The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 147

**Before Rain Touches Earth Memories Return With Gentle Warmth by Eli Dane Crest 147**

**Chapter AA**

Liam casually shrugs his shoulders, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips. “I never claimed I didn’t. They’re hounding me daily, practically begging for me to show up with a wife and a beautiful little grandbaby by tomorrow morning.”

But Liam’s circumstances were worlds apart from my own. The weight of expectation bore down heavily on me, a relentless reminder that I carried the burden alone. I was not just the only son; I was the sole child in the Whitaker family, and with that came an avalanche of responsibility.

We didn’t possess the same wealth as the Blackwells, nor were we as deeply entrenched in the mafia world as some other families, yet our reputation was still something we had to safeguard. My mother, in particular, was adamant about the future we needed to protect.

Elisa Barber, my mother, had escaped her own family’s clutches when she was just a girl. She had cut all ties with that syndicate, raising me single-handedly, and because she had endured so much to give me a better life, her expectations for me were sky-high.

I had been trying to ignore the suffocating pressure she placed on my shoulders.

As I fell into silence, Liam’s grin widened, and he gave my shoulder a friendly pat. I shrugged him off, irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

“I’m sure if you really wanted to, finding a wife would be a piece of cake for you,” he teased, his tone lighthearted.

I mean, I wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes. I had been told I was attractive more times than I could count, and considering my family’s standing, it wasn’t as if women were lining up at my door. If anything, they were drawn to my status and my connection with Cassian.

But therein lay the crux of my dilemma. It wasn’t the lack of options that troubled me.

The real issue was that my heart was set on Reyna.

And Reyna? She only had eyes for Cassian.

I refused to settle, to marry someone I didn’t love. That might be acceptable for Cassian—given his position in his powerful family, he had little choice—but for me, it was an unthinkable compromise.

“Reyna, you’re the most beautiful girl here,” Liam called out, his voice ringing through the room. “How would you rate Rhett?”

“God dammit, Liam,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head in exasperation.

Reyna looked up from her phone, a faint smile gracing her lips. “Rhett’s amazing. Anyone who ends up with him will be very lucky.”

Oh, damn. That caught me off guard. My chest tightened, and I clenched my jaw, fighting to suppress the grin that threatened to break free.

Liam shot me a sly glance, his amusement evident, before redirecting his attention back to Reyna. “If he’s so amazing, why haven’t you snatched him up yet?”

Reyna hesitated, her breath caught in her throat, then smiled again. “Stop teasing me, Liam. Rhett and I are just friends. He doesn’t see me like that at all. But if you’re so worried about his love life, I have plenty of friends I can introduce him to.”

Her words struck me like a dagger to the gut.

“Who says Rhett doesn’t see you like that? Haven’t you ever noticed how he looks at you? It’s… intense.”

I gritted my teeth, frustration boiling within me. Liam had no intention of letting this go. I hated when he acted like this. He was clearly enjoying himself, but he was the only one.

“Liam,” I snapped, my voice sharp. “I think you’ve said enough.”

“Bro, I’m trying to help you!” he laughed, clamping a hand on my shoulder as if to soothe me.

I shrugged him off again, desperate to keep Reyna from seeing how deeply this whole situation affected me. “What exactly are you trying to do? Stop acting like an idiot,” I spat, my words laced with annoyance.

My feelings for Reyna were a closely guarded secret, locked away where no one could find them. But I should have known that Liam would eventually catch on, given how intertwined our lives were. If anything, I was surprised it had taken him this long to figure it out.

“Look, you’re never going to say anything, so why shouldn’t I do you a solid and finally let the cat out of the bag? At least I have the guts to do it.”

“Guts? I’ll show you some goddamn guts, asshole.” I stood there, fists clenched at my sides, ready to explode.

In an instant, Reyna stepped between us, her hands pressed firmly against our chests to separate us.

“Come on, guys,” she urged, her voice calm and soothing. “We’re all friends here. Rhett, you know how Liam is. He’s always making up stuff just to get a rise out of you. There’s no need to take him so seriously.”

“Don’t you understand why he’s taking it so seriously?” Liam turned to Reyna, raising an eyebrow as if to say, “You can’t really be this clueless.”

I caught the stunned expression on Reyna’s face just before my fist connected with Liam’s jaw.

—

**Chapter AA**

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