**TITLE: Before Rain Touches Earth Memories Return With Gentle Warmth by Eli Dane Crest 200**
**Chapter 200**
**Reyna’s POV**
As I gaze at the glaringly bright board in front of me, the words “Flight Departed” flash ominously in vivid red. My heart races, a frantic drumbeat echoing my anxiety, as I pull out my phone. I know exactly what I need to do: call Cassian.
Come on, pick up… I remind myself, even though I deliberately missed my flight. Now, though, I find myself in desperate need of him. He always comes through for me, just like he always has.
I hit his number, pressing the phone to my ear and waiting, hoping for the familiar sound of his deep voice. Instead, I’m met with an abrupt click.
“Cassian? Thank goodness you answered. I-I missed my flight. I’m still at the airport. Can you come and get me?” My voice trembles slightly, laced with urgency.
“Cassian’s busy right now,” a woman’s voice interjects, cold and dismissive, sending a wave of anger crashing through me. Why is that insufferable woman answering his phone?
“I… can you please put him on?” I respond quickly, forcing my tone to soften, to sound almost sweet. “I missed my flight, I really need—”
A sneer drips from her voice. “Really? You’re in your mid-twenties, and you can’t even change a flight or book a hotel by yourself?”
I feel the heat of indignation rise within me, but I bite my tongue. Maybe Cassian is still around? Yet, her words cut deep, stinging my pride.
“Listen, Gemma… I’m getting nervous. It’s getting dark outside. Please, just pass the phone to Cassian—”
“Why? What does Cassian have to do with the sky getting darker? He’s not your personal hotel concierge. You can’t just call him every time things don’t go your way. And just a tip: that technological device in your hand can do many other things besides bothering someone at night!”
My mouth opens, but she continues to talk over me, her words sharp and relentless.
“Do you understand? Grow up. Stop acting helpless.”
Shame and fury swirl inside me, igniting a fire in my cheeks. I open my mouth to protest, but before I can utter a word, she hangs up. The disconnection feels like a slap, leaving me holding a lifeless phone.
Letting out a strangled growl, I grip the device tightly, my knuckles turning white. I clench the strap of my suitcase, pacing anxiously in the empty corner of the airport, the sterile environment amplifying my frustration. My plan to elicit his concern, to make him worry about me, has backfired spectacularly.
Finally, I take a deep breath, composing myself enough to type a desperate text to Cassian, pretending to be lost, scared, and alone in the darkened airport. I watch the little bubble of three dots, waiting for a response that feels like an eternity.
Minutes drag on like hours, and finally, a notification pops up. My heart leaps as I glance down, only to find a message from Cassian. I open it eagerly, my pulse racing… only to be met with a link.
The link directs me to a sleek hotel website, complete with instructions for booking a room and arranging a private car service. No words of concern, no inquiry about my well-being… it’s as if the conversation had never happened, abruptly beginning and ending in the span of a few seconds.
The sting of Gemma’s lecture and the coldness of a text link make my teeth clench in frustration.
I suppress the urge to call him back, to argue, to plead for his attention. There’s no one to fight here except myself, and I certainly don’t want to engage in a catfight with Gemma.
Reluctantly, I tap the link, starting the booking process while glancing around the echoing terminal, its emptiness mirroring my feelings of isolation.
My vanity, my plans, my pride—they all feel like childish nonsense in this moment. I could scream, grumble, curse… but I can’t change the fact that he’s already three steps ahead of me.
—
**Cassian’s POV**
I sink back into the leather chair, staring at the phone that Reyna had just handed me after hanging up. The way she had marched up to me, snatching the phone from my grasp without a hint of hesitation or formality, lingers in my mind.
Apart from the menu, I’m at a loss for conversation topics: discussing Reyna and Jace is a sore spot, we can’t delve into his job, and as for mine… well, I’m uncertain if I’ll even face Mikhail’s test for my job at all.
Honestly, I’m beginning to suspect that he has already forgotten about me. I haven’t received any communication from Dream International, leading me to believe he might have moved on to other candidates or become preoccupied with new projects.
I almost let out a sigh of relief, reaching for my glass of wine, when a movement to my left catches my attention.
Of course, it’s Mikhail.
The bronze-skinned man, sunglasses perched on his nose, drops into the empty chair beside me as if it has always been his rightful place.
“The old man is practically dying of anxiety, Moonlight! No phone calls, no messages at all? I thought you were his new favorite!”
His tone is a mix of teasing and accusation, lacking any formality or greeting, as if he’s continuing a conversation we were already having.
Before I can respond, he leans back, arms spread wide as if claiming the space as his own, and I find myself caught between amusement and annoyance.
I glance at Cassian, whose jaw tightens instantly. Every muscle in his posture becomes tense as he slightly shifts his body toward me.
“Excuse me?” he says, his voice low and edged with irritation.
“Excused!” Mikhail retorts, the nonchalance in his tone only serving to heighten Cassian’s tension.
Cassian’s jaw clenches, and I struggle to suppress my laughter at his reaction to Mikhail’s blatant disregard for manners, until he speaks again, his tone clipped.
“I’m her husband. If you have any questions, you can direct them to me.”

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