Chapter 10
Cassandro traced his tattooed fingers over his wife's elegant handwriting, the words blurring slightly as a fierce, overwhelming surge of emotion washed over him. She was alive. Natalie had survived two years in the darkness, outsmarted her captors, and escaped into the labyrinth of the city’s underground. She hadn't left him for another man, and she hadn't fled the life. She was preparing for war.
He closed the leather-bound journal, holding it tightly in his large, masculine hand. He picked up the heavy iron key from the concrete floor, slipping both items into the inner pocket of his tailored suit jacket.
A slow, terrifying, and triumphant smile touched the corners of his lips. The cold, sharp intensity returned to his eyes, but it was no longer fueled by grief. It was fueled by absolute, unadulterated vengeance.
Cassandro turned around and walked back out of the hidden cell. He ascended the concrete stairs with renewed, predatory energy, his polished shoes echoing loudly against the walls. He emerged back into the bright, cinematic light of the pool terrace, stepping through the open stone wall.
The capos and bodyguards were waiting for him, tense and silent. Damian was still bleeding in the grip of the guards, while Vivienne remained huddled on the ground, weeping uncontrollably.
"Boss?" the lead capo asked hesitantly, noting the terrifyingly calm expression on Cassandro’s face. "Did you find her?"
"I found everything I needed," Cassandro said softly.
He walked slowly toward Vivienne and Damian. The siblings looked up at him, their fair, rosy skin pale with the expectation of immediate execution.
"You told me she abandoned me, Vivienne," Cassandro stated, his voice a low, lethal hum. "You watched me mourn. You sat in my house, spent my money, and raised my child, knowing my queen was locked in a cage beneath our feet."
"Cassandro, I had no choice!" Vivienne sobbed, crawling toward him. "Damian forced me into it! He wanted your territory!"
"You both made your choices," Cassandro said, turning his back on them. He looked at his loyal capos, his authority absolute and unquestioned.
"Take them away," Cassandro ordered, his voice echoing over the bright, sunlit terrace. "Lock them in the cell. Seal the steel door, and weld the deadbolts shut. They will learn exactly what it feels like to live in the dark."
"No! Please! Dom, you can't do this!" Damian screamed, thrashing violently as the capos dragged him toward the open stone wall. Vivienne shrieked hysterically, fighting against the bodyguards as they hauled her toward the descending stairwell.
May you like
Cassandro ignored their screams. He looked toward the sunroom, where he could see Audrey’s small face pressed against the glass, watching him safely from inside. He offered his daughter a gentle, reassuring smile.
The war to reclaim his wife had just begun, and the Moretti empire was about to unleash hell upon anyone who stood in their way.
