Ninety Three

Cassandra walked briskly toward the parking lot after finishing her business at the police station. Night had fallen, and the cold air bit against her skin. All along the way, an uneasy feeling coiled in her gut. She felt like she was being followed.

A man in a black jacket lingered a few steps behind her. Maybe just one of Antonio’s men, assigned to keep an eye on her, she thought. But something in her instincts screamed that something was off. As she unlocked her car and slid the key into the ignition, she glanced at the rearview mirror. The man was still standing near the streetlamp, watching. Waiting. Her heartbeat quickened. Taking a deep breath, she tried to convince herself it was just paranoia.

"Relax, Cass," she muttered under her breath before starting the engine. She drove out of the parking lot slowly, but the tension in her chest refused to dissipate.

The streets were eerily quiet, only a few cars passing in the distance. The dim city lights reflected off her windows, casting ghostly shadows against the darkened glass. Then— A sudden blur darted across the road.

"Shit!"

Cassandra slammed on the brakes, her body lurching forward from the abrupt stop. A man had collapsed onto the pavement right in front of her car. Her breath came in sharp, rapid gasps. Fumbling with her seatbelt, she yanked it off and rushed out of the vehicle.

"Hey! Are you okay?" she called, hurrying toward him. The man looked shaken, one hand clutching his knee as if in pain.

"I... I didn't see your car coming..." his voice trembled, weak—too weak.

Cassandra crouched down, trying to get a better look at his face. But before she could say another word, something tightened around her neck. Her hands flew up instinctively, clawing at the rough grip crushing her throat from behind. A sharp, pungent scent filled her nostrils. Chloroform. Her vision swayed.

"Aghh...!" She struggled, thrashing with all her might, but her strength was slipping fast. A low chuckle ghosted against her ear.

"You’re too careless, Miss. Our boss has been waiting for you." She recognized that voice, but before her mind could place it, darkness crept in.

"Help... me..." she whispered, but the words barely left her lips before everything faded. The man who had thrown himself onto the street quickly stood up, brushing off his clothes.

"Get her in the car. Fast, before anyone sees." The man behind her scooped Cassandra’s limp body into his arms, carrying her toward the black SUV idling a few feet away. Inside the mansion, Antonio paced restlessly near the pool, his grip tightening around his phone. The screen remained stubbornly dark. No calls. No messages.

"Pick up the damn phone, Cassandra," he muttered, frustration creeping into his voice. He dialed her number again. Nothing. Just the cold, empty voice of the operator telling him the phone was unavailable. Marcus had just arrived when he noticed the tension radiating from Antonio.

"Something wrong, Boss?" Antonio halted, his sharp gaze snapping to Marcus.

"Cassandra’s not answering her phone. It’s been hours since I last heard from her." Marcus nodded, instantly sensing the urgency in the situation.

"Maybe her phone died?"

"No." Antonio’s tone was razor-sharp.

"She never lets her battery die. Find out where she is. Now." Marcus pulled out his phone, accessing the tracking system linked to Cassandra’s device. A few seconds later, his face hardened.

"Boss… Cassandra’s last GPS signal was outside the city. But after that, it went dark." Antonio’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Where exactly was the last signal detected?" Marcus swallowed before responding.

"Eastern district border, near the old docks." Antonio clenched his jaw. That wasn’t just any location—it was The Crimson Lotus’ territory. A place controlled by Renjiro Takahashi. Antonio’s fists curled.

"That son of a bitch dared to touch my woman?" His voice was low, lethal. If Takahashi thought he could take Cassandra from him… He was about to make the biggest mistake of his life. Marcus could see the fire burning in Antonio’s eyes.

"What are your orders, Boss?" Antonio didn’t need to think twice.

"Gather all our men. Make sure they’re armed to the teeth." Marcus gave a sharp nod.

"Are we going to retrieve Cassandra?" Antonio stepped closer, his expression now colder than ice.

"We’re not just retrieving her, Marcus. We’re going to show Renjiro that touching Cassandra was the biggest mistake of his life." Marcus immediately moved to relay the orders, while Antonio stood still, staring into the distance, his mind consumed by one thought— Cassandra was in danger. And he wouldn’t stop until she was back in his arms—alive. Cassandra woke up with a splitting headache. She tried to move, but quickly realized that her wrists and ankles were bound tight. A thick, rough cloth covered her eyes, leaving her blind to her surroundings. Footsteps approached. Then, a gruff voice spoke.

"Take her to the Boss. Renjiro wants to see her himself." A rough hand yanked her up, forcing her to stand despite the lingering effects of the drugs in her system. Her breathing was heavy, heart pounding as she felt their tight grip on her body.

"Are you sure this is the woman Antonio’s been losing his mind over?" one of the men rasped to his companion. Another man chuckled, his tone dripping with amusement.

"Look at that body," he sneered.

"With tits like these, I’m not surprised Antonio is obsessed with her."

Then— A crude, groping hand grabbed her chest roughly, squeezing hard. Cassandra gasped involuntarily, her body jerking from the unwanted contact.

"Shit… listen to that little moan," the bastard laughed, his voice thick with vile lust. Another man walking beside them chuckled.

"Now I’m curious... what if we had a little taste before handing her over?"

"Stop it, you fucking idiots!" snapped a third voice—one with more authority.

"Renjiro wants her intact. If you lay a finger on her beyond this, you might not have hands by tomorrow morning." The first man let out a frustrated growl but didn’t argue. His disgusting hands finally withdrew, though Cassandra could still feel his filthy gaze all over her. Her body trembled, not from weakness—but pure disgust. She knew she was in serious danger, but she also knew that panicking would only make things worse. So she kept her head down, breathing slowly, controlling the rage and fear twisting inside her. They continued dragging her forward. She felt a shift beneath her feet—the floor swaying slightly. Stairs? A man muttered under his breath,

"Did you hear that? She moaned from just a little touch. Imagine if we actually got to play with her."

"Shut the fuck up!" the senior one barked.

"I’m not risking my neck over your fucking dick! If you still want to be breathing tomorrow, do your damn job and keep your filthy thoughts to yourself."

Cassandra felt a slight wave of relief at that, but her heart was still hammering in her chest. She just had to hold on. Antonio would find her. He would.

Finally, they stopped. The air was colder now, sending a chill across her skin. The space felt bigger—a warehouse, perhaps? A low, amused voice spoke near her ear.

"Boss is going to love seeing you, sweetheart." A cruel chuckle followed. Cassandra bit her lip, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing her fear. But deep inside, she could only pray— That she still had time before something worse happened.

"Just look at her body," another man sneered, his tone laced with amusement.

"With tits like these, no wonder Antonio’s gone crazy over her." Then— A rough, groping hand grabbed Cassandra’s chest, squeezing hard. She gasped involuntarily, her body jerking from the assault.

"Damn... listen to that little moan," the bastard chuckled darkly, his face twisted with lust. Another man walking beside them laughed along.

"Now I’m curious... what if we had a little taste before handing her over?"

"Stop, you fucking idiots!" barked a voice—one with more authority.

"Renjiro wants her untouched. If you lay another finger on her, you might wake up without a damn hand tomorrow."

The first man let out a frustrated growl but didn't argue. His filthy hands finally withdrew, though Cassandra could still feel his predatory gaze crawling over her. Her entire body trembled—not from weakness, but from pure, overwhelming disgust. She knew she was in danger. But she also knew that reacting recklessly would only make things worse. So she kept her head down, breathing slowly, suppressing the nausea rolling through her body. They continued dragging her forward.

She felt the floor shift slightly beneath her feet—stairs? A different surface? A low voice muttered beside her,

"Did you hear that? Just a little touch and she already moaned like that. Imagine if we actually—"

"Shut the fuck up!" the senior snapped again, his tone sharp with warning.

"I’m not dying over your dick. If you want to keep breathing, stop thinking with your cock and do your fucking job."

Cassandra felt a flicker of relief at that. But it didn’t stop her heart from pounding furiously inside her chest. Antonio, find me. Please, find me. They finally stopped. The air around her was colder now, sending chills down her spine.

The space felt bigger—a warehouse? A hideout? A breath ghosted against her ear.

"Boss is going to love seeing you, sweetheart." A cruel chuckle followed. Cassandra bit her lip hard, fighting the fear curling inside her. She just had to hold on. She just had to survive until Antonio came for her.

Elsewhere.

Antonio sat in his office, sipping bourbon with an expression of pure ice. His sharp eyes flicked over the large map in front of him, red dots marking The Crimson Lotus’s key locations.

This wasn’t just about retrieving Cassandra. This was about annihilating the man who dared to touch her. With a calm, deliberate motion, he picked up his phone and dialed a number he hadn’t used in a long time. Sebastian Leclair picked up on the second ring.

"Antonio." His voice was smooth, casual—yet tinged with curiosity.

"It’s been a while. What brings you to my line tonight?" Antonio didn’t waste time.

"Renjiro Takahashi took something valuable from me. I’m going to erase The Crimson Lotus." There was a brief pause before Sebastian let out a quiet laugh.

"You sound more emotional than usual, Antonio. What exactly did he take from you?"

"My jewel." Silence. Sebastian knew Antonio well enough to realize—this wasn’t a bluff.

"You’re serious," he murmured.

"Who is she, really? Who is this woman that made the infamous Antonio Franches ready to burn an entire organization to the ground?"

"That’s none of your business." Antonio’s voice was clipped.

"But I’m calling you because you’re about to make a very stupid mistake." Sebastian arched an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what mistake is that?"

"You’re about to align yourself with Crimson Lotus." Antonio’s tone was lower now, dangerously cold.

"Cancel it." Sebastian sighed.

"Antonio, you know I’m a businessman. If working with them benefits me—"

"I’ll make sure it doesn’t." Antonio cut in, his voice sharp as a blade.

"I don’t give a fuck what they promised you—I’m going to destroy them. And if you stand with them, I won’t hesitate to eliminate you too." Sebastian let out a small chuckle.

"Straight to the point as always, huh? Alright, Antonio. Since I value our friendship more than business, I’ll pull out." Antonio gave a satisfied nod.

"You’re making the right decision." Sebastian leaned back in his chair, curiosity flashing across his features.

"But before I cancel everything, I want to know one thing."

"What?"

"Who is this woman that changed you?"

Antonio paused for a moment before answering, his voice darker than before. "Someone they will never be able to touch again." Sebastian smirked.

"Now I’m really intrigued. I’ll call my men and pull out of the deal with Crimson Lotus. Let’s hope we don’t meet as enemies, Antonio." Antonio hung up without another word.

His eyes flickered back to the map in front of him. This wasn’t just about Cassandra. This was about erasing anyone who dared to lay a hand on her. Cassandra Cassandra woke up with a splitting headache. She tried to move, but her wrists and ankles were tightly bound. A thick cloth covered her eyes, shrouding her world in darkness. Footsteps approached. Then, a rough voice spoke.

"Take her to the Boss. Renjiro wants to see her himself." A harsh grip yanked her up, forcing her onto her feet despite the lingering weakness in her body from the drug they had used on her. Her breath came out heavy, heart pounding as she felt their vice-like hold around her arms. After what felt like an eternity, they stopped. The air was colder now—this had to be a larger space, possibly Renjiro Takahashi’s main hideout. Suddenly, a hand fisted her hair and yanked her head upward. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as the cloth over her eyes was torn away, making her blink rapidly as light flooded her vision. Standing before her was an older man, his gaze sharp, his body covered in intricate tattoos of golden dragons and samurai. His face was hard, lined with scars. His eyes radiated raw, unquestionable dominance.

"So, you’re the woman who made Antonio Franches weak," Renjiro Takahashi sneered, his tone dripping with condescension.

Cassandra swallowed hard, her gaze darting around the room. Her stomach twisted. In the dim corners, other women sat huddled, some looking broken, others trembling in fear. Her throat tightened.

"You’re not just a hostage, Cassandra," Renjiro continued, stepping closer.

"You’re the key to destroying Antonio’s empire." Cassandra’s eyes widened.

"Antonio will come for me," she whispered, half a warning, half an attempt to reassure herself. Renjiro chuckled, amusement flickering across his brutal features.

"Of course, he will. That’s exactly what we want." He crouched in front of her, studying her like a predator watching its prey.

"You’re beautiful," he murmured.

"I can see why Antonio is obsessed with you." Cassandra turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze. But Renjiro’s massive hand shot out, gripping her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Are you his?" he taunted.

"Or just a toy he fucks to keep himself entertained?" Cassandra clenched her fists, rage burning through her veins.

"I belong to no one." Renjiro let out a low, dark chuckle before standing to his full height. "Oh, but now... you belong to me." He turned to his men.

"Prepare her. Antonio is already on his way." One of his men stepped forward, grabbing Cassandra roughly.

"Boss, should we make her talk first? Before Antonio gets here?"

Renjiro raised a hand, stopping them. "No." His voice was firm, absolute.

"I want her untouched when Antonio arrives. I want him to see, with his own eyes, that I control everything."

Cassandra sucked in a sharp breath, trying to keep herself steady. But the fear, the raw dread, was creeping in. If Antonio didn’t get here soon... Her fate would be left in the hands of monsters. Renjiro glanced at her one last time before turning away.

"Let’s see how far Antonio is willing to go for his woman." Cassandra shivered. This wasn’t just about her. This was a war. And she was right in the middle of it.