The Parousia of Cadence

[CADENCE HIGGINS]

Cadence sat impatient in her seat, anxious to get off the aircraft that had carried her across the country. It had been a long night of traveling and she was exhausted from it, having gone from Paris to Montreal and then to Colorado and last Oregon. It felt strange to be back where she belonged, having been away for so long. Nine months to be exact. For nine months she'd disappeared without a word other than to her parents, her cell phone switched off as she vowed to figure out what she wanted to do about the Robert situation. Just thinking of Robert made her stomach twist in a way that made her feel almost ill. She wondered if there were any messages from him..

After her last meeting with Robert she had needed time to think about what she was doing. She'd spent a lifetime hating the man, and now she was falling for him, going so far as to admit she was his after the last time they'd had sex. She hated him for making her say it, but she knew it was true which frightened her to no end. She needed time and space to think about what she was doing with him, and on a whim boarded a plane to England. She had no real idea what she was doing or how long she would stay, but days turned into weeks, and then weeks turned into months. She was enjoying her trip, her solitude, the people she met. She'd fooled around a bit, visited countries she'd only ever dreamed about, and did things in the sunshine for the first time in her life. She'd had a ring for quite some time, but knew Robert's view on them, views she herself shared, so she'd never dared to put one on her dainty little finger, but to see things in the sunlight as they were intended to be seen were magnificent to say the least. The Sistine Chapel, The Louvre, Stonehenge.. It was the trip of a lifetime, one she was grateful for, but as with all good thing, it had to come to an end. She had a life in Oregon, and her soul searching had come to an end.

She missed Robert.

It had been a hard truth to swallow, but the more she tried to avoid the truth, the more she ached for her lover. She'd considered what she should do. She could continue denying it all, go on living her life, come home and find a new path to follow, but not even she was naive enough to believe that she wouldn't find herself at his doorstep. She needed to plan for if that were to happen, and as she flew back she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would need to see him. She had to, at least once. She'd feel his wrath and she'd apologize, promising obedience, but she knew it wouldn't be enough. An apology would hardly sway him, but what could she possibly offer as way of reparation? She racked her brain the entire trip across the ocean and then the country, finding herself at dead end after dead end. There was no physical gift she could offer other than herself, and she knew he wouldn't trust her to give that to him, not after she'd taken it away for nearly a year. Robert was the type of man to tell her what he wanted anyway, so in the end Cadence decided that she would leave it up to Robert. Whatever price he wanted her to pay, she would.

She arrived at her condo and promptly showered. The sun would be up soon and she wanted to wake with a clean start tomorrow evening. Plus she needed to wash away the filth from traveling. For the first time in a while Cadence was glad that she had no choice when it came to resting her body, knowing full well that she would have difficulty falling asleep knowing what she needed to do tomorrow.

When the sun went down her body softened and morphed back into its human shape. She spent more time than usual putting herself together, surprisingly nervous. She couldn't remember ever being nervous about seeing Robert, but today she was. She'd made up her mind about how things would be with them, and it was time let Robert in on her plans. She dressed warmly but stylishly, looking less uptight than usual. It wasn't as if she were going to work so there was no need to pencil skirts and tightly buttoned blouses. She opted for a loose, lacy sweater with small rosebuds printed on it, her hair in a loose braid that trailed over her shoulder, tight, dark jeans and dark brown boots that came halfway up her calf. She wore a peacoat over the ensemble and a furry rose pink and navy blue scarf. She drove herself to Robert's home, knowing he wouldn't have left for work yet, and stood outside for a long moment considering what she was doing again. She had to ring, she didn't have a choice, but knowing all the ways this could end made her feel anxious and sick all over again. Cadence took two deep, long breaths, watching them curl in the air in front of her finally willing her finger to press against the doorbell. It rang through the house and it didn't take long for someone to open the door. The man who did so recognized her, and she recognized him as well. He stared at her for a long moment before she raised a brow and asked if she could come in. The man hesitated but let her into the front hall before going to fetch his boss. Cadence took another deep breath before tugging her scarf open and unbuttoning her coat, though she left it on. She heard soft voices somewhere nearby but waited silently and patiently in the vestibule. Then he was there.

Cadence felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw him, their eyes locking and she knew he was as surprised to see her as she was to be there. Her heart hammed but she remained looking calm and poised as always. "You're looking well." She offered in her typical cool voice, oddly afraid of him. He didn't look as pleased to see her as she would have liked, but she knew he would be upset. But just how upset was yet to be determined. "How have you been?"

[ROBERT SNOW]

Robert was as cold as ever. He had a heart as hard as the stone he morphed into anyway, but since Cadence had left him it barely even beat. The one time he had softened it for anyone, it was promptly smashed to pieces. Simply quitting her job hadn’t been enough for Cadence—she needed to put an entire country and an ocean between them. He didn’t know where in Europe she had run to, only that she had left without so much as a goodbye. When he found she had left, he was livid. The longer he waited for her to call or email, the hotter his blood burned. After three days, he finally broke down and called her cell phone only to get her voicemail. Damned if he was going to leave any message for her when she couldn’t be bothered to do it for him. It was more than just fury at her leaving without his permission, though; he was worried about her. For weeks he held onto the hope that she would come home any day. She sat beside him for a month while he was in a coma! There was no way she could stay away from him for long. He refused to hire a new assistant for a month, determined that he would simply rage Cadence into submission when she returned. But the work piled up and he reluctantly hired a new assistant—Ella[/url]. She was young, just getting her start in politics, but she was sharp. To his relief, she did everything that was asked of her without complaint and soaked up every word he said. Within weeks she was at home in the position Cadence had left open and Robert slowly came to realize that it would be a permanent change. His phone never rang and he never got an email. The burning rage he felt after Cadence’s disappearance cooled into a deep, dark loathing. He loathed Cadence for leaving him when he had finally trusted someone with his heart and he loathed himself for being stupid enough to care about someone. Vowing to never open himself up again, he focused completely on his work.

Robert buried himself in hearings and meetings with lawyers and other politicians. He went to events when he had to and brought Ella along with him wherever he went. She was a pretty girl, but the opposite sex held no enjoyment for him anymore. Besides, the girl was far too young. She seemed to have no romantic interest in him whatsoever and it suited him perfectly. Three months from Cadence’s disappearance, Robert found he was much less distracted by his busy little assistant and things ran smoothly in the office. Of course being the head of the council wasn’t easy and there was always a crisis, always a major case to handle, but he liked it. There was no time to dwell on Cadence and she was forced to the back of his mind where she belonged. She didn’t deserve his attention after how she had squandered it. But sometimes on rainy nights, Robert would gaze out the window and sip scotch, wondering if she was alive. A sharp pain would throb in his chest at the memory of her cool green eyes and he would have to refrain from hurling his glass into the wall. These bouts of sentimentality thankfully dwindled as the months rolled on until he had replaced his feelings for her with bitter indifference.

Tonight was a night like any other. He woke from his stone sleep and stretched his arms up, cracking his back in the process. The stiffness was getting worse the older he got, but he supposed that was normal. He showered and dressed in an expensive black suit and pristine white shirt, securing a silver tie with a diamond-shaped inlay around his neck. It wasn’t quite time to go to work, so he decided to read the paper in his office while he ate a simple meal of hardboiled eggs and toast. He was reading about the crisis in the Ukraine when the doorbell rang. Looking up from his paper, he glanced to the door of his office, wondering who was at the door. Charles, his butler, answered the door and he could hear the old man allow someone in. He folded his paper, setting in on the desk in preparation for when Charles would come to his door. His office wasn’t far from the vestibule, on the second floor overlooking the stairs that led up directly from the entrance. When Charles appeared, Robert raised his eyebrows expectantly. The man looked anxious for once, and it caught Robert off guard. “A young lady is here to see you.” Robert’s brow furrowed curiously. Who was it? Reluctance was written all over Charles’ face and it left Robert with a strange, heavy feeling in his gut. He didn’t like surprises and he felt this would be an unpleasant one. Uttering a soft word of thanks to Charles as he passed, Robert made his way out of his office and to the stairs.

As he descended, he looked at the soft looking woman in his vestibule. Her golden hair was slung over one shoulder in a loose braid, her green eyes fixed on him while he made his way closer. It was her. Robert’s eyes widened and his heart stopped as he locked eyes with Cadence for the first time in nine months. His steps down the stairs slowed and Robert struggled not to fall backward with the wall of emotion that hit him. Pure rage coursed through his veins. He had forced himself to bury all of his emotions months ago, but one look at Cadence resurrected them all. The hurt, the bitterness, the anger—it all flooded through him and all he could do was set his jaw against it. Why did she have to do this to him? Why did she have to come back? "You're looking well." Robert didn’t respond as he reached the bottom of the stairs, slowly strolling closer. He stopped a couple feet away, his face calm but his eyes furious. Was that all she could say? "How have you been?" His mouth set and he glared at her, refusing to speak for a long moment. She looked well too—tanned and pretty. There must have been plenty of sunshine wherever she had been. At least one of them had enjoyed the time they spent apart.

“I have a new assistant, Miss Higgins. Your services are no longer required.” His voice was as cold as his eyes, his hands finding their way into his pockets calmly. He wouldn’t refer to her as Cadence—it was too familiar for her now. She didn’t deserve his familiarity any longer. But his anger was boiling in his throat and it finally loosened his tongue enough to ask the question burning in his stomach. “So why are you here after all this time?”

[CADENCE HIGGINS]

Just the look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. She could read Robert like a book, and it wasn't the sort of look she wanted to see. She hoped for longing, even something that said she was in trouble, but he'd grown cold towards her and truth be told, she couldn't really blame him. Still, she hoped he would come around, and quickly. Robert was silent for a long moment as he simply glared at her, making his way closer but still keeping a fair distance between them. Finally he spoke. “I have a new assistant, Miss Higgins. Your services are no longer required.” Did he really think she was there for her job? The job was the least of her concerns and it had been a formality anyway. She didn't need his employment, thought she knew immediately that her place in his life was threatened by his new assistant. Robert wasn't one to hire someone who wasn't enjoyable to look at. "I'm not interested in the position." She informed him using a much more gentle voice than him. She wasn't intimidated by Robert. He could do his worst to her and she'd end up loving it in the end.

“So why are you here after all this time?” Bitterness, resentment, anger.. they were all loud and clear in his voice. His posture alone spoke volumes and Cadence wasn't feeling very optimistic suddenly that she could sway him as easily as she'd hoped. "Because I missed you." For the first time ever she didn't hold back from speaking about her feelings towards him. It was an honest answer and she was there to make amends, or at least to attempt to do so. She could see he wasn't budging, though. Cadence stepped forward and closed the gap between them, the hard look on his face not swaying. If anything he looked more skeptical. She reached out to touch his jacket but the way he jerked away from her touch made her hand freeze, her brows knitting slightly. Her hand hovered in the air a moment before falling to her side once more, her head cocking ever so slightly to the side as her lips pursed gently. He was going to make this difficult.

"I can see your upset and I'm not fool enough to pretend I don't know why." She started, folding her arms low on her torso as she kept her eyes glued to his. "I shouldn't have gone the way I did. I can only imagine how that made you feel, but you put me in a position I wasn't ready to be in." She saw the anger flare in his eyes, but she continued before he could interject. "You made me say I was yours. I wasn't ready for that! I needed time. Time away from you, from what we were doing.. this city." It was unlike her to talk so freely with him. How many months had they gone through together where her answers were one word sentences? There had been days when she had uttered no more than a dozen words to the man in front of her. He was a tyrant and she had submitted completely to him, at least seemingly so. He hadn't known the evidence she was trying to dig up on him to bring him down from power. "If I was going to commit to whatever it was that you wanted then I needed to be sure, and I wasn't. I was angry and confused.." Her voice softened as she admitted to being so completely vulnerable, shying away just a little. "But I'm ready now." She offered, her voice quiet and bordering on pleading, showing far more emotion in the last two minutes than she had in probably their entire relationship prior. "If you'll still have me." She looked desperately for that flicker of gentleness she knew lived somewhere in that hard, cold body.

[ROBERT SNOW]

“Because I missed you.” Cadence’s raspy voice saying those words so sweetly was fuel on Robert’s fire. She missed him? Then why the fuck didn’t she call or write? Why didn’t she give him some sign that was still alive? His jaw set and his nostrils flared, forcing his body language to remain cool and collected even though his rage was burning hot at his core. Ice blue eyes glared down at Cadence beneath Robert’s heavy brow. Suddenly her hand was reaching for his arm and Robert jerked away from her touch a little more violently than he’d intended. He didn’t want to give Cadence any idea of just how upset he was, but it was a hard front to bear. Her hurt eyes only made his façade harder to maintain. He’d never wanted to really hurt her as much as he did now. “I can see you’re upset and I’m not fool enough to pretend I don’t know why.” It was a good thing she was smarter than to do that. It might have come to blows. “I shouldn’t have gone the way I did. I can only imagine how that made you feel, but you put me in a position I wasn’t ready to be in.” Robert’s fists clenched in his pockets as his bright eyes flared. Did she think he’d been ready to be in that position? “You made me say I was yours. I wasn’t ready for that! I needed time. Time away from you, from what we were doing…this city.” Had Robert been able to think through his fury at her words, he would have been surprised with all of Cadence’s talk about her feelings. As it was, he was enraged that she was speaking them now and not nine months ago when his heart was still open to her. “If I was going to commit to whatever it was that you wanted then I needed to be sure, and I wasn’t. I was angry and confused…” Why would she be angry? She was his every fantasy and desire. One of the most powerful men in Scriptor Bay was absolutely devoted to her—how many women dreamed of having the same? Yet Cadence threw it all away because she was scared. The shyness of her voice didn’t ease his anger in the slightest. He hoped from the bottom of his heart that she was done talking.

“But I’m ready now.” Robert’s eyes fluttered slightly as his now red vision staggered him. His heart was thudding in his chest. “If you’ll still have me.” He couldn’t hold himself back any longer. Snatching her delicate wrist in his large, rough hand, Robert dragged Cadence to the library just off the vestibule. Her protests were lost on him, the tightness of his fist around her wrist almost crushing. When they were in the room, he swung her in like a rag doll and slammed the heavy wooden door closed. In one fluid motion, his free hand wrapped around Cadence’s swanlike throat and squeezed roughly, throwing her back against the door hard enough to make her cry out. The fear in her green eyes satisfied him to the darkest parts of his heart. His face leaned close, his eyes bearing into hers with a cool fury as he hovered inches from the lips he used to revel in kissing. “Now you’re ready? After nine months of absolute silence without even a note explaining what the fuck happened to you?” His hand pressed harder into her throat, remembering how very fragile she was even with her superhuman strength. She was nothing compared to him and he could easily crush her neck. He wouldn’t, but she didn’t have to know that. “You have no idea what it means to miss someone, Cadence. For a month I waited everyday to see you walk through my door with your pathetic apology in hand and your job back. For months after that I tried to kill the pain of you leaving me after I’d finally admitted my feelings for you. I didn’t even know if you were dead or alive. Meanwhile you were obviously enjoying your time in the sunshine and your time away from me.” He’d never spoken like this about his internal agony, but it all slid off his tongue now. It had been bottled up too long. His gaze was disdainful, almost disgusted as he absorbed the hurt and fear in her eyes. “Congratulations on being the only woman to hurt me. You succeeded at your master plan to destroy me. I won’t give you a chance to humiliate me again.” Finally he released her throat, pushing himself off the door and skulking to one of the tall windows overlooking the city.

It took several moments for his heart to slow and his fists to unclench in his pockets. His back was turned to Cadence, but he knew she was still where he left her against the door. He was trying desperately to ice the fire in his belly. He’d forbidden himself to feel anything for Cadence. Damned if he was going to feel anything now. But it was proving incredibly difficult to close Pandora’s box once more, his adrenaline pumping as fast as his emotions. He should have known just one look at the woman would set back all of his progress in forgetting her. Even now he couldn’t look at her for fear that it would hurt him again. He hadn’t felt like that since her brother died. What was it about the Higgins siblings that broke down his defenses? “You’re too late, Cadence. Far, far too late.”

[CADENCE HIGGINS]

Without warning, Robert's fist clasped around her wrist, jerking her forward. "Robert.." It was a nervous sort of warning to let him know he was hurting her as he quite literally dragged her towards the library. His grasp was tighter than she remembered it being and she genuinely worried he might actually crush her wrist. Once in the library he threw her in, making her trip before she could steady herself, and then slammed the door behind them. She turned around to glower at him just as his hand came and clasped around her neck, spinning her and slamming her hard against the door with a loud thump making her cry out. Cadence, not one to show fear often, let her eyes widen in the obvious shock of the moment. For a moment she genuinely feared he might take her life, but deep down she knew he didn't have it in him to murder her. Even with what she put him through.

“Now you’re ready? After nine months of absolute silence without even a note explaining what the fuck happened to you?” She tried to swallow, but his hand was pressing harder into her throat, cutting off her airway a little. Her hands lifted to his, attempting to pull them away but she was no match for Robert Snow. Not even close. “You have no idea what it means to miss someone, Cadence. For a month I waited everyday to see you walk through my door with your pathetic apology in hand and your job back. For months after that I tried to kill the pain of you leaving me after I’d finally admitted my feelings for you. I didn’t even know if you were dead or alive. Meanwhile you were obviously enjoying your time in the sunshine and your time away from me.” It's true that she had enjoyed her time, but she needed that time to truly realize what she had with him, that it was what she actually wanted. Explaining that to him wouldn't go well, though. Robert wouldn't understand, and she knew better than to try and debate it with him, especially with him holding her life in his hands. She saw how much he had come to hate her over the months, but she knew that he couldn't have switched completely. Just showing so much emotion was proof enough that she stood a chance, despite whatever he said today. “Congratulations on being the only woman to hurt me. You succeeded at your master plan to destroy me. I won’t give you a chance to humiliate me again.” She begged to differ, but of course she would never say that. This was a game of chess and he was prematurely calling checkmate.

His hand finally left her throat and she swallowed a big gulp of air, watching him lurk towards the window. She slid her hand to her neck, rubbing it as her eyes stayed glued on his back. What could she do to get him to change his mind? Surely there was something, if only she could think harder. Cadence knew it was her cue to leave, that he wanted her to, but she also knew deep down that if he truly wanted her gone she would be, and there she was, standing in his library with him, alone.

“You’re too late, Cadence. Far, far too late.” He said after a long moment. She could tell by the more steady tone of his voice that he had calmed down some and she took a deep breath, not sure how far she should push yet. "If that were true you wouldn't have bothered telling me off." She corrected, staying in her spot near the door for now. "You'd have had Charles see me out, but you didn't." She tried reading his body language but it wasn't easy with his back to her and his already fouled mood. She took a step closer, knowing in her mind it was stupid. You don't poke an angry bear, but she was past the point of no return. "I wanted to reach out to you but I wasn't sure how. I wasn't ready to come back, to confront you after disappearing and I couldn't take back what I'd done. I planned on just staying away but I couldn't. You must be able to see that.. I came back for you. You are the only reason I'm here. Surely that means something, doesn't it?" Anger flared in her own voice as she took another step closer. He had to see he wasn't the only victim. Her coming forward with her feelings was surely sign that she had come around, that she was ready, that she could be whatever he wanted. She wasn't the same woman that left nine months ago.

[ROBERT SNOW]

“If that were true you wouldn’t have bothered telling me off.” Robert’s head turned to the side, turning his left ear towards the sound of Cadence’s voice, but not looking at her. Was she trying to anger him? “You’d have had Charles see me out, but you didn’t.” He forced his breath to remain steady, turning his head forward again. Maybe if he ignored her enough she would leave. He wasn’t in the mood to have her pick him apart. “I wanted to reach out to you but I wasn’t sure how. I wasn’t ready to come back, to confront you after disappearing and I couldn’t take back what I’d done. I planned on just staying away but I couldn’t. You must be able to see that…I came back for you. You are the only reason I’m here. Surely that means something, doesn’t it?” His hands clenched into fists at his sides. No, she couldn’t take back what she’d done. That’s why he was pissed at her now. She couldn’t reach out to him because she didn’t want to come back yet? How could she be so selfish? Just an email telling him she was alive would have been communication enough! At least, that’s what he told himself. Deep down, he knew that probably wouldn’t have been enough. He’d still be as pissed as he was now with her nine month hiatus. And now she was back for him…after she had indulged her childish whims. Now she had feelings for him. It only served to infuriate him further. She had been his only desire and he was second best to her fear.

He heard her take a step closer and his head jerked to the side, ready to backhand her if she dared take another step. Cadence had a way of making him completely lose his cool. “Nine months ago…even eight months ago, it might have meant something. It means nothing now. You made your choice. You were happier running away than taking a chance.” The more he spoke, the angrier he got. He turned back to Cadence slowly, his eyes cold and his jaw set. The sight of her anger and hurt only fueled his fire. Why couldn’t she show him that emotion all those months ago? It was there, but she had kept it from him. Now it was time for her to reap what she’d sown. Contempt narrowed his icy eyes as he took a step towards her, towering over her. She was so much softer now, maybe an effort to get on his good side by playing on his one time need to see her soften. “Do you think it was easy for me to admit my feelings for you? Do you think I enjoyed how weak you made me feel? I despise what you did to me—I despised it then and I despise it now. The only difference was that the benefits used to outweigh the risks. Then you did exactly what I had told myself not to do—you left me. You proved to me that my original mistrust of all women was well-deserved.” A bitter smirk quirked up his lips for a moment as he let his eyes drop to the floor. When he looked back into Cadence’s face, his smirk faded and he shoved his fists in his pockets. “I suppose I should thank you for that.”

Taking another step towards her, he was inches away and practically exuding an Artic chill. His voice lowered as he leaned down slightly towards her face, his eyes piercing hers. “I would have done anything for you. You chose to ignore that.” What a fool he was. Even now he trusted her not to flaunt the pain she had caused him. He had let those green eyes of hers trick him once more. His eyes looked over her face, but not in the affection way he used to. Now his gaze was critical and cruel. He shook his head gently. “You want to know the difference between you and your brother, Cadence?” His eyes bore into hers, hard and merciless. “I could trust Jude.” It was a harsh statement, one he was sure would hurt her, and it pleased him to see the spark of pain in her eyes. He let the words sink in as he turned away once more, taking a few steps from her. Silence fell between them and he hoped Cadence would finally leave him in peace to lick the wounds she had reopened.

[CADENCE HIGGINS]

Robert jerked as she moved closer, her mouth set into a thin line as she pleaded with her eyes for him to try and understand. One look at his hard, steely eyes told her he wasn't budging which only served to infuriate her more. Why did he need to be stubborn? “Nine months ago…even eight months ago, it might have meant something. It means nothing now. You made your choice. You were happier running away than taking a chance.” She hated him for the way he was manipulating the situation. It was so like him to be such a stubborn ass, caring only for himself as though he were the only one in this partnership. He knew how much she battled with herself when it came to him! She'd told him her initial motives, how she'd blamed him for Jude's death, how she planned to avenge him by bringing Robert down. He may not know the gory details, but he had a basic understanding of her plot to overthrow him. She'd warmed to him, though, which had frightened her and rightfully so.

His eyes narrowed and he moved closer, but Cadence wouldn't back down. She wasn't afraid of him the way others were. She liked the pain he caused. It had always made her feel so alive. “Do you think it was easy for me to admit my feelings for you? Do you think I enjoyed how weak you made me feel? I despise what you did to me—I despised it then and I despise it now. The only difference was that the benefits used to outweigh the risks. Then you did exactly what I had told myself not to do—you left me. You proved to me that my original mistrust of all women was well-deserved.” It took a great deal of self control not to roll her eyes at how dramatic he was being. Yes, she'd disappeared, yes it had hurt his feelings and perhaps made him unwilling to trust her, but surely he was taking this too far. She was back and admitting she was wrong, something she never did, and offering herself fully to him. She knew there was no way he could so easily thrust her from his heart. She knew the effect she'd had on him. A bitter smirk quirked up his lips, his eyes dropping to the floor and pulling a curious look into her eyes. What was so amusing about this?. When he looked back up the smirk was gone. “I suppose I should thank you for that.” Again she fought the urge to roll those pretty eyes at him.

Robert moved closer still, but she wasn't put off by the lack of distance between them. It made it easier for her to touch him if she so desired, though Cadence got the feeling by the way he was carrying himself that she would be wise to keep her hands to herself. “I would have done anything for you. You chose to ignore that.” Oh, they both knew it was a lie. He couldn't give her the space she needed to grow comfortable with the idea of becoming the complete opposite of what they were; caring lovers. He'd pushed it on her and left no room to wiggle, which in the end was what drove her away. “You want to know the difference between you and your brother, Cadence?” He asked shaking his head and she felt the cold anger begin to creep through her own veins. How like him to bring Jude into something so private. “I could trust Jude.” It hurt to hear and the pain was evident in her eyes, but she made no movement though she itched to slap him hard across the face. She knew that would get her nowhere and she wondered if this was even worth it.

He turned and walked away, leaving Cadence there to glare at the floor and think about what she was even doing there. If he really wanted her gone, why should she bother staying? She still had her pride and he was a miserable shit anyway. Still, she'd missed the Robert she left and she didn't want that to be over. "You want to know the difference between you and my brother?" She asked coldly, her cool eyes meeting the back of his head. "Jude wouldn't have used and fucked his dead best friends sister." Of course she didn't know that for certain, but judging him based on the stories she'd heard, she would imagine Jude wouldn't be so callous. "Poor, Robert.." She cooed, her voice soft and spiteful. "For once you couldn't control someone else's behavior and it's driven you mad with bitterness. Don't be such a child. Yes, I shouldn't have disappeared, I've admitted to that but honestly.. never able to trust another woman again? Grow up. I've come back. I've admitted to my wrongs but you fail to take any responsibility for my fleeing, as though I had nothing to fear. Can't you find it in you to have an ounce of empathy? Would you honestly have let me go slower? Ease into the idea of there being an us? I was beguiled by you whenever we were together, but once alone.." The young woman shook her head and ran a hand over her weary eyes. She was growing tired of this discussion. "For crying out loud I'm in love with you! Why else would I crawl back and beg for forgiveness? Do you think I have no pride?" They both knew how incredibly prideful she was. "Don't make me beg." She growled softly, not sure she could bring herself to do something so incredibly degrading.

[ROBERT SNOW]

Robert was sure his harsh words would be enough to make Cadence leave him be. He wanted nothing to do with her again! It was enough to be destroyed once, but twice…he couldn’t do it. Yet he still hadn’t heard her leave. “You want to know the difference between you and my brother?” Robert’s eyes narrowed and he looked back at her over his thick shoulder. What did she know about her brother? She’d never even met the man. “Jude wouldn’t have used and fucked his dead best friend’s sister.” Once more Robert’s anger flared, tightening his fist into a tight ball. Who had used whom? She was the one who took advantage of his power, shadowing him to bask in his glory, and then jumped ship when it became more complicated than she wanted. She had fucked him in the end. Robert’s heavy brow was low over his icy eyes as he turned toward his former lover. Did she want to get slapped? “Poor Robert…” He despised her tone and took a step towards her, but paused as she continued to berate him. “For once you couldn’t control someone else’s behavior and it’s driven you mad with bitterness. Don’t be such a child. Yes, I shouldn’t have disappeared, I’ve admitted to that but honestly…never able to trust another woman again? Grow up. I’ve come back. I’ve admitted my wrongs but you fail to take any responsibility for my fleeing, as though I had nothing to fear. Can’t you find it in you to have an ounce of empathy? Would you honestly have let me go slower? Ease into the idea of there being an ‘us?’ I was beguiled by you whenever we were together, but once alone…” His heart raced with rage. Empathy? What empathy had she shown him? There was no reason for him to give her any! She shook her head and rubbed her eyes in exasperation and he almost took the chance to retort. “For crying out loud I’m in love with you! Why else would I crawl back and beg for forgiveness? Do you think I have no pride?” Robert was frozen where he stood. “Don’t make me beg.”

His head spun from the wave of emotion that flooded him. He didn’t know what he was doing until he had Cadence’s upper arms squeezed in his hands so hard he knew he would bruise her. His face lowered towards hers, but his eyes weren’t burning with passion—they were burning with wrath. “How do you think I felt, Cadence? You knew I loved you. There was no way you couldn’t have known that. And yet you left me without so much as a goodbye. Where was empathy then? Hm?” He shook her to put emphasis on the last syllable, feeding on the mild fear he caught in her green eyes. “Why do you think I can’t trust women? I learned a very, very long time ago what they were capable of doing. They manipulate and cajole and can make a man ruin his life. I’d managed to avoid that fate until you came along. I went against my better judgment, telling myself I was stronger and smarter than you. What a god damn fool I was…I knew I was falling in love with you and I ignored it just so I could indulge myself a little longer. I threw away my pride to beg you to be mine. And you made sure you shattered that pride when you ran from me.” His hand abandoned one of her arms to grab a fistful of hair and yank her head back, exposing her long throat. Towering over her, he leaned down further to look into her face as his eyes glared down into hers. “I loved you, Cadence. More deeply than I’ve ever loved anyone. So if you planned to get out of this without begging, you might as well give up.” Just gazing down at her, watching her pulse jumping in her neck, her green eyes bright with fury and uncertainty, her golden hair now tugging out of her loose braid with the force of his grip…it wakened a hunger in him that he hadn’t felt in months. It infuriated him further, his eyes falling to her lips to watch the way they parted with her breathing. He was disgusted with his own desire and with a snarl he released her, giving her a small push away from him as if to reassure himself that he didn’t want to hold her.

Thankfully his phone went off and he fished it out of his pocket with slightly shaky hands. He saw Ella’s name on his screen and he sighed heavily. Getting his wits about him, he slid his thumb across the screen and brought the phone to his ear. “Snow.” “Hi, Robert. I noticed you’re a little late and I was just wondering if there’s anything you’d like me to do before you get here.”[/i] He ran his free hand over his hair, his fingers unconsciously feeling over the scar on his scalp as he did so. It was a nervous habit these days. “Yes. Call Steiner and Lacey and get a date for when they plan to have their evidence to me for my review. There are also three depositions on my desk. Have those files ready for review when I get there. I should be there within the hour.” “Yes, sir. Take your time.”[/i] Ella was a kind girl with all of her professionalism. It would have been so much easier if Cadence was as kind. “Alright, Ella.” And with that he ended his conversation and turned back to Cadence with reluctance in his cold gaze. “I have to get to work.” There was nothing more he could say. Cadence had reopened every wound he had worked so hard to close up and he wanted out before she saw any more emotion from him.

[CADENCE HIGGINS]

He was on her before she had a chance to step aside, or maybe she just didn't want to step aside. She couldn't escape him even if she wanted, but she didn't want to escape him. Not yet. His hands grabbed her upper arms hard enough to leave marks and his face moved inches from hers. Her breathing picked up and her nostrils flared slightly as she looked up into his eyes, having no choice but the listen to whatever it was he wanted to say to her. “How do you think I felt, Cadence? You knew I loved you. There was no way you couldn’t have known that. And yet you left me without so much as a goodbye. Where was empathy then? Hm?” He shook her, his grip seeming to tighten. Cadence had nothing to say in return because she had known he loved her, but that was part of the problem. “Why do you think I can’t trust women? I learned a very, very long time ago what they were capable of doing. They manipulate and cajole and can make a man ruin his life. I’d managed to avoid that fate until you came along. I went against my better judgment, telling myself I was stronger and smarter than you. What a god damn fool I was…I knew I was falling in love with you and I ignored it just so I could indulge myself a little longer. I threw away my pride to beg you to be mine. And you made sure you shattered that pride when you ran from me.” For the first time she felt remorse. It wasn't overpowering but she was realizing how much a victim he had been. Yes, she had left, but she had felt there were no other options otherwise she would have stayed and tried them.

His hand released her arm and grabbed her braided hair instead, tugging it back sharply and elongating her neck. He glared down into her face and Cadence began to genuinely fear he might do something to seriously harm her. She'd pushed him too far and now she'd pay for it. “I loved you, Cadence. More deeply than I’ve ever loved anyone." Loved. Past tense. She knew he must still love her, why else would he be so upset? She refused to believe there was nothing left for them, that it was over. "So if you planned to get out of this without begging, you might as well give up.” And there it was. She could sway him, he'd admitted it just then. Robert offered her a challenge and who was she to turn him down? She'd been the man's assistant for a long time. She knew what he liked and what he didn't and she could surely manipulate him, she'd proven that already. Her eyes followed his as they moved over her face, catching the way he stared at her lips a half a second too long. She wondered how long it would take her to pull him back into her good graces, and it was hard for her not to smirk. Her arm was throbbing from the way his fingers were digging into her flesh and her neck and scalp were beginning to ache from the position he was holding her in. He suddenly let her go, pushing her away, disgusted by his own desire no doubt. Cadence knew she'd won already; she was his poison and she could make him drink her if she played her cards right.

Robert's phone suddenly rang and with a heavy sigh he answered it, Cadence watching with annoyed curiosity. Surely she was more important than whoever was calling! “Snow. Yes. Call Steiner and Lacey and get a date for when they plan to have their evidence to me for my review. There are also three depositions on my desk. Have those files ready for review when I get there. I should be there within the hour.” Her replacement. Cadence silently wondered about the woman on the other end of that cell phone. She got the feeling that Robert wasn't doing with her what he'd done with Cadence, but she couldn't be completely sure. He hadn't mentioned moving on, and he would surely throw that in her face. “Alright, Ella.” Ella? Cadence was suddenly annoyed and more than a little jealous now that she had a name to go with her replacement. It surprised her how annoyed she was that he would dare talk to Ella in her presence. “I have to get to work.” Cadence took a deep breath through her nose and then gave a hard nod, narrowing her eyes slightly at him. "Fine." She huffed, "I know you're busy and life won't stop on account of my return. I'll see myself out." He didn't put up a fight, but she knew he wouldn't. Cadence knew it would take time for him to cool off anyway. She wouldn't make headway with him right then, not when he was frazzled by her return and needing to go off to work. Besides, she had things to do now, like find out more about this Ella and her relationship with Robert, in addition to figuring out how to get back into his good graces.

The remainder of her evening was spent digging up any and all information about Ella Carson. Sebastian Davenport, who was as surprised by her return as Robert was, had given her whatever information he could. She'd been with him for around six months, was young and pretty, and from what Sebastian said well educated. She hated her already. What time she had left was spent thinking of ways to win Robert back over. She knew his weaknesses; what he liked to eat and drink, and surely she could appeal to hi sexual appetite. That couldn't be too hard, unless of course Miss Carson was fulfilling that need. Sebastian couldn't be sure, but suspected the relationship was platonic. Who knew what happened behind closed doors, though.

Cadence left Robert be for the remainder of the day, and early the next evening when she woke from her solid state, she set out shopping for a gift for Robert. She'd bought plenty of clothes in Europe, several wardrobes worth, and had a few things to choose from. She chose a blue halter dress that made her green eyes seem bluer and left her hair down and messy. She arrived at Robert's estate some sixty minutes before his suspected arrival time, but she knew it could be any time. Some evenings Robert stayed extra late, others he left a bit early. It all depended on what was on his schedule, something she was no longer privy to. It took some threatening and begging to get Charles to let her in while Robert wasn't there, but after several minutes he caved. He'd always been a pushover, and she knew precisely how to play him. He allowed her to wait in his study which suited her just fine. She got comfortable on the couch, pulling her phone out and playing around on it, waiting for her ex-lover with a small gift bag in tow. She'd dropped a few thousand on the expensive liquor hidden in the bag, a Remy Martin Cognac, Louis XIII, but she knew he'd enjoy it and she hoped he'd enjoy it with her. If not she could leave and try again with mroe expensive gifts.

She laid down on the couch, the time clicking by. Cadence wondered where the hell he was and realized it was a bit of a late night, but finally, finally she heard the door open. Her head slid to the side to see out the study door, hearing the swift footsteps of Charles meeting Robert and the gruff sound of his voice as he learned that the man had allowed her into his home. She smiled gently to herself and listened as the heavy footfalls grew closer. When their eyes met she smiled softly. "I doubt Miss Carson knows your taste in liquor, so I've taken the liberty of bringing you some." She reached her long arm out and pushed the bag in his direction, her other arm sliding slowly over her stomach while she laid there. "How was your day?"

[ROBERT SNOW]

“Fine.” Robert huffed through his nose in relief. Cadence was finally going to leave him alone. “I know you’re busy and life won’t stop on account of my return. I’ll see myself out.” Good. It was better for both of them if she left. She would avoid being strangled and he would avoid jail time and a very public fall from grace. He didn’t say anything or even look back when he turned away from her. The sound of her footsteps trailed to the door and finally out, leaving him with his thoughts in the library. He glared out of the window at the now dark sky, setting his square jaw as he set to the task of calming himself. Just because Cadence was back didn’t mean he had to be subjected to her. He would eventually push her away if he continued to be taciturn and unyielding. But fuck did the rage boil in him. He poured himself a scotch at the sideboard, tossing it back to burn the fury out of him. It didn’t work. Instead his hand clenched the glass so hard it began to fracture. The glass chipped just as Robert’s composure did. It hurtled into a nearby wall as Robert flung it from him, destroying the glass like he wished he could destroy Cadence. Or did he wish to destroy her? Even he couldn’t be sure of it now. Perhaps it wasn’t so much her he wanted to destroy as it was his memory of her. She’d made him weak and had destroyed him as she promised and it was the daily reminder of her success that he simply couldn’t bear.

Robert dragged himself from the study to the office. He needed to bury his mind in anything that could distract him from Cadence. Not even work could help him, however. Several times throughout the night he found himself reading the same sentence over and over as Cadence’s return ran through his mind. There were so many things he wished he could take back now. He’d shown her how very deeply she cut him. In a flash he had lost his cool, breaking every rule he had for controlling his emotions. How was it that Cadence so easily made him forget who he was? He had been this way for nigh on a hundred years and yet she made him crumble to his foundations. When had he given her so much power over him? He decided this would be the end of that. No doubt he would come into contact with her again now that she was back in Scriptor Bay. The next time he saw her, he would make sure she was stripped of her power once and for all. Once he had settled this in his mind, it was much easier to focus on his work. At least he didn’t have court today to where his distraction could lead to a major mistake. The most it did today was confuse Ella, but she was smart enough not to ask about it.

At last the long day drew to a close. Dawn was just hours away and Robert decided it was time to pack in. He went home looking forward to a few drinks and perhaps a book to read over his dinner. Enough to ease his mind further and better prepare himself for the next he saw Cadence. No doubt it would be soon. He just wasn’t anticipating how soon. When he arrived home, Charles was faithfully waiting for him to take his coat and his request for dinner. But the man didn’t ask him what he wanted to eat as he gave Robert a strained look. Robert knew that look was a bad sign. He didn’t have to tell Charles to spill—the old man knew what to expect. “Miss Higgins is waiting for you in your study, sir.” Darkness fell over Robert’s features. “Who let her in?” Charles nervously swallowed. “I did, sir. She was very…insistent.” Robert sighed heavily, throwing his coat off his shoulders before he stopped himself. This was how Cadence always got him. She always tricked him into losing his cool by persisting until she’d pressed just the right buttons to get a reaction. He wasn’t going to let her triumph again.

When he walked into his study, his cool, glacial eyes fell on the beauty sprawled across his couch. She was gazing at him with that old, familiar sultry stare. Once it had been so inviting and irresistible—now it just felt tedious. “I doubt Miss Carson knows your taste in liquor, so I’ve taken the liberty of bringing you some.” It was the first he noticed the bag on the floor beside her as she pushed it closer to him. He didn’t step closer to accept it, but instead looked back to the woman watching him coyly. Wait, how did she know Ella’s last name? How did she even know who Ella was? “How was your day?” Robert’s jaw clenched again in an effort to hold in his bitterness. Part of him wanted to say that he’d spent the day fucking his new secretary just as he used to fuck Cadence, but it was a petty compulsion. “It was uneventful.” The answer suggested that even her return was of no consequence to him. He moved calmly to the sideboard near the window and pulled the crystal stopper from the bottle of cognac, pouring himself a modest drink before reluctantly filling a glass for Cadence as well. When he brought it over to her, he forced himself not to notice how the blue of her dress brought out the flecks of blue in her eyes. It was probably an intentional choice of outfit on her part. He handed it over silently, ignoring the way her fingers slipped against his as she claimed the glass. Wandering to an armchair facing the couch she was lounged on, he took a seat throwing a suspicious look at Cadence. He reached out and took the bag she had gestured towards him earlier, glancing inside. Plenty of expensive liquor—a bribe no doubt, but certainly to his taste. He said nothing, simply slid the bag beneath the end table beside him in an effort to show Cadence he would accept the bribe, but it wasn’t enough. It was up to her if she would try again. His brow furrowed. “What do you know about Ella and how? Or why, for that matter? You gave up her position and she’s done an excellent job filling your shoes professionally. There’s no need for you to know any more.” He actually feared for the girl he’d hired all those months ago. What was Cadence planning for her?

[CADENCE HIGGINS]

“It was uneventful.” He answered somewhat tersely, moving more into the room towards the window. Her eyes followed him, her arm slipping behind her head absentmindedly as he pulled the crystal stopper from a bottle of cognac. She wondered if he would offer her any or if he would simply pour himself a drink to send the message home that she wasn't really wanted. She was a little surprised when he filled a second glass and replaced the stopper. On the inside she was beaming, but kept her calm exterior. Robert brought the glass over to her and she reached up to take it from his hand, intentionally letting her fingers glide across his. It was the first time she'd been able to touch him since her return. In fact she was a little surprised that he didn't jerk his hand away afterwards. In the day and a half since their last encounter he'd managed to calm down some, which Cadence took as a good sign.

Robert moved away, taking a seat in an armchair that face the couch that she was lounging on. After a moment she pushed herself into a sitting position, still leaning back in the soft cushioned material. Her legs crossed and her free hand ran through her hair, pushing the tangles back into place. Robert reached for the bag, peaked inside, and then pushed it under a table without so much of a thank you. Her brow raised slightly in expectation, but he gave no sign that he was ready to even begin to forgive her. Robert was playing hard to get, that was for sure. His brows suddenly furrowed and she took a sip, waiting for him to deliver his next attack. “What do you know about Ella and how? Or why, for that matter?" His question startled her a little. Of everything he could say, of all the things he could be concerned about, it was Ella? She immediately became suspicious of the girl once more. "You gave up her position and she’s done an excellent job filling your shoes professionally. There’s no need for you to know any more.” Professionally. She filled her shoes on a professional level, but what about in an intimate one? Was she not as good a fuck? Probably whimpered and moaned his name for him, didn't make him work for it at all, the slut. She silently fumed but refused to show her annoyance. She knew that there was a chance he would move on. He had needs, and it wasn't like she was there fulfilling them.

"Why are you so concerned about my interest?" She asked in an innocent voice, her eyes soft and questioning. He would see through her in a second, he always did, but that wouldn't stop her from being coy. "I'm not looking for my job back, if that's what your worried about Robert. She can have it. But I do intend to make it my business to know who my competition is. So as long as you're not seeking comfort between her legs I have no qualms with her. But if you are.." She gave a sweet, gentle smile again making herself look far more innocent than she actually was. "Well, we'll just need to remedy that, is all." Her legs uncrossed and she stood up, holding her glass by her fingertips. "Forget about her for now. You're home and with me, and we have a lot of lost time to make up for." She took a step forward, watching him carefully for any signs of his attack. "And yes, I'm aware that's my fault." She added sternly taking another cautious step forward.

[ROBERT SNOW]

“Why are you so concerned about my interest?” Robert didn’t like how Cadence coyly avoided the question, her green eyes trying to distract him from her evasion. Ella didn’t need to be dragged into this. He had no sexual interest in the girl, but he liked her as an assistant and he had respect for her. The last thing he needed was for Cadence to chase her off. “I’m looking for my job back, if that’s what you’re worried about Robert. She can have it. But I do intend to make it my business to know who my competition is. So as long as you’re not seeking comfort between her legs I have no qualms with her. But if you are…” His eyebrows lowered over his cooling blue eyes, a dark look filling their icy depths. Cadence shrugged, putting on an innocent look as her head cocked to the side. “Well, we’ll just need to remedy that, is all…” He watched as Cadence uncrossed her legs and got to her feet, her glass dangling from her fingertips. In truth, he was torn about whether to set Cadence straight or to let her continue thinking there was more between him and Ella than there was. Part of him wanted to make her jealous, feel the power it gave him to watch her fight Ella for his affections. He wanted to make her hurt the way she had made him hurt. But just thinking of putting Ella in that situation oddly affected him. She was a straightforward, no drama girl and she hadn’t asked for what Cadence was willing to dish out. The girl was good to him and it would be poor behavior to throw that back in her face. As Cadence slunk closer, he remained silent, however, letting her believe what she wanted for the moment.

She certainly looked tempting in the cobalt blue dress she wore, her hips swaying as she approached him. Robert hated how attracted to her he still was. After nine months of forcing himself to forget her, even choking down his wishes for her to suffer, one look at her and he was reminded of what they had shared. The way she whispered his name in her raspy voice, the way he could make her writhe with pleasure, how she clawed at him as he pounded into her…If only he were a stronger man. “Forget about her for now. You’re home with me, and we have a lot of lost time to make up for.” No thanks to her. His eyes were dark and flaring when he looked up at her attentive face. “And yes, I’m aware that’s my fault.” As she should be. She took another cautious step forward but Robert could neither pull her closer nor push her away. All he could do was sit and fume as he looked up into her pretty face, her wavy golden hair framing her tanned skin. His indecisiveness was maddening. Throwing back the rest of his scotch, he dropped the cup on the side table as the amber liquid burned down his throat. It didn’t make the decision any easier.

“It is your fault, Cadence. No matter what you say about why you left, ultimately it was your decision to do so. And it’s a decision you can’t erase. Unfortunately, I can’t erase it either.” A strange sadness was tingling in his chest. It was an itch he couldn’t scratch and it infuriated him. It was regret. For the first time since Jude died, he truly wished he could turn back time and change what happened. He wanted to jump back to the day before Cadence left; he wanted to stop her and hold her, convince her to stay so their relationship wouldn’t change from what it was. She was offering her love on a silver platter now, but his wounded pride chained him from accepting it. His eyes were both sad and stern as they looked up into hers, a strange combination for him. “I just don’t think I can forgive you, Cadence. I certainly can’t trust you. Why would I give you a second chance when you squandered the first?” It was a rhetorical question, but she continued edging closer to his reclining form, looking like she was going to answer. He wanted to push her away, tell her to get out, but the anger balled in his chest while his body remained useless and still.

[CADENCE HIGGINS]

Robert wasn't budging. His eyes were as cold as ever as he fumed up at her. He brought the drink in his hand to his lips, tilting the glass up until all the amber liquid was drained from it. Cadence bit at the inside of her lip ever so slightly as she took another small cautious step towards him. “It is your fault, Cadence. No matter what you say about why you left, ultimately it was your decision to do so. And it’s a decision you can’t erase. Unfortunately, I can’t erase it either.” She knew he'd be bitter and she didn't expect him to forget so soon. After all, once bitten twice shy and she had certainly taken a large bite. His eyes told a story all in their own. Cadence had always appreciated his cold, icy blue eyes which were so telling. His face said one thing, but she saw the disappointment in his eyes, and she wasn't convinced it was disappointment with only her. He didn't want to push her away. He didn't want her gone for good, but he'd try like hell, probably until she broke.

“I just don’t think I can forgive you, Cadence. I certainly can’t trust you. Why would I give you a second chance when you squandered the first?” His words stung, but at her core she knew they weren't entirely true. He couldn't trust her and he hadn't forgiven her, but surely those things could be remedied in time. If only she could convince him, something that was much easier said than done. She stepped closer still, watching for him to push her away, but he never did. There was hurt and anger etched on his face and she knew how deeply she'd cut him. In a way he'd deserved it. He'd been cocky, assuming he could simply have her because he'd wanted her, but it wasn't as simple as that. Robert was used to taking what he wanted and no one in their right mind denied him unless they had a solid reason to. Her inability to commit surely didn't fall into that category for him, but her love wasn't like anything else he wanted. All those other things were material to some degree. If he didn't have them he'd be furious and take his anger out on whoever had been incompetent enough to mess things up for him, but it was much different with her. She was thing thing he wanted and she was the thing that had taken it. She could understand how mixed up that could make him.

A foot from Robert Cadence knelt down, sitting on her knees in front of him so that she could look up at him instead of the other way around. She was physically offering him the upper hand, something he'd always had in their relationship at least until she'd took matters into her own hands and left him. "Because you want me." She told him boldly, her own eyes stern showing him she wasn't backing down, not so easily. "Because in the end you would know deep down that you've tamed me. That I ran, afraid of you and your commitment, and I crawled back like a dog. Certainly that would award you some amount of power." Her words bordered on teasing and her lips curled up on the edge slightly. "I don't expect you to forgive or trust me, Robert. Not yet. Those things need to be earned and you're right, I had squandered my chance with you. I'm not foolish enough to believe you'd accept me back with open arms, however, I expect to obtain your trust and forgiveness. Really it's up to you to decide how long that will take." Her head tilted slightly to the side, all smiles gone now as her hands folded neatly into her lap, watching him carefully as she spoke softly to him in her submissive spot at his feet. "Say the word and I'll leave, no argument, but don't think I won't be back, and soon." She cautiously reached her hand out, slipping it onto his knee gently. "Or you can stop playing hard to get and allow me to start making things up to you tonight, in any way you deem acceptable. The choice is yours."

[ROBERT SNOW]

Robert watched suspiciously as Cadence knelt in front of him, his stomach churning with an unexpected feeling of anxiety. He didn’t want her to plead. The more she pleaded for his forgiveness, the more he would actually consider it. He didn’t want to forgive her. He was tired of breaking promises to himself when it came to her. But God, did she look appealing kneeling before him like this, her green eyes fixed on him. “Because you want me.” It was hard truth that stuck in his throat, his frown between anger, warning, and reluctant acceptance. He didn’t want to want her! “Because in the end you would know deep down that you’ve tamed me. That I ran, afraid of you and your commitment, and I crawled back like a dog. Certainly that would award you some amount of power.” She was playing him like the master manipulator she was, knowing exactly what to tell him that would get her back into his favor. And he had to admit, it did work, although he hated that her flattering words got through to him. He had tamed her…and here she was begging for his forgiveness. It was hard not to find it all appealing. A small smile curled her lips, as if she knew she was getting through to him finally, and it made the appeal of the moment curdle. He didn’t want to admit what she made him feel. “I don’t expect you to forgive or trust me, Robert. Not yet. Those things need to be earned and you’re right, I had squandered my chance with you. I’m not foolish enough to believe you’d accept me back with open arms, however, I expect to obtain your trust and forgiveness. Really it’s up to you to decide how long that will take.” He swallowed hard, his face remaining like stone as he now saw the true threat Cadence’s return presented. She was going to make him swallow his wounded pride and accept her back. She was going to make him go back on the vow he’d made to never forgive her for what she’d done. Robert never went back on his decisions—they were final, absolute. But Cadence…she somehow made him forget that. She was tenacious and stubborn, just as he was, but for whatever reason she could eventually chip away at him. He was the stone and she was the water that slowly broke him down. The worst part was, she knew this. How long could he withstand her assault of pleading?

“Say the word and I’ll leave, no argument, but don’t think I won’t be back, and soon.” It was a promise and a threat. But at least if he dismissed her tonight, it would give him time to strengthen his resolve once more. She didn’t deserve his forgiveness! She’d humiliated him, hurt him! Only her brother’s death had ever hurt him before. Even though he had tried to save her brother, she still deemed it reasonable to repay him with tearing his heart out and stomping on it. Her hand slipped to his knee and Robert’s eyes narrowed slightly, trying not to let her soft touch affect him. “Or you can stop playing hard to get and allow me to start making things up to you tonight, in any way you seem acceptable. The choice is yours.” He had to confess that it was tempting offer. Pounding into her all night to let her know exactly what she’d missed out on, how she needed to be punished, the predicament she had left him in—it all sounded so exquisite. But what lesson would she learn from that? It’s what she wanted. She wanted him and giving in would show just how weak he was when it came to her. No one should be privy to that information but him. She’d already proved herself unworthy of that trust. He looked down at her hand on his knee and covered her hand with his own. For a moment he hesitated, but then removed her hand from his body, pushing it away before releasing it from his grasp. “You should go.” His voice was a deep, rasp, quieter than usual. It was hard to speak with his usual power when even he wasn’t one hundred percent behind his decision to make her leave. Cadence seemed disappointed with his answer, but she stayed true to her word. Unlike him, she was capable of doing that.

Thankfully she closed the door behind her. He needed privacy. Inwardly he fumed at his own weakness. Yes, he’d made her leave in the end, but he’d been so close to letting her stay. She’d barely been back a few days and she was already weaseling her way back into the heart that he promised would be closed off to her. He pushed himself to his feet, skulking over to the sideboard where he kept his crystal bottles of scotch, bourbon, and cognac. He poured himself another class of scotch, turning as he drank. His eyes spied the bag of expensive alcohol Cadence gifted him, shoved under the side table. He would keep them, but for now he just wanted to shoved them into the sideboard and forget them. If only he could forget her too. A part of him wished his father were still alive to ask for advice on how to handle this situation. But then he remembered that even his father had fallen in love. The only difference was that Robert’s mother had never humiliated his father like this. She’d known her place. The problem was, he didn’t know if he really wanted Cadence to know hers. Slamming his glass down on the sideboard, he resolved to simply prepare for dawn and the silence it would bring him.

[CADENCE HIGGINS]

For a moment Cadence was sure that she had swayed Robert. The look in his eyes told her he was considering her offer, and that was a good start. When his hand wrapped over hers she felt a strange nervous excitement rush through her. On the one hand she was excited at the prospect of having him back, on the other she was concerned about falling into her old mindset of being wary. Half the fun was trying to win him back and knowing that she could, and easily. It surprised her when he pushed her hand away from his lap, retracting his own afterward. Her lips tightened a little and her brows furrowed ever so gently. “You should go.” He rasped softly. She was a little surprised and hesitated, wanting to argue, but she said she would leave if he said to and she would keep her word. She had close to eternity to win him back, and she knew she would be able to do just that. Cadence got to her feet, collected her jacket and purse and moved to the door, throwing one last glance over her shoulder at Robert before exiting and shutting the door behind her. She silently resolved to win him back. There was no way he could fend her off forever, but she was sure she had a breaking point somewhere. Hopefully she wouldn't have to find out when that was.

Cadence spent the next day making a game plan. She shopped for gifts for him, sending him a beautiful Mont Blanc pen at the office the following evening, though she didn't bother visiting deciding he needed some time to consider what he wanted with a clear head. She certainly didn't need to deliver every gift in person. On the fourth evening she came to his home again, trying to convince him for another chance but was again rejected, this time leaving a Rolex watch. The visits and presents continued. She sent a briefcase, cuff links, business card holder, more liquor, cologne and new shoes. As the weeks ticked by she was growing more impatient and more frustrated with him. She could see his walls were breaking down but he was being a stubborn mule, and enough was enough. She growing weary of his games and she knew she had to do something in order to not feel like he was taking advantage of her generosity. Hell, she hadn't felt this used by him when he was bending her over his desk and having his way with her! She had one last gift and she was going to win him back with this one, like it or not.

Cadence decided that his home wasn't the place to get him to come around. The best place to knock some sense into him was to approach him where the majority of their relationship had taken place. She pulled her hair up into a bun and slipped the buttons in her overcoat closed before walking out of her home. She made her way to the office she had spent so much time working in and parked outside before clicking her way up to where Robert was likely sitting behind his desk, going through all sorts of tedious paperwork. She soon found herself coming face to face with her replacement, who asked in a professional voice if she could help Cadence. She'd seen Ella before when spying on her, but never this close. Something about the soft, youthful face angered Cadence and she felt her jaw tense. "I'm here to see Robert." She got a few looks from people who obviously recognized her, her green eyes focused on the tiny bitch in front of her. "Mr. Snow is unavailable right now. Would you like to make an appointment?" Cadence was quiet a moment, irked by the response. She'd said the same thing to dozens of people under his rule, knowing his aversion to people just showing up wanting to see him. It was appointment or nothing. "Yes, I'd like an appointment for right now." Cadence wasn't entirely sure if the girls expressions was annoyance or surprise at the request. Maybe both. "I'm sorry, but Mr..." Cadence ignored her and turned, walking directly to Robert's office. "You can't see him unless you have an appointment!" Ella insisted but Cadence ignored her, opened the door and waltzing into Roberts office before slamming it shut and turning the lock. The look on his face was priceless as she stormed angrily to his desk, chucking a small Fredrick's of Hollywood bag on his desk. "Shut up and open it." She snapped before he could really get a word in. She knew he didn't like being told what to do, but the tone of her voice made it clear she wasn't in the mood to argue. "Please.." It was snarled and she watched as his fingers picked up the bag and looked inside. It was empty. Cadence put her hands on his desk, her eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned in towards him. "I'm done playing your games. You've made your point, but I'm not foolish enough to believe you really don't want me anymore, but I'm nearing my limit Robert. Soon you'll win and I really don't believe you want to." She licked her lips, her fingers curling around the edge of his desk, showing how frustrated she was becoming. "So do you want to see what was in that bag or not?"