Evadne couldn''t tear her gaze away from the photograph, her heart clenching and then pounding wildly in her chest.


    The photo, with its yellowing white edges, clearly had some years on it.


    In it, he and he were close, an aura of tender affection surrounding them.


    Even without words, Evadne could tell that Cassius and the man were lovers. Love poured out from the depths of their eyes.


    The smile on Cassius'' face that met her shocked eyes was like a sunflower in full bloom, so bright and passionate. She, Cassius'' little sister who had grown up under his care, had never seen such a smile on his face.


    Not even with Chasel had Cassius ever smiled like that.


    Somehow, aplex emotion lodged itself in Evadne''s chest, an ufortable feeling she couldn''t articte.


    Suddenly, steady footsteps approached from outside the study.


    Evadne quickly ced the Bible back on the shelf and slipped the photograph into her jacket pocket.


    With a click, the door to the study opened.


    Cassius, dressed in a deep blue silk pajama set, entered with a gentle smile upon seeing Evadne,


    "Evadne, when did you get here? Have you been waiting long?"


    "Not really."


    Evadne''s smile stiffened slightly as she looked away, "Cassius, is Chasel awake yet?"


    "Not yet, he''s a fox who loves his sleep. Afterst night''s shenanigans, I don''t expect him to be up before noon." Cassius'' dark eyes gleamed with a ripple of affection, his lips curving in a tender smile.


    Evadne bit her lip, taking a deep breath,


    "Cassius, could you close the door? I need to talk to you, just the two of us."


    Without much thought, Cassius closed the door and walked back to her, asking with concern,


    "Evadne, you look pale. What''s wrong?"


    Evadne lowered hershes and slowly reached into her jacket pocket, her fingertips pulling out the photograph and handing it to Cassius,


    "Cassius, who is this man?"


    Cassius'' face paled instantly at the sight, his heart clenching painfully before racing uncontrobly.


    So many years had passed.


    Yet, seeing him still made his heart beat wildly, as if it was their first encounter.


    "Your lover from the past?" Evadne read the confirmation in his stunned expression.


    Cassius'' fingers trembled as he took the photograph, his voice hoarse, "You found that Bible?"


    "I stumbled upon it. You know how I love ''treasure hunting'' in your study." Cassius managed a weak smile, his eyes filled with mncholy as if his heart was stuffed with blood-soaked cotton, "Back when I was known as ''Hades'', he was a captain under our CLOUDTOP banner. He had saved my life more than once. He was one of the people I trusted and cared for the most in this world."


    Evadne was well aware of CLOUDTOP.


    It was once thergest gang in the country, its influence spreading across the whole continent. Even the current glory of the S-Star Group couldn''tpare to CLOUDTOP''s heyday.


    But then, CLOUDTOP disbanded, its members scattered across the globe.


    Some of the core members from back then had even started their own organizations, but none could replicate CLOUDTOP''s splendor.


    Or rather, the splendor of Hades'' era.


    Evadne asked in a hushed voice, "Where is he now?"


    "He''s dead."


    Cassius felt a void in his chest, as if the heart that died with him those years ago was being ripped out again, "Six years ago, it was discovered that he was a mole from an underground organization called K in Helgen, sent to infiltrate CLOUDTOP and steal information to dismantle our power. Once exposed, Helgen abandoned him, and CLOUDTOP hunted him down. Traitors, no matter the era or ce, only have one end-death."


    "So you, as ''Hades'' back then, executed him?" Evadne''s voice trembled with a chill.


    Cassius closed his eyes in agony, shaking his head,


    "When I became the leader, I swore never to kill. That was my bottom line. But back then, everyone was pressuring me, forcing me to execute him with my own hands."


    Listening to this, Evadne felt suffocated, her heart pounding with fear.


    "To avoid putting me in a difficult position, he took the gun from my hand and shot himself."


    Recounting this event, Cassius'' tone was low and calm. If not for the turbulent red in his eyes, Evadne might have thought he was talking about someone else''s story.


    To watch the one you lovemit suicide right in front of you-how many could endure such a devastating blow?


    If it were Thaddeus, she might not hesitate to pick up that gun and follow him.


    "Let''s not talk about it anymore, it''s all in the past." Cassius murmured hoarsely, as if forcefully pressing down on a bleeding wound in his heart.


    "Cassius, I''m sorry for his death. But I still have to ask you something."


    Evadne looked at him intently, word for word, "Did you choose to be with Chasel in part because he looks like him?"


    Cassius clenched the photograph, his head bowed, his tongue grazing his teeth harshly.


    "From the moment you first saw Chasel, you were drawn to his resemnce to that man. When you approached him, showered him with care, it wasn''t just to help me win him over, was it? You wanted to see him, couldn''t control the urge to be near him. To see in him the one you lost?"


    After a long silence, Cassius finally spoke, his voice aged in an instant,


    "Yes."


    "Cassius!" Evadne''s heart felt scorched, her eyes wide.


    "Evadne, maybe you see me through the lens of kinship. In your eyes, I''m stable, upright, respectful to elders, and loving towards my siblings."


    Cassius shook his head with a bitter smile, "But I''m far from being as good as you think. In fact, I might not even measure up to many ordinary people." "Cassius, how could you do this, how could you treat Chasel like a stand-in?"


    Evadne clutched his arm in desperation, her fingers digging in so hard it was almost as if they were embedding into his flesh. "Chasel gave up everything to be with you, turning his back on the world. For so long, he''s poured his heart and soul into you, into our family—the Ashbournes—for Thad and Mari, without a second thought. How can you bear to do this to him?"


    "Evadne, I admit, at first, my entanglement with him was because he reminded me of that man."


    Cassius'' eyes rimmed red, his fists clenched so tightly that pain seared into his palms before he slowly rxed his grip. "But now, I''ve truly fallen for Chasel. It''s not about his appearance, I love him for who he is, for his soul."


    "Do you love Chasel, or are you still in love with the ghost of the past?" Evadne pressed on stubbornly.


    "Evadne, you can''tpare the two; they''re different kinds of love."


    "Love is love. There''s only depth to it in this world, not ''different kinds''."


    Evadne was frantic, her chest heaving with emotion. "Cassius, have you ever considered how devastated Chasel would be if he found out all this? To know that the person he loves to the bone sees him just as a recement for a lost love, how broken, how enraged, how despairing he would feel? How could you do this? How could you bear to deceive someone who loves you so deeply?" Cassius'' lips parted, his throat as if pierced by thorns, tasting bitter and sweet. "Now, in front of me, burn this photo. Forget himpletely."


    Evadne''s eyes zed with fury, her teeth gritted. "If you truly want to grow old with Chasel, if you truly love him, then burn it!"