Divorcing My Billionaire Husband

Chapter Five

Cassidy was in the midst of the crowd, casually observing the room with a sense of detachment. She had expected to feel some kind of hurt upon seeing Dave, but to her own surprise, she felt nothing.

With a small smile on her face, she reached for a glass of champagne from a waiter passing by, the sparkling liquid providing a momentary distraction as she took a sip.

As Cassidy stood listening to the event planner's speech, a man in a sharp suit walked up to her, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. "Ms. Peyton, it's indeed a pleasure to finally meet you," he said, a charming smile playing on his lips. "I'm Marcus, CEO of Nova Holdings.”

Cassidy raised her perfectly sculpted brow, curious as she took in his well-fitted suit and confident attitude. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Marcus," she replied, her tone neutral.

"Much appreciated," he nodded. "I am a great admirer of your work and was hoping that we could discuss a potential partnership.”

"A partnership, you say?" she replied, her tone casual yet measured. "I'm certainly open to hearing more. What did you have in mind?"

Marcus launched into a detailed description of his company's latest project, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Cassidy listened attentively, occasionally taking a sip of her champagne as she considered his suggestions. Time seemed to slip away as the two of them discussed the ins and outs of the potential partnership.

As they talked more, Marcus's gaze would occasionally shift to her left hand, his eyes lingering on her bare ring finger. Cassidy noticed but chose not to mention it, maintaining a polite yet cautious smile.

Eventually, his eyes locked onto hers, his expression turning flirtatious. "Forgive me for being so bold," he said, his voice lowering slightly, "but I couldn't help but notice that…you're unattached. Would you do me the honour of allowing me to take you to dinner sometime? I would love the chance to get to know you better.”

Cassidy found Marcus's forwardness amusing. "That's very kind of you, Mr. Marcus," she replied with a small nod. "But I'm afraid I don't have much spare time these days. I am swamped with work right now.”

Marcus's expression shifted to one of polite disappointment. "I see. Uhmm… well, the offer remains open should you ever change your mind," he said, his tone friendly. "In the meantime, I do hope we can continue our discussion about the partnership. I truly believe that our companies could achieve remarkable results together.”

Cassidy nodded, maintaining eye contact. "I'm certainly intrigued. Why don't we exchange contact details, and we can set up a more formal meeting to explore the possibilities further?"

As the two exchanged business cards, Dave stood on the sidelines, his attention focused on Cassidy. He couldn't understand why the sight of her talking and laughing with another man filled him with so much intense anger. It was as if she didn't even see him there, like he was invisible. Frustration coursed through him as he clenched his jaw tightly.

Why the hell was she so unaffected by his presence, yet so engaged with a total stranger? He thought to himself.

A couple of businessmen who had been chatting with Dave noticed his distraction. "You alright, Dave?" one of them asked, brows furrowed in concern. "You seem a bit...on edge.”

Dave shook his head, forcing a tight smile. "I'm fine," he lied, the words coming out harsher than he had meant. "Just lost in my own thoughts, that's all.”

The men exchanged a skeptical glance but let the matter drop, returning to their previous conversation. Dave, however, couldn't stop staring at Cassidy. She appeared completely at ease, completely unbothered by his presence and it only fueled his anger even more.

As if things couldn't get any worse, Dave watched in dismay as his fromer best friend, now turned enemy, Nova Tresses, walked over to Cassidy and pulled her into a warm embrace.

To his surprise, Cassidy returned the hug, a genuine smile spreading across her face. Dave's hands curled into fists at his sides, his nails biting into his palms in frustration.

"What the hell?" he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowed. How could she be so at ease with Nova when she couldn't even bring herself to acknowledge him? It wasn't fair, and it made his blood boil.

Desperate to get away from the sight in front of him, Dave excused himself from the group of businessmen and made his way towards the bar, needing the numbing effect of alcohol to dull the ache in his chest. As he waited for the bartender to pour his drink, he glanced back over his shoulder, his gaze once again drawn to Cassidy.

She was laughing at something Nova had said, her eyes filled with joy. Dave felt a twinge of jealousy, wishing he could be the one to make her smile like that. However, those days were long gone, and he knew that he had no one to blame but himself.

With a heavy sigh, Dave turned back to the bar and downed the whiskey in one quick gulp. The hot liquid burned his throat, but he welcomed the sensation, hoping it would numb the emotional turmoil that was raging inside him.

"Bored of the business talks?" the bartender asked, giving Dave a sympathetic look as he poured him another drink.

Dave let out a humourless chuckle. "You have no idea," he muttered, taking another sip of the clear liquid.

He had already taken about two glasses of whiskey, but unfortunately the alcohol did little to dull the ache in his chest or the rage simmering just beneath the surface. Cassidy's absence from his life these past few years had made him realize the depth of his feelings for her, a realization that now tormented him as he watched her laugh and chat with a man that wasn't him.

With a frustrated growl, Dave slammed his empty glass down on the bar, signaling the bartender for a refill. He knew he should probably just leave, remove himself from this situation before he did something he might regret. But a part of him, fueled by the alcohol and his own wounded pride, kept him rooted in place.

Suddenly, his gaze landed on Cassidy and Nova and the two of them were swaying gently to the music as they shared a slow dance. The sight was too much for Dave to bear, and before he could stop himself, he was storming across the room, his eyes red with anger.

"Hey Dave, what are you…" Nova began, his eyes widening in surprise as Dave reached out and delivered a hard blow to his face.

Cassidy stepped back, her brows furrowed in confusion and alarm. "Mr. Dave Lionel!! What the hell is wrong with you?" she shouted, her voice laced with anger.

But Dave didn't answer her, instead his gaze was fixed only on Nova, his chest heaving with barely contained rage. "Stay away from her, you bastard," he snarled, his face filled with fury.