WRITER'S POV:
Ivy did not die.This was disappointing.After the towel incident—a moment that would now live rent-free in her humiliation vault forever—she had finally dressed and retreated into her section of the suite. Cassius and Jason, mercifully, hadn't said a word about it. Jason had given her a look that could only be described as cheeky chaos incarnate, while Cassius had treated her like invisible furniture.And somehow, that was worse.She curled up on the couch with a blanket pulled to her chin, watching the same nature documentary, which had now moved on to majestic owls in slow motion. The narration was calm. She was not.Cassius had left again, muttering something to Jason about "updates" and "logistics" and—her favorite—"clean exits." The kind of phrases that definitely meant they weren't out buying snacks.When he returned, hours later, it was nearly midnight.Ivy pretended to be asleep.Cassius paused in the doorway for a beat too long, as if confirming she was faking. Then, wordlessly, he moved through the suite, removed his jacket, loosened his tie, and disappeared into his bedroom.The door didn't close all the way.Ivy opened one eye. Stared at the ceiling.Her brain refused to stop.Was he angry? Annoyed? Unfazed? Was this whole situation beneath his notice, or was he secretly fuming inside that cold, perfect exterior? Worse—was he amused?She rolled over. The couch wasn't comfortable. Her thoughts were less so.---The next morning, Ivy was up before him.She made coffee. She had no idea why. Maybe it was some primitive peace offering to the man who had witnessed her towel-clad identity crisis.When Cassius emerged, freshly dressed and as composed as ever, she shoved the mug in his direction like a poorly wrapped bribe.He took it. Sipped. Said nothing."You're welcome," she muttered.They sat in relative silence, the occasional clink of porcelain filling the air. Cassius had his laptop open, a digital battlefield of encrypted emails and schedules Ivy didn't dare ask about.Eventually, she stood. "I'm going to grab breakfast downstairs. Want anything?"Cassius didn't look up. "Black coffee."She blinked. "You already have coffee.""This one's emotional. I want a functional one."She stared at him, then turned on her heel. "You're exhausting."---The hotel breakfast buffet was made by the gods. She loaded a plate with enough food to feed a conference and returned to the room, careful not to drop anything.Cassius was on the phone now, speaking in clipped, low tones that made her pause in the hall."Yes. The shipment cleared. No, she doesn't know. Yet."Her stomach dropped.She? She who?She stepped quietly into the room, making noise with her keys like she'd just returned, and Cassius ended the call like it had never happened."Breakfast?" he asked, voice neutral."Yup," she said, handing him his second coffee like a bomb with a bow on it.The rest of the day was blur—security meetings, hotel staff knocking, Jason dropping by with Monday just to be annoying, and Ivy trying to avoid being alone in a room with Cassius.She failed.That evening, the suite was too quiet. Cassius sat reading something on a tablet, and Ivy was curled in the opposite armchair with a book she hadn't turned a page of in 30 minutes.The tension was thick. Not angry. Just... charged.Finally, Cassius broke the silence. "You never explained."Ivy looked up. "Explained what?""The towel."She stared. "Are you serious.""You clearly weren't trying to seduce me. Your posture was appalling."Her mouth dropped open. "Posture?""If you're going to launch a towel-based assault, at least commit."Ivy stood abruptly. "I'm going to scream."Cassius looked at her—truly looked—and for a second, the brooding mask cracked. There was the barest trace of a smirk. Again.She stormed into the kitchen.Behind her, Cassius said, "I'm only teasing.""Stop doing that.""Why?"She opened the fridge. "Because it's... dangerous.""To whom?"She slammed the fridge door shut. "To people with normal heart rates and fragile boundaries."They stood there, staring at each other, across the chasm of unspoken things.Ivy shook her head. "You're impossible."Cassius tilted his head. "You're flustered.""You're smug.""You're interesting."And with that, he returned to his tablet.Conversation over. Sanity hanging by a thread.Ivy decided to sleep on the floor.It felt safer.