Chapter 1337: Not playing the two-faced game

"Renren, how did you... make it here?" Penny blinked, looking at her husband curiously. "Shouldn’t you be elsewhere?"

After all, Penny and the entire family knew that Zoren had an important meeting as the head of the Pierson Family. No one had expected to see him tonight.

Zoren smiled and gently poked the tip of her nose. "The only place I should be tonight is here."

"Goodness." She pouted, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "I know this is important for you too, but aren’t you going to get in trouble?"

"It wasn’t me who canceled," he explained briefly. "It was the other party’s fault. Besides..."

Zoren slowly shifted his gaze toward Atlas. "I should thank him for his help."

"Huh?" Penny furrowed her brows and glanced at Atlas, only to see her first brother acting as if no one else was in the room. "What did he do?"

---

Meanwhile...

"It’s alright, Mom," Cassandra said, secretly grinding her teeth as she forced a smile. "I understand."

After hanging up, her chest rose and fell heavily. She snapped her gaze to the empty table, a twisted smile forming on her lips as she scoffed.

She had been here with a few people earlier, but since her grandfather couldn’t attend the family meeting, they had to cancel.

They called it an emergency.

"Hah..." she exhaled, closing her eyes.

"That’s alright."

A voice came from behind her. When she reopened her eyes, all she saw was Jonathan’s gentle smile as he sat down beside her.

"It’s an emergency, so there’s nothing we could do," he said.

Cassandra pressed her lips into a thin line and sighed. "Do you really think it’s just an emergency? Or... is it because this isn’t as important to them?"

"Cassandra."

"Aren’t you angry?" She scoffed, swatting his hand away with the back of hers. "Doesn’t this upset you, Joe?"

Jonathan didn’t answer right away, studying the frustration on her face.

"Hah..." she huffed, picking up her purse as she rose from her seat. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lash out on you. I just need some time."

"Cass." Jonathan stood as well, but Cassandra had already walked out. He threw his hands up in frustration but didn’t follow, knowing she needed space.

Turning back to the private dining room, he rested his hands on his hips.

"Tss..." He clicked his tongue, the gentleness in his expression fading. Running his tongue across his inner cheek, a sharp glint flickered in his eyes.

"Is it... really just an emergency?"

Or something else?

After all, Zoren had arrived at the restaurant. Yet, just before stepping out of the car, his driver had turned and left. At the same time, Cassandra’s parents received a call saying her grandfather wouldn’t make it—and that he had already informed Zoren.

With the family dinner postponed, the rest of the guests who had arrived left one after another.

"It’s just an emergency," Jonathan whispered. "There’s no way it’s not."

If Zoren had orchestrated this, Jonathan would be sure it wasn’t just an emergency. But Zoren had come—only to leave again. He was the first person Cassandra’s grandfather called.

And it wasn’t because her family disapproved of Jonathan.

He knew this family well.

If not for Finn and Cassandra’s arrangement in their first life, her grandfather would have pushed her into the Pierson Family just to strengthen their ties. Jonathan was confident that her family wouldn’t object to her marrying an illegitimate child—as long as the Pierson Family recognized him.

Not just any illegitimate child, either. He was Enzo Pierson’s illegitimate child.

’I’m not in a hurry,’ Jonathan reminded himself, his expression sharpening as he gazed at the empty dining room.

"We can postpone it a few more times, but there’s only so much they can delay."

Because once this union proceeded as planned, the senator would know: if Jonathan fell, their family would fall with him.

The corner of his mouth curled up as his gaze flicked toward the entrance. A second later, he pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Send my fiancée flowers first thing in the morning," he ordered nonchalantly. "I don’t like her getting too upset before our wedding."

---

For Jonathan, postponing the family dinner was a minor setback. He didn’t mind if this dragged on for a few months—they could only stall for so long.

The outcome would remain the same.

But Cassandra’s frustration wasn’t about the engagement.

She didn’t care about that.

What she cared about was tonight.

Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month.

Tonight.

But alas...

Cassandra clenched her teeth as she stormed out of the restaurant, her blood boiling. She held back her frustration until she reached a safe place to vent. Without stopping for anyone, she made her way to the parking lot, where her car was waiting.

Just as she reached it, a hand suddenly grabbed her arm.

Before she could react, she found herself spun around, facing the one who stopped her.

The anger on her face flickered into surprise.

"Dean?" she blurted out, catching sight of his smile. Deep lines creased her brows as she yanked her arm back. But his grip didn’t loosen.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

Dean’s smile stretched further.

"It’s okay to drop the pretense, Cassandra," he cooed. "I know you’re not the damsel you pretend to be."

"What?"

"I need to talk to you," Dean said with a shrug. "It won’t take long, so spare me a minute."

"Let me go."

"And if I don’t?"

Cassandra clenched her teeth, unwilling to entertain him. But when she tried to pull away, Dean ruthlessly yanked her toward him—then shoved her into the back seat of another car.

A sharp yelp escaped her lips as she landed inside, eyes darting to him in shock.

Dean lowered his head, resting an arm on the hood as he gazed at her.

"Like I said," he smirked. "Drop the pretense."

His voice softened, but his eyes gleamed with something dark.

"There’s no need to hide. I know what kind of witch you are, so don’t be afraid to show that other side of yours." His smirk widened. "Because I’m not playing that game either."