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“What is your role in this? Are you part of the investigation?”
“Move,” he barked, shoving a camera out of his face.
“Are you one of Severo’s business partners?”
“I’m marrying one of his daughters,” Cassius growled, pushing another person out of his way. “Fuckin’ move!”
Jogging up the steps, he knocked against the door. Minutes later, he was ushered inside by the housekeeper, who led him to the kitchen, where the women in the family were gathered.
“Cassius,” Victoria smiled, welcoming him with open arms. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to make sure everyone was good,” he said, hugging her before fluffing Ilaria’s hair. “What’s up, Sis?”
“My Daddy’s blood pressure,” she answered, making him laugh before he stopped in front of the one woman in the room who wouldn’t make eye contact with him.
Brushing her hair out of her face, he placed a finger under her chin and gently forced her head up until they made eye contact. “You okay, Elle?”
Her face softened momentarily before her eyes hardened, and she pulled her face out of his grip. “Why are you here?”
“You think I would hear that the Feds raided your parents’ house and wouldn’t come to check on you?”
Ilaria and Victoria discreetly left the room as Cassius leaned against the counter.
“Well, you’ve checked on me, and I’m fine. So why don’t you go back home to Zelina and—”
“Stop,” he ordered, surprised when she actually ceased speaking. “Zelina isn’t even on my radar right now. She’s someone from my past, and the situation has been handled. But that’s not important right now. You, your family, and your safety are. The only thing I’m worried about is you.”
“I’m fine,” she sighed. “Calder is just on a mission because he didn’t find anything in the company files, so he tried to up the ante. If anything, I’m more worried about what my father is going to do to retaliate.”
“Yeah, Mars told me that he was tripping.”
“Big time. And if he does anything crazy when he’s already under a microscope…”
“Hey,” Cassius threaded his fingers through her hair and gently scratched her scalp. “I’m not going to let him go off the rails, a’ight? His anger is understandable because Calder crossed a line, but we all, your father included, know that now isn’t the time to take action. I’ll talk him off the ledge.”
Aella offered a small smile. “Thank you, Cass.”
“You’re welcome, Princess,” he kissed her forehead before stepping away. He stopped just as he reached the kitchen threshold. “I’m letting you make it tonight because of everything you’ve been through, but you’re coming back home, Elle,” Cassius declared, leaving her in the kitchen.
Moving through the house, he found Severo in a den, seething as he paced with a phone pressed to his ear. “Let me make something clear to you, that muthafucker declared war when he entered my home. I want—” he stopped upon realizing he was no longer alone. “Let me call you back,” Severo hung up before addressing Cassius.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to check on your daughter and stop you from doing something to make this situation worse,” he smirked.
“I’m not in a laughing mood.”
“I see that. Let this die for right now, Severo,” Cassius advised. “You’ll have the last say. You always do.”
“My children are here,” Severo hissed. “They have reporters stationed outside of my house.”
“I hear you, and I feel you. You aren’t wrong. But a decision made out of anger is one that will lead to a mistake. And you can’t afford any right now. Calder is a problem that requires a special solution.”
Gripping the back of his head, Severo grit his teeth. “What do you have in mind?”
“Give me some time to sort it out, and I’ll get back to you with a solution, a’ight?”
Although he appeared as though he’d rather do anything but, Severo nodded. “Fine,” he agreed before shaking his head. “I guess the time has come where the student is surpassing the teachers.”
