The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 484

Chapter 484

Sybil’s POV

Standing there in the garden, the sting of his dismissal still fresh on my skin, I know I need a new tactic. Appealing to his love for Gigi failed. Feigning domesticity failed. I need to shift the focus, to present myself as someone thinking of the family’s greater good. I paste a concerned, dutiful expression back on my face.

“Dad,” I begin, my tone softening into one of strategic worry. “Cassian’s divorced now. I think it’s time we found him a new wife. I actually know a very good girl from the Peterson family. Well–educated, impeccable background.”

The calculation is simple. If I can plant one of my connections by Cassian’s side, a loyal ear, then my influence grows. Later, when I push for Claire’s position at Paramount, Cassian’s new wife would surely advocate for us. It’s a long game, but I have to start

somewhere.

But Donovan’s gaze sharpens, slicing through my pretense with the precision of a scalpel. He doesn’t even blink. “You have the energy to find Cassian a wife,” he says, his voice dripping with a boredom that feels like contempt. “Why don’t you think about your own daughter? Claire is not getting any younger. She Kould be the one getting hitched soon, don’t you think?” 11:33

33

$2 Bonus

+2 Bonus

< Chapter 484

The question is a trap, and it makes me catch my breath. A hot flush of embarrassment creeps up my neck. He’s right, of course. Claire is the same age as Gemma, firmly of marriageable age. But the thought is a threat. Once Claire marries, her loyalties might shift, her connection to the Blackwell family—to my stake in it–could dilute. Besides, she hasn’t shown interest in anyone suitable. I’m in no hurry.

“It’s not the same,” I argue, forcing my voice to stay light. “Cassian is the heir. The stability of the Blackwell family depends on him having a secure family of his own. And since he and Gemma are finished, he should be looking.”

Donovan’s eyes narrow. “Don’t you know why Cassian and Gemma got divorced?”

The unspoken accusation hangs in the fragrant air, heavy and damning. Because of you. Because of people like you. If we hadn’t made those three years a living hell for that girl, she might not have walked away so decisively. He doesn’t say it, but I hear it. Every rebuttal I offer, he swats down with a weary, unanswerable logic. I stand there, feeling increasingly foolish, the carefully constructed facade of the concerned aunt crumbling into awkward dust.

“You’re just Cassian’s aunt,” he sRennels finally, his words as harsh and final as a judge’s gavel. “It’s not your turn to interfere in whether he remarries, or with whom.”

2/6

11:33

+2 Bonus

< Chapter 484

It’s a direct, brutal command to stand down. My cheeks burn. I open my mouth, a weak defense forming on my lips, but he’s already turning away, picking up the watering can as if I’m nothing more than a mildly irritating gnat.

“I’m tired,” he announces to the roses, not to me. “Go back if you don’t have anything else to do.”

The dismissal is absolute. He is exhausted just from looking at me. The message is clear: my presence shortens his life. A profound gloom settles over me as I watch his retreating back. I have to leave. I have no choice.

The drive home is a simmering stew of frustration. I didn’t settle the millions I owe, and he wouldn’t even agree about Cassian remarrying. How utterly annoying!

Persuading Donovan is impossible. The old fox sees every move three steps ahead. I need another path, maybe Cassian himself.

He has the authority, the resources. When I get home, I call

Claire into the study. “We need to reach your brother,” I tell her. “We’ve only just learned he’s been out of the office, traveling on business.”

Claire looks hesitant, chewing her lip. “You give him a call,” I insist. “He’s your brother. He can’t really leave us to flounder.”

3/6

11:33

+2 Bonus

< Chapter 484

“Mom, it’s a few million. We could cover it ourselves,” she suggests, her voice timid. She still doesn’t grasp the severity. It’s not just the money; it’s the principle. It’s Sandra’s lasting vengeance, a black mark that will scare off every future business partner. We need the Blackwell name to shield us.

I stare at her, exasperation boiling over. If I don’t keep some money back, are we going to spend our lives begging? “Hurry up and call him,” I snap, my patience frayed. “Why are you talking such nonsense?”

Seeing my insistence, her face falls. With obvious reluctance, she pulls out her phone and dials. I watch her, as the phone rings once, twice, a dozen times.

The silence in the room amplifies until finally, it goes to voicemail. She looks up, a mix of relief and apprehension in her eyes. “He’s not answering.”

“Go on, then!” I gesture impatiently at the phone. “Leave a message! Do I have to teach you this?”

She flinches, and I realise I am truly unlucky, I think, watching my daughter’s hesitant face.

I can’t rely on my husband, and now I can’t even rely on my only daughter! What did I do in my past life to deserve this?

Cassian’s POV

11:33

33

+2 Bonus

< Chapter 484

My phone lights up on the restaurant table, buzzing with a soft, insistent hum. The screen displays a name I have no desire to speak to: Claire. Florisdale’s time difference means it’s the middle of the night back home. Whatever drama has her calling now can wait. I let it ring, watching the screen go dark.

Gemma’s gaze flicks to the device. She sees the caller ID. A faint, dismissive line appears between her brows before she looks away, sipping her water. She doesn’t ask. She doesn’t care.

The silence after the missed call is brief. A second later, my phone buzzes again, not with a call, but with a text. This one is from Adam, my most trusted assistant at Blackwell Industries. The preview line glows on the darkened screen. Gemma’s eyes are drawn to it again. I see her lean slightly, her brow furrowing

as she reads it.

[Mr. Blackwell, Ms. Holloway has started targeting Blackwell Industries. Kranton Bank has stopped all funding.]

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify