Page 50 of Tangled Desires

“How could you?” The words spilled out, acid and unchecked. His associate stepped back.

“Mila, let’s not do this here.” Cass reached for my arm, but I stepped back.

“Do what? Confront you about lying to me? To everyone who believed you were on our side?” My voice climbed higher than I intended, and silence began to ripple through the crowd.

Cass’s jaw tightened. “I haven’t lied to you.”

“I heard you,” I snapped. “Talking about moving forward with the development. All your promises, all your help—was it just for show?”

The room held its breath. Cass looked around at the gathering crowd before meeting my eyes again. “You misunderstood.”

“I don’t think so.” The bitterness in my voice tasted like poison on my tongue. “You’re just like every other suit in this room—only out for yourself.”

Cass’s eyes darkened. “That’s not fair, Mila.”

“Fair?” I laughed sharply. “What’s fair about demolishing a community for profit?”

He took a step toward me, his voice low and intense. “I’m trying to find a solution that works for everyone.”

“By sacrificing those who have no voice?” My hands shook as I fought to keep them at my sides.

“We’re not going to resolve this here,” Cass said through clenched teeth.

“You’re right,” I agreed bitterly. “Because there’s nothing to resolve when one person refuses to admit the truth.”

The onlookers exchanged glances, their whispers now a swirling storm around us.

Cass reached for me again, his touch gentle this time, but I flinched away. “Mila—”

“No.” The finality in my voice echoed off the walls. “I can’t do this anymore.”

With that, I turned on my heel and walked away from him, from us—from a fairy tale that was never meant to last.

Chapter Thirty-One

Cassius

I stood there, the echo of Mila’s accusations ringing in my ears. I don’t know what exactly did she hear, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good. My heart hammered against my chest, a drumbeat of panic and regret.

As she stormed off, her dress—a vision in silk and elegance that I’d selected myself—whispered accusations with every step she took away from me. The murmurs of the crowd around us became a distant buzz as I grappled with the gravity of what had just unfolded.

I retreated to a quiet corner, my mind a torrent of thoughts as I replayed the confrontation over in my head. The hurt in Mila’s voice cut deeper than any boardroom betrayal ever could. I’d let her down—the one person who’d managed to look past the billionaire facade and see the man beneath.

I leaned against the cool marble wall, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes. I’d never wanted to be the enemy—her enemy. But there I was, cast in the role despite every effort to prove otherwise.

“Mister Portman?” A hesitant voice intruded on my despair.

I dropped my hands and found Stuart standing before me, concern etched into his features.

“I need to fix this,” I told him more than myself.

Stuart nodded, his loyalty unwavering even now. “What do you need?”

“A miracle,” I muttered before straightening up with resolve. “No, just an opportunity.”

With every second that ticked by, Mila’s trust slipped further away. I needed to act fast, to show her that my heart was in alignment with hers—that it always had been since that first collision in the hotel hallway.

“I have to clarify things with her,” I said firmly. “I need to see her face-to-face.”

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