As the final notes of the waltz faded away, Violetta gently tried to free her hand from Cassian's grasp, a subtle reminder for him to release her. She turned to move away, ready to lose herself in the crowd of dancers and well-wishers, eager to put some distance between them once more. However, before she could take more than a single step, Cassian's hand tightened around her wrist, his fingers curling around the delicate bones in a gentle but unyielding grip.
"Wait," Cassian called out, his voice a low, urgent murmur that cut through the din of the ballroom. His tone held a note of desperation, a hint of something more beneath the surface. Violetta paused, her body stiffening at the sound of his voice. She glanced back over her shoulder, her violet eyes narrowing as she met his gaze.
"What are you doing?" Violetta asked, her voice a low, sharp whisper. She tried to tug her wrist free of his grasp, a flicker of irritation in her eyes. "I thought I made it clear that you shouldn't think too much about this dance, Duke Vrost." Violetta's voice was a mix of warning and a touch of something more, a hint of a painful memory that lingered in her tone.
Cassian's jaw tightened, a look of determination in his icy blue eyes as he held Violetta's gaze. "I wish to talk to you," he said, his voice a low, fervent whisper. "Alone, I promise it won't take long." His thumb brushed over the pulse point of her wrist, a feather-light caress that made Violetta's heart race despite herself.
Violetta sighed, a sound of long-suffering patience and a touch of resignation. She could see the determination in Cassian's eyes, the set of his jaw that told her he would not be deterred until he had said his piece. With a final, lingering glance around the room, taking in the curious stares and whispered speculation of the other nobles, Violetta made her decision. She placed her hand in Cassian's once more, a reluctant, almost grudging gesture of compliance. "Very well," she murmured, her voice a low, measured whisper. "I can spare a few moments for you, Duke Vrost."
Cassian led Violetta towards the open doors of the balcony, the cool night air a stark contrast to the stuffy warmth of the ballroom. As they stepped out into the darkness, Violetta felt the chill breeze brush against her skin, raising goosebumps on her exposed flesh. She shivered slightly, hugging her arms around herself in a futile attempt to ward off the cold.
Sensing her discomfort, Cassian paused and swiftly shrugged off his coat, the rich fabric sliding off his broad shoulders with a soft whisper. Violetta watched as he draped the coat around her shoulders, the warmth of his body still clinging to the inside of the garment. She didn't protest, instead allowing Cassian to fuss over her, the heat of his coat seeping into her chilled skin. She could smell the faint, familiar scent of his cologne mingling with the cool night air, a reminder of the man he once was, the man she had loved so deeply. Violetta's hands came up to clutch the lapels of the coat, holding it close around her as Cassian guided her to lean against the balcony railing, the stone cold and unyielding against her back.
As they stood there, the stars twinkling overhead and the distant sounds of the city a soft murmur in the night, Cassian faced Violetta. He looked down at her, his icy blue eyes a mix of seriousness and a hint of something softer and more vulnerable. "Thank you for agreeing to speak with me," he murmured, his voice a low, sincere whisper. "I know you have no desire to revisit the past, Violetta, but there are things I need to say, things I should have said long ago." Cassian's voice was a mix of regret and a longing for what might have been.
Violetta's eyes widened in shock as Cassian's words registered, a stunned silence falling over her. She stared at him, her violet eyes searching his face as if trying to discern any hint of mockery or deceit. But all she found was a sincerity and a vulnerability that made her heart ache with a bittersweet longing. "I see that you are taking liberties with my name again," Violetta murmured, a note of reproach in her voice. "You forget yourself, Duke Vrost."
Cassian's face fell, a look of remorse and regret in his icy blue eyes. "I apologize, Duchess Velyssia," he murmured, his voice a low, contrite whisper. "It was out of habit, a foolish one at that. It won't happen again." Cassian's voice was heavy with sincerity, a promise that he would respect the boundaries Violetta had set. He took a deep, steadying breath, his broad chest rising and falling beneath the fine fabric of his shirt.
Violetta sighed, a sound of long-suffering patience and a touch of resignation. She could see the sincerity in Cassian's eyes, the vulnerability that lay beneath the stoic exterior. A part of her wanted to reach out, to comfort him, to heal the wounds that lay between them. But another part of her, a part that had been hardened by the cruelty of the past, held her back. "Go on," she murmured, her voice a low, reluctant whisper. "Say what you have to say, Duke Vrost." Violetta's voice was a low, measured whisper, a clear indication that she was listening to him out of a sense of duty and nothing more.
Cassian took a deep, fortifying breath, his broad chest expanding with the action. He met Violetta's stunned gaze, his icy blue eyes a mix of hope and a tentative, almost fearful anticipation. "Duchess Velyssia," he began, his voice a low, heartfelt whisper. "Would you do me the immense honor of becoming my wife?" Cassian's voice trembled slightly on the last word, a hint of emotion and a deep, abiding love that had never truly faded.
Violetta stood frozen, Cassian's words hitting her like a physical blow. She stared at him, her violet eyes wide with shock and a growing, horrified realization. As the initial stunned silence gave way to a rising tide of disgust, Violetta's breathing grew heavy and labored. Before Cassian could react, before he could even begin to gauge her response, Violetta raised her hand and brought it down hard across his cheek, the sharp crack of the slap echoing in the night air. The force of the slap turned Cassian's head to the side, a reddening handprint already blooming on his skin. Violetta's breath came in harsh, angry gasps, her chest heaving with the force of her emotion.
"How dare you!" Violetta cried, her voice a high, anguished scream. She stumbled back, her hand still raised as if to strike him again, her chest heaving with the force of her breathing. "You have no right," she gasped, her voice a low, incredulous whisper. "No right to ask for my hand, not after everything that has happened." Violetta's voice was a mix of anger and a deep, abiding hurt, a painful reminder of the betrayal that had torn them apart.
Violetta caught her breath, a shuddering, ragged sound that spoke of the turmoil within her. She fixed Cassian with a glare, her violet eyes a blaze of fury and a deep, seething resentment. "Where was that hand," she demanded, her voice a high, bitter cry. "When I needed it most, Cassian? When I was being sold off like a piece of livestock to the Duke of Velyssia, where were you then?" Violetta's voice broke on the last word, a single, scalding tear sliding down her cheek.
Violetta's voice rose to a anguished scream, a raw, painful sound that tore through the night air. "I loved you," she cried, her voice a high, wailing keen. "I loved you so much, Cassian. That's why I hoped, I prayed every single day for you to come and save me." Violetta's voice was a low, broken whisper, a painful admission of the depth of her past feelings. Tears streamed down her face, cutting a glistening path through the carefully applied cosmetics.
Violetta's hands clenched into fists at her sides, her nails digging into the palms of her hands as she fought the urge to strike Cassian again. "But you never came," she screamed, a note of bitter accusation in her tone. "You left me to face that monster alone, to endure the cruelest of fates." Violetta's voice was a low, furious hiss, a painful reminder of the betrayal that had shattered her heart.
As the tears continued to flow, Violetta's expression twisted into a mask of disgust and revulsion. She turned her face away from Cassian, unable to bear the sight of him any longer. "And now," she spat, her voice a low, venomous whisper. "After all these years, you have the audacity to show your face here and ask for my hand?" Violetta let out a harsh, incredulous laugh, a sound that held no joy or mirth, only a deep, abiding bitterness. "I abhor you, Cassian," she hissed, facing Cassian once again, her voice a low, venomous whisper. "I cannot even bear to look at your face, a face that reminds me of nothing but betrayal." Violetta's voice was a low, anguished moan, a painful admission of the depths of her disgust and loathing. She wrapped Cassian's coat tighter around her, as if to shield herself from his presence, her body shaking with the force of her emotions.
Cassian's heart clenched as he witnessed Violetta's anguished outpouring, a deep, searing pain lancing through his chest at the sight of her tears. "Please, Violetta," he murmured, his voice a low, desperate whisper. "Please don't cry." Cassian's hand reached out, his fingers trembling as they hovered just inches from Violetta's tear-stained cheek, aching to wipe away the evidence of her pain.
But Violetta was having none of it. With a sharp, angry motion, she slapped Cassian's hand away, her nails raking across his cheek and leaving a thin, red line in their wake. "Don't touch me," she hissed, her voice a low, venomous whisper. "Don't you dare touch me, Cassian Vrost." Violetta's eyes blazed with a fury that stole Cassian's breath, a rage that spoke of a pain far deeper than he had ever imagined.
Cassian's hand fell to his side, his fingers curling into a fist as he fought the urge to reach for her again. He could see the disgust and revulsion in Violetta's eyes, the way her lip curled as she looked at him. It was a look that cut him to the bone, a painful reminder of the depths of her loathing for him.
"Go away," Violetta spat, her voice a low, venomous hiss. "I don't want to see you anymore, Cassian. I can't bear the sight of you." Violetta's voice was a low, anguished moan, a painful admission of the depths of her despair. She wrapped Cassian's coat tighter around her, as if to shield herself from his presence, her body shaking with the force of her sobs.
Cassian's heart shattered, a million pieces scattering like shards of glass. With a heavy, leaden step, Cassian turned away, his head bowed in defeat. He walked away from her, disappearing into the darkness of the night. Violetta stood alone on the balcony, the cold wind whipping around her as she let out a choked, anguished sob. Silent tears streamed down her face, years of pent-up grief and sorrow finally unleashed, as she crumpled to the ground, her body wracked with silent, shuddering sobs. The icy wind whipped around her as she curled in on herself, Cassian's coat the only barrier between her and the cruel, unforgiving night. She hugged her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth as the tears flowed freely down her face. Violetta's anguished cries were muffled, a low, keening sound that spoke of a pain so deep and profound that it threatened to consume her whole.