The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 73

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

**Chapter 73**

**Cassian**

A frown creases my brow as I cast a disapproving glance at my aunt and cousin. “This is a public space, you know,” I assert, my voice firm and steady. “Everyone here is aware that Gemma is my wife. It’s utterly inappropriate for you to criticize her like this.”

Reyna’s expression shifts, her eyes widening as if I’ve sprouted a second head.

“What’s wrong?” I demand, irritation bubbling beneath my skin.

She shakes her head, disbelief etched across her features. “This just… isn’t like you, Cassian. You’re letting her walk all over your family.”

A rush of annoyance surges through me, igniting a fire in my chest as I stride toward Gemma. “Perhaps the issue lies in your perspective, Reyna. Have you ever considered that?”

With that, I turn sharply and push my way through the throng of people, each step fueled by a mix of determination and protectiveness.

*****

**Reyna 1/6**

11:42

**Chapter 73**

+19 Bonus

I stand frozen, watching Cassian’s retreating figure. A rushing, roaring sound fills my ears, drowning out the chatter of the crowd.

Did he really just snap at me? In front of everyone? Over Gemma?

It’s as though the ground beneath me is shifting, spinning out of control.

He’s never defended Gemma like this before, certainly not in a public setting where witnesses could hear his words.

When I returned, I was convinced that Gemma stood no chance against me. She never had, and I would be damned if she ever would.

Manipulating our father had been a breeze, an effortless task that allowed me to turn him against her and win his affection for myself. Gemma is weak and foolish, just like her mother.

I used to think Cassian would follow suit. Back in our youth, and even during our college years, he would tell me I was the smartest and most beautiful woman he had ever encountered.

How could Gemma ever compete with me when he viewed me through such adoring eyes?

2/6

11:42

**Chapter 73**

+19 Bonus

I barely batted an eye when Gemma married him. I knew his grandfather had pressured him into it. Cassian only wed her out of a sense of duty, a good grandson fulfilling an obligation.

If I truly wanted to, I could dismantle their relationship any time I chose.

Couldn’t I?

Yet now, as I observe Cassian striding purposefully toward my insipid half-sister, standing resolutely by her side, a nagging doubt creeps into my mind. Perhaps I should have taken this competition more seriously.

Despite everything, it appears she’s managing to burrow her way into Cassian’s heart.

XXXXX

**Gemma**

Cassian flashes a sharp smile at Sibille, the kind that sends a chill down my spine. “Aunt, are you enjoying making a spectacle of my wife in public?”

Sibille’s face drains of color as she meets his gaze. In that moment, it dawns on both of us simultaneously: he’s not here to rescue her and belittle me.

No, for the very first time in my life, Cassian is here to protect me.

“Given the unrest among the families, I’ve decided it’s best not to have a child at this time,” he states, his smile softening the weight of his words. Yet, I can see the possessiveness etched on his face, the way his fingers grip my side with a fierce tenderness.

5/6

11:42

**Chapter 73**

+19 Bonus

“And honestly, Aunt Sibille, in this day and age, to shame a woman for her inability to have children?” Cassian makes a disapproving sound, his expression darkening. “That’s rather unkind.”

Kind? Cassian Blackwell lecturing anyone on kindness?

I feel as though I might faint from shock or perhaps from the sheer weight of his hypocrisy.

Has he lost his mind?

Despite the bewilderment swirling within me, I strive to regain my composure. My verbal skirmish with Sibille is far from over.

“You see, Auntie? It’s not just me. There’s nothing I can do about it. Besides, we’ve barely even tried!”

Instantly, Cassian goes rigid beside me, as if I’ve plunged a knife into the air between us. The atmosphere in the room shifts, the temperature dropping sharply.

And in that moment, I realize I’ve just uttered the absolute wrong thing.