The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 323

Chapter 323

Gemma’s POV

The beautiful wedding banquet is a spectacle of grief!

Mikhail sits beside me, a marble statue masquerading as a man. He’s so stiff I’m surprised he doesn’t creak when Linda glides over to our table to toast the guests. I make small talk with his old school friends, a circle of polished, curious faces.

Mikhail, it’s been years! Your taste has really improved!

One of them remarks, his appreciative gaze sliding over me. Mikhail just gives a curt, his eyes tracking Linda as if she’s the only source of light in the room.

When she passes by our table, his arm swiftly snakes around my waist, pulling me to my feet to join her for a drink. The contact is startling, his grip firm and slightly desperate.

Miss. Xander, you look absolutely gorgeous today! I say, meeting her eyes. My blessing is sincere. Despite the tangled web of feelings at this table, she is a radiant bride.

She offers a practiced, lovely smile. “Thank you.”

The moment is shattered by a gasp from one of Mikhail’s friends. “Oh my, Mikhail! Did you really give your girlfriend your family heirloom?!”

All eyes drop to my hand, to the emerald ring that now feels like a brand. Linda’s gaze follows, and when she sees the distinctive

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Lucky Draw

her eyes widen just a fraction, a crack in her perfect composure. Just then, Jones, her groom appears, taking her hand. “What’s wrong? Your hand is so cold.”

She snaps out of it instantly, bestowing a gentle, loving smile upon him. “It’s nothing.”

As we sit back down, the table’s attention zeroes in on us. “So, Mikhail, does this mean you’re planning to get married soon, too?” another friend prods. “Giving away that ring… it’s quite a statement.”

It’s only then I learn the full weight of the jewelry on my finger. It’s not just a ring. It’s a Voloshin family heirloom, passed down from his father, intended only for his future wife.

It’s not just expensive; it’s an antique from his dynasty, imbued with a significance that makes my skin prickle. I can’t help but glance at it several times, the green stone seeming to grow heavier with each look.

Mikhail has no appetite. Pushing food around his plate, his mood visibly darkens as Linda moves to another table. In contrast, I eat with a relish that surprises even me.

This is, without a doubt, the best banquet I have ever attended in my life, like a surreal feast in the middle of emotional wreckage.

As the event winds down and guests begin to leave, I can feel the tension radiating from Mikhail. He wants to stay, to find a moment with Linda. I don’t rush him, but I didn’t account for

eman at the opposite table.

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Lucky Draw

Cassian is still here. He usually drops his gift and makes a swift, impersonal exit from these events. Today, he has lingered,

his presence a dark, brooding constant in the periphery of my

vision.

His eyes glance over, and when I instinctively avoid his gaze, I see Mikhail stand and stride purposefully toward a secluded corridor. The moment Mikhail is out of sight, Cassian rises too.

I curse inwardly. Damn you, Mikhail. Forgetting all about our act for a moment of doomed longing.

Cassian reaches me just as I’m grabbing my bag, preparing a hasty exit. “Mikhail won’t marry you.”

He states, and the arrogance of it makes me pause. “Who said I wanted him to marry me?” I retort. I’ve just reclaimed my freedom from one gilded cage the last thing I want is to

volunteer for another.

Then what about the child in your belly…

He presses, his gaze dropping to my stomach.

“The child is none of your concern.”

Gemma, don’t be stubborn. There’s a frustrating note of condescension in his voice now. “As long as you speak up, you can still be Mrs. Blackwell of the Blackwell family.”

A bitter laugh escapes me. “Do you think being Mrs. Blackwell is some kind of golden ticket? It’s true that many people would Rump at it, but I couldn’t care less.”

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Lucky Draw

“The Voloshin family doesn’t want you, and you have a child in your belly. How will you live alone in the future? As long as you’re willing, you can come back anytime.”

The sheer, unshakable arrogance! He still believes that taking me back, as his nominal, unloved wife, would be a generous act I should grovel for. “There are loads of suitable men out there! Why must I cling to you alone?”

Who said I don’t want to marry her?

Mikhail’s voice cuts through our argument, cool and clear. Everyone turns.

He’s standing a few feet away, his handsome features set in a determined mask. “Didn’t you see the heirloom of the Voloshin family she’s wearing on her hand?”

He continues, walking toward us, his tone dripping with contempt for Cassian. “If I can give it to her, I can marry her. Don’t you understand, rookie?”

Before Cassian can respond, Mikhail’s hand finds the small of my back and leads me away, leaving Cassian standing alone in the emptying banquet hall.

The moment we’re in the car, the act drops. Mikhail holds out his hand to me. “What?”

I ask, my heart still thumping from the confrontation.

The ring!” He says flatly. Do you really think I’d give it to you?”

4/6

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Lucky Draw

I’m momentarily speechless, stung by the swift, cold reversal.

If we’re acting, we have to do the whole show, he explains, his voice devoid of its earlier warmth. “I low else would your ex–husband believe it? But I have no intention of marrying you.”

The whiplash is intense. I roll my eyes, a defense against the foolish part of me that felt, for a moment, like a protected partner. “I have no intention of marrying you either!”

As the car glides through the city, he breaks the silence again. “I’m playing along with you. When will you fulfill your promise?”

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