The Northvale Key

Episode 13

LIANNA! DONT START THE CAR! Cassian screamed, his voice cracking amidst the screech of Liannas emergency brakes.

Just an inch before the tires of Liannas luxury Audi hit the parking lot railing, Cassian slammed his shoulder into the lobby glass. A loud clinking sound filled the air. His body flew through the scattering glass shards, and then he rolled onto the wet asphalt, enduring the stinging pain spreading across his back. Cassians eyes were fixed on a strange object attached beneath Liannas car chassis: a small silver capsule with three wires emitting a blinking red light.

A second later, a deafening explosion shook the earth. It wasnt an explosion that ripped the car apart, but rather an ultrasonic blast followed by a thick plume of purple smoke. The windows of the Valerian Group throughout the first floor shattered instantly, and hundreds of employees leaving for the day were thrown backward. Lianna let out a muffled scream behind the wheel, her hands trembling uncontrollably on the steering wheel.

Cassian crawled quickly across the ground, his breath coming in gasps. The scent of acidic smoke stung his nose. He peered into the car cabin, which was now filled with smoke. Lianna was coughing, her vision blurred and chaotic.

Get out of the car, Lianna! Now! Cassian yelled, his voice hoarse. He grabbed the car door handle, but it was jammed. He slammed his fist against the side window, trying to break it. However, the glass was too thick.

From behind the cloud of purple smoke, two black vans sped forward, pinning Liannas car in. The van doors slid open, revealing five men armed with automatic weapons and wearing black masks. They did not speak, but their movements were a message of death.

Damn it! This isnt just a warning; they want something! Cassian thought, his eyes flashing with alertness.

One of the men pointed his hand toward the silver capsule under Liannas car and smiled coldly. Another small explosion rang out, and this time the capsule detached from the chassis, emitting an energy pulse that caused all nearby electronic devices to shut down completely. The screen of Cassians phone in his pocket suddenly went dark. It was a miniature EMP bomb. They didnt want Lianna dead. They wanted her to see exactly who could take her life at any moment.

Cassian knew he only had a few precious seconds. In the shadows of the darkness and chaos, he immediately activated his secret earpiece with a verbal code.

Agent D. Full priority. Destroy this unit and lock down their movements. Now, he murmured flatly, barely audible.

Before the gunman could reach Liannas car door, police sirens suddenly blared from the distance. It wasnt just one or two cars, but dozens of units from every direction. High-speed anti-terror units began swarming the Valerian Group parking area. The helmeted attackers panicked instantly. They glared at Cassian with hatred before jumping back into the black vans, leaving the silver capsule lying on the ground.

The vans sped away, disappearing behind the crowds. The entire Valerian Group parking lot was now filled with the hum of helicopters and a newly arrived bomb squad. Great-Grandmother stepped out of the lobby, her face as pale as paper. Her eyes swept over the chaos, lingering on Cassian standing tall beside Liannas car, before shifting to the glass shards scattered around her granddaughter-in-law.

Lianna finally managed to get out of the car, gasping for air. She collapsed into Cassians arms, her body shaking violently. Cassian... Cassian... I dont know what happened... But... You saved me...

Cassian stroked his wifes hair. His eyes were fixed on a small object tossed among the glass shards: a single purple rose. The rose was undamaged; its petals were still beautiful and fresh. It felt out of place amidst the chaos, as if it had grown there. It was the exact same rose seen in the phone signal a few days ago. A signal for a meeting.

That night, after the police secured the scene and the Syndicate team finished clearing all traces, Lianna finally fell into a deep sleep at a luxury hotel Great-Grandmother had specially booked for the safety of the entire Ashworth family. Cassian left her with a sense of guilt squeezing his heart. Lianna was being targeted more and more frequently. It was because of Cassian, and the Coven knew his weak point.

Wearing a new suit he had specifically ordered through the Syndicates emergency channels, Cassian walked toward a quiet restaurant in the citys old district. The lights were dim, highlighting only a few empty tables.

At a corner table, Madam North was already waiting, calmly sipping hot black coffee. An aroma of roses filled the air, exactly like the flower Cassian had found at the scene earlier. A rose was tucked into Madam Norths blazer pocket.

Take a seat, Mr. North. Your performance tonight was quite tidy for a mere clerk, Madam North said, without even looking at Cassian. Her voice was cold, yet there was a hint of evaluation in it.

Cassian sat across from her, his gaze weary but full of determination. The Coven. Theyve truly made their move.

Madam North set down her cup. Her eyes stared sharply, piercing through Cassians own. Fifteen years ago, Mr. Northvale. Your family was the heart of global finance, the guardians of market balance, the Iron Roots. But that power triggered jealousy. A shadow group calling themselves the Coven Entity thought they could destroy the Northvale network. They attacked your headquarters in Brussels, massacring everyone. Your father and mother... were the first victims. You only survived because their brilliance allowed them to hide you in an adoption program and replace all your identity data with random entries.

Cassians jaw tightened. Memories of the scent of blood and smoke from that horrific night returned to haunt him. They said it was an accident. A robbery...

Propaganda. They engineered those deaths to look like a common incident. But we know who the mastermind was, Madam North continued. She pointed to the pendant around her neck, a logo of a lion in a crown entwined with thorns. Every Coven member who killed our family has this emblem on their chest. Like the person who sabotaged the elevator a few days ago, or the man who tried to kidnap Lianna at your apartment, or even the scout who wanted to plant the EMP bomb on your wifes car today. They have closed in.

Cassians breath hitched. Why are they only appearing now? Ive been in hiding all this time.

You activated the Northvale Key. You took over the position that has been vacant for fifteen years, Madam North sipped her coffee again. The Coven will try everything to weaken you. Attacking Valerian is just the beginning. Harassing your family at Valerian and trying to destroy your wife financially and emotionally is their way of getting your attention. Because they know you care.

Loyalty to the Syndicate, the murdered Northvale family, the demand for revenge... Or Liannas safety, a life he fought desperately to maintain? Both paths felt like they were tearing his heart apart.

What should I do? Cassian asked, his voice now filled with genuine desperation. If I destroy them all as Mr. North, Lianna will know everything. My identity as Cassian will be ruined.

That is the nature of a king. No king rules without paying in blood and sacrifice, Madam North stared at him intently. The Valerian Group is now just an ant nest waiting to be crushed. The Coven will attempt to infiltrate even further.

Then, what is your plan?

Madam North pulled a worn envelope from her blazer pocket, the exact same kind sent to Mr. Chen. However, this envelope only had one name written on it: Northvale. This is the list of top Coven names in this region, sir. And these are your instructions. The Valerian Group is a place far too small.

This city is too small for a grand hunt. The Coven has a vast reach and massive resources. You have to play on their turf.

Madame North glanced at Cassian’s crisp, new suit. "If you want to defeat them, you have to blend in. Keep wearing those velvet gloves as that useless 'Note-taker.' Maintain your facade of poverty. Use it as camouflage, Cassian. They won’t see the true hunter until it’s far too late. That’s the only way we’ll find the mastermind who ordered your family’s massacre."

Madame North stared at her antique watch. "Fifteen years have passed. The fires of revenge will burn the entire world. But in their eyes, you will be a nobody, Little King."

Madame North stood up, stubbing out her cigarette in a coffee cup. "Do you understand, Mr. North? Until the right moment comes... do not let that mask of 'poverty' slip."

Cassian gripped the envelope tightly, his knuckles turning white. Every inch of his body screamed to unleash his power, demanding retribution. But Madame North was right. He had to stay hidden. For Lianna. For the grand plan. For the price of his parents' blood.

He would have to endure all those insults once more.

Cassian closed his eyes as despair and rage coiled together in his chest. The smell of smoke, the scent of roses, and the flash of a gun from fifteen years ago seemed to pierce his mind. The game was becoming real. Blood would flow. But he couldn't take the easy path. He had to remain the powerless man everyone despised—in the eyes of Lianna and the Ashworth Matriarch. He had to keep suppressing the fire burning in his chest.

Cassian looked up, his eyes following Madame North’s silhouette as she disappeared into the dark hallway outside the restaurant. His right hand trembled as he touched the pocket of his suit. He found a business card with the new Valerian Group logo—Lianna’s office, the one he had saved, yet the place that still loathed his presence. It was all a facade.

Then his gaze returned to the list of Coven names on the worn envelope on the table. The first one was labeled: Kenneth Stark, owner of Apex Partners.

Stark will get what's coming to him... But this time, I will make him bow, not kill him. This is only the beginning, Cassian thought coldly.

Lianna smiled at him, her hands trembling with tears of joy as she looked at the bouquet of red roses on her tiny living room table. A courier had delivered them that morning with a note attached in neat handwriting: To the spirit that never fades. From your Secret Admirer.

"A secret admirer," Lianna smiled bitterly. "If only he knew how much I appreciate this." She took a single rose and handed it to Cassian. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Cassian took the rose, feeling the softness of the petals against his fingertips. He closed his eyes for a moment; the scent of those same purple roses flashed through his mind, a reminder of his conversation with Madame North at the restaurant the night before. It was the scent of a warning, not of love. How much longer could he deceive her and protect her with these lies?

"Yes, very beautiful," Cassian replied, offering a small smile to Lianna. He inhaled the scent of the rose deeply, trying to love the artificial fragrance his wife adored. It was a scent far more refreshing than the blood that clung to his family history.

Stay hidden, Mr. North. This war will come from the shadows.