Bound By A Broken Night novel Chapter 98

Chapter 98

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The night of glamour had finally drawn to an end, its glitter fading with the morning light.

Cassie’s next appointment loomed far less forgiving: the stockholders‘ meeting. The first since the acquisition. The first under a new name.

Knowles and Greene Corporation.

It would be her battlefield.

There, behind polished tables and courteous smiles, she would face the restrained fury of her father- and the sharpened resentment of his family. She could already imagine the tension thick in the air.

But not yet.

Before walking into that war, she allowed herself a small indulgence. Shopping, after all, had always been a reliable remedy for boredom–and nerves. A new set of jewelry might do more than lift her mood; it would serve as armor.

The moment she stepped into one of Bay City’s most luxurious jewelry boutiques, her eyes lit up like the diamonds gleaming beneath crystal–clear glass. Soft lighting cascaded over elegant display cabinets, making every gemstone shimmer with quiet opulence. It was a woman’s heaven–timeless, indulgent,

intoxicating.

“Welcome to Imperial Radiance,” an attendant greeted, approaching with a perfectly practiced smile.

“Thank you,” Cassie replied, inclining her head politely before her attention drifted back to the displays, already captivated.

“May I know what you fancy, Madame? I’d be delighted to assist,” the attendant offered, her tone warm and professional.

“A matching necklace and earrings,” Cassie said, returning the smile with one of her own.

“Is there a price range you have in mind, Madame?”

Cassie turned to her fully then, her expression calm but unmistakably confident.

“None. Show me the top of the line.”

The attendant’s smile widened–just a fraction, but enough to betray her excitement.

“Of course, Madame. This way, please.”

She guided Cassie to a private counter, a plush chair waiting across from it. With careful, almost reverent movements, she laid out several velvet jewelry boxes, opening them one by one to reveal dazzling sets within.

“These are our finest pieces–the latest designs as of today,” the attendant explained graciously, detailing the precision of each cut, the brilliance of their clarity, and the impressive carat weight.

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Cassie leaned in, gloved fingers hovering before delicately lifting each piece to the light. Diamonds caught the glow and scattered it back in prismatic sparks.

“They’re all magnificent,” she murmured, her eyes shining with unmistakable delight.

“I can’t seem to choose.”

And for a moment, the coming battle slipped briefly from her mind–replaced by the quiet thrill of choice, and beauty displayed before her.

“I think I’ll take these three sets,” Cassie said at last, gesturing toward the velvet boxes she had chosen.

She offered the attendant a slightly guilty smile, the kind reserved for indulgences one knew were excessive but irresistible. The attendant only chuckled softly at her expression.

“Every woman deserves this kind of luxury, Madame,” she said kindly, as if absolving Cassie of any imagined sin.

Cassie nodded, still admiring the brilliance before her, momentarily lost in the magnificence of diamonds and gold–until a familiar, derisive snicker sliced through the boutique’s refined calm.

“Shamelessly spending someone else’s money.”

Cassie didn’t need to turn around. She knew that voice too well.

Mirriam Knowles.

A heartbeat later, a figure stepped close beside her. An overpowering wave of floral perfume invaded her senses, so thick it nearly made her gag.

“While the husband is working so hard,” Mirriam continued, her voice dripping with mockery, “the wife is here, shamelessly spending money she didn’t earn.”

Cassie remained unbothered. Without even sparing her sister a glance, she lifted one of the necklaces and held it up to the light, watching the diamonds flare brilliantly.

“Well, whose money should I spend, then?” she replied coolly. “Of course my husband’s.”

Her tone was light–almost bored–but the words landed like a slap.

Mirriam scoffed. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

She nudged Cassie’s arm sharply, jostling her hand. The sudden movement nearly sent the necklace slipping from her fingers.

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