Princess OF The Street

Chapter One Cassandra’s point of view I walked through the gala hall like I owned the air everyone was breathing, of course, I am the heiress of the Vale holding. So, everyone else moved out of its way for me. "Cassandra! There she is…the Princess of Wall Street herself!" “Miss Vale, you look stunning tonight.” I turned toward the voice, smiling and already extending my hand, already performing the role I'd been born to play. Senator Morrison. Chairman of the Banking Oversight Committee. I'd memorized every face in this room before I turned sixteen. "Senator." I let him kiss my cheek. "Your wife looks stunning tonight. Is that Valentino?" "You're too kind, my dear. And too observant." He chuckled, patting my shoulder. "Your father must be so proud. Twenty-six years old and already commanding every room you walk into." I smiled. I always smiled. "My father taught me that Vale Holdings never sleeps. Neither do I." “You are an intelligent woman, keep it up.” I smiled, slightly raising my wine glass up in cheers. “Do enjoy the rest of the rest.” She returned the smiles, slightly raising his own glass in response to mine before walking into the crowd of billionaires, politicians and socialites who had gathered for the annual Charity Gala. I took another sip of wine and let my eyes check out the room. Isabella stood near the orchestra, laughing at something a young investment banker was whispering in her ear. My stepsister had worn red tonight, she always wore red when she wanted attention. I caught her eye, and she raised her glass to me from across the room with a smile that never quite reached her eyes, making me roll my eyes. Suddenly, my phone started buzzing in my clutch. I hissed. I didn't even care to check out who was calling. I didn't come here to entertain any distraction, I ignored it….Whoever it was could wait. Nothing is more important than this night with half of Manhattan’s financial elite watching my every move. No, I won't give anyone the satisfaction of watching me fail. "Miss Vale?" The voice came from directly behind me. I spun around and found myself staring at a man I didn't recognize walking towards me…which was impossible, because I knew everyone worth knowing in Manhattan. He was middle-aged, and looking stressed as if someone was chasing him. I frowned slightly, slowly stepping back. “Excuse me, do I know you?” His hands were shaking as he continued to look left and right. I was so sceptical about him that I almost called the security on him but I didn't know what stopped me. "No. You don't." He grabbed my wrist, and the shock of his touch nearly made me drop my glass. I quickly tried to yank my hands out of his hold but he held them tight. "Hey, easy. I need you to listen to me." "You're not making any sense." I finally yanked my arm free. "Who are you? Who sent you? And what do you want from me?" "There's no time for all these questions!" He widened his eyes in desperation, and several nearby guests turned to look. "They're already here. They know I came to look for you and I have the evidence.” "Who knows? What evidence?" He shoved an envelope into my hand and my fingers closed around it automatically. “What is this?” I asked sharply, feeling agitated already. His behavior was starting to get to me badly. He looked over his shoulder like he expected someone to come out of nowhere and drag him away. "Dangerous people who are inside your father's company are going to destroy Vale Holdings from the inside." His voice sounded low and urgent. I stared at him. “Excuse me? What are you talking about?” "Everything is in that file. You don't have time, don't show it to anyone, and don't trust…" Suddenly, there was a fast piercing sound. It was a gunshot. For a second everything stopped, I thought my mind had misheard it. That my brain had simply created chaos where there was none. Then the scream came and suddenly the ballroom exploded. Now everyone was running, pushing, shouting, crying, and jumping chairs. The glass in my hand fell and hit the floor, shattering into pieces. My heart slammed against my ribs. I was literally shaking. "Gun! Someone has a gun!" "Get down! Everybody get down!" "Call security! Call the police! Oh God, oh God.." I turned back to the man. He wasn’t looking at me anymore. Then he made a sound I will never forget…I looked down and saw him in his own pool of blood, gasping for air and holding his neck where the bullet had hit him. His mouth was opening and closing like a fish pulled from water. I dropped to my knees beside him when I figured he was trying to say something. "Who did this?" I held his elbow slightly. "Who shot you? What were you trying to tell me?" His eyes found mine. They were terrified, desperate eyes. The eyes of a man who knew he was dying and had one last thing to say to the living. "They… they will kill…" His voice was barely a whisper. I leaned closer, my ear was nearly touching his lips. "Who?" I demanded. "Who will kill? Kill who?" "They will kill…" The second gunshot was louder than the first. It felt so close that I felt the bullet's displacement of air against my cheek and his blood splashed across my face. It happened in slow motion. I screamed in horror. The man's body jerked twice and then stopped. He was dead but his eyes were still open and staring at me. But there was no one looking out from behind them anymore. And I stood there in the middle of chaos, staring at a man I didn’t know who had just died trying to warn me. “They will kill…” The words echoed in my head. Over and over.