When Love Finds Its Way Back (Cassienne and Dreston) novel Chapter 104

ter One Hundred And Four: Let’s Do It Online.

The tablet buzzed sharply against the nightstand, the sound slicing through the quiet of the sunte

Cassienne startled awake and pushed herself upright, her back pressing against the padded headboard Her heart thedded our before settling. The lights from the balcony leaked faintly into the room, casting soft shadows across the walls

She reached for her laptop first, pulling it closer and flipping it open. The screen glowed to life as it booted Only then did she grab the tablet, her brows knitting together as she unlocked it.

Two notifications popped up. Both from F******k Messenger. A

nd both are active.

One message from Dreston, and the other from Corren. Cassienne stared at the screen for a long second

“What now?” she muttered.

Her finger hovered, then tapped Dreston’s message first.

Dreston: Do you want to play?

Cassienne didn’t reply. Instead, she exited the chat and tapped the second notification.

Corren: Let’s play a game. I’m contesting tomorrow.

Her lips curved into a small smile.

So Corren was competing. That was new.

She had never played with him before, not once. For all the time they’d spent around each other, gaming had always remained…. separate and private in her own world.

Almost immediately, her fingers moved.

Cassienne: Let’s do it. I’m bored anyway. But let’s do it online. I’m sure there’ll be other players too.

She hit send.

The typing bubble appeared instantly.

Corren: Fine. Let’s do it. I’m NYX.

Cassienne exhaled softly, then typed again.

Cassienne: Going online now. I’m signing in as OBSIDIAN_13. Register that.

Send.

She switched chats, returning to Dreston’s message. His status dot was still green.

Cassienne: Let’s do it. Logging in as OBSIDIAN_13.

The reply came almost immediately.

Dreston: Finally. I’m logging in with Ralph.

Cassienne froze.

Ralph? Her breath caught, just slightly.

That name hadn’t existed in years, not publicly. It was his teenage handle. The one he used when they were younger. Before companies. Before marriages. Before everything fell apart.

Her fingers brushed the screen unconsciously, tracing the name.

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A ghost of a smile appeared.

Cassienne: Let’s do this. Just one game.

She hit send. Then, she exited the chart.

The laptop had finished booting. She moved quickly, her instinct taking over, her fingers flying, she masked her IP, rerouted her connection, triple–checked the firewall.

Only then did she log in.

OBSIDIAN_13

Online.

One by one, usernames began to appear.

First, it was NYX, then Ralph, and seven others. Making them ten players. A full lobby.

The chat exploded almost instantly.

Chat: WAIT–OBSIDIAN_13??

Chat: Isn’t that NULLWRAITH’s alt?

Chat: Nah, NULLWRAITH doesn’t play open lobbies.

Chat: Math check–OBSIDIAN = black stone. NULLWRAITH = ghost. Darkness theme?

Chat: Bro stop reaching.

Chat: Then why does OBSIDIAN_13 move like THAT?

Cassienne leaned back slightly, her expression unreadable.

Across the map, NYX spawned in.

Corren.

She didn’t know his playstyle yet, but she could feel it immediately. He was too aggressive, strategic, and territorial. He moved like someone who didn’t like losing.

Ralph spawned seconds later. He was calm, precise and conservative.

Dreston always played that way. Even back then. He waited, and studied. Struck only when he was sure.

The countdown began.

3… 2… 1…

The arena exploded into motion.

Gunfire. Movernent. Strategy unfolding in real time.

NYX went straight for dominance, eliminating two players within the first sixty seconds.

The chat went wild.

Chat: NYX IS CRAZY

Chat: Who is this guy??

Chat: That’s tournament–level aggression

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Chat OBSIDIAN hasn’t even moved yet, she’s camping??

Cassienne smiled faintly But she waited

Ralph took a different route, sniping from elevation, clean shots, minimal exposure two kills No wasted movement

Chat Ralph is old school GOOD

Chat This feels like veterans ve veterans

Chat Why does this lobby feel scripted?

Cassienne finally moved now. And when she did, the entire rhythm of the game shifted.

She slipped between zones, predicting ambushes before they happened. She countered NYX’s aggression without confronting him directly, forcing him into defensive play.

Ralph tried to corner her.

She vanished.

Ten players dropped to seven Then five, NYX went head–to–head with Ralph. The fight was brutal.

Then, the chat exploded again.

Chat: THIS IS INSANE

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