Bound By A Broken Night novel Chapter 158

Chapter 158

Cassie couldn’t deny it. Any man would look twice. Even Ashton Pierce.

The thought tightened something in her chest again.

“She’s just a little Chinese beauty,” Drie murmured under his breath, leaning closer though his eyes were shamelessly still on

Tanya.

“But you’re more beautiful. More gorgeous.”

Cassie rolled her eyes, though a faint smirk tugged at her lips. “I know.”

The arrogance in her tone was deliberate.

Still, Drie’s words helped more than she would ever confess aloud.

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For all his silliness, Zandrie never lied to flatter her. He was blunt–sometimes painfully so. He never sugarcoated truths just to soothe her ego. If he said she outshone Tanya Shen, then he meant it. She trusted him.

“Women,” Drie muttered after studying her for a second, shaking his head with amused disbelief.

Cassie ignored him, keeping her composure intact. But their quiet exchange was abruptly cut short.

A subtle shift in the atmosphere rippled through the hall. It began as a whisper of movement upstairs–so sight it was almost imperceptible. Yet within seconds, it commanded attention.

One by one, conversations faltered. Glasses paused midair. Heads turned in unison.

All eyes lifted toward the grand staircase.

And there he was.

At the top stood Ashton Pierce.

Impeccably dressed in a black tuxedo tailored to perfection, the fabric molding to his broad shoulders and commanding frame like it was crafted solely for him. The crisp white shirt beneath contrasted sharply with the dark severity of his suit, and the simple black bow tie only enhanced his effortless authority.

His posture was relaxed yet powerful, hands resting casually at his sides as though he wasn’t standing before the most influential figures in Bay City–but owning them. His gaze swept slowly across the sea of guests, calm and unhurried, as if measuring each of them with quiet confidence.

Hushed murmurs rose almost instantly, followed by audible sighs from more than a few women

“Oh my…”

“He looks incredible…”

“I really wonder why he’s still single…”

Admiration practically shimmered in the air.

Who could blame them?

He was the most powerful man in Bay City. Young, brilliant, impossibly wealthy. But beyond the power and prestige, it was his composure that captivated– the aura of control he carried so naturally.

And then there was his face.

Striking. Refined. Masculine in a way that didn’t try too hard. Every woman’s dream.

N

Chapter 156

+20 Bonus

Cassie felt her pulse betray her again.

Ashton affected her the same way he affected every woman in that hall–commanding attention without effort, stealing breath without permission. She hated that her body still responded so instinctively to him, even when she stood tall and unbothered.

The crowd remained immersed in admiration, eyes fixed on him as though he were royalty descending from his throne.

And then–A small figure stepped into view at his side.

At first, it was subtle. A slight movement. A shadow emerging from behind Ashton’s tall frame.

But when the boy fully appeared, the reaction was immediate.

Gasps sliced through the hall like a collective intake of breath. Conversations died mid–sentence. Glasses froze halfway to lips.

It wasn’t merely the surprise of a child appearing beside Bay City’s most formidable CEO. It was the face.

Standing proudly beside Ashton Pierce was a smaller, unmistakable version of him.

The boy wore a perfectly tailored black suit, mirroring Ashton’s attire down to the smallest detail. His tiny shoulders were squared bravely, chin lifted with natural confidence that did not look rehearsed–but inherited.

Sharp brows. Defined jawline. The same piercing eyes.

Even his expression carried that calm, almost intimidating composure.

“The boy looks exactly like CEO Ashton Pierce!” someone exclaimed, unable to contain their astonishment.

“A spitting image,” another whispered in disbelief.

“Undeniably Ashton Pierce’s heir.”

The murmurs grew louder, overlapping in shock and fascination

“What?” Ashton’s cousin muttered, his face draining of color/

“How…?” Tanya Shen’s voice trembled, her earlier confidence evaporating as she stared at the child like he was an illusion.

“Where did that boy come from?” Ashton’s aunt demanded, scandal and disbelief lacing her tone.

Cassie’s ears sharpened. Her gaze slowly shifted toward them, studying their reactions carefully.

Why would they be shocked that Ashton had a child? And what kind of question was how?

Cassie arched a brow, a flicker of amusement sparked within her. They looked as though the world had tilted off its axis.

“Most probably,” she said smoothly, her voice cutting through the nearby whispers as she turned toward Ashton’s cousin and Tanya, “he had sex with a healthy woman, who bore him a child.”

Her lips curved into a mocking, almost innocent smile–sweet on the surface, razor–edged beneath.

“He can’t exactly do it alone, you know.”

The words fell lightly, almost conversational. But they struck with deliberate precision.

For a heartbeat, the surrounding chatter faltered as tension rises.

****tbc****

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