"They're gone," he whispered, his thumb grazing my lower lip. "Now. What the hell just happened?"
I froze, the repercussions of my actions finally sinking in.
"I…I…" I stuttered, frantically coming up with ideas to get me out of this mess.
I took in a deep breath and tried to maintain eye contact even though I could feel the cold sweat trickling down my back.
Stay calm, Yvette; I've got this.
"Can't you speak?" Cassian prompted, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
I stepped around him, approached the table, and took the glass of wine I hadn't finished.
I could feel his gaze burning holes in my back, but I didn't turn. I lifted the wine and took a sip but nearly dropped it.
The wine glass was shaking against my lips!
I returned the wine glass to the table, hiding my trembling hand from view.
Don't be nervous, Yvette. Cassian has no idea I'm a fake…
He thinks I'm Isabelle… Yes, I'm Isabelle… the Quinn heiress.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
"Haha," I laughed, turning to look at Cassian, my mask slipped back with perfection. "Sorry about that. I must've startled you."
"What?" His voice was low, but I could feel his displeasure coming off in waves.
"You think you can startle me?" he asked, his brow raised slightly.
"Oh, that's good then. I'll go ahead first," I said, trying to flee, but he wouldn't move from the door.
"Are you going to tell me, or should I find out by myself?"
My eyes snapped towards him, and I blurted the first thing that came to mind.
"I saw my ex… I… I mean, I thought I saw my ex."
"Your ex?" He repeated, his voice like ice. "You have an ex?"
"I know… I shouldn't have used you like that and made you misunderstand… I panicked, alright? He has no idea about my family's social standing and the fact that I'm to get married to someone I don't love…"
"Someone you don't love?" He echoed, approaching me. He looked like a time bomb about to detonate.
That was when I realised I had been rambling under his deathly glare while further digging a hole for myself. A shiver ran down my spine as I instinctively took steps backwards to get away from him.
My back hit the wall, and he slammed his hands against the wall by the sides of my head, caging me between the wall and himself.
"You think you're qualified to use me? You want to die?"
"You look angry," I deadpanned, masking my fear. "I wonder why… I mean, you just said you would never marry a snake like me… So I've decided to be honest."
"Isabelle!"
"Cassian Knight!"
"Shut your tiny mouth before I strangle you to death."
"You won't!"
"Try me," he whispered, his voice returning to that low rumble, but the threat was unmistakable.
I kept quiet, not wanting to provoke him further. He looked even more furious than when he called the Quinns a family of snakes.
We stayed like that for an eternity, and for a moment, I couldn't even breathe due to his oppressive aura.
When I realised he wasn't making a move to release me, I broke the tension.
"Can I go now? I also don't want to get married to someone I don't love. I promise I won't appear in front of you, just like you wanted. I won't go through with the wedding."
The words rushed out in one breath, but instead of releasing me, Cassian looked like he was out for blood.
His jaw twitched as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, exposing the strong muscles of his arms.
Damn, that was hot!
He did it slowly, still holding my gaze, and warning bells began to go off in my mind. It was as if he were restraining himself from doing something to me… hurting me perhaps.
I felt my throat go dry, and I swallowed.
"Umm…why are you l–looking at me like that? Is something on my face?" I asked, lifting my right hand to touch my face.
"What is that? Is that makeup on the back of your hand?"
"What?" My heart skipped when I realised the concealer had smudged again.
I turned the back of my hand away and heaved a sigh when I saw my crescent-shaped birthmark wasn't visible.
But Cassian snatched my hand the next second, bringing out his thumb, obviously with the intention of wiping the concealer.
I tugged my hand away, but my strength was no match against his.
"Let me go," I hissed. "You don't have a right to inspect me like this. I will charge you with sexual harassment for touching me inappropriately, Mr Knight," I hissed.
"Why such a strong reaction?" He asked with raised brows. Cassian's thumb hovered over the concealer, his gaze unsettling.
"Strange," he murmured. "You're hiding something else."
"I have the right to decide whether I want you to see my blemish or not," I snapped.
Cassian finally released me, and I side-stepped him, fleeing the room as if the devil were after me.
"I hope I never see you again, Mr Knight," I said at the door, not sparing him a glance and slamming the door after me.
~~~
The ride back to the Quinn estate was quiet, just like before. The driver didn't speak, and neither did I.
As we got closer to the mansion, I began to replay everything I said to Cassian in my mind, and I wanted to slap myself a few times for turning the lunch into a disaster.
What was I going to tell the Quinn parents? That I broke off their decade-long marriage alliance?
Yvette, what have you done? Couldn't I just shut up for a minute?
The jeep came to a stop, and the door was opened by a guard from the outside.
"Welcome, young miss," the servants chorused when I entered the main hall, pausing in their movements and bowing to show their respect.
I felt even more guilty about everything I said and did, seeing everything I was enjoying as Isabelle.
Joel and Estelle came down the stairs with smiles on their faces as they welcomed me. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me right then and there.
"I… I…" The words refused to leave my mouth.
"Oh Isabelle, I didn't expect you to pull it off in your first meeting, but you did," Estelle said, smiling brightly.
"I did?" I asked, even though it sounded like a statement.
"Yes, child. We just got off the phone with Old Madam Knight. Cassian wants us to set the date for your wedding immediately. He agrees to the marriage alliance," Joel added.
"What?" I croaked, my eyes widening in disbelief.