The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 356

Chapter 356(revised)

Cassian’s POV

&

+3 Bonus

Her words are a precise, surgical cut. “I’ve already taken steps,” I counter, my voice tighter than I intend. “The news spread too quickly yesterday, the reposts were overwhelming. And given that Kitty is still your cousin, I had to consider the family implications before involving the authorities.” It sounds like an excuse even to my own ears, a weak justification for not acting with the ruthless speed I’m known for.

“It seems Mr. Blackwell isn’t as decisive as his reputation suggests,” she interrupts, a sarcastic smile touching her lips before she turns it into a polite mask for Antonios. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Voss. I’ll leave you to catch up with your friend.”

She gathers her things, a clear dismissal. A sharp bolt of panic shoots through me. I didn’t come here for Antonios. I move to follow her, my feet carrying me forward before my pride can stop them.

But she doesn’t make it to the door. Another figure intercepts her, a woman in a sleek pantsuit removing her sunglasses.

“Ms. Marino!” Meredith Bernard’s voice is bright, her smile genuine as she embraces the air beside Gemma’s ches. 18:05

<Chapter 356 (revised)

“Ms. Bernard,” Gemma replies, her smile warming into something real. “What a coincidence.”

+3 Bonus

Antonios offers Meredith a respectful nod. Meredith’s gaze then flicks to me, and her expression cools, her eyes holding a complicated, assessing look I can’t quite decipher. “I was just popping in for a coffee,” she says, her attention returning to Gemma. “But I’d love to have an early dinner. Are you free?”

I know a lifeline when I see one. Gemma knows it, too. She nods, her relief palpable. “That sounds perfect.”

I am rooted to the spot. I can’t follow now. I can’t insert myself into a dinner between Gemma and Meredith Bernard. I can

only watch, helpless, as she walks away with Meredith, leaving me behind without a backward glance.

Antonios studies me, his head tilted in open curiosity. “I never noticed, in all our time abroad,” he remarks, his tone lightly probing, “that you could look at a woman like that.”

I don’t answer.

I just watch the empty space where she was, the cold truth settling in my gut. I had my chance, and I lost it.

Now, she has an army at her back, and I am on the outside, looking in.

18:05

< Chapter 356 (revised)

Gemma’s POV

#

+3 Bonus

The moment the café door swings shut behind us, cutting off the sight of Cassian’s tense figure, I finally allow myself to breathe. The air outside feels cleaner, lighter. Only when we’ve rounded the corner, putting a solid block of buildings between us, does the tight coil in my chest begin to unwind.

Meredith walks beside me, her steps measured. She leans in slightly, her voice a confidential murmur. “That man back there….. was that your ex–husband?”

Since we’ve started working together, Meredith has pieced together fragments of my life. The most notable, I suppose, is the three–year secret marriage that spectacularly imploded mere months after becoming public knowledge.

I nod, keeping my gaze fixed ahead. “Yes. Cassian Blackwell… he is currently the CEO of Blackwell Industries.”

Meredith grunts softly.

“And the present Don, is he not?”

She smiles softly when my gaze meets hers, as if to say that she knows more than she lets on.

She then hums and starts speaking again, 378

18:05

< Chapter 356 (revised)

+3 Bonus

“Divorce is not a failure, Miss. Marino. It is a shifting of priorities. You lost a meaningless relationship, and gained your freedom in exchange.”

“Yeah,” I agree, the word tasting both bitter and true. “I did.”

We choose a restaurant known for its modern, open layout instead of any stifling private rooms.

We find a secluded booth, and it’s only after we have settled and ordered that I let my eyes wander.

And somehow, I found two familiar faces seated on a table near the window, bathed in the golden hour light. The sight of Reyna and Rhett hits me like a splash of cold water.

Meredith, perceptive as ever, follows my line of sight. “Friends of yours?”

She asks, though her tone suggests she already knows the

answer.

I reach up, tucking a non–existent strand of hair behind my ear

out of nervousness.

“It’s nothing… just forget it.”

My evasion only sharpens her interest. She studies the pair for a moment longer, her elegant brows drawing together slightly.

<Chapter 356 (revised)

+3 Bonus

“Is that… the daughter from your father’s second marriage?”

The words send a ripple of pure disgust through me. My face must betray the visceral reaction, because I have never, and will never, acknowledge Reyna as any kind of sister.

With my father gone, that forced connection has dissolved into nothing but ash and bad memories.

Seeing the undisguised displeasure that tightens my features, Meredith simply nods, her question answered. “I see,” she says softly. Without another word, she turns her attention back to their table, as if she is studying a curious specimen under a magnifying glass.

Reyna’s POV

Across the pristine white tablecloth, Rhett’s hands move with a gentle precision as he cuts my steak for me.

His eyes are focused on the task, like he’s following a script for the perfect boyfriend. It makes my skin crawl.

“Rhett,” I begin, my voice carefully measured, “I asked you to meet today because there’s something I need to say.

He looks up, his expression softening into a look that would suit a devoted dog.

18:06

<Chapter 356 (revised)

+3 Bonus

We have seen so little of each other lately, and I’ve used my mother‘ grief over Wendy’s passing as the perfect, unassailable

excuse.

Today is the first time in weeks I’ve reached out, and his eagerness is almost pathetic.

“What is it, Reyna?”

He asks, his tone dripping with a gentle concern that feels more nostalgic than passionate. I hate it. I’d rather have Cassian’s cold, commanding bark than this syrupy devotion.

I place my napkin neatly on my lap, buying a second. “Rhett, thank you. For everything. I am… grateful.”

The words taste bitter due to their fakeness.

“I don’t know how to repay you, but I will return the money for the apartment. Every cent… just give me a little more time.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify