Chapter 36 Chapter 36
The night was deep, the city lights glowing through the tall glass windows of Nathaniel’s mansion. The air in the bedroom was heavy with perfume and warmth.
Cassandra lay on the silk sheets, her hair spread across the pillow, her lips curved in a smile. Nathaniel leaned over her, his hand tracing her cheek, his eyes burning with desire.
“I missed you,” he said in a low voice.
Cassandra laughed softly, brushing her fingers down his chest. “You have me now, Nathaniel. Isn’t that enough?”
He kissed her hard, desperate, like a man trying to forget. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. To anyone looking, they were the picture of passion, two lovers lost in each other.
But inside Cassandra’s mind, there was no love. Only calculation.
She thought of Savannah, far away, hidden, weak. Cassandra’s lips curled against Nathaniel’s mouth. She is gone. This mansion, this man, this company — they will all be mine. Soon.
Nathaniel pulled back, staring into her eyes. “Promise me, Cassandra. Promise me you’re not playing with me again. I gave you another chance.”
Her smile was sweet, her voice soft. “I’m not playing, Nathaniel. I love you. I always loved you. It was Savannah who came between us, but she’s out of the way now.”
Nathaniel clenched his jaw. “Don’t mention her.”
Cassandra stroked his face gently. “Fine, my love. No more talking about her. It’s only us now.”
He kissed her again, slower this time, as if her words had soothed him. He wanted to believe. He needed to believe.
But Cassandra’s eyes stayed cold even as she kissed him back.
\---
Later, they lay on the bed together. Nathaniel’s arm rested over her waist, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Cassandra rested her head on his shoulder, her smile hidden in the dark.
She tilted her face up. “Nathaniel, do you trust me now?”
His eyes flickered, but he nodded. “Yes. I want to. I need peace in my life. You’re giving me that again.”
Cassandra almost laughed, but she bit her lip and hid it with another kiss. Peace? she thought. If only you knew. I will give you everything but peace.
\---
“Tomorrow,” Nathaniel said suddenly, “I want you to come with me to the office. I’ll introduce you to the board again. It’s time they see you by my side.”
Cassandra’s heart jumped with excitement. The board. The company. The power. She forced her voice to stay calm. “Of course, Nathaniel. I’ll be proud to stand with you.”
He smiled faintly, pulling her closer. “I need loyalty. I can’t afford betrayal again.”
Her nails dug lightly into his skin as she whispered, “You’ll never get betrayal from me.”
But in her head, she laughed. Every touch, every kiss, every smile — all of it was a mask. Behind it was greed, hunger, and a thirst that could never be satisfied.
\---
Nathaniel closed his eyes, finally drifting into sleep, but Cassandra stayed awake. She looked around the room, at the gold curtains, the polished wood, the luxury that shone in every corner.
“This will all be mine,” she whispered into the dark. “No one will take it from me. Not Savannah. Not anyone.”
She turned to look at Nathaniel, asleep beside her. His face was calm, unguarded. She reached out and touched his cheek gently, her smile wicked.
“You think you own me,” she whispered. “But in the end, I will own you. I will own everything.”
She lay back on the pillow, her eyes wide open, her mind already plotting the next move.
The night outside was quiet, but inside that mansion, a storm was growing — and Nathaniel had no idea he was lying in the bed of a snake.