The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 46

**Before Rain Touches Earth Memories Return With Gentle Warmth by Eli Dane Crest**
**Chapter 46**

**Gemma**

There’s hardly a moment to react, no time to sidestep or retreat. Claire is poised to plunge her blade into my eye, and I can practically feel the icy grip of fear tightening around my throat.

At the very least, I know she’ll leave me with ghastly scars that will serve as a constant reminder of this encounter.

And who would come to my defense? No one, because Claire is Cassian Blackwell’s cousin, a name that commands respect and fear, while I am just a shadow in this world, a nobody.

Just as the glint of her knife threatens to meet my skin, a hand shoots out from the ether, seizing her wrist with a force that sends a shock of relief coursing through me. I stagger back, my heart racing.

“What do you think you’re doing?” a deep, menacing voice growls, resonating with authority.

I half-expect to see Cassian’s familiar figure emerging from the chaos; he has a knack for appearing when I least expect it. But as I glance up, it’s not him.

It’s Jace.

He stands there, still devoid of his glasses, but there’s a palpable change in him. It seems he has embraced the transformation Zina orchestrated for him at the banquet, and the results are striking.

His jawline is sharp, his face sculpted and lean, and he wears clothes that actually fit him, accentuating the defined muscles of his forearms as his shirt is rolled up.

He looks incredibly attractive, and I can’t help but marvel at how he had hidden behind baggy clothes and a carefree attitude for so long.

With a casual shove, he pushes Claire back, not with brute force, but just enough to make her stumble awkwardly on her broken heels.

“Who are you?” Claire demands, her voice dripping with disdain. Yet, I can see her eyes hungrily scanning Jace’s physique, a flicker of interest igniting in her gaze.

“Gemma’s friend,” Jace replies, his tone steady, unwavering.

Claire’s expression twists into a sneer, her nose wrinkling as if she has just caught a whiff of something repugnant. Then, with a smug smile, she turns her attention back to me.

“My mom always said you were a cheater. Now I guess I can tell her she was right. Cassian is out there working his ass off for our family, and you’re sneaking around behind his back. In public, no less.”

I roll my eyes, but inside, I’m shaken by the near calamity. “What is it with you Blackwells? He just told you. We’re friends.”

Ignoring my protest, Claire shoves her little switchblade into her purse and brandishes her phone like a weapon. Before I can even think to intervene, she snaps a picture of Jace and me standing together, our expressions caught in a moment of uncertainty.

“Wait until Cassian sees this,” she taunts, a smirk plastered on her face as she turns on her heel and struts away.

Jace begins to follow her, but I quickly place a hand on his arm, halting him in his tracks. Claire is still tapping away on her phone, and I know she has already sent the incriminating photo.

“There’s no point,” I say, my voice heavy with resignation.

Inside, I’m cursing my own foolish thoughts. After our encounter at The Pub, a part of me had dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, things could ease up between Cassian and me.

Perhaps we could find our way back to where we once were.

But Jace is already a sore spot for him, and I have no doubt that the next time I see Cassian, he’ll unleash a torrent of criticism about my “big, quiet friend.”

I’m about to inquire about their dynamic when Zina interjects, “Hey. About that apartment. Are you still waiting on some stuff for it?”

“Yeah,” I reply, my thoughts drifting to the new beginnings awaiting me. “They repainted, and I have some new furniture on the way. I’ll be moving in once it arrives in a few days.”

“Hm,” Zina muses, a spark of mischief in her eyes. “You know, since Jace is going to be your neighbor, I bet he could keep an eye out for those deliveries. Just give him your spare key. That way he can put your stuff inside when it arrives.”

“Oh,” I glance at Jace, my heart racing. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Why not?” Zina presses, her tone teasing. “You’re friends, right? Jace doesn’t mind, do you, Jace?”

“No. I don’t mind,” Jace replies quietly, a hint of eagerness in his voice.

“Perfect!” Zina declares triumphantly. “Then it’s settled.”

*****

**Cassian**

I lean back in my office chair, the familiar creak echoing in the silence, as Liam strides into the room. His expression is clouded, a storm brewing behind his eyes.

“What is it?” I demand, my voice sharp with concern.

His jaw clenches tightly, the tension palpable. “It’s that hacker, Moonlight…”