Chapter 4

The afternoon sun hung low over the garden, casting a warm golden glow across the neatly trimmed hedges and flower beds.

Arthur King sat beneath the shade of a large tree, a cup of untouched coffee resting on the small table beside him.

He wasn't paying much attention to it. Madvick, his right hand, stood a few feet away, his expression serious as he went through the information he had gathered.

"There has been some suspicious movement from Russo," he said.

Arthur's eyes narrowed.

"Russo?"

Madvick nodded.

"He's been seen getting involved with your business partners. Nothing obvious yet, but we've noticed a pattern."

Arthur's expression hardened.

That was enough to concern him.

Russo was not a man who made careless moves. He was patient, calculating, and extremely dangerous. If he wanted something, he rarely went after it directly.

He preferred to weaken his enemies first.

He would find their connections, their weaknesses, their allies, and slowly tear everything apart until there was nothing left to protect.

"Has he approached any of them directly?"

"Not that we know of. He's been using other people."

Arthur rubbed his jaw.

That sounded exactly like Russo.

"He knows better than to come after me openly."

Madvick gave a humorless smile.

"Russo isn't stupid, he'd rather hide until your guard is lowered."

Arthur's gaze drifted toward the gardens.

"He's dangerous, I can't let him get too close."

Russo built a reputation that even men in Arthur's world respected. He didn't care who stood in his way and lately, Arthur's business seemed to be getting in that way.

That wasn't entirely surprising.

Arthur knew his empire wasn't built on clean hands alone. The shipping business was legitimate.

Most of it, anyway.

But there were deals that could never appear on a balance sheet. Agreements made behind closed doors. People he worked with because they were useful, even when he knew exactly what kind of men they were.

Unfortunately, those deals had a way of coming back. Arthur spent years keeping the darker parts of his business away from Cassandra.

She didn't need to know everything.

She knew her father was powerful, and she knew there were people who disliked him.

But she didn't know how many of those people would gladly use her to hurt him. That was why he was always so protective of her.

Cassandra was the one thing in his life he couldn't lose. He could risk businesses or money but never his daughter.

"Do you think Russo knows about Cassandra?" Arthur asked.

Madvick was quiet for a moment.

"We don't have any proof yet......" Arthur cut him off

"That wasn't my question."

Madvick sighed.

"It's possible. We do not know how much information her has gotten his hands on"

Arthur's jaw tightened.

Before either man could say anything else, the sound of footsteps approaching made them turn.

Cassandra walked through the garden, her expression bright as she approached them.

"Hi, Dad. Hi, Madvick."

Madvick's serious expression immediately softened.

"Hello, Miss Cassandra."

Arthur smiled

"Come here, my darling"

Cassandra walked over and stopped beside him.

She glanced between the two men.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Arthur said.

Madvick gave him a look that said otherwise and Arthur ignored it.

Cassandra smiled before turning her attention back to her father.

"Dad, I just wanted to tell you something."

Arthur immediately became suspicious.

"What?"

She smiled innocently.

"I'll be going to a party with Stacy, so I'll be back a bit late."

Arthur's expression changed.

"No."

Cassandra blinked.

"It's just a party."

"I said no."

She sighed.

"Dad, I'm going with Stacy."

"That doesn't change anything."

Arthur had heard enough about parties to know they were rarely as harmless as young people believed.

Especially when Cassandra was involved.

He didn't like the idea of her being somewhere crowded without proper protection.

"I'll be safe," she insisted.

Arthur stared at her.

She gave him the look he knew too well.

The one that made it difficult to remain angry with her.

"I'll take a few guards with me," she added quickly.

Arthur paused, that helped a little

She rolled her eyes.

"Three."

Arthur considered it.

"And Stacy stays with you."

"Of course."

"You're not going anywhere alone."

"I know."

"And if anything happens—"

"Dad."

She smiled.

"I'll be careful."

Arthur sighed.

He didn't like it.

Not with everything happening around his business, but keeping her locked inside the house forever wasn't going to protect her from everything either.

"Fine."

Her face immediately brightened.

"Thank you!"

Arthur shook his head.

"Don't make me regret it."

"I won't, trust me"

She leaned down and kissed his cheek.

"I'll see you later."

Then she turned and walked away.

Arthur watched her disappear into the house, his smile slowly faded from his face.

Madvick was looking at him.

"You worry too much."

Arthur scoffed.

"She is my only child"

"I know."

"And Russo is making moves, she is not too safe."

"I know that too."

Arthur stood.

" Tighten the security."

Madvick nodded.

Arthur looked toward the entrance where Cassandra had disappeared.

"And keep watching Russo."

"I will do that."

"I don't want assumptions, Madvick. I want facts."

Madvick nodded.

"We'll find out exactly what he's planning."

Arthur looked back toward the garden.

Something about the situation bothered him and he wasn't going to take chances.

Not where Cassandra was concerned.

Neither man noticed the dark vehicle parked a short distance away from the property.

The tinted windows concealed the person sitting inside.

The car had been there long enough to watch.

A camera was raised.

The lens focused on Cassandra as she entered the house.

Click.

Another photograph.

The person zoomed in.

The camera was carefully adjusted toward one particular window.

Cassandra's bedroom.

Click.

The photograph was captured.

Within seconds, the images were transferred.

One after another, they appeared on an unknown person's phone.

Cassandra entering the house.

Cassandra's bedroom.

The location.

Everything they needed.

A message appeared beneath the photographs.

She's here.

The response came almost immediately.

'Good. Keep watching her.'

The car remained still for another moment.

Then the engine started a d it pulled away quietly, disappearing down the road as though it had never been there at all.