The Returned Heiress Who Had It All (Cassia) novel Chapter 516

Chapter 516 The Mastermind in the Shadows

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Rosalie’s grandparents were a whirlwind of activity–butchering meat and prepping fresh fish, clearly intent on laying out every delicacy in the town for Cassia.

Watching the two elders bustle about with such frantic enthusiasm, Cassia’s eyes twitched.

“You don’t need to go overboard. I’m not picky, and I hate to see food go to waste.”

She said it only to get Brandon and Ursula to stop treating her like royalty. To her, she was just another guest.

Besides, her appetite wasn’t large; even with Rosalie and Sacha there, a table piled high with meat and fish would be far more than they could finish.

Cassia settled onto the living room couch. Richard poured her a tall glass of fresh juice.

“Here, your favorite. Kiwi juice, pressed this morning from fruit straight off the plantation.” Richard handed over the plastic cup.

“Thanks.”

Cassia took the cup but didn’t drink right away, setting it on the coffee table instead.

Richard took a sip of his own and sat opposite Cassia.

“It’s good, but it’d be even better chilled.”

Seeing Richard drink first, Cassia finally picked up her glass and took a sip.

It was refreshing as ever.

“It’s perfect as it is.”

She finished half the glass and set it down, satisfied, then looked at Richard with a more serious expression:

“I’m curious about something. That road at the entrance–hás it really not been finished in three years?”

From the Chesthale toll booth to the Chesthale Peak entrance was barely three miles. A crew could pave that in a week. Yet three years later, the surface was still raw dirt.

If she hadn’t come to Chesthale Peak today, she’d have assumed the project was long finished.

Cassia figured there had to be a reason for the delay.

The road was technically in Richard’s name, but it was funded with Cassia’s money. She had every right to ask.

“I asked the contractor about that ages ago,” Richard said, taking another sip.

“They said the moment they broke ground, the mayor, Nathan Dillingham, led a mob to occupy the road. It’s been stalled ever since.”

“Nathan is the one blocking the construction?” Cassia crossed her legs, posture cool and composed.

Thinking of the shakedown attempt from that morning, she nodded.

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11:04 am P

Chapter 516 The Mastermind in the Shadows

No wonder those two felt bold enough to play highway robbers in broad daylight.

But still…

“They’re just local townsfolk. They know you’re the CEO of the Scott Group. Where do they get the nerve to block your projec Cassia tilted her head slightly, looking at Richard with curiosity.

“Also, since you’ve known for a long time that Nathan and Bryan have been occupying the road, why haven’t you dealt with it? With your status, handling them should take all of five minutes. Why let them keep terrorizing people?”

“Boss, you think I don’t want to wipe those two out?”

Richard shrugged with a bitter smile. “Nathan and Bryan have been a plague ever since I was just a simple fruit farmer. I hate them more than anyone. But I haven’t been able to uproot them. I can teach them a lesson, but they always crawl back

“So they aren’t afraid of you,” Cassia observed. “Have you run a background check?”

“Of course, I did. And that’s the problem…” Richard trailed off, his face darkening

Seeing Richard’s hesitation, Cassia grew even more curious.

“What? Don’t tell me those two have a backer even more powerful than the Scott Group?”

Richard knew Cassia was teasing him. Normally, he would have just laughed it off.

But this time, Richard didn’t laugh.

Because Cassia had guessed right.

“I only know that the boss behind them goes by the codename ‘Eagle.“”

“Eagle?” Cassia froze for a beat.

“It’s a handle, a codename,” Richard added. “I’ve tried everything, but I can’t find a real name, a face, or even whether they’re a man or a woman,”

He was telling Cassia this because he knew that with Cassia’s resources and connections, she might uncover what Richard couldn’t.

Seeing the normally unflappable Cassia turn this grim, Richard sat up straight.

“What is it? Is this ‘Eagle‘ someone even you can’t touch?”

Cassia shook her head and looked up, “I’m just remembering… I sent Jake to Vrastin to track down the missing poppy shipments. He reported back that the person who bought those three crates from the Millers was someone named ‘Eagle.“”

She paused, then added, “Jake also said there might be another massive, dangerous syndicate behind ‘Eagle.”