A mission

“Father!” Cassandra called out as he left his office. He shot her a stern look, making her nervous. “I wanted to talk to you.” She spoke softly, and he gave a slight nod.

She followed him, keeping a few steps behind. “I’ve been researching the Russian Mafia lord, Father!” She clutched her dress nervously.

“You should get married!” Don Frederico said abruptly. Cassandra was stunned.

“What? Father, why?” She looked at him in disbelief.

“Why? Haven’t you been with my brother, Andrew?” His voice was harsh as he saw her confusion.

“Oh my God, no! I have no feelings for him. I only see him as my... uncle,” she stammered. Don Frederico laughed.

“Uncle? Is that so?” He approached her, looking her over. “I didn’t know you’d become a woman under my roof without me knowing.”

“Father, I want to be involved in the family business. This is where my loyalty lies... please,” Cassandra begged.

“Let her continue with the Russian Mafia research,” Matthew, who had been behind them, said. Everyone turned to him. “If you don’t succeed in finding out about him, you’ll be erased from this family. Got it?”

“What? Why? Am I such a threat?” Cassandra stuttered, confused by her brothers' eagerness to eliminate her.

She didn’t care much about the business; she was doing this to win her father’s approval and trust again.

It all began one evening after her father returned from a five-day trip to Dubai. He looked at her with pure hatred, as if she was something disgusting.

“Cassandra!” Matthew’s voice jolted her back to the present.

“Huh?” She looked at him and her father, frowning. “Oh, my phone is ringing.” She nervously ended the call.

“You have five days to find the Russian Mafia lord,” Matthew said, lighting a cigarette before walking away.

Cassandra faced her father with a forced smile, struggling to hold back tears. She exhaled and blinked rapidly.

“You know, it makes sense that you don’t look like Marissa!” he said, rolling his eyes as he walked away.

Cassandra clutched her chest, trying to keep her tears in check. “Oh... it hurts so much,” she whispered, her voice full of pain.

In her room, she looked around and felt a deep ache. She picked up a penknife and began to cut herself, her face wet with tears and anger.

She screamed, her voice cracking from the intensity. She fell to her knees, blood dripping from her hands. “I hate you so much, Mom! You ruined everything!” she shouted, her breathing heavy.

Cassandra collapsed on the floor, sobbing until she fell into a troubled sleep. Her face was streaked with tears and sweat, and she sighed heavily even in her sleep. Her breathing was shallow and uneven, reflecting her inner turmoil.

Her life felt tragic. Each day was a battle, and each night only brought a brief escape from her troubles. She wondered if she would ever find peace or if her life was destined to be an endless struggle.

Outside, the world moved on, indifferent to her suffering. Inside her own mind, her grief felt overwhelming.

Memories of happier times haunted her dreams, a stark contrast to her current reality. The joy and hope seemed distant now. Still, a small part of her clung to the hope that things might change, that there might be a glimmer of light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Hours later…

In the evening, Cassandra was shopping at a mall when someone bumped into her, causing her bag to fall.

“Oh my….”

“Let me help you, angel,” a husky voice said, making her pause. It sounded familiar.

“I'm sorry... do I know you?” She looked up at a tall man in stylish sweatpants and a polo shirt with mesmerizing hazel eyes.

“I don’t know... do you know me?” he asked, stepping closer and handing her the bags.

“I... I don’t think so... never mind,” she stuttered.

She didn’t want to engage with this stranger, even though he sounded like Nikolai, the man she barely knew but had a masked encounter with in the woods.

“Do I remind you of someone?” Nikolai asked, aware of her thoughts.

“Let me help you with this,” he said, picking up her bag and heading to the cashier. Cassandra followed, confused.

“Why does he sound like that jerk!” she muttered, smiling and biting her lip.

She followed him to the cashier. “I can pay for myself.”

“I never thought otherwise. Consider this a reward for your beauty,” Nikolai said, noticing a bandage on her arm. His smile faded. “What happened to you?”

“My arm? It’s nothing... just...” She cleared her throat and took the shopping bag. “Such things shouldn’t be shared with a stranger. Thank you for paying.”

Nikolai watched as Cassandra drove away. He sighed and checked his phone. A message made him frown deeply, clenching his fists in anger.

*

“Is this for me?” Cassandra asked, smiling as she unboxed a stunning diamond halo necklace.

“It’s beautiful... Andrew...” she murmured, struggling with the clasp.

Andrew fastened the necklace around her neck. “It looks charming on you.”

“It would look good on anyone,” Cassandra said, adjusting the necklace while Andrew’s hand brushed her stomach.

“I have something to say, Cassy,” Andrew said, sitting down across from her. Cassandra smiled expectantly.

“I... uh...” he began, but Cassandra suddenly remembered something.

“Oh my goodness, I have to go. Uncle, can we talk later?” she asked. Andrew was surprised by her use of “Uncle.”

“Uncle? Cassy, you know I love you, right?”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“Uncle again!?”

“What? You’re my uncle... it’s just awkward since you’re my father’s brother but not like him,” she said, grabbing her bag and leaving.

After she left, Andrew rubbed his forehead and pulled out his phone. “I memorized all those words, and she left before I could say them,” he sighed.

Cassandra drove quickly to Loan City company, parked, and put on a face mask.

“Hello, how can we help you?” asked a slim woman with a Latina accent.

“I want to see your manager,” Cassandra replied.

“Do you have an appointment or an invitation?” the woman asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I…”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you can’t see him without an appointment or invitation,” the woman said, growing impatient.

Cassandra took a deep breath. “Please, it’s urgent. I promise it won’t take long.”

The woman hesitated but eventually said, “Wait here,” and went to the manager’s office.

A few minutes later, she returned. “Mr. Gomez will see you now, but you only have five minutes.”

Cassandra followed her to a sleek office where Mr. Gomez, a tall man with sharp features, awaited.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Gomez,” Cassandra said, trying to stay calm.

He gestured for her to sit. “Why the rush? Why not schedule an appointment?”

“I’m sorry for the sudden visit,” Cassandra said. “I have a proposal that could interest your company. It’s a new financial product that could change your loan services.”

Mr. Gomez leaned back, watching her closely. “I’m listening. Go ahead.”

Cassandra handed him a folder. “This has the details. It offers better and faster loans.” She noticed his growing fear as he looked at the folder, dropping it and looking away nervously.

“Who are you?!” he shouted, panicked. Cassandra leaned in, her eyes gleaming.

“The real question is, what do you want?” She traced her nails down his cheek, grinning. “If you give me information about your boss, maybe I’ll reconsider.” She chuckled.

“You think you can break me?” He shoved his desk and stood defiantly.

Cassandra stood up, her face stern. “Don’t make a choice you’ll regret, Mr. Gomez. It’s better to cooperate. I’m not known for being patient.”

Mr. Gomez looked around, searching for a way out, but there was none. The tension grew thick with unspoken threats.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” he said, his confidence wavering.

“Oh, I do,” Cassandra said softly. “I know exactly who you are and how to make you talk.” She moved closer, her presence overwhelming, grinning as she saw the fear in his eyes.

“Your move, Mr. Gomez,” she whispered. “Choose wisely.”

Gunshots rang out, followed by people screaming and running. Mr. Gomez tried to escape, but Cassandra grabbed him by the collar and punched him hard.

“Get off me!” he shouted, pulling out a penknife. He lunged at Cassandra, but she dodged and kicked the knife away. It fell to the floor as Cassandra struck his face repeatedly, leaving him dazed and bleeding.

The door burst open, slamming against the wall. A girl in gothic clothes with a nose piercing walked in confidently. She dropped two severed heads on the floor, their blank eyes staring up.

“Hand him over,” she demanded coldly. “He’s mine.”

Cassandra looked at the newcomer with surprise, then smirked. "And who are you?" she asked, still holding Mr. Gomez tightly.

The girl, Fiona, smiled darkly. "Name’s Fiona. I’ve been hunting this guy for months. He owes me a lot."

Mr. Gomez looked terrified, shifting between the two women. "Please, no! I can pay you both! Just let me go!"

Cassandra considered Fiona. "I like your style, Fiona. But Gomez has something I need. Once I get it, you can have him."

Fiona shook her head and readied her ax. "Not going to work for me."

Cassandra prepared herself. As Fiona approached, Cassandra tried a jump kick, but Fiona just smirked.

“Too weak and fast,” Fiona said, swinging her ax.

Cassandra did a split to dodge the blade and grabbed Fiona’s hair, pulling hard. Mr. Gomez saw his chance and tried to escape. Despite her fight with Fiona, Cassandra threw the ax with precision, hitting Mr. Gomez’s arm. He fell, screaming as blood poured out.

Fiona’s grin widened. “Impressive, but you’re still going to die.”

“Not today,” Cassandra said, tightening her grip on Fiona’s hair and using her legs to pin her down.

As Fiona struggled, she remembered a vial of powder. She threw it into Cassandra’s eyes. Cassandra staggered back and fell, her vision blurring.

As Cassandra tried to recover, her sight faded, and she saw Fiona’s middle finger.

“Fuck you!” Cassandra spat before passing out. Fiona laughed and moved to Mr. Gomez.

“Want me to drag you or—”

“My arm!!” Mr. Gomez screamed, holding his severed limb. Fiona swung her ax again, cutting off his other arm. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Fiona grinned maniacally, licking the blood from her ax. “So sweet. I wonder what you taste like!” she taunted.

Ignoring his cries, Fiona dragged Mr. Gomez out of the building. Outside, chaos reigned as people fled and gunshots rang out. Fiona shoved Mr. Gomez into the trunk, slammed it shut, and got into the driver’s seat, starting the car.

As she drove away, she turned on the radio, hummed along, and lit a cigarette. “That feels good,” she said, taking a deep drag.

Hours later, Cassandra lay on the ground, struggling to breathe.

“Can you hear me? Ma’am!” Voices reached her, but she couldn’t open her eyes.

“I think she’s unconscious... call an ambulance.”

“No! No!!!” Cassandra shouted, waking up. She looked around, realizing what happened. “Fuck, that bitch!”

“Ma’am, hands up and slowly get down!” a policeman ordered.

Cassandra glared at him. “You should think twice about what you’re saying!”

“Excuse me? I said hands up! Now!”

Another officer stepped forward and whispered to the young officer, “She’s a member of the D’Angelos family. Let her through.”

The young officer hesitated, then let Cassandra pass. She shot him a look and walked away, her mind racing.

She needed to find Fiona and Mr. Gomez.