What Is Life? Under Edit

Chapter 22: A Ray Of Sunshine

What Is Life?
Third Person

Alessandro stood in his office, the dim lighting accentuating the luxurious decor. He poured himself a glass of whisky, motioning for the others to help themselves. The air was thick with tension as he turned to face his brother, Luciano.

"Luciano, what's the progress with Leo and Rachel?" Alessandro asked, his voice low and even, as he took a sip of his whisky.

Luciano leaned against the wall, his eyes locked on Alessandro's. "I've managed to dig up some dirt, Ale. Nikita's organisation is more complex than we thought. It's divided into different factions, each with their own specialty."

"What kind of specialty?" Alessandro pressed, his eyes narrowing.

Luciano's expression turned grim. "The faction that tried to kidnap Heaven... they specialize in kidnapping and torture. They're the ones who deal with the dirty work."

Alessandro's eyes flashed with anger. "What do you mean by 'dirty work'?"

Luciano hesitated before continuing. "They're the ones who extract information, who use torture to get what they want. They're the ones who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals."

Alessandro's face darkened with rage. "And Cassie is using them to get to Heaven.”

Alessandro's thoughts raced as he stood there, his mind consumed by images of Heaven. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was responsible for putting her in danger. If only he had stayed away from her, if only he had never gotten involved with her... But he knew he couldn't change the past. All he could do was make sure Cassie paid for what she tried to do.

Alessandro turned to Edward and Cristiano, his eyes narrowing. "What's the update on finding Cassie's location?"

Edward hesitated. "We're close, man, but we can't pinpoint an exact location yet."

Alessandro's face darkened with frustration. "What's taking so long?"

Edward shrugged. "Hey, tracking down a ghost isn't easy, you know. But we're on it."

Cristiano spoke up. "We have managed to track down her mother, though. And... we brought the kids."

Alessandro relaxed a bit. "Where are they?"

Edward spoke up. "Leah and Alex are downstairs, but Amy went out with Cristian to get some ice cream for the little ones. Because, let's be real, they're going to need a sugar high to deal with their mom's drama."

Alessandro turned to Luciano. "You need to try to get information about Cassie's location from her mother. See if she knows anything."

Luciano nodded. "On it, Ale."

Edward chimed in. "And I'm sure Cristian is thrilled to be stuck on ice cream duty. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend their afternoon singing 'Let It Go' with a bunch of screaming kids?"

Alessandro rolled his eyes. "Not the time, Edward. I'm going down to see them”

Alessandro stepped out of his office, the door clicking shut behind him. He made his way down the grand staircase, the gold railing glinting in the light. The stairs curved gracefully down to the foyer, where a chandelier hung from the high ceiling. He passed through the foyer and into the living room, where the children were waiting.