Chapter 18
Aurelia’s mouth twisted bitterly, tears spilling down her cheeks. []
“Even now you’re still lying to me?”
“If you didn’t put Lucien in that orphanage, then who did? Me?!” Her voice cracked as she screamed at him, her eyes filled with despair. “Do you have any idea what he went through? How many times he got beaten? They forced him to eat shit, Cassian! SHIT!“[]
“While you were at home spoiling your bastard son and letting your whore torture me! You’re fucking disgusting!“||
Something clicked in Cassian’s brain.[]
No wonder every time he’d mentioned wanting to visit Lucien, Verena had found excuses to put him off.[]
Over the years, he’d transferred huge amounts of money to Verena, always telling her to send it to the family in Boston who was taking care of Lucien. But she’d always been evasive about it, never giving him straight answers.[]
Now it all made sense. Lucien had never been in Shanghai at all. Verena had dumped him in some orphanage right here in New York.]
All so she could cont
Cassian better, keep him under her thumb.
“That fucking bitch,” Cassian clenched his fists, rage blazing in his eyes. “Verena, you evil cunt! You lied to me for four years!“[]
Aurelia let out a harsh laugh, looking at him with pure contempt. “Yeah, Verena’s a piece of shit. But you’re even worse!“]]
You gave Lucien away and then never checked on him once in four years! You left everything to Verena, but he wasn’t her kid–why the hell would she take care of him?”
“And now you’re trying to blame it all on her? Who’s gonna buy that bullshit?“]
Cassian stared at her helplessly. She was right–there was no way she’d believe him now.
He opened his mouth to keep defending himself, but Aurelia cut him off.
“You know what, Cassian? This is all my fault. I never should have fallen in love with you.”
“I can understand why you switched the babies. I can understand why you took Caleb to see Verena every y
biological mom.”
“But what I can’t understand is why you wouldn’t just divorce me. There’s no love left between
us,
SO
to
bond
with his
Cassian’s heart lurched. “How can you say I don’t love you? You’re the only woman I’ve ever
loved!”
He looked at her with such apparent sincerity that for a second, she almost believed him.[]
But she knew better. He didn’t love anyone except himself.
He’d married Aurelia because she was rich, beautiful, and could help his career.
He’d kept Verena around because she was obedient, didn’t demand marriage, and gave him a heir.
As for Caleb and Lucien, he didn’t really love either of them anymore.[]
Chapter 18
“You love me? Then why did you let Verena kidnap me? Why did you keep hanging up when I called you for help?“|[]
“Do you have any idea what they did to me that day…” Her voice broke as the memories of being tortured came flooding back.
She wiped her tears with shaking hands and forced herself to sound calm. “Whatever. It’s over now. Just sign the papers.“[]
Cassian stared at her, his heart breaking.
Even though he’d already learned about Verena’s crimes from Silas’s evidence file, hearing Aurelia describe it herself made it real in a way that tore him apart.]
His Aurelia had suffered so much, and it was all because of that bitch Verena.
