After dinner, Leon leaned back in his chair, looking noticeably sleepy.
Cassandra noticed immediately.
She reached over and gently straightened his shirt.
"Alright, young man. Time for bed. You have school tomorrow."
Leon looked at her for a moment before nodding obediently.
"Okay, Mommy."
He slid down from his chair and stood beside her.
"Goodnight, Daddy."
Santino gave him a small nod. "Goodnight. Sleep well."
Leon smiled before turning toward Cassandra.
"Goodnight, Mommy."
"Goodnight, sweetheart. Go brush your teeth first."
Leon nodded and hurried toward the staircase.
Cassandra watched until he disappeared upstairs.
Once Leon was gone, she began clearing the table. She gathered the plates one by one and stacked them carefully, carrying them toward the kitchen.
She was halfway through collecting the glasses when another pair of hands reached for the remaining plates.
Santino.
"I'll help."
Cassandra glanced at him briefly but said nothing.
She continued clearing the table.
Santino carried several plates into the kitchen and returned for the rest. Neither of them spoke.
The silence between them was almost deliberate.
Cassandra wiped the table while Santino gathered the remaining dishes. When she moved toward one side, he moved toward the other, quietly helping her finish everything.
Still, she didn't say a word to him.
Santino eventually stopped and looked at her.
"You're still ignoring me?"
Cassandra continued wiping the table as though she hadn't heard him.
Santino raised an eyebrow.
"I asked you a question."
"I heard you."
"Then why aren't you answering?"
She folded the cloth and placed it neatly on the counter.
"Because I don't have anything to say."
Santino stared at her for a moment.
"You've been doing that since I came home"
Cassandra finally looked at him.
"And?"
"And I'm beginning to think you're deliberately punishing me."
She crossed her arms.
"Maybe I am."
Santino sighed quietly.
"For what?"
Cassandra gave him a pointed look.
"You really have to ask?"
"I've already apologized about Evelyn."
"That doesn't erase what happened."
"I know."
Her expression softened for only a second before she looked away again.
Santino leaned against the counter.
"I meant what I said earlier. She won't come here and behave like that again."
Cassandra remained silent.
He watched her carefully before adding, "And you don't have to worry about Leon when she's around. I'll handle it."
Cassandra looked at him again.
"You'd better."
"I will."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Santino glanced toward the staircase where Leon had disappeared.
"He seems happy with you."
Cassandra's expression softened.
"He's a good child."
Santino nodded.
"He likes you."
"I like him too."
A faint silence settled between them again.
Santino looked at her.
"So... are you still ignoring me?"
Cassandra picked up the last glass from the table.
"Yes."
She walked past him toward the kitchen.
Santino watched her go, a reluctant smile touching the corner of his mouth.
At least she was talking to him now.
The quiet between them was interrupted by the sudden ringing of Cassandra's phone.
She pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen.
The name displayed there made her roll her eyes.
"Seriously?"
She answered the call and put the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
Santino was still standing nearby, gathering the last few dishes. He didn't intend to listen, but Cassandra's expression immediately caught his attention.
A man's voice came through the phone.
"Cassandra, what kind of game are you playing? You took twenty million from me, and then you didn't even show up for the night we agreed on."
Cassandra's eyes narrowed.
"Mr. Eddie, did I force you to give me that money?"
There was a pause.
"You know very well what we agreed on."
"No," Cassandra replied calmly. "You gave me that money because you couldn't control yourself. You were the one begging for a night with me while you're married. Don't put your lack of self-control on me."
Santino's eyebrows lifted slightly.
The voice on the other end became harsher.
"Don't play smart with me."
Cassandra's expression hardened.
"You should watch your words."
She leaned against the kitchen counter, completely unbothered.
"Because if you keep talking to me like that, I'll personally come to your house and show your wife the video of you begging me for a one-night stand."
Silence.
For several seconds, Mr. Eddie said absolutely nothing.
Cassandra smiled faintly.
"What happened? Cat got your tongue?"
"You wouldn't dare," Eddie finally said.
Cassandra's smile disappeared.
"Try me."
She ended the call before he could say another word.
For a moment, the kitchen was completely silent.
Then Santino spoke.
"Are you still doing this?"
Cassandra looked at him.
"Doing what?"
"Sleeping around with men and collecting money from them while you're married to me."
Her expression immediately changed.
"I'm not a prostitute."
Santino's gaze remained steady.
"You sleep with men for money. You accept large amounts of money from them. If that's not prostitution, then what exactly is it?"
Cassandra stared at him, clearly offended.
"I don't sleep with them."
Santino frowned.
"What?"
"I said I don't sleep with them."
He glanced toward the phone she was still holding.
"Then what exactly are you selling?"
Cassandra folded her arms.
"Their fantasy."
Santino looked at her skeptically.
She continued, her voice firm.
"They pay because they want me. They think money gives them access to me, but it doesn't. I've never slept with any of them."
Santino was silent.
Cassandra lifted her chin.
"So before you call me a prostitute again, make sure you actually know what you're talking about."
She turned away, leaving Santino standing there with an expression he couldn't quite hide.
For the first time, he wasn't sure whether Cassandra's life was as simple—or as shameless—as he had assumed.
Later that night, Santino returned to their bedroom after finishing a few things downstairs.
The moment he walked in, he stopped.
Cassandra was already in bed, bundled up in her usual ridiculous collection of clothes. She had several layers on, as though she were preparing to survive the coldest winter imaginable rather than simply spending the night in her own bedroom.
Santino stared at her for a moment.
"Are you still doing that?"
Cassandra looked up from her phone.
"Doing what?"
He gestured toward her layers.
"That."
She glanced down at herself.
"Oh. This?"
"Yes, this."
Cassandra shrugged and returned her attention to her phone.
"It's my protection."
Santino sighed.
"How long are you planning to keep doing this?"
"Until I'm convinced I'm safe."
"Safe from what?"
She gave him a look.
"You know exactly what."
Santino shook his head and walked toward his side of the room.
"Cassandra, I've already told you. I'm not going to touch you without your permission."
She looked at him suspiciously.
"Really?"
"Yes."
He removed his watch and placed it on the bedside table.
"You're my wife, but that doesn't mean I have the right to force anything on you."
Cassandra blinked, slightly surprised by how seriously he said it.
Santino glanced at her mountain of clothing again.
"And besides, even if I wanted to do something, you look like you're wearing half the contents of your wardrobe."
Cassandra frowned.
"Don't make fun of me."
"I'm not."
"You are."
A faint smile appeared on Santino's face.
"I'm simply saying you can relax. I have no intention of touching you."
Cassandra studied him for a few seconds before slowly lying back against her pillow.
"Fine."
Santino turned off the main light.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
The room became quiet.
Cassandra pulled the blanket over herself, still wearing every layer.
Santino closed his eyes.
After a moment, he quietly added, "You can take some of those clothes off, you know."
Cassandra immediately replied from beneath the blanket.
"No."
Santino chuckled softly.
"Suit yourself."
And for the first time that night, both of them fell asleep without another argument.