Ninety

After a night full of passion with Antonio, Cassandra woke up with her body still burning from their intimacy.

The scent of the man still clung to her skin, and the warmth she felt made it even harder for her to understand her own feelings. She was caught between desire and confusion, between a love that might be an illusion and a danger that was all too real. But that morning, their peace was shattered by shocking news.

While Antonio was still asleep, the sound of the television in the corner of the room caught Cassandra’s attention. A news anchor spoke in a serious tone:

"This morning, residents near the dock discovered a body hanging from one of the ship’s poles. What’s shocking is that the body had no fingerprints, and its eyes had been removed. The police are still investigating, but the victim’s identity remains unknown, as all forms of identification have been deliberately erased." Cassandra froze, her hands gripping the blanket tightly.

She knew who the body was. Viktor Reznov. Her stomach churned instantly. Not just because of the brutality of the incident, but because she knew exactly who was behind it. Antonio. Cassandra’s mind raced, recalling how he had so calmly ordered Viktor’s execution without the slightest hesitation. She had seen for herself how Antonio never let his enemies live. And now, the proof of his ruthlessness was hanging at the docks, reinforcing one undeniable truth—Antonio had no limits. As she struggled to process this reality, Antonio’s arm wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her back into bed.

"Why are you up so early?" His voice was husky, still laced with sleep, but she could feel his warm breath against the back of her neck.

Cassandra bit her lip, trying to suppress the tremble in her body.

"There’s news on TV," she answered softly.

Antonio turned, his eyes shifting toward the screen, which showed a blurry image of the crime scene. A small, almost imperceptible smirk formed on his lips.

"Good," he murmured.

Cassandra felt her blood run cold.

Good? Did Antonio really see this as a victory? She wanted to say something, wanted to scream at him, but the moment Antonio pulled her deeper into his embrace, all her words faded. His fingers started tracing along her skin, setting fire to every inch he touched.

Cassandra struggled to steady her breath, but Antonio’s touch was unraveling her. She could feel his hot lips trailing down her shoulder, leaving a path that sent shivers through her entire body.

"Antonio..." her voice quivered, half trying to resist, half giving in to temptation.

But Antonio just smiled a little in her ear before nibbling gently at her skin, sucking long enough for Cassandra to moan involuntarily.

"Don't think too much, baby," he whispered, his hands wrapping around Cassandra's waist and pulling her closer.

"This morning is all ours." Cassandra tried to fight the urge that made her body hot, but when Antonio's fingers began to run down her back, slipping under her nightgown, she knew she was losing.

"You can't fight me, Cass," the man's voice sounded deep and possessed. He pressed his body tighter against Cassandra's back so that she could clearly feel his fierce desire pressing between them. With one final deep thrust, they both tumbled into a paralyzing wave of ecstasy. Cassandra trembled in his arms, her body surrendering completely to him.

Antonio kissed her shoulder, his breath still heavy, but the satisfaction in his eyes was undeniable. As their breathing slowly returned to normal, Antonio gazed at Cassandra with a victorious smile.

"Now tell me," he whispered, pressing another kiss to her lips.

"Still thinking about leaving me, baby?" Cassandra could only stare at him, her eyes still clouded with the remnants of pleasure.

She couldn’t answer. Not now. Because the truth was—she wasn’t sure if she could live without this man anymore. That morning, after lingering in each other’s warmth for what felt like forever, Antonio finally rose from the bed, slipping on his pajama pants casually before pulling Cassandra up with him.

"We can’t stay locked in the room all day," he murmured lazily, his fingers tracing her collarbone, making her shiver.

"I want to show you something." Cassandra frowned, holding her breath when Antonio’s lips brushed against her neck again.

"Show me what?"

"You’ll see." A mysterious smile played on his lips before he took her hand and led her out of the bedroom, not giving her a chance to protest.

The villa was vast and grand, its classic design exuding luxury. Their footsteps echoed along the corridor lined with massive windows, revealing a breathtaking view of the shimmering ocean under the morning sun.

"This is my favorite place," Antonio said, guiding her toward a room at the end of the villa.

He easily pushed open the heavy wooden door, and what Cassandra saw inside left her stunned. The room was more than just a library. The walls were covered with maps, photographs, and various notes about people she recognized from the news—some of whom had even disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Cassandra stepped forward hesitantly, her eyes widening as she took in the faces displayed on the massive board.

"Antonio… what is this?" Antonio stood behind her, his fingers casually wrapping around her waist as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.

"This is part of my work, Cass. Those who betrayed me, those who tried to go against me." Cassandra swallowed hard, her heart racing.

"Are they all… dead?" Antonio shrugged, his fingers now sliding down to her hips, pulling her closer to him.

"Some are still breathing… for now." Cassandra’s breath hitched as Antonio kissed her shoulder, his fingers trailing down her back in a slow, torturous motion.

"Are you afraid of me?" he whispered in her ear. Cassandra closed her eyes, trying to control her fear. But when Antonio turned to face her, staring at her with those dark, obsessive eyes, she realized one thing. She wasn’t just trapped in this man’s life.

That night, after a day filled with Antonio’s touch, Cassandra sat at the edge of the bed, her body still warm from his hands. But her mind snapped back to reality when her phone vibrated on the nightstand.

Alexander. Her heart pounded as she grabbed the phone, reading the new message: Cass, I need to see you. There’s something important I have to tell you. Cassandra bit her lip, a bad feeling creeping into her chest. She knew Alexander wouldn’t contact her without a reason. Especially after everything that had happened.

"Who is it?" Antonio’s deep voice suddenly cut through the silence. Cassandra gasped, quickly locking her phone screen. She turned to see Antonio, still shirtless, leaning against the doorway, his sharp eyes filled with suspicion.

"No one," she answered quickly, forcing her voice to stay steady.

Antonio stepped closer, his fingers lifting her chin, making her meet his dark, knowing gaze.

"You can never lie to me, Cass." Her heartbeat quickened. Antonio could always read her lies. But before he could demand an answer, his phone rang, making him frown.

He grabbed it from the table, glancing at the screen—Marcus. 

Without another word, he answered and walked away. Cassandra let out a shaky breath, but her chest tightened as she heard Antonio’s voice turn colder. Slowly, she got up and crept toward the bedroom door, holding her breath as she listened. 

"Find out who’s been contacting Cassandra," Antonio’s voice was low and lethal.

"If he knows too much… get rid of him."

Cassandra’s blood ran cold. She covered her mouth, stifling the sob threatening to escape.

Alexander…

Panic surged through her. If Antonio found out Alexander was trying to meet her, she knew what would happen. She had to warn him. But how?

With trembling hands, she sat back on the bed and unlocked her phone. She opened Alexander’s message and quickly typed a reply. But before she could press send, another message appeared from an unknown number.

"You won’t have time to save him."Cassandra’s heart stopped.

She stared at the screen, her eyes wide with fear.

Who is this? How do they know?

Meanwhile, elsewhere,

Alexander sat in his parked car near the meeting location they had agreed on. His hands clenched the steering wheel, his eyes filled with anticipation. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his heartbeat.

Tonight, he had made up his mind. He was going to tell Cassandra the truth about his feelings. For so long, he had held himself back, treating Cassandra as his colleague in the police force. But over time, he realized his feelings ran deeper than just friendship. He wanted Cassandra to know. He wanted to protect her more than anything. He didn’t know Cassandra was married.

He didn’t know his life was now in danger.

All he knew was that tonight, he had to tell her what was in his heart. And he didn’t know that tonight, someone might come to kill him. He had no idea that the love he was about to confess could be the very reason he would find himself trapped in unexpected danger.