Chapter 3
The masked ball held at the Devereux estate was more than just a gathering of high society — it was an intricate web of power, wealth, and secrets, where alliances were forged and broken with every passing moment. The ballroom was a spectacle of glittering chandeliers, velvet curtains, and golden accents. The guests, clad in their finest attire and cloaked in masks, whispered in hushed tones, eyeing one another, each trying to figure out who was hiding behind the painted faces. But for Cassian Cole, none of it mattered. He wasn't here for the superficial pleasantries of socialization. He was here to watch and wait.
His black suit fit him perfectly, sharp and crisp, an extension of the ice-cold demeanor he wore like armor. With every step he took into the ballroom, the atmosphere seemed to change. It wasn't the kind of entrance that demanded attention, but it was impossible to ignore him. His gaze swept across the crowd, analyzing every face, every movement. There were too many powerful people here, people who didn't understand the game he was playing.
Cassian's eyes briefly met Jaxon's across the room. Jaxon, always the more playful and charismatic of the two, was chatting animatedly with a small group of businessmen. They'd been through a lot together, starting out as orphans with nothing but their wits and grit. Now, they were respected, feared, and admired, but for different reasons. Cassian was the quiet, calculating one, while Jaxon was the loud, charming force of nature.
"You came a bit late," Jaxon said with his usual smirk as Cassian joined him by the bar.
"Am I?" Cassian replied with his signature coldness, his voice barely betraying any emotion. "I'm not here for the party. Just here to see what I need to see."
Jaxon laughed. "Guess so. But you should've told me you'd be crashing this event. I was expecting to just have fun with you tonight, you know?"
Cassian nodded, his gaze drifting through the room. "Fun," he echoed, but his mind was elsewhere. There was something different about tonight — something that pulled at him more than usual. A shift in the air, a tension that hadn't been here before.
Across the ballroom, Aria sat quietly, hidden in plain sight. She was being prepped by her maids, who gently fussed over her every detail. Her long hair was styled carefully into an elegant updo, with soft waves cascading around her face. Her gown, a deep shade of midnight blue, shimmered like the stars in the night sky. It was beautiful, exquisite even, but it only served to highlight how much of a prisoner she was inside these walls.
She had been told to appear at the ball as though it was her duty, but the reality was far from the glittering world that others saw. Aria was, in fact, the hidden daughter of the Devereux family — a carefully protected secret locked away from the world. Her existence was a form of punishment, a consequence of the family's decisions that she couldn't escape. She wasn't allowed to step foot outside the mansion except under strict supervision, and even then, it was always a rare and fleeting visit to the outside world. Tonight, she was once again paraded before a crowd of people she would never get to know, never really be seen by.
She sighed as one of her maids added the final touches to her makeup, her face a mask of false perfection. "You look beautiful, Miss Aria," the maid said, her voice sweet and reassuring, but Aria could only nod absently in response.
"Beautiful," Aria murmured quietly to herself, gazing at her reflection. "I feel like a doll."
"You are beautiful," the maid persisted gently, but it wasn't the words Aria needed to hear. What she really needed was freedom, the ability to live without the constant watchful eyes of her family. Instead, she felt suffocated, stuck in a gilded cage, never allowed to soar beyond the mansion's walls.
⸻
Moments later, Aria was ushered into the ballroom, her maids making sure she was accompanied every step of the way. She could feel the eyes of the crowd on her, the whispers behind the masks. She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. As she entered the room, she immediately spotted Madison, her best friend, who had always been her only source of comfort and normalcy in this suffocating life.
Madison, noticing Aria's arrival, waved enthusiastically. "There you are! I thought I'd lost you for a second!" she said, her voice light, full of energy.
"Just another night," Aria replied, trying to keep the bitterness out of her tone. She knew that tonight was just another occasion where she would be seen, admired, but never truly known.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you company," Madison said with a grin. "I'll make sure no one tries to corner you."
As they walked into the crowd, Madison kept a protective hand on Aria's arm, guiding her through the maze of unfamiliar faces. Aria's eyes darted across the room, looking for a distraction, anything to take her mind off the suffocating reality of her life.
⸻
Meanwhile, Cassian's attention flickered across the room. He was not paying much attention to the social exchanges going on around him; his mind was already at work, assessing the situation, making mental notes of who was important and who was not. But then, as he turned slightly, his gaze landed on Aria.
It was brief, but in that instant, his mind shifted. There was something about her — the way she moved, the way her presence cut through the noise, that pulled his attention. She was beautiful, yes, but there was more to her than just her looks. It was something else — the way she held herself, as though trapped in a life that wasn't her own.
But before he could make sense of the brief moment, Aria was quickly escorted away by Madison, and Cassian's attention snapped back to the conversation at hand. But his mind lingered on her.
Later, Aria excused herself from the crowd, needing to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the ballroom. She slipped through the hallway, unnoticed by the others, and found herself outside on the poolside. The cool night air greeted her, refreshing her senses as she leaned against the edge of the pool, gazing at the water's surface. The reflection of the moon cast an eerie glow on the rippling water, and for the first time tonight, she felt a sense of peace.
"I hate this," she whispered to herself, the words a raw release of all the frustration she had kept bottled up for years. "I hate being hidden away. I'm not some treasure to be locked away in a chest. I'm a person."
Her voice faltered as she gripped the edge of the pool, her knuckles white. She had dreamed of freedom so many times, but each time, it felt farther out of reach.
⸻
Cassian, lurking in the shadows, had followed her. He stood at the edge of the darkness, his eyes locked on her as she spoke, her words cutting through the still night. He didn't mean to overhear, but when she voiced her frustration, it became clear to him that this was more than just a game for her. She was a pawn in her family's machinations, and that could be useful.
His mind began to race, the wheels turning. This was the leverage he needed. He could use her. The Devereux family had kept her locked away all these years, hidden from the world. But he would change that. He would use her as a bargaining chip to finally secure the revenge he had been after for so long.
⸻
Cassian pulled out his phone and dialed Jaxon's number, his voice low and controlled when his friend answered. "We're leaving. Meet me at the car."
"What? Already?" Jaxon asked, his voice full of surprise. "The night's still young, man."
"I've got a new plan," Cassian replied, the wheels of his scheme already in motion. "We're leaving now. I'll execute this on Monday. The Devereux family won't know what hit them."
Jaxon paused for a moment before chuckling. "Alright, man. I'll be there. You're really changing the game, huh?"
Cassian didn't respond, already thinking ahead. He hung up and turned his attention back to the poolside, where Aria was still lost in her thoughts. She was perfect — a beautiful pawn to be used in his game of vengeance. And the Devereux family wouldn't even see it coming.
⸻
The pieces were in place. Cassian's lips curled into a cold smile as he prepared to set his game.