Big Aunty Opens Up

The Moretti mansion loomed before them, cold and unwelcoming.

Cassandra stepped through the front doors, Dante's hand warm in hers. They were here for resources—weapons, allies, a base of operations for the final confrontation with Marcus Kane. The safe house was no longer secure. They needed somewhere with more protection.

But the moment they crossed the threshold, a familiar voice sliced through the air.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to come home."

Big Aunty stood at the top of the staircase, her arms crossed, her smile sharp as a blade. She was dressed in a silk robe, her hair perfectly coiffed, her eyes cold and calculating.

Cassandra's stomach tightened. She'd hoped never to see this woman again.

"Aunt," Dante said flatly. "I thought I told you to leave."

"I came back." Big Aunty descended the stairs, her heels clicking against the marble. "This is my home. My family. You can't just banish me."

"I can. And I did."

---

Big Aunty's smile faltered. Then it returned, sharper than before.

"You've been busy, haven't you? Playing house with your little gold-digger." Her eyes flicked to Cassandra. "I heard about the engagement. How... quaint."

Cassandra didn't flinch. "I'm not here for you. I'm here to protect the people I love."

"Love." Big Aunty laughed, a cold, brittle sound. "You don't know the meaning of the word. You're a nobody. A flower shop girl with a dead mother and a lying grandmother. You'll never be one of us."

Cassandra's hands curled into fists. But before she could respond, Dante stepped forward.

"I warned you once," he said, his voice deadly quiet. "I won't warn you again."

---

Big Aunty turned to face him, her smile faltering. "Dante, be reasonable—"

"No." His voice was ice. "You've been poisoning this family for years. You've been feeding information to Marcus Kane. You've been working against us from the start."

Big Aunty's face went pale. "That's a lie."

"Is it?" Dante reached into his jacket and pulled out a folder. He opened it, spreading documents across the entryway table. "We found the records. The payments. The phone calls. You've been betraying us all along."

Big Aunty stared at the papers. Her hands trembled.

"You were the one who told Marcus about the necklace," Dante continued. "You were the one who told him about Cassandra. You were the one who set up the ambush at the flower shop."

"I didn't—"

"You did." Dante's voice was cold. "And now you're going to pay for it."

---

Big Aunty broke down.

She sank onto the bottom step, her body shaking with sobs. The mask of cruelty fell away, revealing something broken and desperate underneath.

"I didn't have a choice," she sobbed. "He approached me years ago. He threatened to kill me. He said he would destroy everything I loved if I didn't help him."

"You always have a choice." Dante's voice didn't waver. "And you chose to betray your family."

"I was scared."

"So was Grace Hayes. And she died for it." Dante stepped closer, his eyes blazing. "You're not scared. You're a coward. And I'm done protecting you."

---

Dante gave her one hour to pack her things and leave.

"You're no longer welcome in this mansion," he said. "You're no longer welcome in this family."

Big Aunty looked at him, her eyes red and swollen. "Where will I go?"

"I don't care."

She left, her heels clicking against the marble for the last time. The door slammed shut behind her.

---

Cassandra watched her go, her heart heavy.

She didn't feel victorious. She didn't feel relieved. She just felt tired. Tired of the betrayals. Tired of the secrets. Tired of the constant fighting.

Dante pulled her into his arms. She leaned into him, her face buried in his chest.

"It's over," he said quietly. "She can't hurt us anymore."

"I know." Cassandra's voice was muffled. "But it doesn't feel like winning."

"It's not about winning. It's about protecting the people we love."

She looked up at him. "We still have to protect Samantha."

"I know." His jaw tightened. "And we will. Tomorrow, we end this. Once and for all."

---

That night, Cassandra received a text from Marcus Kane.

One day left. I hope you're ready.