Chapter 61

Chapter 61

The tires of the private jet let out a hiss as they touched the tarmac, soft and confident like the arrival of someone who already owned the ground beneath them.

The night was almosy eerily quiet at the private wing of the airport, the sky still painted in the pale blue of dawn. The runway lights blinked sleepily, and the hangar crew scrambled into their assigned positions, straightening uniforms, standing taller, as though the weight of an important arrival had brushed against their necks.

The door of the jet opened with a slow mechanical hiss, and a figure stepped out with the ease of someone used to red carpets and velvet ropes.

Tall. Sharp suit. Impeccably styled hair. One hand inside his trouser pocket, the other adjusting the dark shades he wore as though the sun was already up. His features were smooth and refined, lips curled in an almost permanent smirk. His presence screamed money. Arrogance. Power.

He descended the metal stairs slowly, as though he was making an entrance into a movie scene, not just a landing zone. He wore black leather gloves, an expensive timepiece hugged his wrist, and the way he paused to glance at the sky was more dramatic than necessary.

He slipped his phone from his pocket, dialed, and brought it to his ear. “I’m here,” he said smoothly, voice calm, confident, like honey over glass. “You didn’t think I’d miss something this interesting, did you?”

Before he could tuck the phone back in, a black Maserati pulled up, tires screeching just a little too loudly. The engine hadn’t even gone silent when the door flung open and Leo stepped out.

Leo’s face was like a dark cloud—stern, brows furrowed, his usual calm twisted into barely restrained rage.

Leo didn’t waste time. “What the hell are you doing here?”

The man chuckled, clearly not fazed. He removed his sunglasses with a slow slide and tucked them into his shirt pocket. His eyes sparkled like trouble. “Relax, Leo. I just came to see my dear cousin.”

“This isn’t a family reunion, Cassian,” Leo snapped.

Cassian.

That name alone was enough to make people tighten their grip on their guns. Cassian De Luca—Dominic’s cousin. The family’s black sheep, turned international playboy, turned wealthy private investor no one fully understood.

Cassian lifted his brow with playful innocence. “I heard Dominic was getting married. Surely, I can’t miss my cousin’s grand moment.”

Leo scoffed. “You didn’t come for support. You came for drama.”

Cassian shrugged with a grin. “Tomato, tomahto.”

Leo stepped closer, jaw clenched. “Whatever games you’re playing, leave them at the door. This is serious business. Not your Vegas club scene.”

Cassian leaned in slightly. “That’s cute. You still think you can intimidate me.”

“I don’t need to,” Leo said. “Dominic will.”

“Dominic’s too busy playing the lovebird.” Cassian laughed, brushing invisible dust from his shoulder. “I just want to see this mysterious ‘mate’ of his. Everyone’s talking.”

Leo narrowed his eyes. “If you ruin this for him—”

“I won’t,” Cassian interrupted, holding up both hands in mock surrender. “I’ll behave. Promise.” He placed a gloved hand over his heart, expression sincere for all of five seconds before smirking again.

“Driver,” Cassian called out suddenly, spotting the sleek black SUV waiting nearby. “Get my luggage.”

Leo didn’t move. He watched Cassian closely, eyes full of suspicion.

Cassian walked with a calm swagger toward the vehicle, adjusting his cufflinks. “You look so tense, Leo. You should meditate.”

Leo followed him. “I should throw you back on that plane.”

“But you won’t,” Cassian replied smoothly, sliding into the SUV’s backseat. “Because deep down, you’re curious too.”

Leo slammed the door shut behind him and muttered under his breath, “This is going to be a mess.”

\---

Cassian’s arrival didn’t go unnoticed.

While he sat comfortably in the backseat of the SUV, he gazed out the window at the waking city. He tapped his fingers on his thigh in rhythm with the jazz music playing through the speakers.

He was thinking. Planning.

He always had a plan.

It wasn’t just the wedding that brought him back—it was the sudden change in Dominic’s behavior, the rumors about him finally taking a mate. That didn’t sit right with Cassian. Dominic had always been the untouchable one, the calm, dangerous leader who didn’t bend for anyone—not even family.

So why now?

And who was this girl?

Cassian was determined to find out.

Leo remained silent beside him for most of the drive, occasionally throwing side-glances that were full of warning.

Cassian finally broke the silence. “You know, I missed this city.”

“You missed the chance to stir trouble,” Leo corrected.

Cassian smiled. “Potato, potahto.”

They passed through the quiet streets, cutting toward the edge of the city where the mansion stood, distant and unreachable like a throne behind a wall of fog.

Cassian sat forward slightly as the tall iron gates of the mansion came into view.

“Ah,” he whispered to himself. “Home sweet home.”

He hadn’t been here in over two years not since his last argument with Hector, Dominic’s father. But time had a way of dulling grudges… or sharpening them.

As they rolled through the estate’s long driveway, the towering mansion came into full view. Gray stone walls, massive windows, and guards positioned like statues. It was a fortress more than a home.

The SUV slowed, and Cassian removed his gloves, tucking them neatly in his jacket pocket. He fixed his cuffs again and brushed his hair back.

Leo exited first, giving a warning look over the top of the car before Cassian stepped out.

The air was heavy with silence, broken only by the soft rustling of the trees.

Cassian placed both hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. “Smells like expensive lies and old grudges.”

Leo didn’t laugh.

Cassian didn’t expect him to.

As they walked up the marble steps to the entrance, the mansion doors opened slowly, revealing one of the house managers.

“Welcome back, sir Cassian,” the man announced respectfully.

Cassian grinned. “Perfect timing.”

Leo paused at the entrance, then followed him in.

The walls were lined with paintings of ancestors, thick rugs covered the floor, and the chandeliers above twinkled like stars from a colder century.

Cassian looked around with fond disgust as if it wasn't hia own mansion. “Still a museum.”

As they made their way to the guest wing, Cassian kept his pace casual, but his eyes flicked over every detail. He was observing everything. Everyone.

He could feel the storm coming. And he had every intention of being in the eye of it.