"Now's not the time. She needs rest," Ezekiel said firmly, his voice cool and final.
Rick opened his mouth to protest. "Uncle-"
But Ezekiel's sharp glare cut through him like frost, ice-cold and unapologetic.
And just like that, Rick turned and walked out. No words. No fight. Only silence.
Cassi finally exhaled.
Only he, Ezekiel Hastings, could make Rick crumble like that. She had almost forgotten Ezekiel was Rick's uncle. It wasn't obvious at first. Rick went by Burke, his father's surname. What she didn't know back then was that his mother was a Hastings, Ezekiel's older sister.
He had deliberately kept the connection hidden. She only found out much later. It had slipped from Rick's lips during one of his bitter rants, when he cursed Ezekiel for "ruining his life" and "controlling everything like a damn king."
That was when the illusion started to crack.
Rick hated him. Called him terrifying, arrogant and ruthless. Said Ezekiel could crush a man with just a look. And tonight… he wasn't wrong.
'The world really was small,' she bitterly thought. Her grandfather, Randall Valemont, had once wanted her to marry Ezekiel - a formal arrangement, sealed in legacy and power. But then, Rick entered her life nine months ago and they fell in love.
At least, she thought they did.
Grandpa respected her choice. Never pushed her about Ezekiel again. Never even mentioned the engagement. And now, as fate twisted cruelly in her favor, she had just kissed Ezekiel in front of Rick. Let him watch her choose the man he feared most.
Ezekiel turned back to her, and for a moment… the world shrank again. Just the two of them. Bound by a kiss that felt too raw to be fake. Too intense to be for show.
"You're really not backing down from this," he murmured, voice low.
Still half out of her mind, heart racing and head spinning, Cassi slowly, almost instinctively, shook her head.
"No," she whispered.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Not amused but he seemed satisfied?
"Good," Ezekiel said, stepping closer. "Because neither am I."
That made her gulp.
The tension between them was unfamiliar, too foreign for her. It clung to the air like it didn't want to leave.
Realizing how close they still were and how completely messed up everything had become, Cassi shifted and slowly leaned back into her pillows.
She shut her eyes and muttered softly, "I feel a bit sleepy. I think I need some rest."
A half-lie. A half-exit.
With her eyes closed, she heard a faint murmur from her grandfather, followed by the soft shuffle of feet and the click of the door closing.
Silence.
Cassi bit her inner lip and let out a heavy sigh. She waited a beat longer to be sure… then slowly cracked her eyes open.
Alone.
"Finally," she breathed, pressing a palm to her chest.
Her heart was still pounding.
"What did I just do?" she muttered.
The warmth of Ezekiel's lips still lingered on hers like a ghost, haunting and electric. Rick's stunned expression flashed in her mind, sharp and vivid.
And somewhere deep inside… the lie she'd told to protect herself, to hurt him back, had just taken on a dangerous life of its own.
There was no turning back now. She had kissed Ezekiel Hastings. In front of everyone. In front of him. And worst of all… a part of her didn't regret it. Not one bit.
*****
Ezekiel stood near the doorway, his expression unreadable as ever. He turned to face the two older men. "I'll take my leave now."
Randall gave him a nod and patted his shoulder. "You should get some rest. You probably still have jet lag."
Beside him, Brandon, his father, clasped Ezekiel's arm. "We'll finalize the wedding details tomorrow."
Ezekiel offered them both a tight nod, then turned without another word.
Outside the hospital, his black car was already waiting. Troy, his ever-efficient personal assistant, immediately straightened when he saw him approach. He opened the door without a word.
Ezekiel slid into the back seat. "Drive straight to the penthouse," he instructed.
"Yes, Boss," Troy replied as he got behind the wheel and started the engine.
The city lights passed by in a blur. Inside the car, silence wrapped around him. Ezekiel leaned his head back against the seat, eyes half-lidded… but not with sleep.
He brought a hand to his mouth. His thumb brushed over his bottom lip. Still warm. Still tingling from her.
That kiss. That damn kiss. It wasn't supposed to happen.
She had initiated it to prove a point, to make a statement. He knew that. But it felt like it wasn't the kiss of a woman pretending. Not entirely. And it sure as hell didn't feel like a man faking it, either.
"So…" Troy's voice finally broke the silence, his tone casual but curious. "How was the meeting, Boss?"
Ezekiel's eyes remained fixed on the city skyline outside the window. He didn't answer immediately. Then, after a long beat, his voice came quiet, unreadable.
"Unexpected."
Troy arched a brow in the rearview mirror and chuckled lightly. "Hmm… I guess that means you're finally getting married, Boss. Congratulations."
Ezekiel didn't respond. No smile. No reaction.
He simply closed his eyes, leaning his head against the seat like he could shut the world out.
He was exhausted, not from jet lag, but from the weight of everything that had just shifted. He and his father had just landed barely an hour ago, ready to head home, when his phone rang.
Uncle Randall. One call. No pleasantries. Just four words: "It's about your bride." And that was all it took.
His father hadn't needed an explanation. Not when he heard the name Cassi Jones. Without another word, the car changed course, straight to the hospital.
And now…
She was nothing like he remembered. Not the child from those family photos. Not the sweet, docile girl they once said he'd marry.
No, Cassi was different. She was quiet fire. Controlled heat behind guarded eyes. Deliberate. Unpredictable. And bold enough to pull him into a kiss in front of everyone like she meant every second of it.
And still, here he was… lips still burning like it meant something more.
Ezekiel's jaw flexed.
The rest of the drive passed in silence. But in his head, her voice kept echoing:
"I will marry no one but you."
And the taste of her still lingered.
"She's playing a dangerous game," he muttered under his breath.
Troy glanced back through the mirror with a knowing grin. "So…" he drawled. "Are you going to play along, Boss?"
Ezekiel didn't answer. He didn't need to. The faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth said it all.