Anthony Caruso
I was seething with anger, Cassandra had yet deified my orders once again, and her disobedience was so infuriating. How could she be so reckless, so careless about her own safety? Had she completely forgotten the danger she was putting herself in?
I had just finished a board meeting in the office when one of my security men whispered the news into my ears that one of the security guards I put in charge at the orphanage home had sighted Cassandra entering the orphanage, a blatant disregard for my instructions. I didn't want to believe it until I got the information from another source who also told me Cassandra was at the orphanage home. I couldn't believe she would venture out without the protection of my security detail.
I knew I had to see this for myself. The thought of Cassandra being harmed was unbearable. The Caruso family's reputation couldn't afford such scandal.
"Has she left the building yet?" I asked over the phone, talking to one of the guards that was at standby near the orphanage.
"No boss," he said.
"Should I engage and get her out of the building?" He asked.
"Just stand-by, I'll be there soon" I replied, ending the call. Cassandra was going to make me do the unthinkable.
Somehow, deep down, I really hoped and prayed that the guard had mistaken someone else for Cassandra but unfortunately that wasn't the case.
Here she was standing right in front of me in the manager's office of the orphanage home.
"So Cassandra, care to explain to me why you disobeyed my orders?" I asked her, my arms resting on the table with my hands clasped together, awaiting a reasonable response.
I watched Cassandra closely as she was hesitating to answer my question. Her eyes were darting all over the room, avoiding my gaze. I could see the tension in her shoulders as she took a deep breath, probably trying to gather her thoughts. It was clear that she was nervous.
"The orphanage had an emergency, and I had to be here," she said, her voice barely a whisper when she responded.
"And were you not supposed to contact me first? I told you shadowbrook isn't safe anymore" I said, my gaze fixated on her.
"Exactly my point! ShadowBrook isn't safe anymore and one of the kids has been kidnapped" She said, speaking boldly and more comfortably.
I stood up from the chair, slamming my hands on the table and leaning on the table with my hands as I gave her a deadly look.
"Cassandra," I called, breathing in and out trying to calm my nerves.
"Do not provoke me further. I said you were meant to contact me first. What if something had happened to you?" I said, trying to guilt-trip her.
"My men said, they saw you sneaking in. So you intentionally chose not to contact me or any of the security details. So cut the bullshit," I said, looking at her waiting for what other next lie she had to say.
"Anthony, what did you expect me to do? Just standby at the mansion and act like I didn't get the information?" She asked me, raising her brows at me.
"This is my orphanage home, I should take action and come see it for myself. And I sneaked into the building because I didn't want anyone to recognize me. I did not know who your enemy was so I had to sneak through. You can't blame me." She said, trying to defend herself.
"You've seen the orphanage home so you'll return back to the mansion" I commanded, not caring about what she thought.
"No Anthony, I'm sick and tired of you pushing me around like I'm some little kid. This is my orphanage home and I get to have a say" she said, standing up to face me.
I wonder where such boldness came from, standing up to me like that and talking to me anyhow she liked. I was going to break that ego, it seems she had forgotten she got married to a mafia god and I do not deserve such disrespect. I slapped her immediately for talking back at me.
"You dare not raise your voice at me or talk back at me like that. You belong to the Caruso family, you belong to me therefore I'll treat you as I choose to, you have no right to say I'm pushing you around like a little kid." I said angrily, kissing my teeth.
"Nobody forced your dad to sign the contract to marry you out, he probably saw how weak you were to live on your own running an orphanage home all by yourself and he just sold you out to the Caruso family, so you could have a backing behind you" I said angrily, watching her grasp her cheeks in pain, not like I was bothered.
"Your father and your mother are both dead. You've got no one except for me and you know the only reason why that orphanage home still stands is because you have the backing of the Caruso family behind you" I shouted angrily.
"Your name is useless, you're useless, you mean nothing! So you better behave for the sake of the orphanage home" I barked at her.
This was the first time I had raised a hand at Cassandra. When I was little my dad would always handle my mom that way. My father sat me down and told me that any woman I ended up with in life I should be in control over her and tame her as I desired. I was going to do exactly just that to Cassandra.
I adjusted my suit, straightening it up.
"Will you do as you're told? Will you go back to the mansion?" I asked her, my gaze fixed on her, searching her face for answers.
"Yes," she replied, her gaze meeting mine. She shot me a bloodthirsty glare, as though she should rip me apart on the spot. I was even more surprised at how she quickly agreed to go back to the mansion without fighting it and without stress.
"Good," I said, signaling the bodyguard that stood by the door.
"My guards will follow you to the mansion and I'll double the security in the house and you better remain a good girl or I won't be so kind to you anymore" I said, threatening her ahead incase she had any other plans up her sleeve.
"Okay," she said, walking towards the bodyguard standing by the door as he walked her out of the office. I followed behind them.
"Fiona, thank you for contacting me, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you hear any update" Cassandra said, talking with Fiona with a smile.
It's been a while since I saw her smile, she looked cute with a smile on her face. I would tarnish that smile, she gets to smile to only me and me alone. I have been letting her do whatever she wanted to casually, not anymore.
"Fiona, you would report back to me, not Cassandra anymore. I'll put up my men to find out what happened to the missing kid, so be rest assured" I warned Fiona, shooting her a deadly glare to intimidate her and letting her know that if she does otherwise she'd be in trouble.
"Alright, Mr Caruso," she said, bowing down her head in respect, I could see the fear in her eyes. That was how it was meant to be, they should all fear me.
We all walked out of the orphanage home building. I entered into one of the black SUV vans with Cassandra by my side. The other guards were in the other SUV.
"Take us to the penthouse first" I ordered the guard that was seated at the driver's seat.
"Right away, boss," he replied immediately, his tone respectful.
Throughout the drive towards the penthouse, it was silent. Cassandra leaned her head on the car window and didn't take her gaze off the road lost in thoughts.
I wondered what went through her head, I just hoped she wasn't plotting anything reckless, as the consequences would be severe.
We finally got to the penthouse, and we both stepped out of the car and entered the house through an elevator, which was the only way into the house.
"Sit down Cassandra," I ordered her and she sat down quietly.
I sat down on the sofa chair directly opposite to where she was seated. I stared at her for a while, she was being too gentle, felt like she had something up her sleeve and I couldn't figure out what it was.
"Are you doing this because I refused to let you get pregnant?" I asked, arching my brow.
"Your recent behaviors, you showing up in my office unannounced, you leaving the mansion without any security detail, is this all because I refused to get you pregnant?" I asked her, awaiting her response.
She lifted up her head to look at me, her gaze fixated on me.
"I wanted a child because you never seemed to care about me anymore, I'd always be inside the penthouse alone with no one to talk to" she replied, tears clouding her eyes.
"I let Candice come see you at least don't I?"
"I wanted you Anthony, I missed you Anthony but you would come late and refuse to even sleep with me but guess what?" She said, tears streaming down her eyes.
"What?" I asked, curious to know what she has to say.
"I'm not so desperate anymore Anthony, so you can go fuck yourself" she shouted at me, putting up the middle finger at me and then laughing like a maniac with tears streaming down her eyes.
"I was a fool to think that a mafia like you ever deserved love," she added.
My blood was boiling hot, I was going to teach her a lesson she would never forget.