Page 42 of Shattering

Vanessa's smile widened, pleased at her own words.

"He told me everything, you know. Every little thing you did, every desperate attempt to keep him."

Cadi's heart pounded painfully against her ribs, but she willed herself not to react.

"Poor Gray," Vanessa sighed, shaking her head in mock sympathy. "He feels so trapped. So suffocated."

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice like she was confiding a secret.

"You should have seen the relief on his face, Cadi. When he finally had someone whounderstoodhim."

Cadi felt something burn inside her, sharp and searing, but she kept her expression cold, unreadable.

Vanessa, watching her carefully, seemed encouraged by the silence.

"And poor Tomos." She sighed again, her voice almost mockingly soft. "What a mess for him to grow up in."

That was when Cadi finally moved.

She stood slowly, meeting Vanessa's gaze head-on, her voice razor-sharp, cutting through the false pleasantries like a blade.

"Fascinating" Cadi smiled, but it was cold and devoid of humour. "Desperation is not a very good look on you."

Vanessa frowned slightly, the shift in control throwing her off balance.

Cadi leaned in just enough for her next words to land exactly how she intended.

"Because you'll soon realize that if there is one thing Gray and I agree on... whatever this sandcastle is that you have built up in your head, it wont take much for it to turn into a pile of nothing. It's pathetic that you have to try to take a married man away from his family to feel good about yourself. Do you have daddy issues, Dr.Seymore?"

Vanessa's expression twisted—a mix of anger and something dangerously close to doubt.

She straightened, smoothing down the front of her scrubs, her lips pressing together in a thin line.

Then, with a tight smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, she said, "This isn't over."

And with that, she turned and walked out.

Cadi exhaled slowly, forcing her hands to relax, unclenching her fists as she sat back down.

Her whole body was shaking.

She didn't doubt Vanessa's parting words.

No, this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

She let out a deep breath and rested her eyes for just a second. Her phone started vibrating and the screen displayed "Gray"

"Hello?"

"I have just had the email. Can I come over?"

A pulse of silence.

"I will meet you at the house." said Cadi.

Chapter 23

Vanessa stormed out of the clinic room, her trainers creaking sharply against the vinyl floor, but Cadi barely registered it.

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