"Cassian, what did you do? How could you — I told you a hundred times to listen to others when they're talking! This is exactly what I was worried about!"
Cassian pouted and crossed his arms as his manager, Ryan, rambled on and on about his carelessness. His gaze drifted to the phone lying beside him on the bed.
"Tch."
"You can't keep living this carelessly!" Ryan yapped. "Ugh, my neck, my blood pressure, my head is throbbing!"
On the other end of the line, Ryan clutched the back of his neck and closed his eyes in distress. His head wouldn't stop pounding from the stress.
This was exactly what he had been afraid of when he heard Cassian was going to play the same dangerous game the Royal Pack was playing.
"Why would Lizzie kill me? She likes me!" Cassian finally snapped. "There's no need to yap so much! This is just a misunderstanding, and if I explain what happened, I'm sure everyone will understand."
Hearing Cassian's nonsense, Ryan clutched his chest as he stared at his phone in disbelief.
"You think it's that easy?" he blurted out in horror. "Cassian, I know you're a little naive and ignorant, but you have to understand—this isn't a game. Your brother's reputation is at stake! And if the princess hears you used her name to make promises, she won't be pleased!"
Cassian puffed out his cheeks and lightly kicked his foot against the bed.
"Fine, fine!" He clicked his tongue. "It's my fault, alright? But I'm not fully to blame."
"Cassian."
"I'll just tell my brother…" Cassian trailed off as he thought it over. Then he nodded, as if he had reached the most sensible conclusion. "Or better yet, I'll just tell Lizzie about it. It's also a great chance for us to go on a date—hehe."
Ryan's face twisted. "Huh??"
"Just chill, okay?" Cassian huffed, lifting the phone closer to his mouth. "I've got it under control. Anyway, stop pestering me. I'm getting married soon, so all these brand offers can wait until my love life blooms first."
"But Cass—" Ryan tried to argue, attempting to stay on the line, but Cassian had already hung up.
Hearing the beeping tone, Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"God… this guy is going to die young," he muttered, massaging his brows to ease his growing headache. When he glanced at his phone again, another deep sigh escaped him.
"This feels more like watching someone crash… and I can't look away."
*****
Meanwhile, Cassian jumped off the bed with renewed motivation. His charming face beamed, his grin stretching wide.
"That's right." He nodded to himself. "I'll tell Lizzie that I accidentally told my brother she was coming to the launch. I'm sure she'll understand… and if that upsets her, I'll just surprise her with a grand date!"
Just imagining a lavish venue filled with all the flowers she liked, a candlelit dinner, and musicians playing the violin to complete the romantic atmosphere made him giggle happily.
"Should I just tell her we don't need to go to the launch and just go on a date with me?"
Excited by plans he had already marked as a "success" in his wild imagination, Cassian picked up his phone and sent Ryan a message that would only double the man's headache.
[Ry, book me a nice place—the best place for Lizzie and me. Also, book the best violinist, or maybe a pianist. She and I are going on a romantic date!]
When Ryan's phone rang, and he read Cassian's message, he nearly fainted.
"What just happened in the two minutes since he hung up?" he muttered in dread. "God… why was he born like this?"
*
*
*
Cassian believed that if he simply told Lynsandra the situation, it would clear up the entire misunderstanding. After all, it was an honest mistake. And in hindsight, he even felt it wasn't really his fault.
If anyone deserved blame, it was Elias.
That guy was a maniac who had gotten on his nerves. Seeing him that night—when he was supposedly with Lynsandra—had easily distracted him.
With that thought in mind, Cassian waited patiently for Lynsandra to come home. He even helped the kitchen prepare dinner and picked flowers from the garden to give her. He dressed up, going all out the entire day.
But alas…
Lynsandra didn't come home.
She didn't return to the harem house that night, nor the next day, or the one after that.
Five days later, Cassian found himself gasping in horror as he realized it was the fifth night she hadn't come home.
"What?!" He paced back and forth in the middle of the mansion's entry hall. "How could she not come home for five days in a row?!"
Dread finally seeped into his spine as a question he had been avoiding surfaced in his mind.
What if Lynsandra didn't come home in another two days?
His face paled, eyes widening as he held his breath in shock. The launch was in two days, and Lynsandra still hadn't returned.
As his thoughts spiraled, Cassian suddenly heard a car pull into the driveway. He perked up and rushed to the front door, yanking it open.
"Liz—"
The smile on his face froze when his eyes landed on August, stepping out of the car.
August paused as he glanced at Cassian standing in the portico, closing his car door. With a briefcase in one hand and his keys in the other, he pressed the lock button and walked up the steps until they stood face to face.
"Why are you here?" Cassian scrunched up his nose, glaring as August tried to walk past him.
August paused and shot him a sidelong glance. "I should be the one asking," he smirked. "You don't belong here."
"You—"
"If you're waiting for the luna, you're too early," August continued, resuming his languid steps past him. "She's on a business trip and won't be back until the next full moon."
"Huh?" Cassian blinked rapidly, staring after him. Slowly, his expression twisted in horror.
"EHHHH?!" he gasped. "The next full moon?! Isn't that… like twenty days from now?!"
For a moment, it felt as though his ears rang—dudun! His knees buckled, turning as soft as tofu, and he collapsed to the floor. His palms hit the ground, head hanging low, dark clouds practically thundering over him.
"I'm… I'm doomed."
*****
Meanwhile…
"Meeting dismissed," Lynsandra declared as she rose to her feet, surveying everyone seated in the conference room. "Redo everything."
With that, she walked out, leaving behind the weight of her displeasure. As soon as she exited, Virgo was already waiting outside.
"That was fast," Virgo remarked, checking his watch as he fell into step beside her. "You didn't even stay five minutes."
"Send the full list of everyone in charge here to my office," she clicked her tongue. "This place is full of clutter."
Virgo chuckled as he walked closer behind her. "It's already done, Luna."
She didn't respond, prompting him to glance at her profile.
"Spill it out, Virgo," Lynsandra said at last without looking at him. "Nothing can sully my mood more than these people already have."
"There's a rumor I caught wind of," Virgo hummed. "They say you'll be attending a new business launch."
Lynsandra snorted and dismissed it. "And I should care because?"
After all, this wasn't the first time her title had been dragged into idle gossip.
"It's the Clarks," he said—and this time, her steps slowed.
She didn't stop walking until Virgo added quietly, "It seems Cassian Clark made a careless promise using your name, Luna."