Chapter 64 Chapter 64

Chapter 64 Chapter 64

CHAPTER 64

CASSIAN'S POV

The concrete floor was cold beneath my feet.

My wrists were raw. My ankles were burning. The ropes were tight, cutting into my skin with every small movement I made. I had been sitting in this chair for what felt like hours. Maybe it had been hours. I did not know. Time had stopped the moment I saw his face in the doorway.

My father.

No. Not my father. The man who had raised me. The man who had never once told me he loved me. The man who had just admitted he did not care if Marcus lived or died.

He walked toward me. His footsteps echoed on the concrete floor. He stopped in front of me. Looked down at me. His eyes were cold. Unreadable.

"You are probably wondering why you are here," he said.

I did not answer. I could not. My throat was too tight. My heart was too loud.

"You are a pawn, Cassian. You have always been a pawn. That is all you have ever been to me."

My heart stopped. Then started again. Faster. Harder.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. My voice was hoarse. Broken.

"You are not my son."

The words hung in the air. Heavy. Impossible.

"What?"

"You are not my son. Marcus's mother had an affair. I found out when you were born. You look nothing like me. Nothing like Marcus. I knew from the moment I saw you. You were not mine."

"That is not true."

"It is true. I have known for twenty-seven years. I have raised you. I have fed you. I have clothed you. I have given you everything. And you have repaid me by being weak. Pathetic. A disappointment."

I stared at him. My hands were shaking. My heart was pounding.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I need you to understand. I need you to understand why I am doing this."

"Doing what?"

He smiled. Cold. Cruel.

"Using you. To destroy Dominic Costello."

\---

The next words he spoke were like knives.

He told me about the rivalry. The years of hatred between the Vane and Costello families. The business wars. The personal attacks. The way Dominic's father had tried to destroy him. The way he had tried to destroy Dominic's father.

And then he told me about Marcus's mother.

"Dominic's father tried to rape her," he said. "At a party. Years ago. She fought him off. But he never stopped trying. He was obsessed with her. Obsessed with destroying her. Destroying me."

My stomach turned. I felt sick.

"She took her own life," he continued. "Because of him. Because of what he did to her. Because of what he made her feel. She could not live with the shame."

"That is not true."

"It is true. I have the letters. The recordings. Everything."

"Then why are you telling me this?"

"Because I need you to understand. Dominic Costello is not your enemy. His father is. And I have been using you to get to him."

"Using me?"

"Yes. You and Dominic. Your relationship. Your obsession with each other. It was perfect. I knew Dominic would do anything to have you. I knew he would destroy himself trying to keep you. And I knew that would destroy his father."

I stared at him. My mind was racing. Nothing made sense.

"But now," he continued, "Dominic has changed the game. He has kidnapped Marcus. He is using him as leverage. Against me. Against you."

I shook my head. "I already know that. I have always known that."

"Yes. But what you do not know is that I have been searching for Marcus everywhere. I cannot find him. Dominic has hidden him well. So I had to take matters into my own hands."

"By kidnapping me?"

"By kidnapping you. So Dominic will be forced to release Marcus."

"You are using me. As bait."

"Yes."

I stared at him. The man who had raised me. The man who had never loved me. The man who had used me from the very beginning.

"You are a monster," I said.

"I am a survivor."

"You are worse than Dominic. You are worse than anyone."

"Maybe. But I am also the one who will win."

\---

He continued talking. I stopped listening. My mind was spinning.

And then he said something that made my heart stop.

"You know why Dominic lured you in at first," he said. "You know why he was obsessed with you. It was not just because he loved you. It was because you are the reason his mother died."

I stared at him. My mouth was open. No sound came out.

"What?"

"After your little gay shit in that room, Dominic's father beat him to almost death. His mother found out. She made him promise that he would never get engaged with you. She was terrified of what his father would do. She made him promise."

I could not breathe.

"But Dominic could not keep that promise. He became obsessed with you. He could not stop thinking about you. He could not stop wanting you. And his father found out."

Tears were rolling down my cheeks. I did not notice.

"His father taught him a lesson. He killed his mother. Right in front of him. He made Dominic watch."

I opened my mouth. No sound came out.

"It was your fault, Cassian. If you had never kissed him. If you had never run away. If you had never made him want you. His mother would still be alive."

The tears were falling faster now. Hot. Unstoppable.

"It was your fault."

I could not breathe. I could not speak. I could not do anything except sit there and let the tears fall.

I had blamed Dominic for hurting me. I had blamed him for destroying me. I had blamed him for everything.

But it was me. It was always me.

I had kissed him first. I had run away first. I had made him want me. I had made him obsessed with me. I had destroyed his life. I had killed his mother.

I was the reason his mother died.

I was the reason he was broken.

I was the reason he had become a monster.

I closed my eyes. The tears kept falling.

"It was your fault," he said again.

I did not argue. I could not.

\---

He was quiet for a moment. Then he continued.

"I have searched for Marcus everywhere. I cannot find him. Dominic has hidden him well. But I know how to make him talk."

He looked at me. Smiled.

"Finally. Some benefits of an adopted son."