The air in Penelope's bedroom hung thick with tension as Cassandra stood frozen in the doorway, her fists clenched at her sides. Her usually bright eyes darkened with a storm of emotions - betrayal, anger, and something painfully vulnerable.
Penelope took a graceful step forward, her designer heels clicking softly against the marble floor. "Cassie, baby, I didn't see you there," she said smoothly, her voice dripping with practiced innocence.
Cassandra's jaw tightened as she marched forward, inserting herself between Jayden and her mother with surprising protectiveness. "Well, I did," she snapped. "I saw everything you were doing to Jayden."
A slow, amused smile curled Penelope's lips at her daughter's defensive stance, while Jayden's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise at Cassandra's unexpected protectiveness.
"Cassandra, I—" Penelope began.
"You were assaulting him, Mom... sexually," Cassandra cut in sharply, her voice trembling with barely contained emotion.
