The Halka Family Mansion
Dora sat on the chaise lounge, her eyes red from holding back tears. The entire sitting room was a total mess, littered with the remnants of shattered vases.
Dressed in a tailored black suit—complete with a silver chain connecting his suit button to his pocket and a sleek black dragon head walking stick in his grip, Mr. Halka walked in, taking note of the destruction on the floor. "Who offended my baby doll? Tell Daddy, and I’ll definitely repay the person tenfold," he said, taking the seat next to hers.
Dora took a deep breath and forced a smile to her lips. "Dad, can you investigate Nova for me?"
"Nova?" Mr. Halka’s brows knitted tightly. The name wasn’t familiar. He pulled out his phone, fired off a quick text to someone, and slid it back into his pocket. "That name doesn’t ring any bells. What’s the matter?"
"Cassian is married, and she’s the woman he married."
"Cassian’s married?" Mr. Halka’s voice carried a hint of surprise. "Well, that is a surprise, but why are you so angry? You can just give her some money to divorce him. If she refuses, just select some men to deal with her. Don’t worry, Daddy will back you up."
"No." Dora shook her head. "She’s not normal," she said, clenching her fists tightly. "Somehow, I have a feeling that if I act recklessly against her, I’ll be the one to suffer."
Mr. Halka’s frown deepened. "Out of the seven mafia dons in the world, I’ve never come across someone’s daughter named Nova. She’s definitely from a normal, wealthy family. Don’t panic over a random girl. Dad will handle it for you."
Dora clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. "I don’t think she’s that easy, Dad. Even Mr. and Mrs. Vitale were completely subdued by her. They readily canceled matching me up with Cassian when she went up against them," she informed him.
"She’s that tough?" Mr. Halka muttered. "That’s quite a surprise. It will be troubling to get rid of her if the entire Vitale family is protecting her." His gaze fell on his angry daughter, and he sighed.
"Alright, don’t think too much about it. No matter how tough she is, she’s nothing but an ordinary girl. She can never match up to you. Don’t be angry anymore, Daddy will definitely take care of everything for you. As for Cassian, you will definitely marry him."
Dora took a deep breath and finally smiled in relief. "I trust you, Dad," she murmured.
Just then, the entrance door opened, and a young, black-haired man entered. Dressed in a slightly faded school uniform and carrying a small school bag, his hair was styled in a messy two-block cut with a curtain fringe. He lowered his head, noticing the mess on the floor. He could easily guess someone had successfully ruined Dora’s day, and a faint, barely noticeable smile touched his lips.
Dora snorted coldly, glaring at the young man. "Go get this damn place cleaned and tidied up," she ordered.
"Where’s my mother?" the young man asked. His voice was low and hoarse, sounding like he hadn’t spoken to anyone in a long time.
"Oh, she isn’t dead yet. I just relocated her to the auction house. She made my day worse, so of course, I had to discipline her properly."
The young man’s eyes widened slightly in anger as hot tears welled up. "You want to sell my mother?" His voice cracked, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Dora rolled her eyes. "What is she? really worth auctioning? Even if I wanted to sell her, no one would buy her for a single coin. Crawl down, Alan, and clean the damn floor."
Alan glared at Dora. His blue eyes were piercing and deadly. Though he didn’t speak, his gaze revealed an undeniable, intense hatred.
Staring back into those blue eyes, Dora’s whole body went cold instantly, and she froze. It wasn’t because she was scared of Alan, nor was she disturbed by his hatred. It was because looking into those blue eyes made the image of Nova pop into her mind, and she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of fear.
"Get out! Get out now!" she shouted, her anger returning as she grabbed the ceramic flower plate on the table and threw it at him.
Alan didn’t dodge. The plate hit him right on the head, shattering instantly. He cast one last glance at Dora and Mr. Halka, who seemed entirely unbothered by his presence, and turned back. Holding the door handle, a small smile appeared on his face. "She’s scared of something... interesting," he thought, opening the door and exiting the room.
"Don’t injure yourself, daughter. See how worked up you are," Mr. Halka said soothingly. "Go to your room and get some rest, okay?"
Dora took a shuddering breath. "Okay, Dad," she said, standing up and walking toward her room.
Mr. Halka’s face turned dark the instant Dora was out of sight. "To make my normally good daughter this angry... Nova, ah, Nova. It seems like I’ll have to personally take action against you," he murmured, staring blankly into the distance with venom in his eyes.
.....
"Boss... Cassian noticed our spy," a female voice echoed, speaking into the darkness.
A single candle flickered to life, slightly illuminating the gloomy room. Sitting in a chair was a man with his back facing the lady who had just made the report.
"Mhm," his thick voice rumbled. He seemed to be examining something in his hands.
"The last information she left was the name of Cassian’s wife... her name is Nova. But she... she isn’t simple, and she seems to have an intimate relationship with Raymond as well," the lady reported.
There was a short silence before the man’s hand moved, holding up a photograph of Nova. His face remained completely shrouded in darkness.
"Tell me... Am I in love already? I’ve suddenly lost interest in taking Cassian’s properties. I want her instead."
The lady blinked in surprise. "Boss... this lady’s identity hasn’t been verified yet. Moreover, her sister is in the hospital and her parents are in jail, yet she doesn’t care for any of them. Also, her previous name was Anah, but she later changed it to Nova."
A low chuckle filled the room. "Doesn’t that make her the exact kind of mystery I love? Such a heartless little kitten. Check her next location. I should make an appropriate appearance."
The lady remained silent for a moment before bowing. "Yes, Boss." She left silently.