Chapter 474

Cassandra rose from her seat and moved toward the entrance. There stood William Carter, her most persistent suitor.

"I've come to collect my reward!" William shoved his way inside, pinning Cassandra against the wall. His lips crashed onto hers with bruising force.

Cassandra remained motionless, arms limp at her sides. Her expression stayed blank, bordering on irritated.

After several unsatisfying kisses, William pulled back with a frustrated growl. "If you despise me so much, why promise yourself as a reward for completing your mission?" His fingers dug into her cheeks. "You're like kissing a corpse. No warmth, no response. Is this supposed to be my reward or my punishment?"

A cold smile twisted Cassandra's lips. "Patience, William. I always keep my promises. Just not today."

"What excuse do you have now?" William's patience wore thin.

"For years I considered you my only love. I never forgot that. When you were still innocent, I wouldn't even let you kiss me. Only after we ended things did I realize what a snake you truly were."

William's grip tightened. "Other men got to touch you so easily, but never me. That's my only regret - the one thing driving me insane. I've dreamed about you. Done things I swore I'd never do. Even hurt an innocent girl. And now you're backing out?"

Cassandra's icy gaze never wavered. "You lost control with that naive friend of hers, Sophia. Didn't expect to actually fall for her, did you? You claim undying love for me, yet develop feelings for someone else in months? Men like you are all the same - full of empty promises!"

"That's not true!" William's anger faltered. His eyes darted nervously. "I was only acting! Using her to get information on Vivian. I even recorded us together to blackmail her into betraying Vivian. Everything I did was for you!"

"Eloquent performance." Cassandra held up her phone. "I recorded everything. Prove your words - send this to Sophia."

"You're insane!" William snatched the device, fingers trembling as he deleted the recording.

Cassandra's laughter rang sharp and mocking. "See? Your love is as fragile as a soap bubble. I've always known - no man can remain faithful. The day men become trustworthy is the day pigs fly!"

After confirming the deletion, William exhaled. "Sophia's kind and innocent. I've hurt her enough. This ends now. I won't be your pawn anymore."

Cassandra smirked. "Think you can walk away that easily? You fell into this abyss the moment you approached Sophia for me. There's no climbing out now."

"You think deleting one recording erases everything?" She tapped her temple. "I uploaded it to the cloud. Along with your little video with Sophia. Imagine her reaction when it goes public. Think she might... take drastic measures?"

William's hands flew to her throat. "Give me the password! Delete everything now!"

Cassandra's smile turned predatory. "I'll consider it... if you do one last thing for me. Succeed, and I'll vanish from your life forever. You and Sophia can live happily - no one ever needs to know your dirty secrets."

William swallowed hard. "You swear?"

"On one condition." Her gaze slid toward the bedroom where Adrian slept peacefully. The unspoken demand hung between them.