Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband

(Cass)

I sit on the couch at Jayden's penthouse, picking at my nails, while Viktor stands near the window, arms crossed, eyes focused on the city below.

His broad shoulders are tense, his entire posture screaming disapproval.

I've just told him what I overheard in my apartment and he's acting like I heard it on purpose.

"Say it," I snap, breaking the silence.

He turns, his blue eyes icy. "You shouldn't have gone there alone."

"Tell me why you went there," he demands, his voice a coiled spring ready to snap.

"I didn't know they'd be there!" I snap, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "I was cleaning up, minding my own business, and then they just... showed up."

"Does anyone else know?" he growls, his accent thickening with his anger. "Did you see anyone on the way in, or out? If he finds out..."

"No." I fire back. "No one else was around. Stop being so dramatic."

"You need to take this seriously," he says, his voice sharp enough to cut glass. "Don Alejandro is one of the most dangerous men in the world. If he had known you were there if he ever finds out-you're dead." I freeze, his words slamming into me. "He didn't see me. They didn't know I was there."

"We can't guarantee he won't find out," he says fiercely. "You don't understand the kind of man he is."

I push back against the fear rising in my chest. "What do you want me to do, Viktor? Hide under a rock for the rest of my life?"

"I want you to stop taking reckless risks," he says, his voice dropping to a dangerously low rumble. "You don't go anywhere without me screening it first."

I glare at him. "You're not going to babysit me again. No way."

"You've been kidnapped by them. You and Winona were lucky to get home alive. You trusted Mia and Gabriel then and look what happened."

"So now it's my fault. Victim blaming at its best."

"You should stay away from that side of the Brennan family."

"Oh, so this is about Gabriel," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "This isn't about me being in danger. This is about you being jealous."

Viktor's jaw clenches, and for a moment, I think he might actually lose his shit. But then he lets out a harsh laugh, cold and devoid of humor. "Jealous? Of Gabriel? You give yourself too much credit, Cass." I feel like he's slapped me. "Excuse me?"

"Gabriel is irrelevant to me," he says coolly. "Jealousy would require us to have a personal relationship."

"God forbid you have feelings."

"Relationships shouldn't be hard, Cass. And anything between you and I is always hard."

I stare at him, my body starting to shake. I'd showed him all my inner demons, my weaknesses. He's acting like I'm the plague.

I shouldn't care what he says because it's true. "So that's it?" I say, my voice trembling with anger. "You're just... what? Too weak to deal with how you feel about me? Too scared to admit it?" "This isn't about fear," his voice like steel. "It's about reality. And the reality is, we don't work. We never will."

The anger bubbles over, and before I can stop myself, I say, "so you admit you've thought about it then? You're full of shit, Viktor. I'll do whatever I please with whoever I want. Fuck you!"

I grab my phone and dial Gabriel. He answers on the second ring.

"Cass," he says smoothly. "How are you?"

"Hey, Gabriel," I say, forcing a cheerful tone. "You still up for dinner? I could use being spoiled for a while."

"Absolutely," he says, his voice warm. "Pick you up in an hour?"

"Perfect," I reply, glancing at Viktor out of the corner of my eye. "Actually, give me two hours. I want to make myself stunning for you. See you soon."

I disconnect the call.

"You're making a mistake." Viktor's face is deadpan.

"No," I say grabbing my bag. “I'm running my own life. You don't have the balls to admit you're attracted to me. Gabriel does. Anyway, as if I'm attracted to you... You're an empty vessel." en

Viktor's face is a storm cloud, his eyes burning. Before I can say @ anything, he grabs me by the wrist and pulls me close, his lips crashing down on mine in a kiss that' equal parts fury and passion.

I almost lose the ability to stand. My body melts into his and I return the kiss.

It's over as quickly as it began, and he flings me away. I'm left staring at him, breathless and confused. "What the hell was that?"

"Me proving you can be attracted to me."

The door opens, and Gus walks in, his sharp eyes flicking between us. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Viktor says quickly, stepping back. "Nothing at all. But Cass has something you need to hear. You could be in immediate danger. Don Alejandro is here in the city." Gus looks at me and I quickly relay what happened at my apartment.

"This is serious. If Don Alejandro finds out you were there..."

"I know," I say, cutting him off. "I've already gotten the lecture from Viktor."

"Then you know we need to act fast," Gus says. "If word gets out that you overheard that meeting, you won't just be a target, you'll be dead."

"I'm not telling anyone. So, stop trying to dictate how I live my life."

"This isn't about controlling you," Viktor says, his voice cold. "This is about keeping you alive."

"I don't need you to keep me alive," I snap at him. "I can take care of myself."

"I made a promise to Winona..." Gus says.

"I'm not being babysat by him again,"

I say, indicating Viktor. "If you two

want to play secret agents, go ahead. But leave me out of it. Ẩm going back to my new job soon. I'll just be working."

Gus nods. "Do not utter a word of any of this to anyone. Not even Winona. Telling anyone anything can put them in danger."

"I won't."novelbin

"The problem is, he has eyes everywhere. If someone has seen you in the vicinity around the time... That worries me." "I'll do everything you tell me, Gus, but I won't be shadowed by anyone."

"Just be extra careful. To be honest, if he wants you dead, no one will stop him anyway. Better to continue life as normal." "Well, on that note of gloom and doom, I have a date to go get ready for."

Viktor's hot and hard kiss lingers on my lips, and for the first time, I wonder if I've underestimated how dangerous this is. And I don't mean Don Alejandro.