Chapter 12 A Deal in the dark
Cassandra could not stop smiling as she left the restaurant that night.
The cold wind brushed her cheeks, but she felt warm inside. Nathaniel had finally said the words she had waited for. He wanted her back. He wanted her to move into his house. And he said he loved her.
Love? Cassandra almost laughed again as she walked to her car. She did not care about his love. What she cared about was his house, his cars, his money, his company. All of it.
She closed her eyes for a moment and let herself imagine it. She pictured herself standing at the balcony of Nathaniel’s mansion, looking down at the wide garden. She saw herself walking into his bedroom, wearing silk gowns, servants running to serve her. She pictured herself sitting beside him at meetings, people calling her “Mrs. Knight” again.
And then she imagined something even sweeter. One day Nathaniel would fall. She would find a way to make it happen. When he was gone, everything he owned would have her name on it. She would be the queen, and no one would dare question her.
Her lips curved into a slow smile. Yes. That was her dream. That was her truth.
The next morning, Cassandra drove to meet someone. It was a small café far from the city center. She walked in, her red heels tapping on the floor, and there was Vanessa waiting for her.
Vanessa waved her over. “Cassandra! Over here.”
Cassandra walked to the table, hugged her lightly, then sat. The two women were different, but they shared the same heart—dark, greedy, and hungry for more.
Vanessa leaned in, her voice low but sharp. “So, how did it go? Did Nathaniel fall into your trap?”
Cassandra smirked, crossing her legs. “Fall? He begged me. He said he loves me. He asked me to pack into the mansion.”
Vanessa clapped her hands together and laughed. “Perfect! Just perfect! Now it begins. Once you move in, everything will be in your hand. And when the property is finally sold, I will get my share.”
Cassandra nodded, her smile wide. “Of course, Vanessa. You will get your share. We are in this together.”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed with greed. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. “I just wish Savannah would die wherever she is. That would make everything easier. She’s useless anyway.”
At the mention of Savannah’s name, Cassandra’s smile turned sharper. She lowered her voice and said, “Nathaniel told me something funny. He said Savannah lied to him that she is pregnant.”
For a second Vanessa froze, then her mouth dropped open. And then she burst out laughing. “Pregnant? That’s a lie! How can she be pregnant? They were married for two years and not even one child. She is probably barren!”
Cassandra joined her laughter, both of them shaking with wicked joy. “Exactly! That’s what I told him. There is no way she can be pregnant. She is only trying to tie him down. But she is gone now. She will never come back. And soon, she will be forgotten.”
Vanessa sipped her coffee, still grinning. “Savannah thinks she is smart. But you, Cassandra, you are smarter. You always win.”
Cassandra flicked her hair back and smiled proudly. “Of course I win. I always do. Savannah was too weak, too soft. She never knew how to keep a man like Nathaniel. But me? I know exactly how to control him. Soon, everything he owns will be mine.”
They both laughed again, the sound sharp and cruel, drawing a few stares from the other tables. But neither of them cared. Their laughter was full of victory.
Vanessa leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Cassandra, once you are inside the mansion, you must watch every move. Nathaniel is not stupid. He trusts you now, but if he sees anything, he will throw you out again. You must play the part of the perfect woman until the right time comes.”
Cassandra nodded slowly, her smile fading into a look of cold focus. “Don’t worry, Vanessa. I know how to play him. I will smile when he wants me to smile, I will cry when he wants me to cry. And when the time is right, I will strike. Nathaniel will never see it coming.”
Vanessa’s lips curved. “Good. Because when he falls, we both rise. Remember, Cassandra, I want my share of his company. Once his empire is broken, we will take the pieces.”
Cassandra lifted her glass of wine and raised it. “To us.”
Vanessa raised her own cup. “To us.”
They clinked their drinks together, sealing their wicked plan.
But deep inside, Cassandra could not stop thinking of Savannah’s words. Pregnant. Was it true? Was there a chance Savannah carried Nathaniel’s child?
She shook her head quickly. No. Impossible. Savannah was weak, barren, empty. Nathaniel had told her everything—two years of marriage and not one child. It was only a lie. Cassandra would not let herself believe otherwise.
Still, the thought lingered in her mind like a shadow she could not shake off.
She forced a laugh and turned back to Vanessa. “Don’t worry about Savannah. She will never come back. Even if she tries, Nathaniel won’t take her back. She is finished.”
Vanessa smiled coldly. “Then let’s make sure she stays finished.”
The two women laughed again, their voices filling the café. To them, the world already belonged to them.
But outside, far from that café, Savannah sat alone in a small rented room, holding her belly and whispering to her unborn child. She had no idea that the people she once trusted were now plotting against her, and that Nathaniel, the man she once loved, was falling deeper into a trap he could not see.
And Cassandra? She was ready to move into the mansion, ready to wear the crown that was never hers.
The game had only begun.