My Wife Longed for My Foster Brother Chapter 09

My Wife Longed for My Foster Brother Chapter 09 A Desperate Smear

Cassandra didn’t go to the engagement party.

But news about it was everywhere. She tortured herself, scrolling through every article, every photo, every rumor about August and Summer. Then she hid behind anonymous accounts and wrote vicious

comments.

“I have a friend who works at a club. Young Master Sterling is there every night. He orders young models constantly.”

“I heard he’s bad in bed but still addicted to playing around.”

“Summer Blake is a snake. She used to steal her friends‘ boyfriends. I heard this Young Master Sterling was stolen by her too–she was the other woman.”

The gossip exploded online.

“Guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover. I thought Young Master Sterling was handsome and charitable.”

“I just started liking him and now his image is ruined.”

“Handsome but bad in bed?! I’m heartbroken.”

Others pushed back.

“Why is everything ‘I heard‘? Since when does that count as evidence?”

“Not a single photo, just made–up stories.”

“Anyone notice one account from Ashford keeps popping up? Maybe it’s someone from their rival camp.”

The rumors were starting to spiral.

Cassandra felt uneasy–but also excited. She imagined August coming to her, confronting her. If things went really well, maybe the Sterling and Blake families would call off the wedding to avoid the scandal.

She didn’t get what she wanted. Instead, she got the news that the Vance Group had exploded into a scandal of its own.

The stock plummeted. Her father found out she’d offended two of Kingsport’s most powerful families. He flew back from abroad in a rage, tore into her, and ordered her to fix everything she’d caused.

Only then did Cassandra understand: August hadn’t even bothered to face her. He hadn’t bothered to punish her himself. She wasn’t worth his time.

After getting the rumors suppressed, Cassandra collapsed in bed, exhausted. Rain tapped against the window. Her longing for August spread through her like madness.

She reached for the thing she used every night–but this time, the name she whispered wasn’t Derek’s.

It was August’s.

Eyes half–closed, she remembered the way he used to hold her from behind. Gentle. Warm.

Suddenly, she screamed. The thing fell out of her hand.

A figure stepped out of the shadows. He picked it up, examined it, then approached her with a twisted grin.

“Cassandra,” Derek said, “if you wanted it that badly, why didn’t you come to me?”

‘Don’t come any closer!”

She pressed herself into the corner of the bed. She’d turned him away so many times recently, sworn she’d never see him again. How had he even gotten in?

This is breaking and entering. I’ll call the police!”

Derek laughed. “Breaking and entering? I used the keypad. The password was my birthday. I tried it and it >pened.”

Cassandra froze.

Only then did she remember–when they’d set the code, August had suggested using both their birthdays. she’d refused, deliberately setting it to Derek’s birthday instead. She’d enjoyed knowing August had no dea what those numbers meant.

Derek sat down on the edge of the bed. “Cassandra, you used to have eyes only for me. How did we end up ike this?”

He had his own problems. August had stripped him of all power in the company and convinced Mr. and Mrs. Sterling to cut him out entirely. Derek had never expected the always–soft August to move with such uthless precision.

But he still had Cassandra. Their history as childhood sweethearts–plus a little effort in the right places— hould be enough to get her back on his side.

Then he remembered what she’d whispered at the peak of her pleasure.

August’s name.

The bitch. The thing was custom–made to his measurements, and she still dared moan another man’s

name.

He looked at her guarded expression, and something inside him snapped.

He lunged.

She fought back–scratching, hitting, screaming. He grabbed her throat and slammed her head against the wall.