Ambergris Locakboxes Traveled Salt Routes by Hugh Calder 20

Cassienne noticed the way both Merrick and Daisy were staring at her. Their eyes were wide, their faces serious, as if she had just said something very wrong.

“What?” she asked softly. Her voice was still weak, even though she was trying her best to pull herself out of the misery she had lived in for years. “Why are you two looking at me like that?”

“Don’t ever say something like that again,” Merrick said firmly, with a calm voice, but his eyes were sharp. “Not about yourself. Not ever.”

Daisy suddenly burst out laughing, breaking the heavy mood. “What was that, Cassienne?” she said, shaking her head as she sat closer to her. “You and I are two very different people.”

Cassienne lifted the mug with both hands and took a slow sip of the hot coffee. The warmth spread through her body, calming her a little. She breathed in and spoke again.

“We finalized the divorce today,” she said quietly. “All that’s left is to meet in court tomorrow morning so the magistrate can conclude everything.”

Daisy’s eyes widened in surprise, then softened with relief. “Wow. Finally,” she said with a small smile. She leaned closer and gently hugged Cassienne’s arm. “I’m really happy for you, my friend.”

Merrick straightened from where he leaned against his desk. “So that’s why you were like that at Auralink?” he asked. His jaw tightened. “Was that what he did to you?”

“No,” Cassienne replied immediately, shaking her head. “That’s not why.”

Merrick’s irritation grew. “Then what? Did he touch you? Because if he did, I swear-”

“Dreston is not that kind of man,” she interrupted him. Her voice trembled slightly. “But his words… his words hurt worse than anything else.”

She swallowed hard. “He humiliated me. Right in front of Tina and his lawyer. He said Tina is intelligent and that I am not.”

For a second, there was silence.

Then Merrick burst out laughing. His laughter was loud and sharp, filled with disbelief. Daisy stared at him for a moment, then joined in, shaking her head.

“What a loser,” Merrick said between laughs. “A complete loser.”

Cassienne blinked at him in shock.

“I mean it,” Merrick continued, finally calming down. “I’m actually glad for you. At least now, you can finally focus on yourself.”

Cassienne nodded slowly. She stood up from the sofa, but the moment she did, her emotions crashed over her again.

“I know,” she said, her voice breaking. “I know I should be happy. But… it’s not as easy as I thought.”

Her tears returned.

Chapter Twenty Unexpected Kiss

Daisy was beside her in an instant. She wrapped her arms around Cassienne and pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “It hurts now, but just live. That’s all you need to do. Live.”

Cassienne lifted her head slowly. She wiped her tears and blinked a few times, as if something inside her had clicked into place.

“You’re right,” she said softly. Then she smiled faintly. “I should live. Just like you, right?”

“What?” Merrick pushed himself away from the desk immediately.

“No, no,” Daisy said quickly. “That’s not what I meant, Cass. I meant to live fully. Enjoy your life, not-”

“I think it’s time to introduce Cassienne to the team,” Merrick interrupted suddenly.

Daisy nodded. “Yeah. That would help.”

“Come on,” Merrick said to Cassienne. “Walk around with Daisy. Meet people. I’ll join you later.”

Cassienne smiled and nodded. She picked up a tissue and gently cleaned her face. She ran her fingers through her long hair, fixing herself, and took a deep breath.

She followed Daisy out of Merrick’s office.

The development floor was wide and bright, surrounded by large glass walls. The hall was modern and carefully designed. There were rows of desks, screens glowing with lines of code, diagrams, and data models. Everyone here was important and they had a purpose.

Cassienne loved it immediately.

There was no clear show of hierarchy. You couldn’t easily tell who was the boss just by looking–except for the separate offices that belonged to senior staff. It felt open, equal, and alive.

“Everyone, listen up,” Daisy called.

Even though they were all busy, heads lifted at once. Eyes turned to Cassienne–the woman they had just seen their boss carry like something precious.

“This is my friend,” Daisy announced. “Her name is Cassienne. Merrick says “be nice.”

“Hi, Cassienne,” they all said together.

Their voices blended like a soft chorus.

Then they went back to work as if nothing had happened.

Daisy leaned closer and whispered, “You can move around. They won’t bite.” She winked and returned to her desk.

Cassienne stood there for a moment, watching everyone work.

Daisy had always been like this–bold, confident, alive. She was a gamer and knew enough software development to hold her own. She and Merrick had been friends since college. Cassienne used to be part of that circle too, before her marriage slowly pulled her away.

Cassienne walked slowly through the hall, smiling at people as she passed. Everyone smiled back.

Chapter Twenty: Unexpected Kiss

Then she noticed a man.

He was handsome. No–very handsome.

He stood out without trying. While most people were dressed in formal office wear, he wore black pants and a blue polo shirt. His posture was tense, his shoulders slightly stiff.

He looked stressed.

Cassienne stepped closer. The closer she got, the more she noticed details of him. His dark brown hair was neatly styled. His skin was smooth and bright. His forearms were strong, and his fingers moved quickly across the keyboard.

She watched his screen.

Within seconds, she understood the problem.

She glanced around and noticed others struggling too. Different screens, same issue. The system wasn’t responding. 4

A small smile appeared on her lips.

For the first time that day, she forgot her pain.

And she thought about work. Work has always been her comfort, her obsession.

She bent down slightly, her face close to the man’s. It was too dangerously close.

The man looked up and their eyes locked. His green eyes looked deeply into hers, and for a brief moment, Cassienne forgot how to breathe.

He seemed surprised but not angry–just confused and curious. He cleared his throat.

Cassienne snapped back to reality. “Um,” she said, clearing her throat as well. “I think the problem isn’t the logic. It’s the validation layer.”

He straightened and folded his arms. “How do you know that?”

Heads turned toward them.

“Well,” she said calmly, “from what I see, you’re building a voice–analysis system. Something like a digital lie detector, but smarter.”

The hall went quiet.

She continued, pointing at the screen. “You’re using voice stress patterns and response timing. But your threshold values are too strict. The system keeps rejecting valid input.”

She clicked the mouse, adjusting parameters instead of deleting random data. “You need adaptive thresholds, not fixed ones. Let the system learn baseline behavior.”

She ran the test again.

The screen lit up.

3/4

Chapter Twenty: Unexpected Kiss

Then she noticed a man.

He was handsome. No–very handsome.

He stood out without trying. While most people were dressed in formal office wear, he wore black pants and a blue polo shirt. His posture was tense, his shoulders slightly stiff.

He looked stressed.

Cassienne stepped closer. The closer she got, the more she noticed details of him. His dark brown hair was neatly styled. His skin was smooth and bright. His forearms were strong, and his fingers moved quickly across the keyboard.

She watched his screen.

Within seconds, she understood the problem.

She glanced around and noticed others struggling too. Different screens, same issue. The system wasn’t responding.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

For the first time that day, she forgot her pain.

And she thought about work. Work has always been her comfort, her obsession.

She bent down slightly, her face close to the man’s. It was too dangerously close.

The man looked up and their eyes locked. His green eyes looked deeply into hers, and for a brief moment, Cassienne forgot how to breathe.

He seemed surprised but not angry–just confused and curious. He cleared his throat.

Cassienne snapped back to reality. “Um,” she said, clearing her throat as well. “I think the problem isn’t the logic. It’s the validation layer.”

He straightened and folded his arms. “How do you know that?”

Heads turned toward them.

“Well,” she said calmly, “from what I see, you’re building a voice–analysis system. Something like a digital lie detector, but smarter.”

The hall went quiet.

She continued, pointing at the screen. “You’re using voice stress patterns and response timing. But your threshold values are too strict. The system keeps rejecting valid input.

She clicked the mouse, adjusting parameters instead of deleting random data. “You need adaptive thresholds, not fixed ones. Let the system learn baseline behavior.”

She ran the test again.

The screen lit up.

Chapter Twenty: Unexpected Kiss

“WELCOME. HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY?”

The hall exploded.

People jumped to their feet. The chairs moved. Excited voices filled the room.

The door to Merrick’s office opened, and he walked out quickly. “Did it work?” he asked loudly.

“No,” the man said, turning to Cassienne. “She fixed it.”

It was a shocking moment for everyone, but Merrick wasn’t shocked at all. He knew what Cassienne could do.

Before anyone could react, the man leaned forward and pressed his lips to Cassienne’s.

Cassienne gasped. Not just her, everyone gasped, including Merrick.

And just like that, Cassienne’s life took another unexpected turn.

But who was this man who dared to kiss Cassienne?

Crown Imagination

Author’s Note:

Dear Readers,

Thank you sincerely for the love, attention, and continuous support you have shown this book. Your encouragement means everything to me.

I would like to inform you that this story is connected to my other ongoing book. “The Extraordinary Bride of The Wyndham Family” Although both books are set in different cities and follow different storylines, they exist within the same world and are closely linked. Events, characters, and revelations from one book will influence the other as the stories progress.

This book can be read independently. However, for a richer reading experience and a deeper understanding of the unfolding plot, I highly recommend following both books.

Once again, thank you for being part of this journey. Your support, comments, and encouragement keep this story alive. I truly appreciate every reader.

Please remember to share this book and recommend it to your friends and loved ones.

With love:

Crown Imagination

Sara Lili

Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.