Frozen Desire

Cassian's mind raced as he stormed out of the meeting, his pulse hammering in his ears. His father's words from the night before echoed in his mind. But Cassian wasn't a child anymore, and his father's words no longer held the same weight they once did. The only thing that mattered now was Sera.

He hadn't felt this kind of urgency in years, this overwhelming need to protect someone who wasn't part of his bloodline. His heart pounded against his chest as he tried to contact her again. But each time, the call went straight to voicemail.

He knew something was wrong.

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Meanwhile, deep in one of the Vale family's hidden locations, Sera sat on a cold metal chair, her hands tied to the armrests. The dim light above flickered occasionally, casting unsettling shadows across her face. She could feel her pulse quicken with every second that passed. What had happened? How had she gone from walking down the street to being trapped in this dark place?

Fear gripped her chest, but she forced herself to breathe slowly, trying to think clearly. She had to remain calm. She had to find a way out. But as the minutes turned into hours, and no one came to check on her, the helplessness began to settle in.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open, and she looked up to see one of the men from earlier enter, his expression cold and unreadable. He didn't speak immediately, just watched her with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides.

The man's lips curled into a smirk. "Mr. Vale wants to make sure you understand who holds the power here."

Before she could respond, the door slammed shut behind him, and Sera was left alone again, her body tense with fear and confusion. She didn't understand why Victor Vale was involved in this, why he wanted her. But one thing was clear—she was caught in something far bigger than herself.

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Back at the penthouse, Cassian sat in his office, his hands gripping the arms of his chair. He had ordered his driver to go to Sera's place, to search the streets, to find any sign of her. But deep down, he knew it wouldn't be enough. His father's reach was too vast, his influence too great.

Cassian had been trying to fight back for so long, to escape the shadow his father cast over every aspect of his life, but now, everything felt like it was closing in. His thoughts turned to the woman he couldn't seem to shake from his mind—Sera. His instincts told him that she was in danger, and he couldn't afford to ignore them. Not now.

The phone in his hand buzzed again, and he quickly glanced at the screen. The number was unknown, but his gut told him it was important.

Without hesitation, he answered. "Cassian Vale."

The voice on the other end was calm, almost mocking. "Mr. Vale, I'm afraid you've made a mistake."

Cassian's blood ran cold. "Where is she?"

There was a long cold silence and then the voice continued. "She's where she belongs. Do what we say, and she might have a chance at living a long happy life."

The line went dead, and Cassian stood, his fists clenched at his sides. His father. The bastard. He had done this.

Cassian slammed the phone down onto his desk, his mind racing. He could feel the walls closing in, the noose tightening around them both. But he wouldn't stop. Not until he had Sera back.

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Victor sat in the shadows of his office, watching the city lights from his high-rise windows. His fingers drummed lightly against the desk as he contemplated the next steps. He had seen his son's reaction, the way Cassian's face had hardened when he found out Sera was missing. He knew the girl was the key to getting his son to comply.

Victor had done what needed to be done, of course. He would always do what was necessary to maintain control. Cassian had grown soft, distracted by emotions he had no place for. But this? This would bring him back into the fold. If Cassian truly cared for her, he would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

But Victor wasn't going to make it easy.

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Cassian couldn't sit still. He paced the length of his office, his mind caught in a whirlwind of thoughts. How far would his father go to manipulate him? How long would it take before Sera was released, and what would be left of her by the time that happened?

He had to act quickly.

Grabbing his coat, he stormed out of the penthouse and into the elevator. His driver was already waiting for him, and without a word, he got in, his eyes scanning the city around him.

The phone in his hand buzzed again. Another message.

"Tick tock."

His fingers trembled as he gripped the phone tighter. The panic was real now. His entire life, his family's empire, was built on control and power. But for once, he couldn't control this. Not when it came to her.

The driver pulled up to the street, and Cassian's heart stopped when he saw the dark van parked just ahead. His mind raced as he tried to piece together the puzzle. What were they going to do with her? He couldn't wait any longer.

He needed to confront his father—and he needed to do it now.

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But Victor, ever the strategist, had already anticipated this.

The game was far from over.

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Cassian's blood boiled as his father's words echoed in his mind. His father, Victor Vale, was a master of manipulation, always one step ahead. But Cassian wasn't a child anymore, and he wasn't going to be his father's puppet. Not anymore.

His fists clenched as he stormed deeper into the penthouse, determined to face his father. The weight of everything he had discovered—the extent of his father's control, his manipulations—crushed down on him. How could he have been so blind? How could he have let his father twist him, mold him into something he wasn't?

By the time Cassian entered the grand living room, his mind was made up. No more half-measures. No more games. This would be the last time Victor had control over him.

Victor stood by the massive windows, a glass of whiskey in hand. His back was turned, but Cassian knew he was aware of his presence. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Victor said without turning around, his voice cool and controlled. "You always do, eventually."

Cassian didn't respond immediately. He moved to the center of the room, his gaze fixed on his father. The man who had controlled every aspect of his life. Who had conditioned him to follow orders without question. The man who, now, would learn that his son wasn't a puppet anymore.

"You don't get to control me anymore," Cassian's voice was low, steady, but laced with an edge that made Victor's gaze flicker, just slightly.

Victor slowly turned to face him, the same cold amusement in his eyes. "Is that so? You think you can break free? After all these years, Cassian?" He took a slow sip from his glass, his eyes never leaving his son. "You think you can just walk away from everything I've built?"

Cassian's pulse quickened. "I don't care about your empire anymore, Father. I never did. And I certainly don't care about the control you think you have over me." He took a step forward, his voice hardening. "This is about Sera."

Victor's face darkened at the mention of her name. He set the glass down, his demeanor shifting to one of cold calculation. "You've let her distract you. You've let her get under your skin. You'll regret that, Cassian."

"No," Cassian shot back, his fists clenched. "You're the one who's going to regret underestimating me." He stepped closer, his tone unforgiving. "You used her. You hurt her. And for that, you'll pay."

Victor chuckled, but it wasn't a laugh of amusement—it was the cruel sound of a man who knew how to break people. "I never intended to hurt her, Cassian. But you've made your choices. And now you're going to face the consequences." His smile twisted into something darker, something more dangerous. "You think you can protect her? You think you can protect anyone from me? Think again."

Cassian's gaze hardened. His hand clenched at his side as the tension in the room grew. This was it. He couldn't back down now. "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

Victor's smile faltered for a moment before he regained his composure. He stepped closer to his son, his tone dropping to a venomous whisper. "You should be."

The air between them crackled with tension, each man standing their ground. For the first time in years, Cassian could see the truth clearly—his father had never loved him. It had always been about control. And now, it was Cassian's turn to take control.

Victor stood there, his eyes narrowed, as Cassian turned and moved toward the door. But he didn't leave the room this time. No, he was done with being manipulated, done with living under his father's thumb. Cassian stood in the doorway, his hand gripping the handle tightly.

"I'm done with this," Cassian said, his voice a low growl. "And I'm done with you."

Victor's eyes widened for just a fraction of a second—something Cassian had never seen before. Then the mask of indifference was back, replaced by the cold menace Cassian had grown used to. "Don't make a mistake you can't undo, Cassian."

Cassian didn't respond. He didn't need to. Instead, he left the room, walking past Victor and out into the hallway.

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Victor stood still for a moment, watching his son leave with an icy calm. But the moment Cassian was out of sight, his expression hardened into something far more dangerous. His hand tightened around the glass of whiskey he hadn't bothered to finish, his knuckles white with anger. This had gone far enough.

He picked up his phone again, dialing a familiar number. The call rang, and soon a voice answered, thick with the cold indifference of someone who had done far worse for Victor before.

"Did it go as planned?" Victor asked, his tone smooth but undercut with sharpness.

"She's in custody, sir," the henchman replied. "We've taken her to a secure location. She's already being dealt with."

Victor's lips curled into a sneer. "Good. Let her understand what happens when she steps out of line. I don't want her thinking she can keep interfering with my son's life." His voice was quiet, almost like a whisper, but there was a weight to it—a warning.

"Understood. We'll rough her up, but not too much. Just enough to make her think twice about getting in your way again," the man affirmed, his voice sounding almost detached from the situation.

Victor took another sip of his whiskey, his gaze narrowing as his mind wandered. The taste was bitter, much like the situation. He didn't like this unpredictability, this disruption in the carefully laid-out plans he'd set for Cassian. Seraphina was a problem—one that had to be eliminated in his own way.

"I want her scared, but not broken. I want her to remember that she's nothing but an obstacle. If she thinks she can get close to Cassian again... she'll regret it."

There was a pause on the other end. The henchman was processing the orders. "We'll handle it, sir."

Victor's eyes darkened as he set his glass down, staring out of the penthouse windows at the city below. The lights twinkled in the distance, like the eyes of people he controlled, his empire stretching out before him. Cassian had been his pride, his heir. But with Seraphina's interference, his son was now weak, vulnerable. It was time to remind him who held the real power.

He wasn't worried about Seraphina fighting back; she was only a woman, after all. But if she thought she could stay close to Cassian, she'd learn exactly how ruthless Victor Vale could be.

She had been a nuisance long enough. And Victor always took care of nuisances.