Chapter 101
Asher continued, his voice tinged with regret.
F83%
+50
“Even now, I still resent that Cassic chose to spend her final moments with you instead of me. But I understand now because you were the only one who truly cared about her.”
His eyes reddened with unshed tears; the weight of his guilt was visible in every line of his face.
“I’m still paying for what I did to her. And the revenge she took on me… it cuts deep.”
I had no interest in Asher’s regrets. His remorse meant nothing to me–not after witnessing how Cassie endured her sorrow alone. So, I stayed silent, offering him nothing.
Sensing my resolution, Asher didn’t push further. Without another word, he handed me a stack of photographs.
“In her letter, she asked me to give you these photos. When you see them… you’ll understand everything.”
My breath caught as I looked at the pictures. One of them showed Evan–but the shocking part was that he was kissing Ms. Moretti. The other photos captured him with different women. Charlotte was among them.
“Are you saying…” I looked up at Asher, my mind racing with a hundred questions. “Evan was behind all of this?”
I remembered the moment Evan pulled the trigger on Charlotte. She was unhinged, delirious—on the brink of confessing that he had been the one helping her all along. The realization sent a chill through me. Evan had the power to orchestrate my cousin’s disappearance–to pay off those involved and stage Charlotte’s death.
“But why?” I pressed, desperately trying to make sense of it all. “What could he possibly gain? He knew about the bad relationship between Cassie, me, and Charlotte.”
“You’re too naïve, Isabella. Evan didn’t care about that. Do you think that if he had truly loved Cassie, he would have stayed silent while I spent years hurting her sister with my cheating? Sure, he called me out–but only to warn me to be careful.”
The realization sent a shiver through me. That question had always lingered in the back of my mind. Evan and Asher had been friends. They moved in the same circles and shared acquaintances.
If I had seen my sister’s boyfriend betray her, I wouldn’t have just warned him—I would have cut ties with Asher and beaten him for every tear Cassie shed.
Asher’s voice grew heavy. “The truth about Evan goes deeper than anyone realizes. Yes, he gave his sister everything, but underneath that generosity was a deep jealousy of Cassie’s natural talent. Everything she did seemed to succeed, from her role in the business to her successful modeling career. Their parents were proud of Cassie, which only made them more disappointed in Evan’s failures.”
He paused, running a hand through his hair.
“Mr. and Mrs. Monroe are constantly dealing with Evan’s messes. Do you think Cassie didn’t try to cut ties with me when she was still alive? She had to maintain the marriage alliance because the company was in a precarious position. Their parents couldn’t trust Evan to manage the business, so despite his age, Mr. Monroe kept pushing himself to remain in his role as chairman.
My hand flew to my mouth as the implications sank in. Beside me, Asher’s composure crumbled, tears streaming down his
face.
“I knew everything about it and used that knowledge to justify hurting Cassie…”
His words dissolved into wracking sobs, grief, and guilt, stealing his ability to speak.
I pieced everything together, especially the real reason Cassie had distanced herself from her family.
1/3
12:48 Mon, 14 Apr AM •
Chapter 101
83%
50
My voice trembled as I spoke, “Evan told me I had to marry him to claim Cassie’s inheritance. It never made sense because I knew my best friend would never want to burden me like that, especially knowing I was expecting a child with Grayson”
Asher’s eyes hardened, his expression darkening as he wiped his tears away. “Evan’s arrogance made him think you’d eventually give in. He saw the inheritance as the perfect trap, believing no one could resist that kind of money. He’s always thought he was cleverer than everyone else.”
“Are you saying Cassie didn’t actually leave me anything?”
He shook his head. “No, Isabella. Cassie left everything to you with no conditions. That’s partly why she wrote to me, to ensure your safety.”
His expression softened slightly.
“And there’s more. She mentioned leaving something in your apartment’s mailbox while she was still living there. I think she already knew Evan’s plan to take Charlotte.”
“Why didn’t she tell me? We spent months together in the Bahamas,” I said, my voice filled with disbelief.
“Because it wasn’t just your life at stake anymore, Isabella–it was your child’s, too. You were vulnerable, pregnant, and alone with things already strained between you and Mr. Blake. She couldn’t risk it.”
His words settled heavily in my chest as my thoughts fixated on whatever Cassie had hidden in that apartment mailbox.
The answer to everything might be waiting there, but I couldn’t tell Asher my intentions. I managed to get him to leave the villa without revealing my plans.
I texted Grayson, but no response. He was probably preoccupied with his mother’s condition and the ongoing investigation.
The night dragged on as I sat on the soft couch, weighing my options. The attack on Ms. Moretti by one of the guards served as a stark warning–it wouldn’t be impossible for the same to happen to me.
So, I texted Sophia instead, asking her to come quietly.
Besides Cassie, Sophia is the other friend I can truly rely on.
The bedroom was dark when my phone finally illuminated at 2 AM with her response: ‘I’m here outside.
I quietly made my way out of the villa, but the guard stopped me.
“Where are you going, Ma’am?” he asked.
“I’m going to Grayson. I can’t stay here.”
“You shouldn’t go without an escort,” he insisted.
I wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or annoyed.
“Fine then,” I snapped, my nerves unraveling. “Come with me!”
How naive I had been. Asher was wrong about Evan; he wasn’t just clever but brilliant in his schemes. He had predicted every move and was always one step ahead.
When I opened the gate, Evan was standing there, holding Sophia, a gun aimed at her head. The guard instantly reacted raising his weapon at Evan.
“Isabella…” Sophia’s voice trembled, tears welling in her eyes.
“Hello, Isabella!” Evan said, his tone casual as if we were meeting for coffee. “It seems we have some rather urgent matters to
2/3
12:48 Mom 14 for wń·
Chapter 101
What had jer happened? That’s all I could at myself
