Don’t Fall for the Billionaire Lover



Chloe and Connor had just left Riverbrook College, completely unaware that Winston and Cassie were also driving out of the parking lot. After Winston had hurried Cassie into the car, they sat there for a moment, not in any rush to leave.

Winston was fuming. "You blew up when people said you were androgynous, like a firecracker ready to go off. Connor nearly called you a woman just now, and you took it without a word. Do you really like Chloe that much? Enough to put up with anything for her?"

"And I didn't see Chloe sticking up for you, Cassie. Why keep pretending everything's okay?"

Cassie just shrugged, lighting a slim cigarette. She took a drag and let the smoke curl around her, her face a bit hazy through the smoke. "It's not that big of a deal, Winston. You're blowing this out of proportion."Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Her calmness only fueled Winston's frustration. He couldn't decide what irked him more: Connor's jabs or Cassie's nonchalance. Or maybe it was something else entirely a feeling he couldn't quite shake, like an itch he couldn't scratch.

He glanced at Cassie's delicate features, feeling a mixture of irritation and something deeper, something that felt like cats clawing at his heart. His voice dropped a notch colder. "Maybe I should just butt out. You don't seem to care; you're just Chloe's lapdog. But what's the point? Chloe's married now. Waiting around isn't going to change that. She doesn't even see you as a guy. Have some self-respect. If someone doesn't like you, back off. Why keep setting yourself up for disappointment?"

Thinking about how he used Chloe's

chopsticks to eat made his chest

toeat

tighten. Normally, he was easygoing,

ne

but he always kept his distance when it came to meals with friends. With Chloe, though, it was different. Maybe a bit of self-deception on his part.

Connor had a point when he said she lacked boundaries. But to Winston, it seemed like Cassie was willingly putting herself in the line of fire. Yet, when Cassie was mocked, it felt like a thorn pricking at his heart.

Cassie, however, seemed unfazed. She turned to Winston with a hint of surprise. "This is between me and them. Why are you getting so worked up?" "Cassie!" Winston's expression was dark, his gaze locked on her. He was genuinely angry, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Cassie just kept smoking, her

demeanor relaxed. "Okay, okay, let it go. I admit it, I'm Chloe's lapdog. So what if I like her? I was abandoned by my dad when I was a kid. She's the most important person in my life. You don't understand what have, so don't try to intervene. I don't need you to fight my battles."

It crossed her mind to just tell him she was a woman, but she figured that would put an end to their friendship. Winston seemed to have a thing against women. Lately, he'd been avoiding every woman she introduced him to, treating them like the plague. Even a simple touch had him reaching for disinfectant wipes.

If he knew she was a woman, could they still hang out like this, all buddy-buddy? The thought left Cassie feeling oddly restless.