Ambergris Locakboxes Traveled Salt Routes by Hugh Calder 64

Chapter Sixty–Four: How Dare You Kiss Me Without My Permission.

Dreston felt the blood drain from his face.

Tina, why are you complicating things now?

He exhaled slowly before turning back to Cassienne. “I’m sorry about that,” he said, his tone sincere.

Cassienne only smiled. She looked calm and unbothered. Her professionalism can not be ignored.

“It’s okay,” she replied evenly. “I actually need to discuss something with you.”

Dreston nodded, looking pleased. “Please, have a seat.” He gestured toward the sofa area of his office.

Cassienne walked over and sat down gracefully, crossing her legyen the way she placed her tablet beside her,

with practiced ease. Everything about her was composed. Her posture was straight. And her expression was calm. everything about her is different from the woman he thought he knew.

And for reasons he couldn’t fully explain, pride swelled in his chest.

This version of Cassienne has confidence. Her self–assuredness was unshaken–it was breathtaking.

She wasn’t rattled. She wasn’t emotional. She hadn’t reacted to Tina’s provocation at all. She was exactly how a Chief Technology Officer should be.

She was Professional.

Dreston took the seat opposite her, leaning forward slightly.

“So,” Cassienne began, getting straight to the point, “after reviewing the proposals Mr. Steel submitted to my désk earlier, I realized that some of them are actually solid. There’s potential in a few of those ideas. I’d like to approve them, if that’s okay with you.”

Dreston studied her face for a moment before responding.

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‘Cassienne,” he said slowly, “this is your department now.”

She looked up at him.

“This is our decision. This is your work now.” His tone was firm and unwavering. “If you say those proposals are good, then they’re good.”

Cassienne gave a small nod, acknowledging his trust.

“Feel free to move forward with whatever you believe is best,” Dreston continued. “I trust your judgment.”

He leaned back slightly. “My role is to set the business vision and overall strategy. Also to lead the entire company, not just the tech side.”

Then he added, almost casually, “I already have more than enough on my plate, Cass.”

Cassienne flinched.

Cass?

He had never called her that before.

Her fingers curled subtly against her lap. Why was he doing this? Why was he stirring things inside her without even realizing it?

Chapter Sady Four How Dare You Kiss Me Without My Permisoler

Dreston, completely unaware of her internal reaction, went on.

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“That’s exactly why you’re here,” he said. “You’re meant to lead and define the company’s technological vision.”

He looked at her directly now.

“You’re to decide what technology we build and why we build it. That responsibility doesn’t fall on me anymore.” A faint smile touched his lips. “All I need are results.”

He paused, then added with quiet confidence, “And from what I can already see, we’re getting them.”

The room fell silent again—but this time, the silence carried something heavier than professionalism.

Again, Cassienne was not used to seeing Dreston smile.

It unsettled her more than she wanted to admit. This version of him, this soft and attentive side of him, almost warm–didn’t match the man she had lived with for five years. She didn’t know what to do with it, or what it

meant.

So she did the only thing she knew how to do.

She pulled herself together.

“Okay, sir,” she said calmly.

“Sir?” Dreston cut in immediately.

His brows pulled together. “Don’t do that.” His voice wasn’t harsh, but it was firm. “You’ve always called me by my name. I’d like it if you keep calling me by my first name.”

Cassienne didn’t give a reply to that.

She kept her expression neutral, her posture straight. She had already made up her mind. Whatever this was- whatever he was trying to turn this into–she wasn’t going to allow it.

She needed this job.

This wasn’t just another role. This was her dream job. The opportunity she believed she had wasted years of her life waiting for. She refused to let emotions–especially old ones–complicate it.

“I have something to address,” she said instead.

Dreston frowned slightly. “Go on.”

“It’s about how people address me here,” she said, hesitating for a brief second before continuing. “I would prefer to be called Miss Rhodes instead of Mrs. Tremont.”

Her voice remained steady, but the weight of the words was heavy.

“I don’t believe I deserve that name anymore. We’re divorced now.”

Dreston heard her clearly. Yet he couldn’t give a reply to that. And he couldn’t explain the reason to himself.

What was wrong with his name? What was so unbearable about it? For a brief moment, something dark and possessive stirred in his chest. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, forcing himself to calm down, choosing his response carefully so he wouldn’t say something he’d regret.

Cassienne watched his reaction closely.

Chapter Sixty–Four How Done You Kiss Me Without My Permission

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Was he upset?

She scoffed inwardly. As if he wasn’t the one who divorced her.

She quickly pushed the thought away. No. She refused to let the past poison the present. If insisting on “Miss Rhodes” was going to disrupt their working relationship, then she would let time handle it. She knew better now. Some things couldn’t be forced.

“It’s fine,” she said quietly. “Don’t worry about it.”

Dreston opened his eyes immediately. Then he nodded, saying nothing.

“I have something else to tell you,” Cassienne continued.

He gestured with his hand. “Go on.”

“I finalized a business deal with Gabriel Wyndham.”

Dreston straightened instantly.

“What about him?” he asked sharply.

Cassienne hesitated. Was it appropriate to tell him everything? After all, this was a sensitive matter.

“We had a contract worth billions,” she said slowly. “I spoke with him this morning and—” She paused, then smiled. “I sealed the deal.”

She lifted her eyes to him. “I just wanted to inform y-

She never finished the sentence.

Dreston was no longer in his seat.

In a fast movement, he was standing right in front of her.

Before Cassienne could process what was happening, his hands were on her, and his lips pressed against hers.

The world stopped around her.

This wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a confusion either. This was intentional.

Cassienne froze, her breath hitching as the familiar warmth overwhelmed her senses. Against her will, her eyes fluttered shut. Dreston took that brief surrender as permission he never should have assumed, deepening the kiss, a low sound leaving his throat as if he had lost control.

But then–Reality crashed back. Cassienne’s eyes flew open. She shoved him away with all her strength.

Dreston staggered back a step, shock flashing across his face as the weight of what he had done finally hit him.

He just kissed his ex–wife.

And worse, he liked it.

Cassienne was shaking now, fury burning through her veins. She stood up abruptly, glaring at him, her hands clenched tightly at her sides, knuckles turning white.

“How dare you?” she demanded, her voice sharp and trembling with anger. “How dare you kiss me without my permission?”

Chapter Sixty five No Personal Closeness

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Chapter Sixty–Five: No Personal Closeness.

The fire in Cassienne’s eyes frightened Dreston to his bones.

He had never seen her look at him like that–not during their marriage, not during their arguments, or even on the day they signed the divorce papers. She wasn’t just hurting.

This was anger sharpened by self–respect.

Instinctively, he stepped back. His hands lifted in the air, palms open, a silent sign of surrender. His heart pounded as regret crashed into him all of a sudden.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, his voice tight. “I was carried away. I shouldn’t have done that. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Cassienne didn’t answer.

She stood there, rigid and silent, her hands clenched so tightly into fists that her knuckles turned pale. Every part of her posture screamed restraint–like someone holding back a storm.

Under different circumstances, that kiss would have meant everything to her.

Once upon a time, she would have seen it as a miracle. Proof that she had not been forgotten. Proof that she still

mattered to him.

But that version of Cassienne no longer existed.

She had grown past that woman–the one who waited, hoped, and endured. She was no longer driven by the need to be wanted or touched. She had made a decision long ago, quietly and firmly, to live for herself.

No man would ever again have the power to toy with her emotions.

“I mean it,” Dreston said again, desperation slipping into his tone. “It won’t happen again.”

Slowly, deliberately, Cassienne sat down.

She adjusted her posture, crossing her legs neatly, forcing her breathing to steady. Her eyes closed briefly as she fought the lingering sensation–the warmth, the familiarity, the dangerous pull she refused to acknowledge.

If she was going to succeed here—if she was going to function as Auralink’s Chief Technology Officer–she needed distance. Emotional distance and clear boundaries.

When she finally opened her eyes, Dreston was still standing, watching her as if she were a puzzle he had never managed to solve.

“Dreston,” she said calmly, her voice controlled but firm. “If you want me to work effectively here, and if you want us to work together peacefully, then you need to treat me as nothing more than a professional.”

She held his gaze.

“No personal closeness. No emotional confusion. Only work.”

Dreston swallowed.

Then he nodded and returned to his seat, his brows drawn together as he tried to process her words.

The truth was complicated.

Chapter Sety Five No Personal Chines

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He wanted Cassienne here because she was the best–brilliant, focused, unmatched. But that wasn’t the whole truth. He wanted her close for reasons he hadn’t yet named, feelings he didn’t fully understand, desires he hadn’t admitted even to himself.

And that was exactly the problem.

For now, he chose the one thing he could not afford to lose.

Her.

“For what it’s worth,” he said quietly, “I’m truly sorry. I promise I won’t touch you again without your permission.”

Cassienne raised a brow slightly.

She said nothing.

She wasn’t naïve enough to believe his sudden restraint meant regret or love. And even if, someday, it did–she would never walk that road again. 1

She had learned her lesson.

This time, she chose herself.

Tina paced back and forth inside her office, looking so restless.

Her heels struck the floor in sharp, angry sounds, each step fueled by humiliation and rage. Her anger was not directed at Cassienne alone. No–most of it was for Dreston.

How could he do this to her?

How could he embarrass her so openly?

For years, Auralink had treated Tina Ackley with respect. She had built her image carefully–polished, admired, and untouchable. And now, in a single move, Dreston had shattered that image by bringing his ex–wife back into the company and placing her above Tina in rank.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, people still called Cassienne Mrs. Tremont.

The staff said it casually and respectfully, as though that title still belonged to her. Each time Tina heard it, it felt like a slap to her face. It was insulting. Degrading. A reminder that no matter how hard she tried, Cassienne still held a place she couldn’t erase.

Her assistant stood stiffly near the desk, watching her boss spiral.

Tina suddenly stopped pacing and turned sharply.

“Becky,” she snapped. “Are you sure that woman is still in his office?”

Becky’s brows pulled together in quiet frustration. That was the tenth time Tina had asked the same question. Her patience was thinning, but she kept her tone respectful.

“Ma’am… It’s been about ten minutes since the last time I checked. Would you like me to go back and confirm with Janet again?”

“And what are you waiting for?” Tina barked.

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