Cassie’s POV
I dragged myself into the house. God, I needed a bath. Seven hours. Seven straight hours of my life gone to sorting through those files. How could one man possibly be this annoying?
I walked into the living room and stopped dead at what I saw.
"Kate! What the fuck."
I’d had a genuinely awful day, and I came home to this. Kate, tangled up with Aaron, or Alex, or whatever his name was.
"Cassie!" She scrambled off him, yanking her top back into place. "I didn’t think you’d be home yet."
"Hi, dear," he said, way too casually for the situation.
I stared at him like I wanted to physically launch myself at him and unload every ounce of my terrible day.
"Kate, get a room. Seriously. Anyone could’ve walked in — your dad, for God’s sake, and you know how he’d react to this.
I didn’t wait for a response. I just walked out, leaving the two of them and whatever that was. I still don’t get what she sees in that man.
But whatever, that wasn’t my problem right now. I sank into the bathtub, water hot enough to sting, and let my whole body go slack. Everything ached. My shoulders, my back, even my fingers ached.
Why does one man need that many files? Medical reports, resumes from every past employee. All of it just — piled. Like a monument to how many people he’s chewed through.
"Ow!" My neck cracked so loud I actually winced. Note to self: keep your eyes to yourself next time.
"Cass!" Kate’s voice carried in from the doorway before she perched herself on the edge of the tub. Uninvited , like always. "You’re already in the bathroom?"
"What about Aaron?"
"Who’s Aaron?"
"The guy you were making out with in the middle of the living room."
She burst out laughing. "His name is Alex."
"Ugh. Whatever."
"How was your day? And why do you look like you got hit by a truck?"
"Kate. I think he knows."
"Knows what?"
"He recognized me. From the date."
"How? Did he say something?"
"Not exactly." I pulled myself up, trying to find the right posture for what I was about to unload. "It was just .... the way he looked at me. He was completely different from the date. Like a whole other person. I think he’s punishing me for lying to him."
"That’s it?" Kate laughed. "I thought you were about to tell me he called security and you had to run for your life."
"It’s not funny." I frowned at her. "It’s worse. He never actually confirmed whether he recognizes me or not, so I don’t even know what to do with that. He was just... mean. Demanding. He gave me one week to prove I’m worth keeping, or I’m out."
"Kate, I can’t lose this job."
"You won’t." She scooted closer. "He hasn’t confirmed anything. You had a wig on, makeup, the whole disguise — I barely recognized you myself, and I know you. There’s no way some stranger clocked it after one dinner."
I exhaled, and for the first time all evening, something in my chest loosened. Maybe he wasn’t onto me at all, maybe he was just a genuinely difficult man.
"Thank you, Kate."
"Anytime."
"So—" Her phone buzzed, cutting me off before I could finish.
Hello dad.
"Katie. Are you home? I’m on my way over."
"Dad, l’m not–"
He hung up before she could finish.
"Cassie." Her face went pale. "We have a problem. The dictator’s on his way."
My stomach dropped. We called her dad "the dictator" for a reason. The way he ran his life, and everyone around it, with an iron grip. And me? He’d never liked me much, mostly because of where I came from — nowhere near Kate’s world, no money, no name that meant anything in this city.
My own father hadn’t helped my case either. A drunk, a gambler, a man who’d once caused a scene at Kate’s house when we were kids, loud and humiliating enough that Mr. Winswood banned me from the house entirely — terrified I’d somehow corrupt his precious daughter.
As we got older, he’d started to soften, slowly realizing I wasn’t my father. He never fully accepted our friendship, though... not until I ruined it completely, the night I went to Kate’s blind date pretending to be her. When he found out, I spent a week in jail for it, and he made it very clear I was never to come near him again.
After that, I left for Chicago. A fresh start, away from my father and away from the dictator.
"I hope Dylan didn’t already tell him I wasn’t actually you on that date."
"Kate, I told you this could happen." Panic crept into my voice. "I can’t go back to jail. I can’t go back to Chicago either."
"Calm down." She squeezed my hand, steadying me. "You’re going to be fine. Just get dressed and meet me downstairs."
I threw on jeans and a checkered shirt, dragged a towel through my hair on my way down the stairs two at a time.
Kate and I stood side by side in the living room, waiting. The door opened, and he walked in, somehow even more intimidating than I remembered.
"Daddy." Kate ran to him, wrapping him in a warm hug.
She always had a way with him. Probably the only person alive who could soften him at all. The only one he was consistently kind to. Me, occasionally, but only because I made her happy.
"Daddy, you remember Cassie , right?" He turned that cold stare on me.
"Yes. The impersonator." He said it flatly. No hesitation, not caring at all how it landed.
"Dad. Be nice."
"Good evening, sir. It’s been a while," I said, forcing a smile onto my face.
"Yes, yes, yes." He waved me off without another glance, turning fully to Kate. "Dylan told me everything about your date with him."
Kate’s eyes cut to mine, both of us silently praying to the same God. Please, not jail again.
"I have to say..." He smiled, actually smiled, "...I’m really proud of you."
I let out the breath I’d been holding, relief flooding through me so fast I nearly went dizzy with it.
"He said you were lovely. Respectful. That he’d like to see you again."
"Sorry, what?" It slipped out before I could stop it. I clapped a hand over my mouth. He glanced at me, then back at Kate, uninterested.
Kate forced a smile. "Yes, Daddy," she mumbled.
"When he calls, you make sure you act like the good girl I know you are." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I’ve got more people to see this tonight. Take care of yourself."
He turned to me last, eyes narrowing slightly. "And you too."
I stood frozen, like a mannequin, and managed a tight smile and a wave as he walked out.
"Oh my god. Kate."
"Why would he lie? I was nothing but rude to that man."
"I don’t know."
"Maybe, this is his way of dealing with me. Emotional blackmail first at the office now lying to your dad and he even wants us to meet again."
"I know."
"I need to figure out exactly what he’s playing at."