Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband by Anney GW

My CEO 237

237 Tempers Flare (Winona)

Jayden's speech echoes through the grand ballroom, his voice steady and confident, but my mind is focused on

the tension at our table.

"Age is just a number. We're happy together." Cass says as she stabs at her salad with her fork and eats it.

I lean toward her, keeping my voice low enough not to disrupt the speech but firm enough to make my point

clear. "You're barely eighteen, and he's thirty. Don't you think this is moving way too fast?"

Cass doesn't even flinch. She stabs her fork into her salad again, her tone casual but dripping with sarcasm. "I'm

not a kid, Winona. | know exactly what I'm doing. You don't have to act like you are my mother. My mother is

dead."

"I'm not trying to be your mother," | shoot back, trying to keep my cool as Jayden speaks about the Brennan

Wing's accomplishments.

"I'm trying to be your sister. There's a difference. Gabriel is way too old for you, and you barely know him. What

if this whole thing blows up in your face? You don't even know his situation here in this country or

his country."

Cass rolls her eyes, a gesture that annoys the fuck out of me. "Oh my God, Winona. You're acting like I'm some

virgin who knows nothing. | know-what I'm doing I'm not a naive little girl who's running off to Vegas.

| ignore her jab at me. "Naive or not, you can't ignore the fact that Gabriel's future here is uncertain. He might

not even be able to stay in the country!" | press, trying to keep my voice down as the applause for Jayden's

speech swells around us. "Do you even know what you're getting yourself into?"

She slams her fork down, her eyes flashing with anger. "Of course | do! Why can't you just letlive my life?

You've always got to be in control, don't you? You think just because you're older, you know better. But

newsflash, Winona-I'm not you. | don't want to be you. Stop trying to run my life."

Lisa is watching us like it's a grand slam match.

| take a deep breath, willing myself not to lose it right here, in the middle of Jayden's big night. "I'm not trying to

control you or run your life. I'm trying to protect you. Gabriel is older, more experienced. He could be using you,

Cass." "Usingfor what, exactly? He is a business owner. There's nothing he needs from me."

"I don't know." | say, exasperated. | don't want to mention what Gus said about Gabriel's grandfather.

Something."

Cass's face hardens. "Of course, it couldn't be possible that he just like me, the woman | am, could it? | mean,

there's nothing aboutto like is there?"

"I didn't mean that, Cass. There's everything to like about you. That's what scares me.

"You don't know him, Winona. You don't know anything about him. You think you can just judge him because he's

new here. Because he's from another country? Well, newsflash again-Gabriel is different. He actually cares about

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237 Tempers Flare

"I'm not judging him because of his age or anything else," | say, my frustration boiling over. "I'm worried because

you don't see the full picture. He's from Cuba, Cass. You're putting yourself at risk, and I'm terrified for you."

Cass scoffs, crossing her arms defiantly, "Risk? You want to talk about risk? You married Jayden, the sguy

who forgot you even existed, then he divorced you, and his mother threatened and tried to kill you more than

once. And now you're telling| can't make my own choices? How hypocritical is that?"

| feel the blood drain from my face. | hadn't expected her to throw that in my face, but here we are. | glance

toward the stage, where Jayden is wrapping up his speech, completely unaware of the storm betweenand

Cass.

"This isn't about me," | say, trying to keep my voice steady. "It's about you making smart choices. You have your

whole life ahead of you, and | don't want you to make a mistake that will haunt you forever. Mia is old enough to

know better, she's a bad influence on you, Cass's eyes narrow, and she leans in closer, her voice low and

venomous. "You think you're so much better than me, don't you?"

""No. | don't."

You think just because you're getting married and playing house with Jayden, you can lectureabout life? You

are full of shit. You know that and | know that Hell, this whole room probably knows that."

| feel a surge of anger rising in my chest.

""Why? You don't listen otherwise."

"There's no need to drag it to a personal level."

| grit my teeth, trying to keep my calm, I look at Lisa and she raises her eyebrows and shakes her head. Before |

can say any more, Gabriel returns to the table. He immediately picks up on the tension between us, his eyes

flicking betweenand Cass. "Is everything okay here?" he asks, his tone polite but laced with suspicion.

"No, everything's not okay," | say, not caring anymore about how it looks. "Gabriel, I'm not comfortable with you

dating my sister. She's too young, and | don't trust your intentions."

He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused by my bluntness. "Winona, Cass is an adult. She's mature enough to make

her own decisions. And | assure you, my intentions are nothing but honorable."

Cass jumps in, her voice sharp. "Winona, butt out. You're not my mother, and | don't need your permission Deto

live

my life."

Gabriel places a hand on Cass's bare shoulder, his expression calm but with an undercurrent of challenge.

We know what we're doing, and | think it's tyou let Cass live her The age gap isn't a problem for yo

life without interference."

| stare at him, my anger boiling just beneath the surface. He's so calm, so composed, but | can see the arrogance

in his eyes. He thinks he's won this little game, because he's got Cass wrapped around his finger.

Cass turns to me, her voice cold and final. "Find someone else for your wedding, Winona. I'm not going to be

your bridesmaid. I'm done with this."

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237 Tempers Flare

My heart sinks as | realize she's serious. Cass stands the table, leavingsitting there in stunned silence.

"Well, that escalated quick