Chapter 141: Shadows of Vengeance

James Bennett's Study

James paced the room, his jaw clenched, as his twin cousins, Mark and Richard, lounged on the leather couches, watching him with wary eyes.

Mark broke the silence first. "James, you need to calm down. We need a plan, not just rage."

James spun around, eyes blazing. "Calm down? My father is dead, Mark. And I know the Romanos had something to do with it."

Richard leaned forward, his voice low and calculated. "Revenge needs to be precise, James. We can't just go in guns blazing. We need to hit them where it hurts."

James stopped pacing and faced his cousins. "And where would that be? They're untouchable. Alexander, Lucas, Victoria, and Sophia. They're all protected."

Mark smirked. "Not as untouchable as you think. Information is power. We need to find out their weaknesses, their secrets."

James nodded slowly. "And what do you suggest? Spying? Infiltration?"

Richard's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "Exactly. We need inside information. Someone close to them, someone they trust. We find that person, and we have the upper hand."

Mark's expression hardened. "Yes. We find a mole. And then we hit them where it hurts the most. They won't see it coming."

"You mean like my sister, Mark call her in here", James ordered.

Mark went and called Jennifer, who had been avoiding everyone since the shooting, or Johnathan. Jennifer came in and noticed the three men were strung at her intently. She takes her seat as Richard hands him a cup of coffee.

"Our father is dead…" James declared, watching for her reaction.

Jennifer was still so shocked by the shooting of her new father that she didn't know how to react. She still hasn't gotten used to the new life she now finds herself in and its people, yet many things are happening too fast for her to comprehend.

Jennifer knew she had to react very well or James would likely suspect something was off. "Dad is dead?" Jennifer said, covering her mouth with her hands and crying fake tears to portray the scene of sadness.

James continued, putting a hand on Jennifer,"It's okay Isabella, we won't let Father's death be in vain, but for that, we have to get justice for Dad. I need you to do something for me." Randy stated, a wicked smile forming on his face.

Jennifer shuddered. Why was he suddenly smiling? She thought as tears continued to stream down her cheeks,

"As you saw, Dad was murdered cold-blooded at your birthday party last week. We believe we know who killed him," James said.

Mark, at this point, was standing at the door, he screamed, "No, James, we don't. You merely think we do."

"Quite, Mark, we've talked about this enough, alright?" James shuts down Mark impatiently.

Mark, not wanting an argument with their older and imposing cousin, raised his hands as though to say 'Have it your way' and then proceeded to take a seat.

"Don't pay attention to Mark…" James paused as he searched for a better word to describe Mark, then continued, as he couldn't be too bothered, "He's a different breed. You should pay him no mind. We do know who killed our father. It was the Romanos. Now, as you know, before our father died, Alexander Romano, heir to the Romano empire conglomerate, was betrothed to marry you, my dear sister. You guys were betrothed because his father, was killed five months ago, and a huge uprising was brewing. So our father, in a pathetic attempt to make peace, used you, Isabella, as a bargaining chip."

Jennifer nodded, getting a good understanding of what was being said to her, even though she felt completely lost. Her fast mind thought it was better to first know what was asked of her, do it, and get the hell out of there and find out more about how she was in Isabella's body.

James continued while pacing back and close and forth in the office, "But now, The Romano has gotten his misplaced revenge on us. We didn't kill his father, but he has killed ours and we will not let this slide. Never!" James boomed once again. His voice, laced with ill-concealed malice, made him sound like a savage. He was envisioning how he would get his revenge and pull the trigger.

Jennifer slowly raised her hand.

"Do you have something else to ask?" James asked.

"Um. Yes… yes, bro ." Jennifer replied politely, trying to sound like Isabella would. Especially when talking to her brother.

"Bro? When last did you call me bro? Stop being weird and just say what's, in your mind," James said.

"Okay, um. Please don't be mad but, how do you know it was the Romano who killed our Dad?" Jennifer proceeded to ask.

"Because his company, 'Romano Empire', fingerprints were all over the job! Their company produces military-grade weapons that fit the US military and other countries and one of their most lucrative products is the silver bullets found in Dad's chest when the autopsy was carried out. One bullet costs about a thousand dollars. The chances that someone shot with silver bullets will live are next to zero, and this is why they use it. Do you understand?" James explained the basic knowledge to Jennifer, already getting impatient and annoyed by her questioning.

"Yes, bro. I mean, James." Isabella replied, quickly bending her head, and staring at her half-cold coffee that was given to her when she came into the study.

"Good. And so, since we know he killed our father, we have to alter how plans You, my dear sister, will go on with the wedding as planned." James declared.

With this declaration, Isabella was agape. She couldn't grasp why Isabella's brother would be willing to let his own little sister marry a man he believed to be a murderer.

James continued, seeing the displeasure in her demeanor, "It's not a forever deal… you'll marry him and show no signs of displeasure. You'll be a good wife to him, make him food, obey his orders, and you know, wifely duties. And in all of this, you'll remain in contact with me, giving me information about anything and everything about the Romanos movements and following our instructions accordingly as they are dished out to you. And then, after three or even four months, we'll tell you exactly how to sell him out to us. If you do, we will get our revenge. Then, I will safely bring you back home ."

Isabella was at loss for words, all she could do was nod her head to show she was paying attention to her brother. But the thought of marrying someone who was considered a murderer gave her post-traumatic syndrome disorder from her past marriage.