"All right, it’s a deal. You have to introduce me to Young Master Joyce sometime."

"Of course..." After hanging up, Amelia Avery lifted her chin smugly. ’Leo Joyce, you dared to lie to me. If I don’t stir up some trouble for you, you must think I, Amelia Avery, am a total pushover!’

—Vespera—

"Our very own Master Jennings is getting married tomorrow! We have to give him one hell of a party tonight!"

Cassian Jennings glanced at Hayden Archer, who was holding up a bottle and addressing the room. A wicked smirk played on Cassian’s lips as he looked down and gently swirled the wine in his glass, his mind starting to drift.

"Master Jennings, this is your night! Get up and say a few words!"

At that, Cassian pulled his thoughts back to the present. He leisurely stood up, wine glass in hand, and nodded to the crowd in the room. He smiled with a devilish charm. "As long as everyone has fun, that’s all that matters!"

"Ahem... Master Jennings, aren’t we going to play some games?" Hearing Cassian’s brief remark, Hayden Archer frowned in dissatisfaction.

Cassian flashed another wicked smile, then tilted his head back and downed the red wine in his glass. "Play however you want," he said coldly. "I don’t have an opinion!"

"All right! Since Master Jennings has given the word, let’s go big."

"Yeah, yeah! If we’re gonna play, let’s go big! Otherwise, what’s the point?"

"Then let’s play..."

...

Listening to the guys discuss what games to play, Cassian just sat on the sofa with a cold, self-mocking smile, completely unmoved.

’He used to be the first one to jump in and suggest ideas whenever they talked about games. But now... it felt like nothing was fun anymore.’

Just then, the door was thrown open, and a man’s shocked voice followed. "Oh my god! Everyone, get out here and look! Amelia Avery is back! It’s Amelia Avery, in the flesh!"

"Amelia Avery?"

"Miss Avery is back?"

"Amelia’s back?" ...Because of their connection to Cassian Jennings, these guys were no strangers to Amelia Avery. In fact, you could say some of them were her little spies.

"Yeah, she’s back! Not only is she back, she’s outside right now doing a seriously sexy dance with some guy!"

"It’s so fucking hot, you have no idea. All the guys out there are fucking drooling!"

As the man spoke, he couldn’t stop rubbing his hands together in excitement.

The group, who had just been discussing what games to play, heard this and immediately rushed out to watch the show. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

And no one noticed, let alone remembered, the man sitting on the sofa who hadn’t said a single word...

Once everyone was gone, Cassian could no longer contain himself. He hurled the wine glass from his hand.

’The moment she’s back, she’s grinding on some guy. The moment she’s back, she’s stirring up trouble. That’s Amelia Avery! The same Amelia Avery who’s always been a thorn in his side!’

Cassian shot up and kicked the table several times. He then swept all the bottles and everything else off the table, smashing them on the floor. But still, the fire in his chest couldn’t be vented.

He sat on the sofa, resting for a minute or two, before rising with a cold, grim expression and striding out of the room.

Outside the room, Cassian rounded a corner. As he emerged from the hallway, he could hear the pounding music from the main hall, along with the cheers and jeers of the crowd.

His gaze darkened as he looked to the center of the dance floor, at the woman in a red camisole and denim hotpants...

The woman reached out, yanking the tie of the man she was dancing with. He gripped her waist, their faces pressed close together...