The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 76

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

**Chapter 76**

**Gemma**

Cassian suddenly halts, his body going rigid before he instinctively withdraws from my side. The moment he pulls away, a chill envelops me, and I feel the absence of his warmth seep into my bones.

A low, humorless laugh escapes him, and he shakes his head, frustration etched across his handsome features. “God damn it. I almost fell for it again.”

I straighten up, pressing my back against the door of the car, the cold metal sending shivers through me. Stealing a glance at him, I notice how the dim light from the streetlamps casts a cool glow on his face, illuminating his striking features. His eyes glisten like two bright stars in the night sky, captivating in their intensity.

“Fell for what?” I inquire, my voice barely above a whisper, the tension thick in the air.

“Thinking you were a decent person,” he replies, his tone sharp and biting.

His words ignite a flame of anger within me. “Don’t feel too bad. I fell for the same illusion when I married you three years ago.”

He shoots me a look of disdain, the kind that suggests he believes he knows me better than I know myself. “You have no idea what kind of person I am.”

“Bullshit,” I retort, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “At least I’ve been paying attention to my spouse. That’s more than anyone can say about you.”

Cassian’s gaze lingers on me, his silence a heavy weight between us.

“From now on, Cassian,” I declare, determination fueling my words, “if your family invites me to a party, I will be there. If they want to embarrass me? I’ll make sure to embarrass them right back. If that bothers you, you know how to make it all go away.”

*****

**Cassian**

I turn my attention back to the woman huddled against the far door, her silhouette a mystery cloaked in shadows as we glide past the streetlights.

For years, I kept her at a distance from my world, a calculated choice to maintain the illusion of my single status. It was strategic; a powerful single man is a trophy, someone to showcase in front of hopeful parents looking to marry off their daughters. Being available for marriage allowed me to wield influence, a tempting bait in the game of alliances.

But now… now my motivations have shifted. I want to keep Gemma away from my world, not just for my own convenience, but because I fear for her.

She tries to project strength, but I can see the cracks in her facade. It’s not easy being the target of my aunt and cousin’s scorn.

For Sibille to extend an invitation and then turn on her in public is simply unacceptable.

Now that whispers of my marriage are starting to circulate—though not yet widespread—Sibille is acutely aware that when she tarnishes Gemma’s reputation, she tarnishes my own.

She tarnishes the Blackwell name, too.

A conversation with Sibille is overdue, and I know Claire will need to be brought into it as well.

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