The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 227

**Before Rain Touches Earth Memories Return With Gentle Warmth by Eli Dane Crest 227**
**Chapter 227**

**Gemma’s POV**

In the dimly lit room, the atmosphere crackled with tension, and Reyna’s gaze lingered on Cassian, a silent plea in her eyes. Cassian, however, was determined to avoid her stare, his attention darting around the room as if searching for an escape.

Finally, Reyna shifted her focus to Rhett, her lips pressing together in a tight line, a gesture of resignation. With a hesitant breath, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, a mere whisper of contact. The moment her lips met his skin, I felt a chuckle bubble up inside me, but I quickly stifled it. Reyna squeezed her eyes shut, as if willing herself to believe that this fleeting moment held some significance. When she pulled away, her voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a knife.

“Is that enough?” she snapped, her glare sweeping across the room as if we were all complicit in forcing her into this act. I crossed my arms defiantly, choosing to ignore her question, but Mikhail tilted his head, a mischievous spark in his eyes.

“What do you think?” he asked, his tone teasing, deliberately pulling me into this chaotic web.

Caught off guard, I blinked at him, my mind racing. “How am I supposed to know the rules of your little game? This is your party, so don’t drag me into it.”

My stomach twisted with unease as I forced the words out. There was no mistaking his intent; he was playing with me, and I could feel the weight of his gaze, heavy with expectation.

I averted my eyes, pretending not to notice the glimmer of amusement dancing in his expression. All I wanted was to escape this ridiculous situation, but I remained rooted in place, my teeth clenched tight. Walking away would feel like conceding defeat, and I wasn’t ready to do that just yet.

As the bottle spun once more, it landed on me again, and the room seemed to lean in closer, waiting with bated breath.

“Finish the bottle of Brandy,” Rhett declared, his voice laced with eagerness, as if he had been anticipating this moment.

A knot of anxiety tightened in my chest. “I can’t drink; I made that clear at the start of the game,” I protested, the mere thought of downing brandy causing bile to rise in my throat. My body had been betraying me for weeks, and the idea of consuming alcohol made my stomach churn violently.

“Gemma!” Reyna whined, her tone sweet yet insistent. “We agreed to do dares only! I just did mine, so please, just play along! Don’t be such a spoil-sport.”

“I said I’d do anything else,” I shot back, my voice firm. “But not that.”

My tone brooked no argument, yet Rhett narrowed his eyes at me, as if we were engaged in a competition I hadn’t signed up for. “No way,” he replied, his determination clear.

It was evident to me that Rhett was intent on making me submit, to force me into a position of weakness, and I understood why he was doing it.

“I think that’s enough,” Cassian interjected, his voice cutting through the tension. Rhett exhaled sharply, annoyance flickering across his features, but he quickly shifted his strategy.

“Fine! Since you insist, we’ll change your challenge. You have to jump into the pool and hold your breath for at least a minute.”

I stared at him in disbelief, nearly laughing at the absurdity of it all. “Are you serious?”

Liam nudged Rhett, murmuring, “You’re pushing it! She is a lady—”

“There are other ladies here, aren’t there? No one else has been such a drama queen. If she’s really suffering this much and doesn’t want to play, she can just switch places with someone else.”

Liam muttered something under his breath, half-amused, half-incredulous, while Rhett leaned forward, eyes wide, as if waiting for Cassian to choke.

Yet Cassian finished, steady and deliberate, before slamming the empty bottle down hard enough to rattle the glasses on the table. His gaze locked onto mine, sharp and challenging.

Was he angry? Like I cared!

“Not bad! But do you always take that long to finish what you start?” I taunted, a smirk playing on my lips.

“Next time, if you really want to help her, try to drink at least double!” he shot back, a rough edge to his voice that earned a grin from me. I thrived on challenges!

Liam whistled softly, glancing between us with an impressed expression. “Whoa! Since when can you two drink like that?”

I ignored him, my focus still riveted on Cassian. “Funny how you sit there, letting her suffer until someone else steps in. And now you want to go for round two? Has anyone wondered if Gemma wants nothing to do with you? A man like that doesn’t protect what’s his until someone forces his hand.”

What had started as a game had morphed into a duel, an unspoken contest to prove who was the better man, even if neither of us dared to voice it aloud.

“How about you stop running your mouth and show me how well you can handle your liquor, Voloshin?” I challenged, watching as Cassian smirked, lifting the second empty bottle, tilting it to show it was gone, and setting it down with a steady hand.

“Careful, Blackwell! At this pace, you’ll run out of bottles before you prove your point,” he replied, his tone laced with confidence as the tension in the room crackled like static electricity.