Chapter Five

The Man They Didn’t Warn Her About

Isla POV

I couldn’t sleep after hearing that name. Cassian. It kept circling in my head like a warning I couldn’t ignore. I lay in the silk sheets staring at the ceiling, replaying Elias closing his door and the way Vivienne’s voice had sharpened.

Nobody had mentioned him in any file or briefing. That alone told me he mattered.

Morning came too early. I went straight to Elias’s room and knocked softly before stepping inside. He was already awake, sitting up with a book in his lap that he clearly wasn’t reading.

“You came early,” he said. His voice sounded distant.

“Couldn’t sleep.” I sat on the edge of the bed and searched his face. “What happened last night? You seemed upset.”

He shook his head. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

“Elias, talk to me.” I reached for his hand. “You shut me out. If something’s wrong, I want to help.”

He pulled his hand back gently and stood, moving to the window. “I just need to be alone today. It’s not you. I promise.”

The tension in his shoulders looked old. Like it had been there long before the accident. “Alright,” I said quietly. “But I’m here if you change your mind.”

I left him standing there and closed the door behind me. I needed answers.

——————————————————————

I found Vivienne in her office. She was on the phone when I walked in, held up one finger, finished the call and set the phone down looking at me like I was an unwelcome interruption.

“Yes?”

“I heard a name last night,” I said, keeping my voice firm. “Cassian. Who is he?”

Vivienne studied me for a long moment, then gestured to the chair. I sat.

“You have nothing to worry about,” she said smoothly. “It has been handled.”

“It doesn’t look handled. Elias shut down completely this morning.”

“Elias heard it too.” Something shifted behind her eyes. Brief. Controlled. But I caught it. “This is not your concern. If it becomes relevant, I will tell you. Until then, you follow instructions and stay exactly where you are.”

“I can’t do that if I don’t know what I’m walking into,” 

“You don’t need to understand,” she said simply. “You need to comply. Focus on Elias. That is your only role here.”

I stood. “Fine. But if this affects Naomi…”

“It won’t,” she cut in. “As long as you do what you’re told.”

I walked out without another word, frustration building with every step.

——————————————————————

Elias still wanted space that afternoon, so I walked the estate grounds alone. The gardens felt too quiet without him. I hated admitting it, but Elias was the only thing keeping me sane here. I had never been trapped in a job before. Usually I did the work and walked away. The fountains ran softly beside perfectly arranged hedges as I stopped near the iron gate.

A dark car sat parked on the road outside. It hadn’t been there earlier. Through the tinted windows I could just make out a figure in the driver’s seat. Still. Watching.

I took a step closer.

The engine started. The car pulled away slowly and disappeared around the bend.

I stood there long after it was gone, heart beating faster. Someone had been watching the estate.

Or watching me.

——————————————————————

That evening Elias finally came downstairs. He looked calmer but the unsettled look still lingered. He sat beside me on the couch while the television played low in the background.

“I’m sorry about this morning,” he said after a while, reaching for my hand.

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“I do.” He turned toward me. “You didn’t deserve to be shut out like that.”

I studied his face. “Whatever this is about… you can trust me.”

He held my hand like it was the only steady thing left. “I love you, Celeste. I want you to remember that.”

The words landed differently than usual. Not like reassurance. Like a warning dressed as tenderness. Like a man bracing for something he could already feel coming.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t know how.

Sometime after midnight, a sharp knock woke me. I sat up fast on the couch. Elias stirred beside me but didn’t fully wake. The room was dark.

The knock came again, louder. I stood to see who was there before the door opened.

A tall man stepped inside. Broad shoulders, perfectly styled dark hair, piercing grey eyes that scanned the room and locked onto me instantly. He moved like he owned every inch of space without trying. Behind him, hurried footsteps sounded from the stairs. Vivienne and Lila appeared, stopping abruptly halfway down when they saw him.

He didn’t look at them.

His attention stayed on me. Unblinking. Intense.

Then slowly  he turned toward the couch.

Elias had woken now. The moment he saw the man, he went completely still.

The air in the room changed.

“Hello, brother,” the man said quietly, his voice low and controlled. “Looks like I missed quite a lot while I was away.”

Elias didn’t move. “Cassian.”

Neither did I.

The man’s mouth curved slightly. Not warm. Just certain.

Looking at him standing in that doorway with those grey eyes finding me across the dark room I understood exactly why nobody had warned me about him.

Some things you cannot prepare for.

He was one of them.