Chapter 4 - The Strike in the DarkThe rain had turned into a thick, blinding fog by the time they returned to Chicago the following evening.
Cassian’s private penthouse in downtown Chicago was locked down like a military bunker. Tactical guards patrolled the corridors, while double-glazed bulletproof glass protected every window.
Inside the primary suite, Adeline sat on the edge of the plush bed while a female physician—a trusted, independent specialist brought in from outside the city—checked her vitals.
“Blood pressure is slightly elevated, Mrs. Raldi, but your stress levels need to remain managed,” the doctor advised gently, handing her a glass of warm water. “The baby is doing well, but the first trimester requires rest.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Adeline said softly.
The doctor left the room, leaving Adeline alone with Cassian.
Cassian was standing in front of a full-length mirror, adjusting the cuffs of his dark charcoal suit. He looked terrifyingly handsome—the absolute embodiment of power and cold authority. Yet, as he turned toward her, his posture softened.
He walked over to the bed and sat beside her. Reaching out, he placed his palm gently over her stomach. His touch was warm, steady, and protective.
“Are you afraid?” he asked quietly.
Adeline looked into his gray eyes, finding no coldness there anymore—only an fierce, unshakeable devotion.
“I was afraid when I thought I was alone,” Adeline admitted, laying her hand over his. “When I thought you believed I betrayed you. But I’m not afraid anymore, Cassian. I know who my husband is.”
Cassian leaned down, pressing his lips softly against her forehead. The gesture was simple, yet it carried the weight of a sacred vow.
“Tonight, the lie dies,” Cassian whispered against her skin. “And when I come back, this family becomes ours.”
Suddenly, the lights in the penthouse flickered and died.
A split second later, the muffled THUMP of an explosion echoed from the lower parking garage, rattling the windows of the skyscraper.
ALARM! POWER GRID BREACHED! red emergency backup lights burst to life, bathing the suite in a crimson glow.
Cassian was on his feet in an instant, drawing his firearm. “Marco! Report!”
Static crackled over his earpiece. “Boss! It’s a breach! Victor’s elite mercenary team bypassed the main gate! They’re coming up the private elevator shaft—!”
The sound of gunfire cut the transmission off.
Cassian grabbed Adeline, pulling her behind a reinforced steel panic door hidden behind the walk-in closet. “Get inside. Do not open this door for anyone except me.”
“Cassian, no!” Adeline cried, grabbing his lapel. “They came for us both!”
“They came to die,” Cassian corrected coldly.
Before she could protest, he shut the heavy steel door, locking her safely inside the vault.
Through the small bulletproof glass view-port, Adeline watched in breathless suspense as the bedroom door was blown off its hinges by a breaching charge. Four masked mercenaries dressed in black tactical gear flooded into the room, their automatic weapons raised.
Cassian didn't hide. He moved like a shadow in the crimson light.
Before the first mercenary could adjust his night-vision goggles, Cassian stepped out from the darkness, firing two shots into the man’s chest. He seized the falling body, using it as a human shield as the other three mercenaries opened fire.
The room erupted into a deafening storm of glass, plaster, and gunfire.
Cassian dropped to one knee, rolling across the Persian rug, popping off three precise rounds that neutralized two more attackers. The final mercenary lunged forward with a combat knife, but Cassian caught the man’s wrist, twisting it until the bone snapped with a sickening crunch, before driving his heel into the attacker’s throat.
Within forty-five seconds, the room was silent once more, save for the hum of the crimson emergency lights.
Cassian stood in the center of the destruction, breathing heavily, his suit jacket torn at the shoulder where a bullet had grazed him.
He didn't check his own wound. He rushed straight to the panic door, punching in the code.
The heavy door slid open. Adeline rushed out, throwing her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest.
“You’re hurt,” she sobbed, seeing the blood soaking his sleeve.
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“It’s a scratch,” Cassian said, holding her tightly against him. He pulled back, looking down at her with a dark, triumphant fire in his eyes. “Victor thought he could execute us in private before the meeting. Now, he has no cards left to play.”
Adeline looked at the fallen mercenaries, then at her husband. “Then let’s go give the family their answer.”
