Cassandra de Ville

Chapter 1

The rain poured heavily, accompanied by crashing thunder that illuminated the dark shadows cast upon the dimly lit streets of New York City. The scene was eerie and unsettling, with the wind howling and churning. In the midst of it all stood a three-story house, home to a powerful Don, his wife, and their three daughters. However, on this particular evening, only the daughters were present, accompanied by their guards. The parents had ventured out to attend a fancy dinner, leaving the girls to their own devices.

The younger girls danced around, engrossed in their game of dolls. Meanwhile, Elena, the eldest at 15, sat by the fireplace, engrossed in a book-Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women." Elena was known for her passion for literature and the arts, often found with a book in hand.

Cassandra, the 12-year-old middle child, played with her youngest sister, Fleur, who was just 8 years old. Both the younger daughters were too playful for their age and were good pranksters. They would sometimes drive everyone crazy. Just like their mother, Isabella. She was playful, lovely and a caring mother and a wife. That's what her husband loved about her. She brought the best out of him.

Alessandro de Ville was feared for his brutal nature and authoritative presence, particularly in the world of drug and arms trafficking. Suddenly, the lights went out, prompting screams from the girls...

"Give us a minute girls, the power will be restored," said Tryan, the third in command.

"Well, you better be quick uncle," Fleur said while clutching to Cassandra who rolled her eyes at her sister's stupid outburst.

"God Fleur, they will get this working. Keep your mouth shut for God's sake," Cassandra said while patting her sister's back.

A few minutes passed.

"God what's taking them this much of time," Fleur said interrupting the deafening silence.

"I'm going to get us a candle," Elena said standing up and they could hear her shuffling around.

"Elena are you here?" Cassandra asked and she got nothing back.

"Elena this isn't a joke," she said, and Fleur started breathing heavily.

"Where is she?" Fleur asked and Cassandra replied, "I don't know."

The silence was thick and the only light they got was from the lighting crashing. They were taking too much time and Cassandra felt something was wrong. She pulled Fleur up and before she could protest, she put her hand on her mouth asking her to keep quiet as she dragged her to near the door when the lights came back.

"They fixed it," Fleur said and before they could do anything they heard a scream followed up by some men talking rapidly outside the door. 

"Find the girls."

They stopped mid tracks and horror was plastered in Fleur's face. Cassandra knew she had to act quick and slowly pulled Fleur back into the room when the door opened. And before Fleur could gasp, she shut her mouth up.

"Search the whole room. Find the girls. I'm sure master is enjoying the company of the other girl," the commander said and in came some men with guns and was searching for every corner. From where the girls hid, they could see everything. 

They were behind fake wall and Cassandra could hear Fleur sniffing.

"No one's here Commando," one of the men said and the girls could hear the footsteps of the men leaving the room and the door clicked shut behind them.

They waited for a few minutes and nothing. No sign of them coming back.

"Okay Fleur listen to me very carefully. I need you to go up to mama's and papa's room through the dumbwaiter and get the satellite phone. You know what that is right?" Cassandra said and Fleur was crying continuously without responding to her.

"For god sake get a grip Fleur. Do you understand? Yes, or no?"

"I do. But what about you? Where are you going?" she asked sniffing from her elder sister.

"I'm going to see what happened to Elena and others. When you go to the room. Lock the room first and then get the phone and come through the secret staircase under the mat. You know that right? It will directly lead you to the chamber underground. I'll meet you there with Elena. Understood?" Cassandra said.

"Okay, I get it. Just stay alive okay," she said, and Cassandra nodded her head and helped her sister to get into the dumbwaiter and sent her off.

Okay Cassandra, get a grip. You can do this.

As Cassandra cautiously made her way out of the room, her heart pounding in her chest, she stumbled upon the lifeless body of one of the guards. Horror washed over her as she took in the sight, realizing the danger that lurked within their own home.

Pushing back her fear, she forced herself to focus, her mind racing with concern for her sisters. With trembling hands, she wiped away the tears that blurred her vision and took a deep breath, steeling herself for what lay ahead.

The sound of Elena's screams echoed through the house, sending chills down Cassandra's spine. Without a moment's hesitation, she sprinted towards the kitchen, the urgency of her sister's cries driving her forward.

As she reached the kitchen door, she pressed herself against the wall, her heart pounding in her ears. Through the crack in the doorway, she could see a shadowy figure looming over Elena. 

Clenching her fists, Cassandra knew she had to act fast. With a surge of determination, she burst into the room, her voice ringing out in defiance.

"Get away from her!" she shouted; her voice filled with righteous fury.

The man turned towards her, his eyes widening in surprise. For a moment, there was a flicker of hesitation in his gaze, but then it was replaced by a cold determination.

With a menacing grin, he lunged towards Cassandra, his intentions clear. But she was ready for him. Drawing upon every ounce of strength she possessed, she met his attack head-on, determined to protect her family at all costs.

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Dear readers,

Thank you so much for choosing to read my book, Cassandra de Ville. Your support means the world to me! I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I did writing it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the first chapter - let me know what you think!

With gratitude, Lupe ❤️