Chapter 92 Chapter 92
Vanessa was sitting in her car, scrolling through Instagram as usual. The afternoon was hot, and the air conditioner hummed softly. She wasn’t really looking for anything in particular, just killing time. But then something caught her attention — a familiar face flashing across her screen.
Her eyes widened as she clicked on the post.
It was Marcus.
Marcus, wearing a white shirt, grinning from ear to ear, holding a glass of wine in one hand — and beside him, a woman in a red silk dress leaned close to him, her face partly hidden but her smile clear enough.
The caption read: “Good life, good money, good company
Vanessa froze, her heart beating faster. “What the hell…” she muttered, zooming in on the picture. She recognized Marcus’s wristwatch — the same one she’d seen him wearing when he came to pick Cassandra up once.
“Don’t tell me this is real,” she said under her breath.
She checked the comments. Most were just random followers saying “Enjoy boss!” and “Big man moves!” but one comment made her frown.
“@Marcus_theKing looking fresh as always, boss. Hope Dubai plan still on?
Vanessa’s mouth fell open. “Dubai?!”
Her mind started racing. Marcus was supposed to be expanding his business — that’s what Cassandra said. But now he was enjoying himself in some hotel with another woman, talking about Dubai?
Without thinking twice, she grabbed her bag and started the car. “Cassandra needs to see this,” she said, shaking her head.
———
Cassandra was sitting in the living room when Vanessa barged in.
“Cassandra!” Vanessa called loudly, waving her phone.
Cassandra looked up, surprised. “Vanessa, what is it? Why are you shouting?”
Vanessa came straight to her and dropped the phone on her lap. “Look! Look at what I just saw on Instagram!”
Cassandra frowned and took the phone. Her eyes scanned the picture — then stopped.
The color drained from her face. “That’s Marcus.”
“Yes!” Vanessa shouted, throwing her hands in the air. “It’s Marcus! And who’s that woman beside him, huh? Because it sure isn’t you!”
Cassandra’s hand trembled slightly as she held the phone. “No, it can’t be… maybe it’s an old picture…”
“Old picture?!” Vanessa snapped. “Check the time! He posted it two hours ago, Cassandra! Two hours!”
Cassandra’s lips parted. Her chest rose and fell as she stared at the screen again. “Where is this? What hotel?”
Vanessa sighed. “I don’t know. He didn’t tag the location. But it looks expensive. Maybe one of those big hotels on the Island.”
Cassandra stood up slowly, pacing the room. “He told me he needed the money to expand his business! I gave him forty million, Vanessa! Forty million!”
Vanessa crossed her arms. “And now he’s using it to spoil another woman.”
Cassandra held her head, feeling dizzy. “No, Marcus can’t do this to me… he promised me, he swore…”
Vanessa sat beside her and grabbed her shoulders. “Cassandra, listen to me. This is why I told you to be careful. You don’t just hand over millions to a man you barely know!”
Tears gathered in Cassandra’s eyes. “But he loved me… or at least I thought he did…”
Vanessa shook her head. “He loved your money, that’s all. Look at the picture again — he’s not hiding. He’s proud of what he’s doing.”
Cassandra fell back on the couch, breathing hard. Her heart was heavy. The betrayal stung more than she expected.
Vanessa watched her quietly for a moment, then said softly, “What are you going to do now?”
Cassandra didn’t answer right away. She wiped her tears and stared blankly at the wall. “I’ll find him. I’ll make him explain.”
Vanessa frowned. “And what if he lies again?”
Cassandra turned to her, eyes red. “Then I’ll deal with him myself.”
Vanessa sighed, knowing Cassandra too well. When she said things like that, she meant them.
“Just don’t do anything stupid,” Vanessa said carefully. “You already have Nathaniel on your neck for that money. If he finds out you gave it to Marcus, you’re finished.”
Cassandra nodded slowly but her mind was far away. She could still see the image — Marcus smiling, wine in hand, the woman’s red dress beside him.
She stood up abruptly. “I need to go.”
Vanessa followed her to the door. “Go where?”
“I don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll start with the hotels on the Island. I have to find out which one that picture came from.”
Vanessa grabbed her arm. “Cassandra, stop! You’re not thinking straight. You can’t just walk into hotels looking for a man who used you. You’ll embarrass yourself!”
But Cassandra wasn’t listening. She pulled her arm away and walked to her car, still clutching Vanessa’s phone.
“Cassandra!” Vanessa called again, but Cassandra was already driving off.
Vanessa stood there, worried. “This is going to end badly,” she muttered to herself.
———
Meanwhile, Marcus was still in the hotel, laughing with Lila as the two clinked glasses again. He had no idea the picture he posted was already spreading like wildfire.
And Cassandra — heartbroken, angry, and humiliated — was on her way to find him.
Her world was slowly falling apart, and she didn’t even know that this was just the beginning.