Chapter 16 Hearing Cassian's words , Anastasia felt butterflies explode in her stomach , heat creeping up her neck . The way he'd been looking at her just now - like she was something precious - made her pulse race uncontrollably . " Come on , let me show you around properly . " Cassian intertwined their fingers and led her deeper into the penthouse . As they walked , he pointed out different spaces with obvious pride . " About thirty - two hundred square feet . Master suite , three guest bedrooms , home office , and two and a half baths … " Anastasia tried not to gawk . In Manhattan real estate , this much space was basically priceless . When they reached the master bedroom , she froze in the doorway , staring at the enormous king - size bed that dominated the room . Her heart started hammering against her ribs . The bedroom was stunning - floor - to - ceiling windows , modern furniture , and soft lighting that made the luxurious bedding look impossibly inviting . Cassian noticed her deer - in - headlights expression , his mouth curving into a knowing smile . " Something wrong with the bed , Mrs. Rhodes ? " The way he said " Mrs. Rhodes " sent shivers down her spine . ' No , it's just … really big , " she managed , voice barely above a whisper . Cassian's laugh was low and slightly rough . " Big is definitely better . More room for … all sorts of activities . " His voice dropped to that dangerous frequency that made her knees wobble , and Anastasia's face went nuclear . she stared at her feet , twisting her wedding ring nervously , caught between panic and anticipation . 16:48 Dumped Today , Married Tomorrow : My Overnight Wedding to a Tycoon 10.79 Chapter 16 Seeing her genuine nervousness , Cassian's expression gentled . He stepped closer , tilting her chin up with one finger . " Hey , look at me . We don't have to do anything you're not ready for . I meant what I said - we go at your pace . " Anastasia met his eyes , finding only patience and warmth . " Okay , " she breathed . Then Cassian's mouth quirked up slightly . " Though I'm hoping you don't torture me for too long . " Anastasia turned roughly the color of a fire truck . " Oh , and tomorrow we're having dinner with my parents . They're dying to start planning our wedding celebration . " Anastasia's eyes went wide . " We're doing a big wedding ? " " Of course . I want the whole world to know you're mine . " His possessive tone made her stomach flip . " Something unforgettable . " " Maybe we should hold off on that for now . I've got some loose ends to tie up first . " The last thing she needed was Jasper and his toxic family crashing her wedding . Cassian studied her face for a moment . " Whatever you need . We'll do this however makes you comfortable . " His immediate acceptance of her wishes made something warm bloom in her chest . The next morning , Jasper got an imperious summons from his mother to come home immediately . Since he'd been enjoying breakfast in bed with Valeria , he decided to bring her along to make the visit more entertaining . They strolled into the Hale family's Upper East Side mansion hand in hand , playing the part of Manhattan's golden couple . Megan appeared in the foyer wearing a perfectly coordinated outfit and her brightest fake smile . " Jasper , darling ! And who's this gorgeous creature ? " 16:48 Dumped Today , Married Tomorrow : My Overnight Wedding to a Tycoon 10.9 She looked Valeria up and down with obvious interest Jasper squeezed Valeria's hand proudly . " Mom , meet Valeria Kingsley . Her father owns Kingsley Industries . " Megan's eyes practically glittered with dollar signs . The Kingsley heiress ! Now this was the caliber of girl she'd always envisioned for her son - so much classier than that trashy little nobody Anastasia . Since Sharpson Kingsley's messy divorce and remarriage , most of society had forgotten about his estranged daughter . Anastasia had completely severed ties with her father and refused to use the family name anyway . - Not that she'd want to be associated with that scandal Meanwhile , Valeria was practically vibrating with excitement to finally be inside the Hale mansion . The Hales were practically American royalty - old money , social connections , political influence . Dating Jasper was definitely a step up from her usual crowd . ' It's such an honor to meet you , Mrs. Hale , " Valeria said with practiced sweetness . Megan immediately melted , grasping Valeria's hands like they were old friends . " Oh , you're absolutely darling ! So elegant and well - bred . Come in , come in - I've had Cook prepare lunch . " Valeria blushed prettily at the warm reception . " You're too kind . " asper relaxed seeing his mother's instant approval . " Easy , Mom . Don't scare her off on the first visit . ' Megan laughed melodiously , linking arms with Valeria . " I'm just thrilled ! Finally , a girl with proper reeding and social standing . I couldn't be happier ! " he led them to the formal dining room and personally seated Valería in the place of honor . Once they were settled with champagne , Megan's expression turned business - like . " Now Jasper , Lave you dealt with that Anastasia problem yet ? " Still working on it . She's demanding three hundred million for her shares . " Jasper's voice carried 16:48 Dumped Today , Married Tomorrow : My Overnight Wedding to a Tyroon 130 Chapter 16 barely controlled irritation . Megan's face contorted with outrage . " Three hundred million ? That little gutter rat has lost her fucking mind ! " Valeria's pulse quickened with vicious satisfaction , though she maintained her innocent facade . " Mrs. Hale , please don't let Ana upset you . She's probably just lashing out because she's hurt . " Megan's laugh was pure ice . " Hurt ? That pathetic social climber should be grateful we tolerated her as long as we did ! Who does she think she is , trying to extort our family ? " Jasper shifted uncomfortably . " Mom , legally she does own forty percent of the company . The paperwork's ironclad . " - What he couldn't bring himself to admit was that without Anastasia's talent and connections , J & A would still be a pipe dream . His family had always seen him as a trust fund brat playing at business . Megan's voice turned arctic . " I don't care what some papers say . That opportunistic little whore doesn't dictate terms to the Hale family ! Three hundred million ? She can go fuck herself ! " Jasper rubbed his temples . " We need to be strategic here . The company's worth over a billion now - from a pure business standpoint , buying her out might be the smart move . " Megan was silent for a long moment , calculating . " Fine . If we absolutely must pay that gold - digger , offer her fifty million . Take it or leave it . " " I was thinking more like a hundred million , " Jasper countered . " Seventy - five million , final offer . Not a penny more for that bottom - feeder . " " Deal , " Jasper agreed . He'd been planning to lowball Anastasia anyway . " Good . Now , don't forget about tomorrow's Met Museum gala . Your father says Cassian Rhodes will be there . If you could get an introduction , it would be worth millions in future business . " " Absolutely . I've already prepared my approach - most of our key investors will be attending too . " This was exactly the kind of networking opportunity that could launch him into the big leagues . " Excellent . " Megan was pleased to see her son finally acting like proper Hale family material . 16:48 Dumped Today , Married Tomorrow : My Overnight Wedding to a Tycoon 11.1 Chapter 16 What she didn't realize was that every ounce of Jasper's current success stemmed from Anastasia's vision and hard work . When they'd first started dating , the Hales had been dismissive and offered zero support . Anastasia had built their design studio from nothing and transformed it into an industry powerhouse . Only after J & A became profitable had the family started treating Jasper with respect . But they'd conveniently rewritten history to erase Anastasia's contributions entirely . ( 9 ) ( 0 ) 16:49