Chapter 18
After ending the call, Cassian was brimming with excitement. He swung his legs out of bed, eager to find Thalia, but the moment his feet touched the cold floor, his body crumpled beneath him.
Years of subsistin
on nutrient substitutes and neglecting proper meals had left him. dangerously frail. His mother rushed to his side, her face etched with sorrow, and carefully helped him back into bed. Her hands shook slightly as she tucked the blanket over him, her voice tender yet firm. “Son, now that she’s finally been found, there’s nowhere she can run. But for now, your priority is to regain your strength. If Thalia sees you like this, she’ll be disappointed.”
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The thought of Thalia thinking poorly of him sent a surge of panic through Cassian. His gaze fell on the photograph of a man whose immaculate image mocked him from the bedside table. A spark of determination ignited in Cassian as he clenched his jaw. “I won’t let myself fall short compared to him,” he declared, his voice steely with resolve. “I’ll prove I’m better.”
From that moment, Cassian began eating properly and threw himself into rigorous exercise. His obsession with self–improvement consumed him, and before long, Callum called him. This time, Callum’s tone was heavier than usual. “Cassian” he said gravely, “the man in the photo is from the Everleigh family.”
A gleam of cold intensity flashed in Cassian’s eyes. “It’s Thorne, isn’t it? The Ashfords‘ only son?”
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Callum’s voice sharpened, edged with frost. “Exactly. He’s been living abroad for years, which explains why our efforts to locate Thalia were futile. He must have been hiding
her.”
Cassian’s expression darkened, his lips curving into a menacing smile. “Everleigh family or not, if Thorne dares to keep my fiancée from me, I’ll make sure he regrets it.”
Meanwhile, Thalia and Thorne, having just returned to the country, were en route to the Everleigh family estate. As the car navigated through familiar streets, Thalia found
herself overtaken by a bittersweet nostalgia. Memories flooded her mind, pulling her back to the moment she had boarded a plane two years ago–a desperate attempt to flee her past and carve out a new beginning far from home.
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That was when Thorne entered her life. From the first moment they met, her boss had recognized her identity. At the time, Thalia was oblivious to how broadly her disappearance had been publicized. Once Thorne gently informed her of the news dominating online platforms, her panic set in.
“I won’t expose you,” he had assured her with a soft, calming smile, as if sensing “You have my word.”
er terror.
Yet Thalia soon learned that her name alone was treated as a bounty. Cassian and Callum had offered billions in rewards for her location, turning her every move into a nightmare. Those were the darkest days she could remember. Strangers harassed her, invaded her privacy, and disrupted her life to the point where she had to don a mask
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whenever she stepped outside. And still, she was recognized. Cameras followed, crowds congregated outside her home, and there were even attempts to abduct her.
Throughout that harrowing time, Thorne shielded her from it all. When she was too frightened to venture outdoors, he worked tirelessly to protect her. When the harassment spilled into the lives of her neighbors and her landlord demanded she leave, Thorne was the one who offered her refuge, finding her when she had nowhere but the streets to turn to.
Now, as those memories overwhelmed her, Thalia’s eyes glistened with unshed tears Why couldn’t they have just left her alone? Why had they pushed her so far? If not for Thorne, she wasn’t certain she would have
survived it.
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She turned her gaze to the man sitting beside her, her heart swelling with warmth. After Cassian’s betrayal, she had sworn off any thoughts of marriage. But Thorne, with his quiet perseverance, had become her anchor. He had shielded her, cared for her, loved her more deeply than she could fathom.
He had confessed his love countless times, each tender but unrelenting. Each time she refused, fear gnawed at her heart, but Thorne never wavered. His gentleness, his patience, remained her constant. “It’s okay,” he would say without a trace of anger. “You can refuse me. But I think there’s something there. I feel it. Why don’t you?”
And when, for the first time, she saw vulnerability in him, her walls began to crack. One drunken evening, he had held her close, his voice tinged with an unfamiliar ache.
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“Thalia, can you trust me? I know someone hurt you before, but I’m not him. Don’t punish me for what he did–it’s not fair.”
Her composure wavered. He was right. Cassian had scarred her so deeply that she recoiled at the thought of love. But Thorne’s earnest heart reached her, even when she tried to resist.
Finally, after much soul–searching, Thalia decided to give him a chance. To her surprise, Thorne’s love wasn’t overwhelming or suffocating. It was empowering. Every day brought new promises, but he never demanded anything from her. He would look deeply into her eyes and tell her, “Thalia, don’t let those who hurt you dictate your future. You deserve happiness, and I want to give you that–every bit and more.”
Their relationship flourished slowly, growing
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from professional companionship to friendship, and eventually into love. A few. months ago, they had exchanged vows in a quiet overseas ceremony, far from the shadows of her past. Now, with Thorne’s child growing inside her, Thalia had finally freed herself from her demons. The thought of facing Cassian or Callum no longer struck fear in her heart. Whatever awaited her, she was certain–neither of them could touch her happiness anymore.
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