The air of focus, dedication, and attention had now vanished, fully replaced by an atmosphere of anxiety, fearful silence, and uncertainty.
Still, it was a small price for the series of failures that, one by one, turned the obstacles Cassie had prepared for the rival clan into nothing more than stepping stones.
The crowd of protesters didn't seem to faze them in the slightest, bringing forth about as much effect as an army of ants attacking a sleeping lion with all the courage and ferocity they could muster.
That, however, was still within Cassie's calculation, as she never expected the crowd to amount to anything more than a mere distraction.
Then there were the government officials, people from one of the few armed agencies of the government's fist, with both the means and authority to shut down any business, regardless of whether its owner was breaking the law or simply being a law-abiding citizen.