Chapter 7: Interrupted.

The conference room fell silent as Cassian stepped in. Eight men rose from their seats immediately.

No one spoke until he sat at the head of the table.

A large map of the city glowed on the screen behind him, several districts marked and connected in red dots.

His dark eyes swept over the room. "Report."

A broad-shouldered man cleared his throat. He was one of the board members of the organisation.

"The shipment from the eastern docks arrived safely." He stated.

Cassian gave a small nod. "The warehouse in Sector Nine?"

"In full operation." The man answered.

"The casinos?"

"Profits are up twelve percent."

Cassian listened without interruption, occasionally tapping a finger against the polished wooden table. His eyes looked up from the report tablet in his hand.

Then another man shifted uneasily in his chair.

"There was... one complication." He said.

Cassian glanced at him. The man swallowed a bile.

"The Moretti family intercepted one of our convoys."

The room grew tense. The other men shifted in their uneasily in their chairs. Cassian had no reaction at all and that was scarier than ever.

"They -they knew the exact route." The man stammered trying to explain the situation.

No one moved everyone held their breaths waiting for what their leader would say.

Cassian leaned back, his hand rubbed his chin slowly then it dropped back lazily "Interesting." He said calm. His calm voice was somehow more frightening than anger.

"The convoy route was changed thirty minutes before departure." Cassian looked at them.

The room went very quiet.

"Only one phone in this room contacted a Moretti number afterward."

Then slowly his eyes settle on the guilty man."Mr. Romano."He continued. Going straight to the point.

Pin drop silence enveloped the room once more. One of the captains gulped, the rest of them had broken out in a cold sweat.

A bead of sweat rolled down one man's temple. Cassian's eyes watched it roll down.

"Everyone else in this room knows." He said after some minutes of quiet.

"You interrupted me." His voice came out quiet.

The man immediately lowered his head.

Cassian turned toward one of the guards standing beside the door. "Bring him."

The man's face drained of colour.

"Boss... please."Two guards grabbed his arms and forced him to his feet."I've served you for nine years!" he shouted, struggling against them.

Cassian finally met his eyes.

"And today..." He paused. "...you chose someone else."

"I didn't betray you!" the man cried desperately. "I swear on my life!"

Cassian extended his hand. A guard placed a pistol in it.

He weighed it for a brief second...then calmly set it back on the table.

"You've mistaken me." He rose from his slowly. "I don't kill people because I'm angry."

He buttoned his suit jacket.

"I kill people because they're liabilities."

He walked toward the conference room doors."Take him."

The man's screams echoed through the room as the guards dragged him outside."You can't do this!" "I have children!" "Boss! Please!"

The heavy doors closed behind them.

Silence settled over the room once more.

***

Outside...

Iris stood frozen behind one of the marble pillars. She had no idea where she was.

She had only followed the voices. Now she wished she hadn't.

She watched as the guards forced the struggling man onto his knees in the middle of the hallway.

His face was soaked with tears.

"Boss... please..." he begged. "I was loyal to you."

Cassian stepped out of the conference room.His expression remained unreadable.He stopped a few feet away from the kneeling man.

He neither shouted nor showed any anger.

The man's voice cracked. "I have a family..."

Cassian looked at him for a long moment, then...he gave the slightest nod.

One of the guards raised his weapon.

Iris who had been keenly watching the scene before her frowned.

Her heart skipped. What a were they doing?

A loud crack shattered the silence. Her entire body jolted and her heart began to thump harder than before.

She watched in horror as the man crumpled to the floor.

Everything around her seemed to stop.

Her breathing caught in her throat.

Her stomach twisted violently she could feel vomit in her throat.

She stared at the spot where the man had fallen, unable to move blood seeping out of the gun wound on his head.

No one moved a muscles.The guards simply lowered their weapons.

Another stepped forward as if carrying out an ordinary assignment.

As though a man's life had ended... and the day simply continued.

A chill ran down Iris's spine. She felt her body suddenly become rigid and very cold.

For the first time...she truly understood who Cassian was.

Her foot moved backward instinctively.

Her heel kicked a giant porcelain vase that was beside the pillar she hid at.

The thing wobbled.

"No..."she whispered, reaching for it, but it was too late.

CRASH!

The vase exploded in bits across the marble floor.

Every guard turned instantly, weapons raised ready to fire.

Cassian slowly lifted his eyes. Their gazes locked . His dark orbs immobilizing her. Her cheeks were now flushed, her breaths coming out in pants.

For the first time since meeting him... she feared him.