Page 44 of Sinful Obsession
His gaze pinned me like he was dissecting me. “Your captor wasn’t your father. Wasn’t Luca. He’s a ghost. A man clever enough to make the world believe you were dead, while he kept you hidden for three years... then dumped you in your grandfather’s house like you were nothing more than discarded evidence. I still don’t understand his motive.”
My breath caught, my mind clicking into place.
No wonder I’d woken up in Grandfather’s cabin, disoriented, with no memory of how I’d arrived.
The realization hit like a blade. “What if... what if it wasn’t an accident? What if my memory loss was calculated? Like he stole those years from me on purpose?”
Cassian’s jaw flexed, sharp enough to cut glass. “it’s clear.” He said, his voice flat but laced with suppressed rage. “He erased your past, Charlotte. Deliberately.”
My stomach dropped. “Why? What does he want with me?”
“I don’t know.” His voice was a blade. “But when I find him, I’ll make him pay for every second of pain he caused you.”
I stared at him, confusion battling anger. “You’ll make him pay?” I asked, my voice sharp. “You hate me—you think I killed Elodie. Why would you care about my pain? And how do you know he hurt me?”
Cassian’s gaze burned into mine. “He sent me footage,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
“Videos of you—tortured, broken, screaming. I’ll kill him, Charlotte, not because I’ve forgiven you, but because he dared touch what’s mine. He used Elodie’s kidnapping to distract me, then took you. I’ll find him, and I’ll end him—slowly.” He swore under his breath, his words a vow etched in venom.
My throat went dry. “Show me. The footage. I want to see it.”
His stare didn’t waver. “No. They’re too vile.”
“But it already happened.” My voice cracked. “What difference does it make if I see? Did he—” I swallowed hard. “Did he rape me?”
Silence.
His eyes locked on mine. Expressionless. That was my answer—silence louder than words.
Finally, his voice cut through the air, merciless. “The doctor we met earlier will help you recover your memories,” he said finally, his voice evasive.
“He will guide you—therapy, tests, whatever it takes. But I can’t tell you more about your past, not now. If you want answers, you’ll get them. But not from me.”
A wave of panic surged.
“Why not?” I demanded, my voice breaking, fear and frustration boiling over.
“And how long, Cassian? How long do you plan to keep me your prisoner?”
His lips curved into something almost cruel. “Until I drag that ghost into the ground. Six feet under. Until then, you’ll stay under my roof—because if I let you out of my sight, he will take you again.”
I shook my head. “No. He’s done with me. No one could save me before, and then he just... let me go. If he wanted me, he’d have kept me. What makes you think he’ll still come?”
Cassian leaned forward, his voice like steel. “Men like him don’t let go. They play games. And you—” his gaze pinned me, “you’re still on the board.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“And even if you’re right about him, what about Luca? Your father? Artem?” His voice cut through my defiance. “They’re circling, Charlotte. Luca wants revenge for his eye—I stabbed him because of you. And he’s always been obsessed with you.He wants you as his wife before December so your grandfather’s gold and vaults transfer to him.
“Your father wants control of you, so he can claim your share for himself.
“And Artem? He’s desperate to make himself the head of the five New York families. That position would give him leverage against me. All he has to do is use you as my weakness, and I’d be forced to pull out of the race.
“You are the key to every one of them. You’re not safe anywhere—not in the House of Devils, not on your own. Only with me.”
His verdict fell like a gavel.
“So you’ll remain here. Under my roof. Under my watch, until every threat is neutralized,” he said. “You’ll serve your punishment for Elodie’s death, but tonight...” His gaze lingered, softer for a fleeting second. “Tonight, I’ll let it pass because of your nightmare.”
