Chapter 67: Third wheel

The rest of the day was a nightmare of being a third wheel.

Cyan was everywhere. He was between me and Cassian. He was between Cassian and the engineers. He talked constantly, shouting suggestions about the “aesthetic flow” of the scaffolding and whispering things into Cassian’s ear that made Cassian smirk.

The easy familiarity they shared was like a wall. They had a language I didn’t speak, a history of prison yards and shared trauma and, apparently, kisses. Every time Cyan touched Cassian’s arm or adjusted his tie, that knot in my chest tightened until I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

I started fading into the background. I focused on my tasks, ticking off boxes on my tablet, trying not to watch them. But I failed. Every few minutes, my eyes would drift back to the way Cassian allowed Cyan to be close. He never pushed him away. He never barked at him to stay back.

During a lunch break, I slipped away to a small shaded area behind some equipment crates. I just needed five minutes where I wasn’t being compared to a “cupcake” or watching my boss be seduced by a neon sign.

“There you are. Thought you might’ve gotten heatstroke.”

Alex sat down beside me on a concrete block. He studied my face for a moment, his gaze uncomfortably perceptive. “How’s your day going, Noah?”

“Fine,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Just busy.”

“You seem less energetic than usual,” Alex noted. He chuckled softly. “Well, less energetic than your usual low-energy baseline, anyway.”

I gave a weak laugh, but it didn’t reach my eyes. We both looked out toward the center of the site, where Cassian and Cyan were still standing together. Cyan was gesturing wildly at the sky, his hand hooked familiarly around Cassian’s arms.

“Cassian seems… occupied,” Alex said, his tone carefully neutral.

“Do you know Cyan well?” I asked, trying to sound like I was just making conversation.

“As much as anyone knows the old-money crowd,” Alex replied. “We’ve crossed paths at galas, art galleries. I’ve read the articles. He’s… a lot. Spoiled. Selfish. He’s the kind of person who thinks the world revolves around them because it always has.”

Alex’s voice wasn’t cruel, but it was heavy with disapproval. “I never really saw the appeal, honestly. He’s chaotic. Destructive.”

“So that’s why you two don’t get along,” I murmured.

Alex scoffed lightly. “I could never get along with someone like that. He takes what he wants without thinking about the cost to anyone else.”

We watched as Cyan laughed at something Cassian said, his head falling back, exposing his throat. It looked like a movie scene. It looked like they belonged together.

And that was the moment the realization hit me. It was humiliating. It was pathetic. But it was there, raw and bleeding in the center of my chest.

I craved Cassian’s attention.

I hated that he was ignoring me. I hated that he had gone back to being “Boss” with me while being “Cassie” with Cyan. I had wanted to make him sick of me, trying to push him away, yet the second he actually gave his focus to someone else, I felt like I was disappearing.

“Noah! There you are!” Cyan’s voice cut through my thoughts. He was marching toward us, Cassian trailing a few paces behind him. “We’re going to that little bistro down the street for a late lunch. You’re coming with us!”

I stood up, dusting off my pants. “Actually, I have a lot of reports to finish, ”

“Nonsense! The reports can wait. Cassie needs his favorite assistant to hold his hand,” Cyan teased, reaching for my arm.

Alex stood up too, stepping slightly in front of me. “Actually, I think Noah is quite busy, Cyan. Perhaps he’d prefer to finish his work in peace.”

Cyan’s face shifted, his eyes flashing with a sharp, ugly irritation. “I didn’t ask you, Alex. I asked Noah.”

The two of them stood there, clashing in a way that made Cyan look unhinged and Alex look like the saint he is. It was a ridiculous display of ego.

Cassian stepped forward, placing a hand on Cyan’s arm and pulling him back, not harshly, but firmly. He looked at me, his eyes cold and distant.

“Are you coming, Noah?” he asked.

The way he asked it, like he couldn’t care less if I said yes or no, was the final straw. Days ago, he’d been so jealous of Alex that he’d practically marked me in the hotel suite. Now, he was looking at me like I was a piece of equipment he was considering putting into storage.

“No,” I said, my voice firmer than I expected. “If my presence isn’t required for work, I don’t want to go. I have things to do.”

I saw a flicker of something in Cassian’s eyes, a momentary flash of surprise, maybe?, but it was gone before I could name it.

“Suit yourself,” Cassian said, his tone ice-cold. “The driver will take you back to the hotel when you’re finished here.”

He turned on his heel, Cyan trailing after him like a faithful, neon-colored dog.

I watched them leave, my heart sinking into my shoes. He didn’t care. He actually didn’t care. He was perfectly happy to spend his afternoon with a man who called him “Cassie” and knew how he kissed, leaving me behind in the dust.

I felt a surge of hot, prickling anger. Fine. He wanted me to be just the assistant? He wanted to act like I didn’t exist?

Two can play at that game.

I was supposed to be making him sick of me. I was supposed to be the “bad guy” in his life until he let me go. I had been failing because I’d let myself get distracted by his touch and his rare moments of vulnerability.

But watching him walk away with Cyan was the wake-up call I needed.

“Noah?” Alex asked softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

I looked at Alex, then back at the retreating figure of the man I was apparently falling for against my better judgment.

“I’m fine, Alex,” I said, a sharp, dangerous edge entering my voice. “In fact, I’m great. I think it’s time I started taking my job a little more seriously.”

If Cassian wanted to push me away, I was going to make sure he pushed me all the way out the door. It was time to accelerate the plan. It was time to become exactly the kind of headache he couldn’t handle.

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