Cassian was completely satisfied with that answer. It was clear that guy posed absolutely zero threat to him anymore. At first, Cassian had been a little concerned—they’d had years of history together, after all. He’d been ready to fight for Anastasia no matter what it took. But this was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise.

“Since it’s nobody important, don’t waste another second thinking about them. We’ve got way more important things to focus on,” Cassian said, scooping Anastasia up in his arms.

Anastasia yelped in surprise, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. Cassian carried her toward the bed with a devilish grin. His fingertips traced teasing patterns along her waist, making her shiver. The temperature in the room was about to skyrocket.

After Anastasia hung up on him, Jasper felt even more frustrated. Shit. She won’t even answer my calls anymore. Does she seriously have zero feelings left for me? The thought made him wave down the bartender for another round. He was going to drink himself into oblivion.

Valeria had been blowing up his phone, but Jasper rejected every single call. He’d finally broken free—no way was he letting anyone control him tonight. So he kept drinking.

That’s when a smoking hot woman made her move. She had Jasper squarely in her sights. The woman sauntered over in killer heels, red lips curved seductively, and slid onto the barstool next to him. She held a cigarette between perfectly manicured fingers, smoke swirling around her as she gave Jasper a sultry once-over.

“Drinking alone is such a waste,” she purred, sliding a glass of top-shelf whiskey his way. “Cheers.”

Jasper looked up through his drunken haze. The woman’s flawless makeup looked especially stunning under the bar’s moody lighting. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but this tall woman reminded him a bit of Anastasia, which immediately got his attention.

He pulled her onto his lap. “Just drinks?”

The woman leaned close to his ear, her voice a whisper. “Oh honey, that’s just the beginning. I’m all yours tonight.”

Finally scored a sugar daddy—can’t let this one slip away.

She’d been watching Jasper all night. Designer everything…This guy was clearly loaded.

Her glossy lips nearly brushed his ear as her perfume mixed with warm breath flooded his senses. In his wasted state, Jasper could see Anastasia’s face, and he unconsciously pulled her closer.

“What’s your name?” he asked, his voice rough as his fingers traced her bare shoulder.

“Call me Lily,” she laughed softly, bringing the glass to his lips while her nails lightly scraped his throat. “So…what are you in the mood for?”

Jasper knocked back the whiskey in one shot, the burn hitting his chest hard. He wrapped his arms around the woman and they left together.

Meanwhile, Valeria was going crazy trying to reach him. She was so pissed she chucked her phone across the bed. What the hell! Where did that bastard disappear to?

Ever since getting pregnant, Valeria had been playing the perfect girlfriend, terrified Jasper might do something to hurt the baby. But it seemed like their relationship had gotten colder because of it. Sometimes Jasper was straight-up impatient with her now. But for the baby’s sake, Valeria swallowed her pride. Still, vanishing on Christmas without even answering his phone? Who knew what kind of trouble he was getting into.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. If this kept up, she’d have to call in the cavalry.

Jasper took the woman to the nearest luxury hotel. He was practically climbing the walls with need. With Valeria being pregnant and all, he’d been sexually frustrated for weeks. Jasper had his standards though—he wasn’t some desperate loser who’d sleep with anyone. But tonight, this woman had really hit all the right buttons. So he took her upstairs for what turned out to be an absolutely wild night.

The hotel suite looked like a hurricane had hit it. Between the booze and Anastasia’s rejection setting him off, Jasper had gone completely animalistic, taking the woman all over the damn room. This chick was clearly a pro—flexible, enthusiastic, and knew exactly how to drive him crazy. Jasper was already thinking about round two.

He woke up the next morning with sunshine pouring through the windows, totally spent and not wanting to move. But remembering it was an important family day, he forced himself to get up.

Jasper looked at the woman next to him—her eyes were still heavy with sleep, her body covered in marks from their marathon session, giving her a vulnerable look that made him want to corrupt her all over again. Especially since she kind of looked like Anastasia—honestly, Jasper was pretty into her. But his interest was purely physical. Nothing emotional about it.

Bottom line, this woman was just a quick fix for a raging itch—entertainment, nothing more.

The woman could tell Jasper was awake; she slowly opened her eyes with a satisfied smile. Last night was incredible. She deliberately ran her foot up his leg under the sheets.

Jasper was instantly hard again and flipped her over. By the time they were done, it was almost noon.

Jasper knew he had to bounce; he was already going to catch hell when he got home. He jumped in the shower, got dressed, then wrote the woman a check for three hundred grand.

“Look, last night was fun for both of us, but we both got what we wanted. Buy yourself something pretty with this.”

The woman’s eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the amount. Holy shit! This much cash for one night? This guy’s a walking jackpot!

Jasper was seriously impressed with this woman—he wouldn’t have been so generous otherwise. The woman took the check with barely contained excitement, wheels already turning in her head.

“You’re so generous! Last night was amazing. I really don’t want this to end.”

Jasper glanced at her, then gave her body one last appreciative squeeze.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. This definitely won’t be the last time.”

And with that, Jasper was gone.

The woman stared at the check, practically vibrating with excitement. Jesus Christ! I just hit the lottery! Guys like this are once-in-a-lifetime.

Usually after hookups, the woman would pop a morning-after pill without question. But this time, she had different plans. She pretended to take it in front of Jasper, holding it in her mouth. The second he left, she spat it out.

She already knew exactly who Jasper was. This man was loaded—if he dropped this kind of cash for a one-night stand, imagine what he’d spend on a girlfriend. If she played her cards right, she could really upgrade her life. After all, who didn’t want to live like a queen?

She could tell Jasper was really into her, like he was looking for something specific in her face. So before he left, she’d managed to sweet-talk his number out of him.

Now let’s see what happens…