Bound By A Broken Night novel Chapter 71

Chapter 71

“What about light snacks first, and dinner later? Pick a restaurant” Ashton asked once they were settled inside his car.

The afternoon had slipped by almost unnoticed, spent in the quiet presence of his grandmother. It had been an emotional visit–tears shed, truths spoken at last, confessions long buried finally given air–but as they drove away, Cassie looked… lighter. The rigid tension that had clung to her shoulders earlier was gone, replaced by a rare calm she hadn’t felt in years.

Whatever Carina Pierce had said to her, it had reached deep, loosening something old and heavy–an invisible weight Cassie had carried for far longer than she ever allowed herself to acknowledge.

“With the scandal my marriage is facing right now,” she said lightly, as if it were nothing more than idle gossip,

“I don’t think it would be wise to be seen in public with CEO Ashton Pierce.”

The seriousness of the words didn’t quite match her tone. There was a faint playfulness there, carefully restrained.

“Maybe takeout would be better,” she continued. “That is–if you’re fine being stuck with my boring company.”

She flicked a glance at him, brief and unreadable, before turning back to the window, watching the city glide past in blurred streaks of afternoon light.

Ashton stole a look at her, quietly gauging her mood, her distance, the subtle cracks in her composure.

“That’s a great idea, Cassie,” he said smoothly. “Your place or mine?”

The question was casual, but it carried a careful curiosity–testing, not pushing.

“I’ve been confined to my hotel suite for more than a week,” she murmured. “A new ambiance would be

better.”

She didn’t look at him as she spoke, her attention still fixed on whatever thoughts the passing scenery

stirred.

Her answer made Ashton’s lips curve into a restrained smile. Since their reunion, it was the first time Cassie had lowered her guard–even just a little. And he couldn’t deny the surge of quiet excitement it sparked in him.

“Great,” he said, keeping his voice even despite the thrill beneath it.

“My place, then.”

Just as they had decided, Ashton brought Cassie to his place–a penthouse perched high in one of Bay City’s towering skyscrapers, where glass walls met the sky and the city pulsed far below like a living constellation.

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Dinner was arranged and delivered by his assistant, efficient and discreet, leaving them alone with the quiet luxury of the space.

They ate in comfortable silence. Not awkward, not strained–just gentle. Aside from a few casual exchanges, Cassie seemed wrapped in her own thoughts, her gaze drifting often, as if she were somewhere far beyond the table.

Ashton noticed.

“Something’s bothering you?” he asked at last, his tone light, careful not to pry–concern without pressure.

She didn’t answer right away.

After dinner, he led her out to the balcony. The night greeted them with a breathtaking view: Bay City stretched endlessly beneath their feet, lights shimmering like scattered stars, traffic humming softly in the distance. Ashton poured them each a glass of red wine, intending it to be a quiet finish to the evening.

Cassie, however, drank it like water.

By the time he glanced at her again, she was already on her third glass.

She stood stiffly, one arm folded loosely across her waist, the other hand swirling the deep red liquid in her glass. Her eyes were fixed on the city below, unfocused yet intense, as though the lights were mirroring the thoughts flickering through her mind.

“Madame Pierce’s wisdom always amazes me,” she murmured, lifting the glass for another sip.

Ashton stayed silent, listening.

“All these years…” she continued softly, her voice low, almost fragile. “I’ve been stiff. Unyielding. I didn’t allow myself to be weak.”

She paused, the wine catching the light as she tilted the glass.

“I achieved so much in those six years,” she went on, more to herself than to him.

“Built a life. A name. A version of myself that no one could step on.”

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