The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 239

**TITLE: Before Rain Touches Earth Memories Return With Gentle Warmth by Eli Dane Crest 239**

**Chapter 239**

**Cassian’s POV**

As I step into the sterile, fluorescent-lit corridor of the hospital, my gaze is immediately drawn to a figure slumped on a bench. At first, the small, pitiful silhouette barely registers as Reyna; it’s only when I draw closer that the reality sinks in.

Her usually well-groomed hair is a tangled mess, cascading around her shoulders like a wild halo. I can see the tremors that ripple through her body, her fingers twisting together in a desperate attempt to distract herself from the chaos swirling in her mind.

The sound of my shoes clicking against the cold tile floor seems to cut through the heavy atmosphere. As if startled from a trance, she jerks her head up, and I see fear etched in her eyes—wide, searching, and filled with a raw vulnerability.

The moment our gazes lock, she leaps to her feet, a look of frantic relief washing over her face.

“Cassian!”

Her voice trembles, cracking under the weight of her emotions. She stumbles forward, her heel slipping on the slick floor, and instinctively, I reach out, grasping her wrist to steady her.

I try to guide her back to her feet, encouraging her to regain her balance, but she clutches my forearm tightly, as though it is her only lifeline, and suddenly, she collapses against me, her chest heaving with sobs.

Her fingers clench at my sleeve, gripping the fabric as if it were a lifebuoy in a stormy sea. I frown, gently pulling her upright and creating a small distance between us, hoping to give her a moment to breathe.

Tears stream down her cheeks, glistening like fragile pearls against her flushed skin, and I can feel her entire body quaking with emotion.

“Enough, Reyna. Your mother will come through this. Panicking won’t change anything.”

She nods, though her breath is still hitching, and she sinks back onto the bench, defeated. I settle beside her, leaving a respectful distance, though I wish I could offer her more comfort.

Outside, rain lashes against the window, casting a dull gray light that seeps into the very marrow of my bones. A chill draft snakes through the corridor, causing Reyna to shudder, her small frame trembling in the cold.

With a resigned sigh, I remove my coat and drape it over her shoulders, the fabric enveloping her petite form like a protective cocoon.

She glances up at me, her lips quivering into a fragile semblance of a smile. “Cassian… it’s so good you’re here.”

I can’t return the smile, the situation too heavy for lightness.

“Reyna. We share a history as friends, and we’re colleagues now. But if something like this happens again, please call Rhett instead of me. I don’t want Gemma to misunderstand our connection.”

Her brow furrows, confusion mingling with hurt. “But… Cassian…” Her voice drops to a whisper, fragile and almost broken. “You told me before that you didn’t like her. You said it yourself.”

Her eyes search my face, desperate for clarity, for some kind of reassurance.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, exhaling slowly, trying to gather my thoughts. “Perhaps there was a misunderstanding.”

A flash of memory strikes me—the night she had asked if I liked my wife, and I had typed the words ‘hate her’ in a group chat, frustration boiling over.

At that moment, it had felt true. I had viewed Gemma as nothing more than an unwelcome complication, a burden thrust upon me by familial expectations.

But now…

I’ve fought tooth and nail to keep her in my life. I’ve made excuses, postponed divorce, and clung to her even when my pride screamed at me to let go. That speaks volumes about me, far more than any careless words I once typed.

Reyna’s gaze sharpens, her lashes dampening as she blinks rapidly, processing my words. “So… what about us?”

I meet her eyes, my expression steady and unwavering. “There is no us, Reyna. We are colleagues… old friends. But nothing beyond that.”

The devastation that washes over her face is palpable.

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