Page 65 of Forbidden Daddy
"Declan’s here. He said you’d called for a meeting, but?—"
The line went dead.
Ice formed in my veins as I called back immediately. The phone rang endlessly before going to voicemail.
I was already halfway toward the exit when my phone buzzed with an incoming call. Cassie’s number.
"Cassie?"
Silence. Then the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.
"Put the phone down, Cassie." Declan’s voice was calm, conversational, like he was discussing the weather instead of committing treason.
The world stopped.
Everything I’d built, everything I’d fought for, everything I loved—it was all in Declan’s hands now. And he knew exactly how much power that gave him.
"Hello, Roman," Declan said, his tone carrying just a hint of satisfaction. "I think it’s time we had a conversation."
26
CASSIE
The sound of the call ending echoed through the hallway like a death sentence.
I stood frozen in the marble corridor, my bare feet feeling like ice against the cold floor. One of Roman’s old shirts hung loose around my shoulders, and I could still taste him on my lips from when he kissed me in the garden. Everything had been perfect. Safe. Real.
Now Declan stood ten feet away, his pale eyes reflecting the moonlight streaming through the tall windows. The gun in his hand wasn’t trembling. Neither was his voice.
"Roman should’ve listened," Declan said, his tone conversational, like we were discussing the weather instead of my imminent death. "He never should’ve involved you."
I watched every crack in his calm facade, cataloging the subtle signs of a man who’d finally stopped pretending. The way his jaw worked, like he was chewing on years of resentment. The slight tremor in his non-gun hand. The cold satisfaction in his pale eyes told me this moment had been a long time coming.
"You’re the mole," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
"I’m the rightful heir." His mouth curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Patrick Creed promised me a seat at the table. His son turned that into a leash."
The pieces clicked into place with sickening clarity. The convenient evidence against Sean. The subtle challenges to Roman’s authority. The way Declan had been positioning himself as the voice of reason while systematically undermining everything Roman had built.
"You killed Sean," I breathed.
"I eliminated a problem. Just like I’m going to eliminate you."
He gestured with the gun toward the staircase. "Move."
My pulse hammered against my ribs as I started walking, every step feeling like I was marching toward my execution. The pregnancy hormones made my head swim, but I forced myself to stay focused. I couldn’t afford weakness. Not now. Not with Roman’s child growing inside me.
We passed Joey’s body first.
He lay crumpled against the wall near the library entrance, ginger hair matted with blood, eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling. The man didn’t like me much, but that didn’t mean I wanted him dead. He was reduced to nothing more than an obstacle in Declan’s path.
"He tried to be a hero," Declan said, noting my stare. "Reached for his gun when he saw me coming."
My stomach lurched, but I kept walking.Keep moving, Cassie. Stay alive.
Fion’s body was sprawled near the main staircase, his phone beside him. Blood pooled around his head, and I could see the surprise frozen on his pale face. He’d probably been working late, lost scrolling through his emails, never seeing the bullet coming.
"He was supposed to be at his apartment," Declan continued, his voice carrying just a hint of regret. "Wrong place, wrong time."
