When Love Finds Its Way Back (Cassienne and Dreston) novel Chapter 82

Chapter Eighty–Two: Where Were You On Friday Night, Tina?

Dreston was genuinely shocked when he saw the number of hands raised in the conference room. Dozens of hands were raised. Almost everyone.

For a brief moment, he just stared at those hands. Then amusement flickered through his eyes. Before Cassienne walked in, he had already been planning his exit. The meeting had been dull, uncoordinated, and going nowhere.

Yes, he was still angry that Cassienne had disobeyed him and came to the office when he clearly told her not to- but seeing the sudden shift in the atmosphere changed his mind.

The energy in the room was different now. It was alive and interesting. All just by Cassienne’s input.

As much as he hated to admit it, she had turned a boring, disorganized meeting into something productive within minutes. Watching the staff respond to her leadership made Dreston lean back slightly in his chair, his tension easing.

“It seems like everyone wants to become a marketer,” Cassienne said with a soft chuckle.

Laughter rippled across the room, easing the earlier tension. Even Dreston smiled faintly.

“Unfortunately,” Cassienne continued, lifting her hand slightly, “we only need four people. We’ll also select four additional assistants–just in case we need extra hands during the summit.”

The excitement didn’t die down.

After a long but efficient deliberation, the team chose the four main representatives. Each of them confidently pitched mock presentations, answered tough questions, and demonstrated a clear understanding of the products.

Cassienne watched closely, her brown eyes missing nothing important. They were impressive. In fact, they exceeded her expectations.

She felt a rare sense of satisfaction bloom in her chest. If this was how the team performed under pressure, then Auralink had a real chance at dominating the expo.

“What about the gaming part?” someone asked from the far end of the table.

“And the other competitions?” another voice added.

Before Cassienne could respond, Dreston spoke first.

“That will be handled individually,” he said calmly. “Anyone interested in participating should submit their names along with the specific games they want to compete in. We’ll assess from there.”

Heads nodded in agreement.

And with that, the meeting wrapped up. Chairs scraped softly against the floor as people stood, chatting excitedly as they filtered out of the room.

Everyone left. Everyone–except three people. Dreston. Cassienne, and Tina.

The moment the door closed behind the last staff member, the mood changed.

“What did you do?” Tina snapped, her voice serious and full of resentment.

But Cassienne didn’t react.

“You made me look like a fool,” Tina continued, her anger spilling over. “In front of people who respected me.”

1/3

Lghty Two Whous Were You On Friday Night To?

+30 Bonus

She turned swiftly toward Dreston.

“And you,” she added, accusingly, “you supported her just like that. Without even thinking twice.”

Cassienne remained silent. She wasn’t even looking at Tina. Her attention was fixed on her tablet as she scrolled through messages, her expression calm and unreadable. That alone irritated Tina further.

Dreston listened, arms resting loosely at his sides. He understood Tina’s frustration–he really did. But this wasn’t personal. This was business. This was Auralink’s future.

He couldn’t sacrifice professionalism just to protect Tina’s pride.

“I’m sorry if you feel that way,” Dreston said finally. “But I supported the right decision. If you were paying attention, you’d notice that almost everyone agreed with Cassienne.”

Tina scoffed.

“You can’t do everything alone,” Dreston continued firmly. “You need to let other people do their jobs. You can’t be everywhere at once, Tina.”

Cassienne still hadn’t spoken. Her fingers paused briefly on the tablet screen, then resumed scrolling.

“Besides,” Tina pressed on, “I need my respect. Cassienne can’t talk to me like I’m some junior staff. This needs to be addressed–now.”

That got Cassienne’s attention. Her fingers stopped moving.

She didn’t lift her head immediately, but she was listening now. Dreston noticed it too.

“What exactly are you talking about?” Dreston asked Tina. “How did Cassienne disrespect you? Say it clearly.”

Tina folded her arms across her chest. She was speaking to Dreston, but her eyes stayed fixed on Cassienne–who still hadn’t bothered to look up.

That dismissal fueled her anger.

“I didn’t like the way she interrupted me,” Tina said. “I was presenting my idea, and everyone was agreeing with me–then she just cut me off.”

Cassienne finally raised her head. Her voice was calm, it was controlled, and it was cold.

“Miss Ackley,” she said, “you’re being unprofessional right now. And I suggest you watch your language. Any unnecessary or insulting remarks won’t be tolerated.”

Tina threw her hands into the air.

“Did you hear that?” she exclaimed, turning to Dreston. “She just insulted me—and you’re allowing it! I’m your fiancée, Dreston. You can’t let her talk to me like that.”

Cassienne was looking at Tina now. But not her face. Her gaze had dropped to Tina’s left wrist. There, wrapped loosely around it, was a blue plastic band.

Cassienne’s breath caught. Her heart skipped. It was the same band she saw. The same shade of blue. The same material. The same kind she had seen on the wrist of her attacker.

As Tina continued ranting–listing her importance, her position, and her relationship with Dreston–Cassienne barely heard a word. Dreston kept correcting Tina, trying to calm her down, but Cassienne was no longer present in the argument.

2/3

-25 or fighty Two Where White You On Friday Night Tinn

+30 Bonus

Her mind was racing. This couldn’t be a coincidence. Could it? Was Tina the one who attacked her? Or was she overthinking it?

Cassienne forced herself to stay calm. She had no proof yet. Causing a scene without evidence would only create chaos–and that wasn’t her style.

But she wasn’t about to ignore the signs either.

“What were you doing on Friday night, Tina?”

The question came from Dreston. That caused Cassienne’s head to snap up.

For a second, she wondered if he had read her thoughts.

“What?” Tina frowned. “That’s not the point.‘

“Answer the question,” Dreston said, his tone sharpening.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify