Fourty Five

Chapter 45

Cassandra decided to take a more direct approach. With her suspicions about Silver Bloom Enterprises and Antonio growing stronger, she knew time was running out. However, there was one person who might hold more answers than she had previously let on: Maria Callaghan. The woman had been too composed during her first interrogation, and Cassandra felt there was something she was still hiding.

That evening, Cassandra parked her car outside Maria’s house. The night air was cold, but not enough to calm her tumultuous thoughts. She stood at the door, knocking firmly several times. There was no answer at first, making Cassandra wonder if Maria was deliberately ignoring her. But after a few minutes, the door opened.

Maria stood there, dressed in simple house clothes, her expression sharp and cold. “What now? Isn’t the investigation over?” she said mockingly.

Cassandra restrained herself from responding harshly. “I need to talk to you. It’s important,” she said, trying to sound firm yet calm.

Maria sighed, clearly displeased, but finally opened the door wider. “Come in.”

Cassandra stepped inside, surveying the living room, which looked unchanged since her last visit. However, something felt different tonight. The air seemed heavier, filled with an invisible tension. Maria gestured for Cassandra to sit on the sofa but remained standing, arms crossed over her chest.

“I’ll make some tea,” Maria said abruptly, then headed to the kitchen without waiting for a response.

Cassandra sensed something was off. The way Maria moved, the way she avoided eye contact—it all seemed too deliberate. Before Cassandra could analyze it further, Maria’s footsteps returned, but this time, they were heavier. Cassandra barely turned her head when a heavy wooden stick struck her.

A sharp pain shot through her, sending Cassandra sprawling to the floor. Her vision blurred, but she could still make out Maria standing over her, the stick in her hand, her face filled with fury.

“You just don’t know when to stop, do you?” Maria hissed, raising the stick for another blow.

Despite the pain, Cassandra managed to kick Maria’s leg hard. Maria stumbled backward, giving Cassandra enough time to get to her feet. Though her head throbbed, Cassandra wasn’t about to let the attack go unanswered.

Maria lunged again, but Cassandra grabbed her wrist, twisting the stick out of her grasp. In a swift motion, Cassandra pushed Maria against the wall, pinning her with one hand while grabbing her phone with the other.

She dialed Martinez, her voice shaky but resolute. “Martinez, I need backup. Maria just attacked me. Come to her house now.”

Maria struggled, but Cassandra held firm. Minutes that felt like hours passed before the sound of sirens echoed outside. Martinez and two officers stormed into the house, quickly subduing and handcuffing Maria.

Finally able to let go, Cassandra slumped onto the sofa, holding her throbbing head. Martinez approached her, his expression filled with concern. “Are you okay?”

“Not as good as I look,” Cassandra replied with a faint smile. “But I’ll live.”

Martinez nodded and signaled the officers to take Maria to the station. “I’ll interrogate her. You need to ice that head and rest,” he said.

****

Maria sat with a blank expression, her arms crossed as Martinez stared at her from across the table. His gaze was sharp, unwavering.

“What are you hiding, Maria?” Martinez asked bluntly, skipping any pleasantries.

Maria remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together.

Martinez pressed on. “You attacked a police officer. That alone is enough to land you in prison. But if you start talking, maybe we can cut you a deal.”

Maria let out a dry laugh, devoid of humor. “A deal? What do you think I know? I don’t know anything.”

Martinez slid a photo across the table—an image of the car with the silver rose logo from the CCTV footage. “This car was at the scene. You know who owns it. And I’m confident you know more about what happened to Alexander than you’re letting on.”

Maria’s eyes widened briefly before she regained control of her expression. “I don’t know anything about that,” she repeated, her voice weaker this time.

Martinez leaned closer, his tone softening but remaining firm. “Maria, every move you’ve made so far has only worsened your situation. You know something. You’re involved, or at least you know who is. If you don’t speak up, this will get much worse for you.”

Maria lowered her gaze, her jaw tightening. But she remained silent, convincing Martinez that the woman was harboring something significant.

Meanwhile, Cassandra sat in the waiting room, pressing a cold pack to her head. She overheard snippets of conversation from the officers about Maria’s continued silence, but it didn’t diminish her determination.

She knew this fight was far from over. And despite the physical pain gnawing at her, Cassandra wouldn’t stop until the full truth came to light.

After what felt like hours, Maria exhaled deeply, biting her lower lip as though trying to suppress long-held emotions. Her hateful glare softened into one of exhaustion, almost surrender. She looked up at Martinez, her voice trembling. “What’s the point of talking? You police never protect anyone.”

Martinez raised an eyebrow but stayed silent, giving Maria the space to continue.

“You know my husband, Cale Callaghan, don’t you?” Maria began, her gaze sharpening. “He worked with powerful people, one of them being Antonio. I warned him repeatedly to stay away from all that. But he said he was doing it for us—for our family’s future.”

Martinez and Cassandra, who had entered the interrogation room despite still holding the ice pack to her head, exchanged guilty looks. There was regret in their eyes, as this was a side of the story they hadn’t considered before.

Maria’s voice grew angrier. “Cale thought he could walk away anytime he wanted. But he was wrong. When he tried to sever ties with Antonio and his group, they killed him. And what did you do? Nothing! You couldn’t even find out who was responsible for his death.”

Martinez took a deep breath. “I understand your pain, Maria. But that doesn’t justify attacking Cassandra or trying to obstruct an investigation. If you want justice, this isn’t the way.”

Maria let out a bitter laugh, but tears began streaming down her face. “Justice? What is that? I’ve lost my husband, my life is in ruins, and Antonio is still out there living like a king. How is that fair?”

Cassandra, standing in the corner of the room, felt her heart ache at Maria’s words. But she remained resolute. “Maria, I know this is hard for you. But we need your help. If Antonio is truly involved, you could be the key to taking him down.”

Maria looked up, her gaze a mix of hatred and hope. Suddenly, she stood and slowly approached Cassandra. Before anyone could react, Maria dropped to her knees before her, causing Martinez to step back in surprise.

“Take down Antonio,” Maria pleaded, her voice filled with despair. “Destroy him the way he destroyed my life. I don’t care what happens to me. Just don’t let him get away. Don’t let him hurt anyone else.”

Cassandra swallowed hard, shaken by Maria’s gesture. The woman who had been filled with rage now looked utterly broken. She glanced at Martinez, who gave her a small nod, as if granting her permission to take the lead.

Cassandra crouched slightly, meeting Maria’s eyes directly. “I’ll do my best. But I need your help. I need you to tell me everything you know about Antonio, about his connections to Cale. Anything that can prove his involvement.”

Maria sobbed but nodded. “Fine. I’ll tell you everything. But I want one promise.”

“What’s that?” Cassandra asked.

“Don’t let him touch my children,” Maria whispered, her voice barely audible. “Antonio knows I still have something that could ruin him. He’ll try to destroy whatever’s left of my life.”

Cassandra nodded firmly. “I promise, Maria. We’ll protect them.”

Martinez stepped forward, his tone resolute. “If you truly want to protect your family, start talking now. The more we know, the sooner we can stop him.”

Through her tears, Maria began to recount everything—how Cale had been involved in Antonio’s operations, the dark projects they worked on together, and the threats that came when Cale tried to walk away. Each detail from Maria’s lips felt like a piece of a puzzle slowly forming a complete, harrowing picture.

Cassandra jotted down every word, her resolve strengthening with each revelation. This was no longer just about revenge. It was about stopping someone who had destroyed so many lives.

Cassandra returned to the waiting room, still holding the cold pack to her head. Martinez joined her moments later, holding a folder of notes from Maria’s interrogation.

“We finally have something solid,” Martinez said. “If we can verify parts of Maria’s story, we might have enough evidence to get a warrant and bring Antonio to justice.”

Cassandra nodded, though her mind remained filled with doubts and inner conflict. Was she ready to confront Antonio? Was she prepared to face the truth about the man who had become such a complicated part of her life?

She took a deep breath, looking at Martinez. “What’s our next step?”

“We gather as much evidence as possible. But you need to prepare yourself, Cassandra. If Antonio is as dangerous as Maria claims, this won’t be easy.”

Cassandra stared straight ahead, her expression filled with determination. “I know. But I won’t stop until he pays for everything.”

And with that, Cassandra knew the real battle was just beginning.