She stood up abruptly, her chair scraping softly against the floor as she turned away. Her breath hitched, tears blurring her vision before she could stop them.
"Please don't contact me ever again, Mr. Draymond," she said, her voice trembling despite her effort to steady it. "Our contract is over."
Cassian's eyes widened.
He rose to his feet instinctively and caught her wrist, his grip rough—nothing like his usual controlled, measured touch—as he spun her back toward him.
"It's not over yet, Mira," he said firmly. "Not the contract—but whatever it was between us. We'll figure it out—"
"Cassian, leave!" she yelled, her voice cracking through the quiet restaurant.
The word hit him harder than he expected.
He stared at her for a long moment, jaw clenched, chest rising sharply as if he was holding something back. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, his steps sharp and furious.
