Chapter 4
The defensive lie hung in the bright, airy dining room like a guillotine waiting to drop. The soft, elegant warmth of the cinematic lighting starkly illuminated the sheer terror now gripping Estelle Quinn’s face. She looked frantically around the massive table, desperately searching for an ally. No one moved. The elite members of the Wolfe syndicate were entirely loyal to the man standing at the head of the table, and they recognized a fatal miscalculation when they heard one.
Cassian held Estelle’s frantic gaze for a long, agonizing stretch of time. The silence stretched until it felt physically painful. He let the terror fully penetrate her mind before he finally delivered the killing blow.
"Who mentioned a boy?" Cassian asked.
His voice dropped slightly, the words measured and cold as ice. The question destroyed her entire defense in a single breath. Ada had only mentioned crying; Estelle was the one who had volunteered the gender of the prisoner.
Estelle’s forced smile faded completely. Her perfectly painted lips parted, but no explanation came out. Her eyes flicked once, uncontrollably, toward the closed door of the west wing visible beyond the nearby archway, before returning to him in absolute horror.
Every guest remained utterly silent, facing Cassian.
"Is this the foundation of our union, Estelle?" Cassian murmured, his deep voice a terrifying, vibrating rumble that shook the crystal glasses. "Do you believe you have the authority to lock children in my house without my knowledge?"
"Cassian, please, listen to me," Estelle choked out, her hands gripping the edge of the mahogany table, her knuckles turning bone-white around her massive engagement ring. "It’s a complicated situation! My brother... he owed money. The boy is collateral! I was just holding him until the debt was paid! I didn't want to involve you in my family's petty disputes!"
"Are my halls a holding cell for your brother's debts?" Cassian asked smoothly, tilting his head slightly.
He didn't wait for another pathetic excuse. He turned his head slightly, his perceptive eyes locking onto the heavy oak doors at the end of the dining room.
"Marcus?" Cassian called out softly.
The massive, suited head of security stepped forward instantly from the shadows of the hallway. "Yes, Boss."
"Is Ms. Quinn’s vehicle ready?" Cassian inquired, his tone chillingly calm.
"It can be at the front doors in sixty seconds, Boss," Marcus confirmed grimly.
"Will you ensure she is placed inside it immediately?" Cassian asked, looking back at Estelle. "Will you ensure she leaves this estate with absolutely nothing but the clothes on her back?"
"Cassian, no! Please!" Estelle screamed, her facade completely shattering. She lunged forward, trying to grab his arm. "I love you! We are getting married! You can't humiliate me in front of these people!"
Cassian didn't even flinch. He simply stepped back, allowing her desperate hands to grasp empty air. Two bodyguards stationed near Marcus moved with terrifying, silent efficiency. They closed the distance in seconds, grabbing Estelle firmly by her upper arms.
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"Are we finished here?" Cassian asked the room at large, his voice echoing off the carved walnut paneling.
The guards hauled the screaming, sobbing woman backward out of the dining room, her heels dragging uselessly across the expensive carpet. The heavy doors slammed shut behind her, finalizing her exile.
