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đź“– Until You Beg
Chapter Five – The First Real Lie
By Peace Lovie
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Zariah woke up late the next morning.
Not because she overslept—she never did that—but because she hadn't slept at all. Her body had laid still, her mind anything but.
Cassian knew. Or at least... he knew enough to be dangerous.
Yet he hadn't exposed her.
Why?
She didn't believe in mercy. Not from men like him.
He wanted something. Or maybe, worse, he felt something.
And the problem was…
So did she.
---
When she arrived at the office, Cassian was already there.
No hello. No smile. Just the same cool, unreadable face. But his eyes flicked up the moment she walked in. Like he'd been waiting.
Waiting for her to run.
Waiting for her to lie again.
She nodded politely and walked past him. He didn't stop her.
But he didn't look away, either.
---
Later that day, he called her into his office.
The air inside felt heavier than usual. As if whatever mask he usually wore had been peeled off — and underneath was something jagged.
He gestured to the seat across from him.
"No need to be scared," he said dryly. "I haven't poisoned the chair."
Zariah sat, slowly. "Didn't think you had."
"You looked at my file last night."
"I did."
"You wanted to see what kind of man I really am?"
"I already know."
That made him pause.
"And what am I, then?"
Zariah met his eyes. Her voice was calm.
> "A killer who pretends he has a conscience."
Cassian stared at her for a long, empty second.
Then he laughed.
But it wasn't amused.
"You're not wrong," he said. "But you're not innocent either."
Zariah didn't respond.
He leaned back in his chair. "There's something you're not telling me."
There it was.
The opening.
He was giving her a chance.
And she—
She took it. But not the whole truth.
Just enough to twist the knife.
---
"My father died because of a deal gone bad," she said softly. "Someone powerful ruined him. Took everything. Then disappeared like it never happened."
Cassian's jaw clenched.
She continued. "I came here looking for... answers."
Not vengeance. Not truth.
Answers.
A lie wrapped in a half-truth.
And it worked.
Cassian's expression shifted. The sharp edge in his eyes dulled. He wasn't suspicious anymore.
He looked… guilty.
Like something in her words touched something in him.
"I've ruined people before," he said quietly. "But not without reason."
"I'm not asking for your guilt," she said. "I just want to know what kind of man I'm working for."
He stood and walked to the window. The city stretched behind him — glittering, cold.
"I'm the kind you survive, not trust."
---
The silence that followed wasn't tense.
It was heavy. Intimate.
And when he turned back to her, his eyes held something different. Not suspicion. Not hunger.
Regret.
"You'll come with me tonight," he said. "Dinner. Private."
"Is that a command?"
He gave her a small, tired smile. "No. A request."
Zariah should've said no.
She should've walked away.
But instead, she whispered—
> "Okay."
---
The restaurant wasn't public. Of course not. Cassian rented out the rooftop of a luxury hotel — soft lighting, expensive wine, and only two plates.
Zariah wore black. Simple, sleek, with a low back.
Cassian looked at her like she was gravity and he was done resisting.
They didn't talk about the office.
They didn't talk about the kiss.
They talked about books. Music. Family—though Zariah tread carefully.
When she laughed—genuinely, for the first time in weeks—Cassian just watched her.
Like she was something he never expected to enjoy.
---
After dessert, he poured more wine.
"I didn't know how to be soft before you," he said.
Zariah's heart skipped.
"You're not soft," she replied.
"I am with you."
She stared at him.
This man—this empire of sin and secrets—was melting in front of her.
And the worst part?
She didn't hate it.
---
But as he reached across the table, gently brushing his thumb over her knuckles...
Zariah saw it.
The scar.
Small, almost hidden, but she knew it.
Because her father had one too.
And suddenly, everything made sense.
This wasn't just any enemy.
Cassian Vale didn't just destroy her father.
He knew him.
---
She blinked slowly. Covered her reaction with a smile. Let him believe the wine made her soft too.
But inside?
> Something broke.
And now, she didn't just want revenge.
She needed it.
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