The one detail that hadn’t been mentioned in the news caught the person's attention on the other end of the line.
After a brief pause, they asked for the address, confirming they would report it to Jasper immediately and come over right away.
Cathy and Alaric wasted no time. They locked me in my bedroom, ensuring I couldn’t say anything out of turn. I heard the front door open, followed by a flurry of footsteps. It wasn’t long before the doorbell rang again, this time signaling Jasper’s arrival—with an entire entourage in tow.
Then came the real surprise.
The media.
Not Jasper’s people. Mine.
I had called them in secret, knowing that a spectacle would make it impossible for Jasper to ignore the Montclair family’s sudden eagerness to repay his supposed benefactor. The bigger the chaos, the better.
And, as expected, Jasper Sterling was just as breathtaking as ever. Handsome, charming, and exuding effortless confidence, he commanded attention under the flashing cameras. His gaze landed on Cathy, filled with something that looked like gratitude.
"If it weren’t for you back then, I definitely would’ve died," he said, his voice warm and sincere. "All these years, I’ve been searching for you… I’ve missed you so much."
Cathy, who had dressed to impress, blushed deeply, practically glowing under the attention.
But before she could respond, a voice from the crowd cut through the moment.
"Where’s Cathy’s sister, Cassie? Why isn’t she here?"
Jasper’s expression shifted. He raised an eyebrow.
"You have a sister?" His gaze flicked back to Cathy, sharp with curiosity. "Why didn’t you mention that when you saved me? Bring her here. I’d like to meet her."
My heart pounded.
Could it be that, even now, I still couldn’t escape my fate?
...
For a moment, Isabella and Cathy stood frozen, completely thrown off. I almost wanted to smack them for their lack of composure.
Fortunately, Alaric snapped out of it first.
With a dramatic sigh, he said, "Ah, Cathy does have a sister, but she suddenly fell seriously ill. She really can’t meet anyone right now."
He shot a wary glance at the growing crowd, clearly worried that one of the nosy neighbors might expose the truth.
Cathy quickly jumped in. "Because my sister’s health has always been poor, I didn’t mention her before," she added, her tone dripping with forced concern.
Jasper’s brows knitted together, but before he could question it further, Cathy smoothly redirected his focus.
She pulled out the token—the sapphire brooch.
With a bashful smile, she held it out to him. "Let’s not talk about anyone else right now, Jasper," she said sweetly. "This brooch you gave me… I’ve kept it safe all these years. But now, I think it’s time to return it to its rightful owner."
Then, she lowered her gaze, feigning modesty. "Honestly, I didn’t do much. I just stayed by your side and talked to you. I’m not really your life-saving benefactor."
Jasper’s eyes widened the moment he saw the brooch. He reached for it slowly, his fingers brushing over the surface, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Who told you that?" His eyes met hers, filled with something raw. "You saved me. My life is yours to claim, let alone this small token of my gratitude."
He paused, taking a steady breath before continuing, his tone more earnest now.
"I’ve been searching for you all these years… and the reason I made my search so public recently is because…"
Suddenly, Jasper hesitated. His expression shifted—his usual confidence faltered, replaced by something almost vulnerable.
After a long, lingering silence, he finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly.
"Because I was afraid that if I didn’t find you in time… you might get married." His fingers curled around the brooch. "And if you married someone else… I’d regret it for the rest of my life."
The room went completely still.
Cathy inhaled sharply, her voice breaking with emotion. "I… I’ve actually been waiting for you, too!"
The crowd erupted in applause.
I sat in silence, listening to the distant sound of cheers, claps, and muffled exclamations of joy.
Was this it? Were they embracing by now? Was this the start of their perfect love story?
Outside, the commotion carried on for what felt like hours. Through the walls, I caught snippets of conversation—Cathy’s breathless voice, Jasper’s steady replies, the sound of someone accepting a ring.
By the time everything had settled down, it was already afternoon.
That’s when my mother finally opened my door, her face alight with satisfaction.
I stepped into the living room and was immediately met with nothing but smiles.
Well—mostly smiles.
Cathy was practically glowing, her fingers tightening possessively around the massive diamond ring on her finger. Her cheeks were flushed, her excitement barely contained.
But the moment she spotted me, the warmth in her eyes disappeared.
Her smile hardened.
She took a step closer, her voice dropping into something low and warning.
"I’m telling you right now, Cassie. Jasper proposed to me, and I said yes. You will never tell him the truth."
Her eyes gleamed, her grip tightening on her ring.
"If you do… you’ll be stealing your brother-in-law."
Alaric shot me a hard glare, his voice low and sharp. "You need to know your place. That whole ‘saving someone’ thing was just a coincidence. If Cathy had been there instead of you, she would’ve saved him, too. Jasper proposed because he fell for her the moment he saw her—it had nothing to do with any so-called life-saving nonsense."
I didn’t argue.
There was no point.
Isabella, growing impatient, reached over and pinched me sharply. "Say something! Have you lost your tongue?"
I flinched at the sting but quickly nodded, lowering my gaze. "It was Cathy who saved him, not me. No matter how many times you ask, I’ll always say the same thing."
The tension in the room eased slightly. Their expressions softened, but not completely.
They didn’t trust me.
Not fully.
They were afraid I might change my mind and that I’d find a way to slip the truth to Jasper.
So, to make sure I really had no reason to look back, they handed me their entire family savings—the money they had been setting aside for a new house—and ordered me to leave that very night.
I could barely contain my excitement as I took the cash. Finally, I had enough to go abroad, to start fresh, to chase the life I had always dreamed of.
But I didn’t let them see that.
I dragged my feet, hesitated at the doorway, and even turned back three times to sell the illusion that I was reluctant. That I wasn’t thrilled to be walking away from the place I had once called home.
In reality, I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.
...
The next couple of weeks flew by as I finalized my study-abroad plans.
The day I received confirmation of my departure date, my phone rang.
It was Cathy.
The moment I picked up, I heard her sobbing. "Cassie… where are you? Please… please come back. I’m begging you!"
