Chapter 98 Chapter 98
Cassandra woke up feeling a little lighter that morning. For the first time in weeks, she smiled to herself. She sat up on the bed and touched the drawer where she hid Marcus’s letter. It still felt unreal that he was alive.
She took the letter out again and read it for the tenth time.
“Cassie, I’m sorry for everything. I’ll come back for you when the time is right. Please don’t give up on me. I love you.”
Her eyes softened. “I knew you’d never leave me, Marcus,” she whispered with a weak smile.
Nathaniel had already gone to work. The house felt peaceful, and that gave her the space she needed to think. She quickly dressed up, applied light makeup, and carried her purse. She had to tell someone — she had to tell Vanessa.
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Vanessa was sitting in a quiet corner of a small café when Cassandra arrived. She was sipping iced coffee, scrolling through her phone. When she looked up and saw Cassandra, she raised her brow.
“Wow, look who finally remembered I exist,” Vanessa said jokingly. “You look like you haven’t slept in weeks.”
Cassandra smiled faintly and sat down. “You won’t believe what happened last night.”
Vanessa frowned. “What is it this time?”
Cassandra looked around to make sure no one was listening. Then she leaned forward and whispered, “Marcus contacted me.”
Vanessa nearly dropped her drink. “What did you just say?”
“I said Marcus contacted me,” Cassandra repeated with excitement. “Someone called me last night and said he knows where Marcus is. He gave me a letter… from Marcus!”
Vanessa’s mouth fell open. “A letter?”
“Yes!” Cassandra nodded quickly and took it out from her purse like a treasure. “Here, read it!”
Vanessa grabbed it and read silently. Her face changed immediately — from shock to anger. She dropped the paper on the table. “Cassandra, are you out of your mind?”
Cassandra blinked. “What do you mean?”
Vanessa leaned forward, her voice rising. “You actually believe this rubbish? After everything Marcus did to you? After he ran away with forty million naira, you still think he loves you?”
Cassandra frowned, looking hurt. “But the handwriting is his. And he said he will come back—”
“Come back my foot!” Vanessa snapped. “Cassie, when will you stop being foolish? This man used you! He stole from you and disappeared without a trace. Now someone calls you in the middle of the night, and you go there alone? Are you even thinking?”
People at nearby tables turned to look at them. Cassandra lowered her head. “Keep your voice down, Vanessa,” she whispered.
“No!” Vanessa said firmly. “You need to hear the truth! You keep defending a man who only sees you as a wallet. Do you know how many women like you he has probably fooled?”
Cassandra’s eyes filled with tears. “Stop saying that, please.”
Vanessa shook her head, clearly angry and disappointed. “You’re letting your emotions blind you. What if that call was a setup? What if they wanted to harm you? You could’ve been kidnapped!”
“I just wanted answers,” Cassandra said softly. “I needed to see him again.”
Vanessa sighed heavily and crossed her arms. “Cassie, you are married now. You have a husband who takes care of you, and here you are, sneaking out at night for another man. If Nathaniel ever finds out, what do you think will happen?”
Cassandra stayed quiet. Her tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at her untouched drink.
Vanessa reached out and took her hand, her voice calmer now. “I’m not saying this to hurt you, Cassie. I just want you to wake up. Marcus doesn’t deserve your tears.”
“But what if the letter is true?” Cassandra asked weakly. “What if he really wants to come back for me?”
Vanessa sighed again. “And what if it’s a lie? What if he sent that letter just to make you wait for him while he’s busy spending your money with another woman?”
Cassandra’s lips trembled. She couldn’t argue because deep down, she feared Vanessa was right.
Vanessa leaned back in her chair. “You should throw that letter away and focus on your life. Don’t let that man ruin you twice.”
“I can’t,” Cassandra said softly, clutching the letter close to her chest. “I still love him, Vanessa.”
Vanessa looked at her sadly. “Then I pity you.”
Cassandra sniffed and wiped her face. “You don’t understand. He’s not like that. He made mistakes, but maybe he regrets them now. Maybe he’ll fix everything.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Cassie, you sound like a little girl in love with a fairy tale. This is real life. Men like Marcus don’t change. He’s using you.”
Cassandra shook her head stubbornly. “I know what I feel. I’ll wait for him.”
Vanessa looked at her for a long moment, then sighed and stood up. “Fine. Do whatever you want. But don’t come crying to me when he disappears again.”
Cassandra’s heart sank as she watched her friend walk away. She didn’t mean to make her angry, but she couldn’t stop herself from hoping.
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Later that evening, Cassandra sat in her car for a long time, parked by the roadside. She couldn’t go home yet. She didn’t want to see Nathaniel or anyone. Her mind was full of Vanessa’s words, but her heart refused to believe them.
She took the letter out again and read it under the dim streetlight. “I love you,” she whispered, tracing Marcus’s handwriting with her finger.
She smiled weakly. “I’ll wait for you, Marcus. No matter what anyone says.”
She folded the paper carefully and put it back inside her purse.
When she finally reached home, the mansion was quiet again. Nathaniel wasn’t back yet. Cassandra walked straight to her room, locked the door, and lay on the bed.
She thought about Vanessa’s angry face and her harsh words, but then she thought about Marcus’s smile and the way he used to hold her. Tears slowly filled her eyes again.
Maybe Vanessa was right, maybe not — but her heart wouldn’t let her let go.
As she closed her eyes, she whispered softly to herself,
“Marcus… please come back soon.”
She didn’t notice the shadow standing outside her window — one of Nathaniel’s guards, watching quietly.
And he had already made a call to his boss, telling him everything.