Chapter 3
The tension on the pool terrace grew so thick it threatened to shatter the bright, vivid afternoon. The surrounding Mafia capos and bodyguards, standing a few yards away, subtly shifted their stances, their hands drifting toward their concealed weapons. They were loyal to Cassandro, and they could sense the catastrophic shift in their boss’s demeanor.
Damian Hale saw the lethal realization dawning in Cassandro’s eyes. Knowing that his sister was cornered, Damian’s arrogance overrode his common sense. He suddenly charged forward, his expensive loafers slapping against the wet stone.
"Damian, wait!" Vivienne shrieked.
Damian ignored her. He lunged at Cassandro, his hands shooting out to grab the lapels of Cassandro’s tailored suit jacket. With a violent, aggressive surge of strength, Damian violently shoved the Mafia Boss away from Audrey, trying to break the protective hold Cassandro had on the child.
"She’s confused!" Damian roared, his face flushed red with furious panic. "She doesn't know what she's talking about! Give Vivienne the bracelet right now!"
Damian didn't wait for compliance. He pulled his right arm back and drove a heavy, desperate punch directly into Cassandro’s shoulder, attempting to knock him off balance.
Cassandro absorbed the blow without flinching. His feet remained perfectly planted on the wet terrace. He gently set Audrey down on the dry stone behind him, ensuring she was safely out of reach of Damian’s flailing arms.
"Stay behind me, Audrey," Cassandro instructed quietly.
Cassandro took one controlled, precise step backward, smoothing out the fabric of his jacket where Damian had grabbed him. The loose strands of wavy hair falling over his forehead gave him an almost deceptively calm appearance, but the absolute, freezing darkness in his eyes told a different story. He slowly looked at Damian.
"You put your hands on my coat," Cassandro said. He spoke slowly, with those terrifying, controlled pauses between words. Every sentence was measured, cold, and dangerous.
"I'll put my hands around your throat if you don't hand over that bracelet!" Damian yelled, stepping forward again, completely blinded by his own hubris. "You think you're untouchable because you sit at the head of the table? We are family now, Cassandro! My sister is your wife!"
"Your sister is a parasite," Cassandro murmured softly, keeping his volume unnervingly low. "And you are a dead man walking."
"You want to bet your life on a three-year-old's ghost story?" Damian spat, raising his fists in a crude boxing stance. "Give me the kid's wrist. I'll take the damn thing off myself."
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"Take one more step toward my daughter," Cassandro whispered, his artistic tattoos flexing as he subtly shifted his weight onto his back foot. "I dare you."
"With pleasure," Damian snarled, lunging forward for a second strike.
