Cassian stood by the window of the penthouse, staring out over the city, his mind working at full speed. He had made his way home as he felt hopeless waiting for Seraphina to wake up.
His father had crossed the line—pushing too far, too fast. For the first time in his life, Cassian felt no fear of the man who had controlled every part of his existence. There was only fury, but it was tempered with something deeper—a cold, calculating resolve. He wouldn't let Victor continue to reign over him, or over Seraphina.
He paced back and forth, the sound of his shoes clicking on the polished floor the only noise in the room. His thoughts were racing, pulling together pieces of a plan that had been slowly forming since the moment his father had made it clear that Seraphina was nothing more than collateral damage to him.
Cassian had spent his whole life under Victor's thumb, learning his methods, understanding how his father manipulated people, how he made deals with the worst kind of people to keep his empire growing. But he also knew every crack in the foundation, every hidden truth buried beneath layers of lies. It was time to use that knowledge to destroy the man who had tormented him for so long.
His eyes narrowed as he began to piece it all together.
Step One: Exposing the Fraudulent Deals
Victor had built his wealth through legal businesses—on the surface. But Cassian had uncovered whispers, small discrepancies over the years, financial dealings that didn't add up. Contracts signed under dubious circumstances, investments in companies with ties to criminal organizations. It wasn't just bad business—it was fraud, pure and simple. Victor had used every trick in the book to keep his empire intact, but Cassian knew how to expose him.
He could use the company's own books against his father. All he needed was the right person to go through the financial records—a person with access to the confidential accounts and the hidden assets.
Cassian had contacts in the company who owed him favors. If he could get the right documents, those incriminating pieces of evidence, he could bring them to the surface and expose his father for what he truly was. Fraudulent, corrupt, and using the company's resources for his own gain.
But that alone wouldn't be enough.
Step Two: The Leverage of Power
Cassian knew his father's Achilles' heel was the sheer number of people Victor had manipulated over the years. From politicians to CEOs, to street-level criminals, Victor's network was vast—and corrupt. But Cassian had one thing his father didn't: the loyalty of the people who truly mattered in the company. His father had ruled with fear, but Cassian had begun to forge a different path, one based on respect.
He would start with his father's closest allies—the ones who had helped him build his empire through deceit and treachery. They were expendable now, each of them a tool to be used, discarded when no longer of value. By carefully planting seeds of doubt and division, Cassian would turn his father's allies against him.
He needed to create a rift so deep that no one would trust Victor anymore. Once the cracks were visible, once the loyalty of those who helped him was shattered, the empire would begin to crumble. Cassian could offer them the stability they craved, while his father's empire would be in chaos.
Step Three: Undermining Victor's Influence
Victor didn't just rely on fear and manipulation—he also relied on his image. The public image of the Vale Empire, built on years of strategic PR campaigns, corruption, and bribery, was his most valuable asset. If Cassian could pull the rug from underneath his father's public face, the man's power would be stripped away.
Cassian had already planted rumors in the press, subtle whispers that pointed to illegal activities within the company. He knew exactly how to sway the media in his favor. But he could do more. He had connections in the world of law and politics that his father had long overlooked, allies he could turn to, officials who would be willing to listen.
The minute he exposed the frauds his father had committed, the company would go under investigation. Once the media got wind of it—and once the public's trust was eroded—Victor's grip on power would slip away.
Step Four: Protecting Seraphina
Seraphina's safety was Cassian's top priority. He knew Victor would never let her go without trying to finish what he had started. The threats made against her were only the beginning. If Cassian was going to take down his father, he needed to ensure that Seraphina was completely out of danger.
Cassian had already gone to great lengths to secure her privacy. He planned to hide her away from any potential danger, but it wasn't enough. She needed to be protected not just physically but legally. He would put together a team of experts to make sure that no one—not even his father's men—could touch her.
He'd start by setting up an airtight legal defense for her, one that would prevent Victor from using his connections to harm her in any way. Then, Cassian would go on the offensive. He knew that if Victor saw Seraphina as a pawn to manipulate, then he would use her again. Cassian would make sure she was untouchable. His plan to dismantle his father's empire depended on it.
Step Five: The Final Blow
The final step of his plan would be the most dangerous. Cassian knew that once his father realized what was happening, he would stop at nothing to regain control. But by then, it would be too late.
With his father's allies turned against him, his fraudulent activities exposed, and his public image in tatters, Victor would have no power left. The Vale Empire would fall from within, a shell of its former self, and Cassian would be there to pick up the pieces.
Cassian would take control—not through fear, but through respect. He would dismantle his father's twisted empire and rebuild it into something that would benefit the people, not just the power-hungry few at the top. And when Victor was left with nothing—his legacy destroyed—Cassian would be the one standing tall, the true heir to the Vale Empire.
And Victor would have nothing left to hold over him. No more threats. No more control. Just a broken man with nothing to lose.
As Cassian's mind settled on the final steps of his plan, a wicked smile tugged at the corner of his lips. His father had always thought he was the puppet master, pulling strings and playing the game of power like a seasoned pro. He had always treated Cassian as a mere tool to further his own empire, a means to an end.
Well, you wanted to play father, Cassian thought darkly, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Well, let us play.
The realization hit him with a sharp edge of satisfaction. This wasn't about saving Seraphina. This wasn't about taking down his father just for the sake of revenge. No, this was about control. Cassian had been living in the shadows of Victor for far too long, hiding behind the veil of fear and expectation.
But now? Now, the game was his. And for the first time, Cassian would play by his own rules.