am dusting tables, shelves, and chairs in the sitting room when I spot Jace coming down the stairs while speaking to someone on the phone, he is barking orders to the person on the other line furiously. He stops at the bottom of the stairs and I try not to blush when his eyes met with mine and he stares at me from head to toes. There is something about the looks that he is giving me that makes goosebumps spread all over my body and I shiver slightly.

I finished up and was about to leave when I suddenly feel Jace hug me from behind with his arm around my waist.

"Jace, what are you doing?" I whisper while trying to free myself from his death grip.

"Relax. No one is at home." He takes his seat and pulls me to sit on his lap but didn't release his grip on my waist.

I turn around angrily just to see him smiling in satisfaction.

"Jace, Ashley, and Cassie can come in anytime, and if they..." I didn't get to complete my sentence because he places his lips on mine and kissed me like there is no tomorrow.

I tried to resist him but as usual, I couldn't, I relaxed into him and kissed him back with equal vigor while wrapping my arms around his neck. It is a hot and rough kiss, unlike the tender ones he gave me before.

Jace breaks the kiss and places his forehead on mine while gazing into my eyes as we both breathe heavily. "Sasha, when you asked me what I wanted from you the other day, I said I didn't know because I was scared to admit to you that I like you. I like everything about you and I want you, Sasha."

"I'm only scared of your family, your parents are doing so much for me right now and I don't want to give them a reason to cut me off."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes," I reply without hesitation.

"Then leave that to me, we are not going to tell anyone about this until you graduate and that is a few months from now."

"Okay."I lean into him and initiate a kiss.

We both hear the door open all of a sudden and Cassie walks in before we can separate. I gasp in shock and quickly stand from Jace's lap in panic.

"How dare you?" She walks towards me with a deadly look on her face and raises her hand to slap me but Jace grabs her wrist before her palm can land on my cheeks.

She snatches her hand and bursts into tears immediately. "Jace, how could you do this to me? After I shamelessly begged you to love me?"

"I didn't promise you anything Cassie, even though our parents want us to be together just for the sake of the companies. I have tried so many times but I can't love you the way you deserve Cassie, I will talk to my parents once they are back from their business trip."

"W-What are you saying?"

"I think the merger between our companies should be nullified because I'm not going to sign the marriage contract."

"What?"

Ashley chose that moment to come in, her eyes are puffy and bloodshot like she has been crying and the mascara she used is smuggled all over her face. Jace rushes to her in alarm but she pushes him away while Jace blocks her path.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me what happened to you? You're crying."

"And when did you start caring about me that much? Huh? After all, you left me! You left when I needed you the most." She breaks down into tears.

I almost rush to console her and tell her everything will be okay but I stay rooted to my spot.

"And the only person who I thought was my best friend turns out to be nothing but a betrayal." She screams at Cassie who I'm sure is trying hard not to express how mad she is right now.

One thing I don't understand is what Ash means by a betrayal, Jace and I exchanged a look and waited patiently for her to continue.

"How did I betray you, Ash? Good things are not meant for only you, you have always wanted all the good things."

"You have been jealous of me, is that the reason why you were fucking my crush in an empty class?!"

My eyes widen in shock while Jace turns towards her menacingly.

"Your crush? Can you even listen to yourself? Your crush at least not a boyfriend." She scoffs.

"You know how much I like Damien and yet that didn't stop you from having sex with him in an empty class. I curse the very day I set my eyes on you and the day we became friends. Pack your stuff and leave our house, you gold digger." Ash yells furiously.

Cassie gave a dramatic gasp. "Me a gold digger?"

"You pretend to love my brother yet you go around sleeping with different guys. Isn't it obvious that you're only interested in our family's wealth?"

"How much does your family even have that you're shouting? What is your net worth?"

"Double of what your family have and will ever have!"

"You're..."

"Enough!!" Jace's voice booms in the sitting room and they both kept quiet and glared at each other with hatred. Ashley scoffs and walks up the stairs to her room.

"Cassie... Ash caught you making out with her crush and you are here claiming that you love me?" Jace takes a deep breath and starts pacing around. "I think it's best if you pack your stuff and leave as Ashley said."

"Oh I know that's what you're going to say. I will leave but know that I'm coming back, if I don't have you Jace then no one else will."

Jace chuckles " I think you're going crazy Cassandra."

"I admit that I'm wrong okay? But I still love you." She tries to grab Jace's hand but he steps back in visible irritation.

Cassie turns to me with a lot of venom in her eyes, I feel goosebumps spread all over my body as she gives me the deadliest of all the looks she has ever given me before.

"I can't believe I caught you kissing this thing." She shakes her head at me in disgust. "You insulted me by choosing your maid over me."

"That's because she is everything you're not and will never be. Just leave okay? You've done a lot already."

"You're are playing with fire girl." She tells me.

Jace grabs my hand and drags me along with him up the stairs thereby pulling me out of my reverie. A lot has happened today that I'm trying to process even though it's hard to take in.

But one thing I'm sure of is that I like Jace, he also feels the same way for me and I'm tired of hiding my feelings for him simply because I'm scared of Cassie and his parents. I'm willing to fight for us as much as he is also willing to do the same.