Ambergris Locakboxes Traveled Salt Routes by Hugh Calder 47
Chapter Forty–Seven: Are You Sleeping With Corren?”
The question hung heavily in the air, as Dreston waited for her reply.
Cassienne heard him clearly. She was not asleep. She had not been asleep since she stepped inside the jet. Her eyes were closed, yes, but her mind was wide awake, it was racing with thoughts she did not want to face.
She chose silence instead. Pretence, her style. Because pretending to sleep felt safer than answering him.
The truth was simple. Cassienne loved Dreston. She had always loved him. Even now, after everything, that truth has not changed. But loving him did not mean she was willing to say it out loud. It did not mean she would open her heart again just to watch it break one more time.
Dreston did not need to ask that question. He already knew the answer.
Yet after the dream he had the night before–after the strange pull he felt toward her again–he needed confirmation. He needed to hear it from her lips. Maybe he wanted reassurance. Or maybe he wanted to test something inside himself.
He still has no answers to that.
From his own point of view, asking her was foolish. It was reckless even. What if she answered him honestly? What if she said yes, she still loved him?
Then what?
Would he marry her again?
Would he kneel and beg for forgiveness for the years of coldness, neglect, and emotional distance?
Would he love her the way she deserved this time?
Or would he hurt her again?
The questions swirled endlessly in his mind.
But Cassienne gave him no answer.
Her breathing remained slow and even. Her eyes stayed shut.
After a while, Dreston sighed quietly and leaned back in his seat. He finally believed she was asleep.
So he gave up.
Soon, the pilot announced their takeoff. Dreston fastened his seatbelt. His men seated at the back did the same. The jet began to move, smooth and steady, before lifting into the air.
A hostess approached politely, asking what he would like to be served.
Dreston lifted a finger slightly and shook his head. “Later,” he whispered. “Don’t wake her.”
The hostess nodded and walked away.
Cassienne heard everything.
She still did not move.
She stayed still, pretending, even though her heart was beating loudly in her chest.
Chapter Forty Seven Are You Sleeping With Coren?
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She did not understand why Dreston had asked her such a question. She had learned long ago not to allow him to confuse her emotions again. During their marriage, there were many times when he acted kind, gentle, even caring–only for her to later realize it was nothing but pity.
False hope.
Empty gestures.
Asking her if she still loved him was cruel, even if he did not mean it that way.
Even if she answered him truthfully, what would change? Nothing. His heart belonged to Tina. It always had.
If not for her mother’s condition, Cassienne would not be sitting beside him in a private jet. She would not be near him at all.
A sudden discomfort pulled her attention back to her body.
Her bladder ached urgently. She needed the restroom, and now she had no choice.
Cassienne shifted slightly, then blinked her eyes open. She stretched and yawned softly, acting as though she had just woken up from a deep sleep.
Dreston was already watching her.
“You’re awake,” he said calmly. It was not a question.
Cassienne nodded and unfastened her seatbelt. “Excuse me,” she said quietly. “I need to use the restroom.”
He nodded once.
She walked away, with measured steps and an unsettled mind.
As soon as Cassienne disappeared around the corner, Dreston opened his laptop and began to work. He tried to focus, to ground himself.
Then Cassienne’s phone buzzed.
The sound caught his attention.
He glanced at the screen without thinking.
One message notification.
From Corren.
Dreston’s jaw tightened immediately.
That name alone stirred something dark and uncomfortable inside him.
His mind flashed back to the club–to how Cassienne had sat beside Corren easily and comfortably, as though he belonged there. As if he mattered.
Dreston forced himself to breathe.
She works with him now, he reminded himself. It could be about work. Nothing more.
But what if it wasn’t?
And even if it was something more—what right did he have to react?
Chapter Forty–Seven Are You Sleeping With Comen?”
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They were no longer married.
Still, the thought burned.
He shut his laptop and leaned back, trying to shake the feeling away. He had no business caring. None at all.
Cassienne returned shortly and sat down. She picked up her phone, unaware that Dreston was watching her closely.
Her brows pulled together as she read the message.
Then slowly, her lips curved into a soft smile.
Dreston noticed.
Her fingers began to move as she typed a reply.
One message. Then another notification came in. Then she smiled again. Her cheeks warmed slightly, as she typed
back.
Dreston told himself it was nothing. Just a quick response. A normal conversation.
But the minutes passed. Cassienne was still smiling. She was still typing.
Her phone chimed again and again. Dreston felt irritation rise in his chest. This was not just work. It couldn’t be.
Cassienne had completely forgotten where she was. She leaned slightly forward, fully absorbed in the conversation, her face glowing with quiet happiness.
Dreston slammed his laptop shut.
The sound was loud, sharp, demanding attention. But Cassienne didn’t even look up. She laughed softly instead- clearly reacting to something on her phone.
That was when something inside Dreston snapped. He coughed loudly and deliberately. Still nothing.
Her laughter wasn’t for him. The frustration turned bitter.
She might not be his wife anymore, but he refused—absolutely refused–to watch another man step into her life so easily. Especially not Corren Thornwyck.
He knew that what he was about to ask could stir another fight between them. But he asked anyway.
The words left his mouth before he could stop them.
“Are you sleeping with Corren?”
The air shifted instantly.
Cassienne froze. For a brief moment, she couldn’t breathe.
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