Chapter 361 Shattered Illusions

Cecilia ’s pov

Cassian snapped, “Move over.” His voice was tight with frustration.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

“Wow. That’s how you talk to your imaginary dad ?” He said it with a smirk.

“Come on, Raymond,” Martha said softly, her eyes shining. Her voice was full of quiet hope, like she was watching the happy ending of a movie she’d always wanted to believe in.

Cassian let out a sigh, dragged a chair over, and dropped into it. He was so big, I felt like I was getting pushed right off the couch.

Martha looked at the three of us, and fresh tears filled her eyes.

But this time, they weren’t from fear or confusion. They looked like tears of peace.

To her, we weren’t just sitting on a couch. We were a family, finally whole again.

“Good… this is so good,” she whispered. Her voice was soft but cracked.

“No more fighting, no more leaving. The child doesn’t hurt anymore. Rebecca isn’t crying. And soon, our little one will be here. We’re a family again.”

Her voice was soft and shaky, like she’d practiced those words in dreams.

I watched her, wondering if she was picturing something better than real life. Maybe in her mind, there was no pain, no death. Just the family she wished she still had.

The doctor arrived quickly. He’d treated enough of our ‘poisoned guests’ to know exactly what to do. Calm and professional, he got to work.

Martha was moved to the master bedroom for IV fluids, while Fiona and Yulia were quietly settled into guest rooms upstairs. But all attention stayed on Martha.

Eventually, the chaos died down, and the house finally went quiet. The clock showed just past 1 a.m.

Before leaving, the doctor pulled Cassian aside to speak with him in private.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and I were placed in one of the quieter guest rooms. Levi’s house was still a wreck from earlier—the yard littered with debris and broken glass. Cassian had insisted we stay overnight.

A few minutes later, there was a soft knock at our door. Then Cassian stepped inside.

I had been dozing against the headboard, but opened my eyes as he stepped in.

He didn’t waste time.

“What happened tonight probably wasn’t aimed at you two,” he said flatly. “Grandmother was the target.”

“Because she was poisoned too ?” Sebastian asked, calm as ever.

Cassian nodded. “Yes.”

He sat by the window, his voice low.

“She had no reason to hurt Cecilia. But she was poisoned too. The doctor said if we hadn’t found her, she might not have survived the night.”

“Our visit wasn’t planned,” Sebastian said. “We only changed course because you showed up in Colorado Springs.”

Cassian nodded again.

“She did send the cake to Levi’s. But whether Cecilia ate it or not wasn’t part of the plan. This wasn’t about her.”

“And,” he added, “Martha’s been baking that honey cream cake for decades. It’s her signature. She always makes it, delivers it, and eats it herself.”

“So when I saw the cake at the clinic, it didn’t make sense. If she really poisoned it, why would she eat it too ?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Unless someone tampered with it after it left her hands.”

He exhaled.

Sebastian leaned back. “A girl from your family visited yesterday. Around noon.”

“Jessica,” Cassian said without hesitation.

Sebastian blinked. “How did you know ?”

“It could only be her,” Cassian replied. “My sister and Xenia wouldn’t come up here. Jessica’s the one Grandmother loves most. She visits all the time. Sometimes stays overnight.

I spoke up. “We came for lunch yesterday. When we left, we ran into her at the door.”

I chose my words carefully when I said we ‘ran into her.’ I wanted them to realize she’d definitely seen me.

Both men fell silent.

Then I added, “But Martha said she sent the cake the day before. When she visited Yulia.

That meant the cake wasn’t added after Jessica showed up.

But that didn’t rule out the chance she’d messed with it later.”

Cassian stood up, pulled out his phone, and walked out.

Beside me, Sebastian took my hand. “This place isn’t safe anymore. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Back to Denver ?” I asked.

“I still have work to finish. But we’ll go somewhere secure,” he said firmly.

“Every time you step outside my sight, trouble finds you.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Xavier had tracked me down at my last hideout.

And now this.

I didn’t argue.

Cassian returned a few minutes later.

“It’s confirmed,” he said. “Jessica and her mother, Liora, were here yesterday around noon. They stayed until evening. They helped with the cake and even took a piece home.”

He paused. “But they haven’t eaten it yet.”

Sebastian let out a cold laugh.

“They haven’t eaten it ? That could mean anything. Maybe they forgot. Maybe they’re saving it. Either way, without proof, let’s not jump to conclusions.”

I asked with uncertainty.”Would Jessica and her mother really poison Martha ?”

Cassian ran a hand through his hair.

“It just doesn’t make sense. Martha’s always been on their side. She’s their biggest supporter. Why would they risk losing that ?”

He paused. “Jessica even asked her to help… set her up with someone.”

He trailed off, eyes drifting to Sebastian.

Sebastian’s expression tightened.

The air in the room changed.

I narrowed my eyes, smiling like I’d just solved the puzzle.

“Let me guess…Sebastian ?”

Of course. That explained Martha’s strange reaction when she found out I was his girlfriend.

Cassian looked like he’d rather melt into the floor.

Sebastian didn’t flinch.

“If she’s willing to poison Martha just to get my attention…”

He exhaled slowly, voice calm.”She’s not getting a boyfriend. She’s getting a court date.”

I tilted my head slightly, unimpressed.

“Wow. That’s your takeaway ?” I said, voice level. “You think this is about you ?”

He glanced at me, expression unreadable.

“It usually is.”

I gave a faint smile.

“Right. Because nothing says irresistible like attempted murder.”

The silence that followed hung in the air like static.