Eighty Seven

The night breeze brushed against Cassandra’s face, gently teasing her hair as she sat on the balcony, gazing at the dark sky illuminated only by the moonlight. Her mind spun endlessly, her chest tightening with every thought. After everything—the abduction, the blood on his shirt, the threats drawing closer—she could no longer hide the truth. She had to say it. Heavy footsteps echoed from inside the room, and Cassandra turned just as Antonio entered, closing the door behind him with a quiet finality. He wore a black shirt, the top buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of his firm chest. His sharp eyes locked onto hers instantly, as if he already knew that something was about to change tonight.

Cassandra stood, swallowing hard, gathering the courage that felt like it was slipping through her fingers. There was only one way forward—facing him head-on.

"I'm not just an ordinary woman you married..." Her voice wavered slightly, but she forced herself to continue. "I'm a cop, Antonio."

Silence. The night wind between them felt sharper, colder. Cassandra held her breath, bracing for his reaction, expecting anger… perhaps even a threat.

But what happened was the exact opposite.

Antonio didn’t flinch. He didn’t look surprised—let alone furious. Instead, he simply studied her with that same piercing gaze, his lips curling slightly as though calculating his next move. And then, with absolute calm, he said, "I know."

Cassandra’s breath hitched. She remained frozen in place, her heart pounding wildly as his words hung in the air—cold, calculated, unwavering.

"You… knew?" she repeated, barely believing it herself.

A slow, knowing smirk tugged at Antonio’s lips as he began circling her like a predator savoring its prey. Every step was deliberate, controlled, making it even harder for Cassandra to breathe.

"You really think I’d marry a woman without digging into who she truly is?" he murmured, his deep voice vibrating through the space between them. "You might have fooled many, Cass. You could pretend to be the perfect wife, create the illusion that you belong in my world. But me? I was never that easy to deceive."

Cassandra clenched her fists at her sides, struggling to suppress the shiver that ran through her body under his intense scrutiny. She searched his gaze, hoping to find a lie hidden within the depths of those dark eyes. But all she found was an unshakable certainty.

He had known all along.

"When did you figure it out?" she whispered, her voice barely carrying through the thick tension between them.

Antonio slipped his hands into his pockets, his posture relaxed—yet his presence remained utterly lethal. "Since the moment we met," he said without hesitation. "Your movements were too controlled. The way you looked at me, the way you chose your words… everything was too precise. Like pieces of a puzzle carefully placed into a perfect picture."

Cassandra shook her head, disbelief curling in her chest. "Then why did you let it continue? Why didn’t you stop me from the beginning?"

His gaze darkened. His smirk didn’t fade, but his expression grew more serious, more dangerous. "Because I wanted to see how far you’d go in this little game of yours." He stepped closer, erasing the space between them in an instant. "And look at you now, Cassandra… you’ve come too far to turn back."

Her throat went dry. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t step away. Antonio stood so close that his body heat wrapped around her, seeping into her skin like an intoxicating fire.

"You’re playing with fire, sweetheart," he whispered, his fingers tracing the delicate line of her jaw, leaving a trail of burning anticipation in their wake. "And now, you’re in too deep."

Cassandra shut her eyes for a brief moment, trying to steady her erratic breathing. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to fight. But a part of her knew—everything he was saying was the truth. She had stepped too deep into his world.

And when she opened her eyes again, his gaze had shifted—deeper, unreadable, filled with something she couldn’t quite name.

"You have a choice, Cass," he murmured, his voice low, razor-sharp. "Stay, and accept that I’m not a man you can bring down. Or try to fight me… and see just how far I’ll let you go."

Cassandra knew this wasn’t an empty threat. This man would never let her go. In the suffocating silence, Antonio studied her for a long moment before a slow smirk tugged at his lips.

"So," he murmured, his fingers now tracing lazily down her arm, like a man claiming what was his. "What are you going to do now, my wife?"

Cassandra had no answer. Because for the first time, she realized—she was no longer a player in this game. She was the piece that had been under Antonio's control from the very beginning.

She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to summon her courage. After everything Antonio had said—after everything she had learned tonight—there was only one decision she could make.

"I want to end this, Antonio," she said, her voice trembling slightly, but firm. "I want out of this marriage."

The words echoed between them like a thunderclap in the middle of the night.

For a moment, Antonio simply stared at her. Then, a low, dark chuckle escaped his lips.

"Out?" he repeated, his voice laced with mockery.

Cassandra bit her lip, trying to stand her ground beneath his gaze—the kind of gaze that stripped her bare, exposing everything she wanted to hide.

"Yes. This has gone too far. I can't—"

"Too late."

The words left his lips coldly, his eyes burning with something unreadable. He took a step forward, forcing Cassandra back until her spine pressed against the bedroom wall.

"You think I'll let that happen?" he whispered, one hand rising to rest against the wall beside her face.

trapping her in a space so small, so suffocating, she could barely breathe. Cassandra swallowed hard, staring up at him.

"I can't keep living this lie, Antonio. I—I want my old life back." Antonio shook his head, his gaze sharp, almost amused.

"Your old life?" he scoffed.

"Do you still think you can go back? That after everything, I'll just let you walk away?" She wanted to argue, wanted to tell him he had no right to keep her here. But before she could speak, Antonio’s hand wrapped around her wrist—firm, unyielding, his skin burning against hers.

"No one takes what belongs to me, Cass," he said, his voice low, possessive.

"And you… you are mine." Cassandra’s heart pounded so violently it hurt.

Antonio pulled her closer, the distance between them vanishing in an instant.

She could feel his warmth, the scent of his cologne mixed with the faint trace of tobacco lingering on his skin.

"I will never let you go," he continued, his tone softer now—but somehow, that made it even more dangerous.

Her body weakened, not just from fear—but from something else.

Something in the way he claimed her, the way he said those words, made her lose control of herself. "I'm not yours," she whispered, trying to pull away.

Antonio lowered his head slightly, his breath warm against her cheek. "Oh?" His voice was deep, teasing. "Then why are you still here? Why haven’t you run?"

Cassandra bit her lip, searching for the strength to push him away. But Antonio knew.

He knew how fragile the walls she had built truly were. His eyes locked onto hers, and before she could find an answer, he pulled her even closer.

"There’s no way out, sweetheart," Antonio murmured, his lips so close she could feel their heat. "You are a part of me now. And I will make sure you stay… with me." His gaze burned into hers, stripping away every doubt, every lie she tried to convince herself of.

His breath was heavy, warm, sending shivers down her spine as her face flushed from the heat radiating between them.

"You want to leave?" His voice was low, deep, almost a growl. His fingers trailed along her waist, holding her in place.

"After all this? After stepping too deep into my world?" Cassandra swallowed hard, her heartbeat so loud she was sure he could hear it.

"I can't… I can't keep doing this, Antonio," she whispered, her voice shaking—but her eyes told a different story, one she couldn't hide.

Antonio smirked, his lips curving in both amusement and dominance.

"You can lie to everyone else, Cass… but not to me. I see it in your eyes." His thumb brushed over her lower lip, pressing slightly, as if daring her.

"You want me." Cassandra wanted to deny it.

She wanted to say it wasn’t true. But when Antonio leaned in, his lips hovering just millimeters from hers, her body betrayed her.

"I have to go…" she whispered, but even she wasn’t convinced by her own words.

"Go?" Antonio chuckled, his voice thick with desire.

"Not before I make you admit the truth." And in the next instant, he pinned her against the wall, his hand cupping her jaw as his lips crashed onto hers in a searing, possessive kiss.

It wasn’t just a kiss.

It was a claim. A demand. A declaration that Cassandra belonged to him, and only him.

His lips tore down every last defense she had built, leaving her with no choice but to surrender to the intensity of his touch. A soft moan escaped her as Antonio bit her lower lip before soothing it with a slow, teasing lick. Her hands clenched his shirt, gripping the fabric tightly as if it were the only thing keeping her standing.

Antonio pulled her closer, his hands sliding down to the back of her thighs, lifting her effortlessly. Instinctively, her legs wrapped around his waist, her body molding against his as if she had always belonged there.

His lips left hers, traveling down the curve of her neck, leaving burning kisses along her skin. Cassandra tilted her head, giving him more access, gasping as his mouth trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses along her throat, marking her with every touch.

"Antonio…" she breathed, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

Antonio smirked against her skin, relishing the way she melted so easily for him.

"Say it, Cass," he whispered, his voice a low, seductive command.

"Say you want me." Cassandra bit her lip, fighting the words.

But her body had already betrayed her. The rapid rise and fall of her chest, the way her skin flushed under his touch—it all spoke louder than her words ever could.

"I hate you…" she whispered weakly. Antonio let out a low chuckle, the sound rich, deep, and dripping with victory.

"Then why haven’t you pushed me away?" Cassandra knew the answer.

Because she couldn’t. Because she wanted this—wanted him—more than anything else. Antonio kissed her again, this time deeper, more demanding.

His lips moved perfectly over hers, stealing away every last bit of her sanity. His hands gripped her hips tightly, pressing her against him until she could feel every inch of his body, the heat between them searing her skin.

She couldn’t take it anymore. Her entire body trembled with overwhelming desire, a fire burning so fiercely inside her that it consumed every rational thought. She needed more. She needed all of him.

"I’m never letting you go," Antonio whispered against her skin, his lips trailing down her neck, leaving marks that made her breath hitch.

"You are mine, Cassandra." Cassandra closed her eyes, surrendering to the feelings she could no longer control.

"Wait..." she gasped, drawing in a shaky breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her hands moved to the back of Antonio’s neck, pulling him closer. Her lips parted slightly, whispering something that made his eyes narrow.

"What?" Antonio’s voice was still rough with unchecked desire.

"I want you... now." The words left her lips like an open confession, her gaze burning with the same fire he had shown her all night.

Antonio’s eyes darkened, as if her words had just unleashed a force he had been holding back for too long. A slow, satisfied smirk crossed his lips before, without warning, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her toward the bed with unwavering certainty.

"You finally admit it," he murmured, his voice thick with triumph.

Cassandra felt her body sink into the plush mattress, and Antonio followed instantly, his warmth enveloping her, his presence dominating every inch of space between them. His intense gaze locked onto hers, dark and brimming with uncontrollable hunger.

"This is what you want, Cass?" His voice was low, teasing, his fingers trailing along her collarbone before slipping down the curve of her waist.

"Or are you still going to pretend?" She couldn’t pretend anymore.

Her body trembled—not with fear, but with heat, with the undeniable craving that had taken hold of her. Without thinking, she reached for Antonio’s face, pulling him into another kiss, this one deeper, hotter, consuming them both in an uncontrollable blaze. The kiss was desperate, filled with an unspoken plea, a surrender neither of them could deny any longer. Antonio groaned low in his throat as she tangled her fingers in his hair, demanding more from him. He smiled against her lips, savoring how the woman who had once tried to fight him was now giving in completely.

"Alright, sweetheart," he murmured against her mouth, his voice like a dangerous promise.

"I’ll give you what you want." In a swift movement, Antonio flipped their positions, pulling Cassandra on top of him.

His hands roamed down her spine, sending shivers through her as she bit her lip, trying to steady herself.

"Don’t hold back," Antonio’s voice was deep and commanding, his hands gripping her hips, pulling her closer until she gasped at the overwhelming heat between them.

Cassandra surrendered entirely, her body yielding to the man beneath her. Every touch, every movement, every brush of his lips against her skin sent her spiraling deeper into the abyss. She no longer cared about what she should be doing, about the lies she had told herself, about the mission that once defined her. There was only this. Only them. Only the feverish heat that wrapped around them, the whispered names, the breathless moans, the way their bodies moved as if nothing else in the world existed.

Antonio took his time savoring her, his lips tracing over her skin, igniting new flames with every kiss. His fingers tightened around her waist, guiding her into a rhythm that made her gasp, her body arching instinctively toward him.

"You’re mine, Cass," Antonio growled against her neck, sinking his teeth lightly into her skin, leaving his mark behind.

"And I won’t let anyone take you from me." Cassandra’s eyes fluttered shut, her body shuddering under the intensity of his touch.

She had given herself to him completely tonight, trapped in a web of desire she could never escape. That night, nothing else mattered. There were no lies, no resistance—only them, bound together in an unbreakable passion.

On the other side of the city…

A figure sat in a sleek black car parked at the edge of a deserted street. The faint glow of a cigarette tip flickered in the darkness, revealing a face carved with quiet amusement.

Viktor Reznov watched his phone screen, a small smirk curving his lips. He had just sent a message—one that would shatter the fragile peace Antonio had just begun to enjoy.

"Enjoy your time with your wife, Antonio. But remember, everything can change in an instant.

" He pressed send, exhaling a slow stream of smoke into the cold night air, his gaze fixed on the empty road ahead.

Antonio Franches had played this game for too long. It was time for Viktor to make his next move.

Back in the bedroom…

Antonio pulled Cassandra into his arms, holding her close, their bodies tangled in the warmth of the aftermath.

She had drifted into a peaceful sleep, her breath steady against his chest, her fingers still clutching his arm as if afraid to let go.

The soft buzz of his phone disrupted the quiet. His expression turned cold as he reached for it, eyes narrowing the moment he read the message. His jaw tensed. A slow exhale left his lips before he set the phone back down, silently contemplating his next move. His gaze flickered to Cassandra, still fast asleep beside him. Gently, he reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, his touch lingering. And then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he made a promise.

"No one will touch you, Cass."

"I’ll kill anyone who tries." His eyes darkened with dangerous intent.

Viktor had made a mistake by disturbing what Antonio had claimed as his. And Antonio would make sure he regretted