Gun sat in his office, staring bnkly at his phone after hanging up on Jason’s call. His hands trembled slightly as Jason’s words repyed in his mind. Forget about Cassius Bridge.

  He felt a pit forming in his stomach. Jason wasn’t the type to get involved in his personal life unless he felt it was important. So when Jason told him about the girl at his boarding school bragging that her sister was going to marry Cassius, Gun had been stunned into silence. His heart clenched at the mere thought of it.

  Cassius. Married? Gun’s mind raced. How could this be true? The man who had been nothing but attentive, who swept him off his feet and made him feel seen in ways he hadn’t in years—how could he be engaged to someone else?

  Jason’s words had been firm and protective, like the son he had raised him to be. “Look into it, Dad. You deserve someone better. If you can’t wait, I’ll find someone for you.”

  Gun swallowed hard, feeling a wave of nausea roll over him. His fingers moved slowly to his ptop as he began typing Cassius’ name into a private search engine, dread building with every keystroke.

  His stomach twisted as the results came up. Headlines from gossip sites and news articles about the prestigious Bridge family. Photos of Cassius attending various events in Singapore and Europe…with a woman. She was stunning, all polished elegance and grace. The same woman the girl at Jason’s school had likely been talking about. It didn’t take long before Gun came across the confirmation—an engagement announcement. Cassius Bridge was set to marry the daughter of another prominent business family in the coming months.

  Gun stared at the screen in disbelief. His chest tightened painfully, and for a moment, it was hard to breathe. The betrayal hit him like a tidal wave, washing over him, drowning him in hurt and anger. He felt a lump form in his throat, threatening to choke him as he read the words again and again.

  It didn’t make sense. Cassius had never once mentioned being engaged. Not during their intimate moments, not during their deep conversations, not even when they had talked about building a future together.

  Gun stood up abruptly, knocking his chair back. He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, trying to stop the sting of tears from spilling over. How could he have been so foolish? He had let himself believe that, maybe this time, things could be different. Maybe he could finally open his heart to someone again after losing King.

  But Cassius…Cassius had lied. He had hidden this massive part of his life from him, all while pretending to care, while making Gun feel like he was the only one.

  A quiet sob escaped Gun’s lips as the weight of everything pressed down on him. He was devastated. The man who had been so sweet, so attentive—who had promised him that distance wouldn’t matter—had been leading a double life. It was all a lie.

  He couldn’t even remember the st time he felt this hurt, not since King’s death. The wound felt fresh all over again, as if someone had ripped it wide open.

  He sat back down, his body heavy with grief, staring bnkly at the screen, not knowing what to do next. He wanted to scream, to break something, to sh out at the unfairness of it all. But instead, he just sat there, numb.

  How could I have been so blind?

  His phone buzzed again, and for a moment, he considered not answering it. But when he gnced down and saw Jason’s name, he picked it up. His voice was barely a whisper as he answered, “Hey…”

  Jason’s voice was soft but firm, a strength that Gun didn’t know he needed right now. “Dad, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, but…I couldn’t let you get hurt like this.”

  Gun swallowed hard, blinking away the tears that had threatened to fall. “I…I should’ve seen it coming. But I didn’t.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Jason said, his tone full of reassurance. “Sometimes, people can be really good at hiding who they really are.”

  Gun closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “I just…I don’t know how to move on from this.”

  “You will,” Jason replied gently. “But first, you need to let yourself feel it. It’s okay to be hurt, but don’t let it get to you.”

  Gun nodded, though Jason couldn’t see him. “Thanks, my love. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “You’ll be okay, Dad,” Jason said confidently. “And when you’re ready, we’ll find you someone.”

  Gun managed a small smile, despite the pain in his chest. “I’ll talk to you ter, alright?”

  “Yeah. Just…take care of yourself, okay?”

  “I will.”

  As he hung up, Gun looked at the screen one st time before shutting his ptop. The information was all there, undeniable proof of Cassius’ deception. But he didn’t need to see it anymore. He had the truth, and that truth hurt more than he ever expected.

  Standing up, Gun walked to the window, staring out into the distance, the city lights flickering below him. He was angry, yes, but more than that, he was heartbroken. The pain of betrayal sat heavy in his chest, and for the first time in a long time, he didn’t know where to go from here.

  But one thing was clear: he couldn’t let this break him. Not again. He had survived worse, and he would survive this too.

  Even if it meant closing his heart once more.