Cassandra de Ville

Chapter 9

"Please be seated," Cosimo instructed, and Cassandra promptly took her place beside Caterina and Massimo.

Caterina, Matteo's wife, had been a maternal figure to Cassandra and Fleur since the untimely death of their parents. She bore the responsibility of raising both her own son, Rayan, and the de Ville sisters, a task that had required immense strength and compassion.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Cosimo resumed, settling in beside Antonella and exchanging a brief nod with Matteo.

"The most pressing issues from yesterday include the Russians and the attack last night," Cosimo declared, his tone grave.

"Regarding the attack, we have no definitive source, but I am certain the Russians are behind it. They were aware of our plans; we have been compromised as I revealed yesterday."

"Absolutely," Matteo agreed, scanning the room for any signs of disagreement. "But we're still in the dark about who is responsible and which family may be involved."

"We must act swiftly before this escalates into a full-blown conflict," Massimo interjected, his voice sending a shiver down Cassandra's spine. "War seems inevitable, Father."

"Cassandra, do you have anything to add?" Cosimo's inquiry snapped Cassandra out of her trance-like state.

"Yes, actually... I found something significant among the debris-a piece of the bomb," Cassandra revealed, retrieving a parcel from her bag. She passed it to Rayan, who then handed it to Tomasso, eventually reaching Cosimo.

As Cosimo unwrapped the parcel, a tense silence enveloped the room.

His expression remained unreadable as he examined the piece for several long minutes. It was a reaction Cassandra had anticipated.

"Hmm... I think you might want to see this, Massimo," Cosimo remarked, passing the piece to his son, whose reaction mirrored his father's.

Antonella, unable to contain her shock, reached for the item and gasped.

"How is this possible? It bears our family's insignia," she exclaimed, her gaze fixed on Cosimo.

"We don't know yet, Mother," Massimo interjected, his voice tinged with frustration.

"But I promise you, I will find out. Thank you, Cassandra, for bringing this to our attention."

"I believe we have spies among our families," Cassandra asserted, her words igniting murmurs of agreement throughout the room. "We need to identify and eliminate them to prevent further sabotage. If someone else found this, it could have been war."

"Indeed," Cosimo concurred, concern evident in his tone.

"We must ascertain who is behind this. Tomasso remove any unnecessary individuals. We need to keep only those we trust most," Massimo said to Tomasso.

"Understood, brother," Tomasso affirmed, exchanging a meaningful glance with Natalia.

"Thank you, Cassandra," Cosimo acknowledged, his gaze shifting to her. "Most importantly we must also consider your safety, especially considering your recent altercation with the Romanos. Alberto, in particular, poses a significant threat."

As Cosimo's words sank in, Cassandra felt the weight of the situation pressing down on her. The tables had indeed turned, and the gravity of her predicament was impossible to ignore.

"Almost all the heirs have their eyes on you, Cassandra. I'm sure I don't need to explain you why," Cosimo added, causing Massimo to tense up. Matteo nodded in approval, signaling his agreement.

"We need to be more careful," Cosimo continued, glancing at Cassandra with concern. "Rayan, keep an eye on her."

Cassandra interjected, "I'm fine. I can take care of myself."