When the Roses Burned Away

Seven years ago, Cassandra Rossano, sole heir to her family, defied her father and gave up her life as an heiress for Gavin after his family went bankrupt. She stood by him as he rebuilt his career, investing her personal assets and quietly using her family's old connections to open doors for him. Years later, Gavin became one of New York's new business elites — but flower shop owner Maeve soon entered his life. He betrayed their marriage and dismissed Cassandra's sacrifices as her merely "throwing herself at him." After overhearing these words, Cassandra decided to divorce him, and while Gavin rushed to attend the opening of Maeve's flower shop, she got him to sign the divorce papers without reading them. Reconciling with her father, Cassandra then discovered Gavin had secretly used the private funds her grandfather left her to support Maeve. Through Maeve's schemes, Cassandra was forced to kneel in public and confined against her will at Rose Estate, where Maeve bribed security to change the order from nine roses to nine hundred and ninety-nine. Cassandra remained trapped until her father arrived as agreed to take her away. She cleared out the marital home, returned to Miami, and completed the divorce through her attorney. Only after she left did Gavin realize how much of his success had been quietly supported by Cassandra — and that the flower orders, Rose Estate, and Maeve's supposed act of "saving his life" were all staged deceptions. But Cassandra did not forgive him; Maeve's lies could not excuse the times he knowingly chose to hurt her.