessa stepped in, she called out eagerly, “Cassian, you must’ve been crazy busy these days, right?”
But the moment the words left her mouth, she saw who was actually sitting across from her.
“Why is it you?” Tessa blurted out, shock and disappointment flashing across her face.
Kyler leaned back in his chair, looking her up and down with obvious disdain and scrutiny.
Having caught her greeting, Kyler smirked and drawled, “Were you expecting Cassian?”
Tessa’s face fell, and she immediately turned to leave.
She didn’t want to see Kyler.
The last thing she needed was for him to catch her looking this pathetic.
She knew exactly why Kyler was here. It wasn’t out of concern, but just to rub salt in her wounds.
Kyler drawled lazily as Brett was about to step out, “Aren’t you curious why Cassian hasn’t come to see you?”
His voice was casual, almost taunting.
Tessa froze in her tracks.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally turned back and sat down across from Kyler.
The only thing between them was a set of iron bars.
Kyler’s lips curled into an icy, contemptuous smile.
His look made Tessa squirm with discomfort.
But she had no choice but to endure the humiliation of being looked down on, her hands unconsciously clenching in her lap. “What do you want?” she asked.
Kyler said, “Three days ago, Regal Investment and Evergreen rang the bell at the Grendel City Stock Exchange. I was there in person to witness it. She’s truly outstanding.”
Tessa’s face fell instantly, her fingers clenched so tightly that they started to go numb, her body trembling with barely contained humiliation and anger.
ed,
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“I don’t want to hear about it!” she snapped.
Wasn’t that exactly what you always wanted?” Kyler sneered, his gaze deep and cutting.
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“Just tell me, why hasn’t Cassian come?” Tessa demanded, her voice trembling with desperation. She knew she was losing it. but she couldn’t care less about keeping up appearances anymore.
Every second in this place was pure torture. She was about to lose her mind.
All she wanted was to get out of here, right now.
She couldn’t stand another second in this hellhole.
“Do you know why Jonathan suddenly ratted you out about your little secret?” Kyler still refused to answer her question directly.
Tessa glared at him, her eyes blazing with fury and desperation. “Why?”
She’d been entangled with Jonathan for five years. She knew exactly what kind of guy he was.
If she didn’t know, she never would’ve been so reckless with Jonathan, playing those twisted games.
“I beat him up,” Kyler said, leaning back in his chair, a half–smile on his face, but his eyes were cold and intimidating.
Kyler continued, “Once I found out you’d stolen your senior’s thesis, the first thing I thought of was all those papers you’d published. So I hopped on a flight to the business school and confronted Jonathan.
“Jonathan was seriously hung up on you. No matter what I said, he kept his mouth shut. So I gave him a good beating, leaving him begging for mercy. Only then did he finally spill everything about your little affair.”
Kyler paused, then sneered, “Jonathan was devoted to you. Even after all that, he still wouldn’t cough up any solid evidence. So I had to go after the people around him. That’s how I got the proof from his wife.
“You really have no standards, do you? You’d even go for some old guy like Jonathan.”
Kyler had watched those videos before.
Even now, just thinking about them made him want to gag.
And the worst part? He’d actually been obsessed with a woman as utterly vile’as Tessa for four whole years.
It was like swallowing rat droppings. Just the thought of it made him physically sick.
Tessa’s eyes burned with humiliation, her insides twisting with disgust and shame.
Kyler sneered, “You faked your degree, stole someone else’s thesis, hooked up with some old guy for fame and money, and reeled in every man who could give you an advantage…
“Is there anything filthy you wouldn’t stoop to?”
Kyler’s eyes were like lasers, staring her down as if he could see right through her.
In that moment, Tessa’s eyes darted away. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze,
Just as Tessa hit rock bottom, Kyler curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile.
With unwavering conviction, he said, “You’re not even worthy to hold a candle for Aurelia.”
13:23 Wed, Jan 28
