His Deadly Obsession

CHAPTER 1

CASSIAN

I stood there smiling at the cameras like my life depended on it, but inside, I was dying. My cheeks were already hurting from holding this fake smile for the past hour. I leaned slightly toward my manager, Maya, who was standing right beside me, and muttered under my breath without moving my lips too much.

“This is so fucking fake. I feel like a clown.”

Maya kept smiling brightly at the crowd and the flashing cameras, but she answered me through her teeth.

“Smile wider, Cassian. You look constipated. And stop murmuring before someone notices.”

I wanted to roll my eyes so bad, but I didn’t. Instead, I kept the stupid smile on my face and whispered again.

“Damn that stupid bitch. If she didn’t pull that AI shit, I wouldn’t be standing here pretending like everything is fine.”

Maya’s smile didn’t drop even for a second. She waved at a few reporters before replying quietly.

“Well, that stupid bitch did pull the AI shit, and now we’re here trying to clean up your image. So smile like you mean it before I pinch you.”

I almost laughed but caught myself. That was the kind of relationship I had with Maya. She was more than just my manager. She was like an annoying older sister who didn’t hesitate to insult me when I was being difficult.

We were at a charity event for children with terminal illnesses. Kids were running around, laughing and playing. Some of them even came up to take pictures with me. I tried to focus on them instead of the mess my life had become, but it was hard. The scandal was still fresh. Even though we were fighting back, people were still talking.

After we finished taking pictures and greeting the guests, Maya and I finally got a moment to ourselves near the refreshment table. I grabbed a bottle of water and took a long drink before speaking.

“So… how bad is it really? Isn't this enough?” I asked her.

She gave me a look. “You already know how bad it is. That woman released an AI voice note of you supposedly telling her to abort the pregnancy. People believed it. Some still believe it. We had to work twice as hard to prove it was fake.”

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. “I still can’t believe she did that. We weren’t even that serious. It was just a few months.”

“Well, she saw an opportunity and took it,” Maya said, crossing her arms. “But we’re handling it. We already released the proof that it was AI generated. We also dug up some dirt on her and let the marketing accounts do their job. Slowly, people are starting to turn. If you keep showing up at events like this and stay out of trouble, the public will eventually move on.”

I looked at her. “You really think so?”

“I know so,” she replied. “Just don’t do anything stupid. No more clubbing. No more reckless posts. Just lay low and let the PR team do their work.”

I nodded, even though I hated how controlled everything felt right now. I felt like I couldn’t even breathe without someone twisting it into a headline.

We stayed at the event for another hour before it finally ended. Maya drove me home herself. The whole ride, she kept giving me instructions like she was my mother.

“Rest when you get home. I don’t want you staying up late reading comments online. And eat something proper. You’ve been surviving on coffee and stress.”

I leaned my head against the window and closed my eyes. “Yes, Mom.”

She reached over and flicked my forehead. “I’m serious, Cassian. You look tired.”

When we finally reached the mansion, Maya parked the car and turned to me.

“Go inside and rest. I mean it.”

I opened the door and stepped out. Without even turning back, I just raised my hand and waved at her.

“Yeah, yeah. I heard you.”

I could still hear her shouting from the car as I walked toward the entrance.

“Cassian! I’m serious! Rest!”

I waved again without looking back and entered the mansion. The moment the door closed behind me, the fake smile dropped from my face. I let out a long breath and stood there for a few seconds, just enjoying the silence.

The mansion felt too quiet. I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. As I drank, I could already feel the weight of everything pressing down on me again. It was suffocating.

I was still standing there when I heard footsteps. My dad walked into the kitchen, already dressed in his home clothes. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

“How was the charity event?” he asked.

I grumbled in annoyance and placed the glass down. “It was fine. Fake smiles. Fake conversations. Same as usual.”

Dad was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.

“Maybe you need a break from all of this,” he said. “The media. The pressure. Everything.”

I looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

He sighed. “I was thinking… maybe we should go back to Varynia for the holidays. Just for a few weeks. Get away from everything here. The media won’t follow us there as much. You can rest properly.”

I thought about it. Varynia. I hadn’t been there in a while. The last time I went, it was peaceful. No cameras. No scandals. Just family.

“You think that’s a good idea?” I asked.

“I do,” Dad said. “You’ve been carrying this alone for weeks. A change of environment might help.”

I nodded slowly. “Alright. Let’s go then.”

The next day, we left for the airport. Dad had already arranged everything.

We went through the private terminal like we always did. Everything was smooth until we were about to board the jet. Dad’s phone suddenly rang. He looked at the screen and frowned.

“Give me a minute,” he said and stepped aside to answer the call.

I waited near the jet, watching him talk. His expression changed as he listened. After a few minutes, he ended the call and walked back to me.

“Cassian,” he said, “I have to handle something urgent. Business emergency.”

I stared at him. “You’re not coming?”

He shook his head. “Not right now. I’ll join you in a few days. Go ahead without me. Varynia will pick you up when you land.”

I didn’t like it, but I nodded. “Okay. Just be careful.”

He gave me a small smile and patted my shoulder. “You too.”

I boarded the jet alone.

The flight felt long. I spent most of it staring out the window, thinking about everything. When we finally landed in Varynia International Airport, I grabbed my bag and stepped out of the jet. The air felt different here.

I was walking down the stairs when I heard a familiar voice call out.

“Cas!”