Chapter 9
Cassian carried Rayna into the car, feeling a sudden tightness in his chest. He instinctively turned to glance back at the abandoned factory behind them. It felt like something important was still in there.
For some reason, the image of that woman crawling toward him flashed in his mind. She looked strangely familiar.
“Cassian, what’s wrong?” Rayna couldn’t help but ask when she saw the look on his face.
He looked away and shook his head. He must be overthinking it. She was just a bitch. There was no way he’d know her.
“Let’s go,” Cassian said, driving off.
The farther they drove from the abandoned factory, the more restless he felt. He tugged at his tie unconsciously, and in his distraction, he didn’t notice a car pulling out up ahead.
“Cassian, watch out!” Rayna cried out, reaching over to grab the steering wheel. They narrowly avoided a collision.
Cassian slammed the brakes, and the car came to a sudden stop.
His heart was still racing, and his brows furrowed tightly. He had never felt this unsettled before. Naomi’s face kept flashing in his mind.
Thinking of how he’d left her behind at the cemetery, a wave of regret and guilt washed over him. He must have been neglecting her recently, which was why she was upset and went after
Rayna.
As soon as Rayna felt better, he would make it up to Naomi by dedicating more time to her.
Rayna lowered her gaze, eyes turning red. “Cassian, are you thinking about Naomi? You should go back and see her. I’ll get out of the car here. I’ll be fine on my own.
“I heard there’s a new cake shop that’s really good. Maybe you can buy something to cheer Naomi up.”
A trace of conflict flickered across Cassian’s face. “Let me take you home first. You’re always so kind. I can’t keep letting you be the one to suffer.”
“I’m not suffering. Taking care of Naomi is the right thing to do. But Cassian, please don’t let your mind wander when you’re driving. If something happened to you, Naomi and I would both be heartbroken,” Rayna advised softly..
Cassian pressed a guilty kiss to her forehead, then drove her home.
He carried Rayna home, remaining by her side until she drifted off to sleep. With her peacefully resting, he finally found a moment for himself. He pulled out his phone and sent a message to Naomi.
“Honey, are you home? Ray had an accident and reached out to me for help. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, so I brought her to the hospital.”
“Naomi, was it you who sent someone after Ray? She saved your life. Why would you do that
to her?”
“Once she recovers, I want the two of you to talk things out face to face. I don’t want anything like this to happen again.”
Cassian sent a series of accusatory and warning messages, not realizing he was naturally biased toward Rayna.
When no reply came, a vague sense of unease crept in. But then he thought of how Naomi had been constantly losing her temper lately, ignoring his calls and making a scene, and irritation flared up in him again.
He called her. The phone rang until it stopped on its own. Yet, no one picked up.
His mood worsened. He wondered if Naomi was giving him the silent treatment, though she was the one at fault. She had sent someone to harm Rayna.
He couldn’t believe she was now angry with him. He must’ve spoiled Naomi too much. It must
have made her feel like she could do whatever she wanted and act out in front of him without
consequences.
But this time, what she did was way out of line. He wasn’t going to rush back and coax her like
before. She needed to understand that she had crossed a line.
Cassian set down his phone and returned to Rayna. Looking at her pale face, Naomi’s image suddenly flashed through his mind.
Lately, Naomi had been looking unwell. Her complexion had been alarmingly pale.
His heart sank. It felt like he’d missed something important, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something might be wrong with Naomi, so he decided to go back and see for himself.
