VALERIAI kept my fist clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palm. The sting was nothing compared to the weight pressing against my chest.I hadn’t lied.But I hadn’t told the whole truth, either.I had known for a long time why the elders sold our information. I had overheard it in whispers behind closed doors, in meetings I was never meant to witness. It wasn’t just because we were dangerous, not just because Celestina could break into any system and I could take out a target without leaving a trace.No, it was because one of them—one of those power-hungry bastards—wanted control of Valeztina. And to do that, they had to remove us first.So they sold us.To him.To the man Victoria despised more than anyone.I knew who it was, knew the name that would send a chill down Celestina’s spine if I ever uttered it. But I didn’t. Because if I did, everything would change.And right now, my biggest concern wasn’t Victoria’s past.It was Celestina.She didn’t know the full extent of what w
CELESTINAA heavy silence filled the room as I stared at Victoria.I had made a promise—one that I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep. But there was something clawing at my mind, something I needed to confirm.Victoria had always been a mystery, a woman wrapped in shadows and deception. But the way she hesitated, the way her body tensed at my question—there was something more she was hiding.And I intended to find out.I took a deep breath, locking my gaze onto hers."But on one condition," I said firmly. "I will promise to take care of Valeztina if you take off your mask right now."A sharp intake of breath came from beside me."No!" Valeria’s voice cracked with something close to panic. She took a step forward, her grip tightening on her gun. "She shouldn't there must be a reason why she""Aren’t you curious what she looks like?" I interrupted, cutting her off with a quiet, piercing question.She froze.I knew Valeria. Knew how her mind worked. Knew that despite everything, she was curiou
VALERIA‘I already knew that you already know that I was your biological mother. Please don’t tell Celestina about it—not until I finally leave.’Her words kept replaying in my mind, digging into my skull like an old, rusted knife. So she knew. She knew I had figured it out long ago, yet she still played along with her lies, pretending as if she was nothing more than our ruthless mentor, our manipulative leader.And now, she was leaving us?“Valeria! Don’t space out—keep moving! We have no time!” Victoria’s sharp voice cut through my haze as she yanked me forward, dragging me out of the house and into the night.Gunfire erupted behind us, bullets ripping through the air like vengeful spirits. The enemy was closing in, their relentless footsteps echoing against the rocky terrain.We ran.Through the dense trees, down the slope, and into the hidden cave.Inside, a speedboat sat waiting at the water’s edge, its sleek frame rocking gently against the tide. Celestina jumped in first, immed
CELESTINAThe wheel twisted beneath my grip as I swerved the boat around, the engine roaring in protest. The waves crashed against the hull, spraying saltwater across my face, but I barely registered it.We were going back.We were going to save her.But before I could focus on the plan forming in my mind, Valeria’s voice cut through the wind.“Before I leave to save Victoria, there’s something you need to know.”Something in her tone made my stomach drop.I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. “What?”She exhaled sharply, as if bracing herself. “Victoria… she’s our biological mother.”My hands tightened around the wheel so suddenly that my knuckles ached.No.That wasn’t possible.It couldn’t be possible.The coldness spread through me, seeping into my bones. I thought—no, I assumed—that when Valeria called her “Mom,” it was just desperation, a slip of the tongue in the heat of the moment. But now…I felt my chest constrict.“Liar,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the
JACK I sat in the backseat of my car, fingers tapping against the armrest, my patience thinning with every second that passed. The air inside was thick with the scent of tobacco and leather, the slow-burning cigarette in my hand smoldering between my fingers.The night was calm, deceptively so, but my instincts had been sharpened by years of this game. I knew better than to trust stillness.Then the call came.I answered without a word."Boss! Two women came and rescued Victoria! They're heading toward the shore!"I inhaled deeply, the cherry of my cigarette glowing red-hot in the dim light.Two women.I already knew who they were.A slow smirk curled on my lips."Then let them run," I said smoothly, flicking the ash off my cigarette out the window. "There are plenty of ways to get my muse."Victoria…My muse.My obsession.My fucking addiction.I could still hear her moans, the way they used to tremble between gasps, half pleasure, half defiance. She was the only woman who had ever
VICTORIA“Do you think this woman could make it out alive?” Celestina’s voice cut through the fog of my unconsciousness like a jagged blade. It was sharp, blunt, and cold.“She’s breathing,” Valeria murmured beside me, her voice softer, tinged with restrained concern. I felt her touch against my arm. It was light and careful as if she didn't want me to wake up. My brows furrowed as a faint sting throbbed behind my eyes. My lids felt heavy to open, but I still forced them open to see the faces I thought I would never see again. The moment I opened my eyes, the world around me came into slow. There they are, my daughters, my own flesh and blood staring at me like I am some kind of dead person who came back alive. Valeria sat close beside me, she was calm but watchful, her gaze scanning my face like she was looking for signs I’d disappear again.And Celestina stood just behind her, her arms crossed, and her jaw set with that same fire I used to carry in the field.“You sure are we
CELESTINAThe silence felt unbearable.Victoria sat motionless, except for her hands gripping the blanket on her lap so tightly I swore the fabric would tear. Her knuckles had gone white, and the quiet weight in the air gnawed at my chest like a slow, twisting knife.Then Valeria broke the silence that consumed the whole room. “There’s one thing I want to know.” Her voice was low but sharp, different from what she usually sounds. That even I, was turned to look at her and startled by her sudden shift demeanor. Victoria lifted her gaze. Her expression didn’t shift, but something in her eyes flickered like she already knew what Valeria might ask. “Who is our father?” Valeria asked.The moment the words left in her mouth, I saw a raw reaction which I hadn’t anticipated. Victoria’s entire body stiffened, her shoulders rising slightly before trembling like a leaf clinging to a dying branch.It is the same reaction of fear and feeling I felt when I was inside of Neo secret room. “Don’
SEVASTIANIt’s been three months since I followed Hector all the way to Celestina’s apartment, and I still remember every second of that night like it’s carved under my skin.There are memories that blur over time, yet it’s still vividly reminding me that Celestina doesn't trust me or see me as her husband. I clench my jaw tight as I recall how her hand gently touches his face. I buried myself in alcohol hoping it could lessen but none of it eases the one I felt. Rather, I felt more resentful and hated everything that came into my mind. That night left a mark, and no amount of distraction or alcohol could scrub it clean.“You seem to be lost in thought,” Aunt Priscilla said, her voice slicing through the fog in my head. She sat beside me on the long velvet couch like we weren’t waiting for a goddamn lunatic to walk through the door.I barely turned my head. “Isn’t that normal these days?”She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.“He’s coming today,” Natasha chimed in from across the
SEVASTIANI’ve been inside Hector’s penthouse for a couple of hours now, lurking inside of his disgusting small house, and every passing second with him breathing the same air as Celestina makes my blood boil. I was itching to put a bullet between his eyes the moment he stepped in with her like he owned the damn night.They probably didn’t know I was already here watching, waiting. But neither of them said a thing. I kept my eyes fixed on Celestina as she disappeared into one of the rooms, her figure slipping behind the door like a dream I couldn’t reach.Then I turned my attention back to the bastard who thought he could play God.“Celestina, do you want red or white?” he called out, smug and casual like this was some kind of date.“Red. Make it strong,” she replied from behind the door.“Got it!” he said, wearing a smirk that made my fists clench. Then I watched him, that smug little prick, slip something into her drink. A small white capsule, crushed into powder, stirred into th
CELESTINAAfter weeks of finalizing the plan, everything was finally set into motion. I'd started going out with Hector more frequently, attending every event he dragged me to, dressed to the nines and playing the perfect, obedient little lover.There’s a saying: keep your enemies close and strike them without realizing it. Right now, I sat beside Hector at some fancy, overpriced event filled with mafia rats dressed in tailored suits, each one pretending they weren’t covered in blood beneath their silk shirts. My arm curled around his, and I forced my lips to twitch into a coy smile as we made our way through the ballroom.Everyone seemed fooled. Everyone… except the man sitting across the room, lounging like a king in his fortress of shadows, his fingers wrapped lazily around a glass of whiskey, his eyes fixed on me.Jack Kostov.He was watching me — no, studying me. Like I was a riddle he already knew the answer to.I turned my head slightly, pretending to listen to Hector talk a
VALERIAThe air thickened as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. I couldn't stop staring at Victoria.So much of what I thought I knew about her shattered the moment she uttered those words. ‘And now… so are you.’Her voice didn’t rise. It didn’t need that quiet weight she carried sank deep, like stone tossed into still water, rippling all the way through me.I swallowed hard, trying to find something to say. Anything. But my throat felt dry, like ash was lodged in it.“You were… dragged,” I murmured finally, repeating the word like it would somehow make sense of all this. “And you didn’t fight it?”Victoria turned to me, eyes cool but not cold. “I did,” she said. “In every way I could. But when you’re young and someone like Jack sees something in you, it doesn’t matter how hard you kick. He doesn't pull you in. He lures you… until you think you’re stepping into light, only to realize it’s just fire dressed as gold.”Her words settled inside me like smoke.I looked
CELESTINAIt’s been a week since the three of us took shelter in this mansion, our supposed sanctuary, though peace has always felt like a borrowed luxury in this life.Everything felt… normal again, at least on the surface. Victoria had returned to her usual poised, icy self mask on, spine straight, and words that are carefully calculated. Valeria still carried the weight of our shared trauma, but in her own way, she remained the same—sharp-eyed and remained skeptical.I lifted my teacup, sipping the warm liquid before placing it back on the porcelain saucer with a quiet clink. “I plan to return,” I said simply.Victoria didn’t even blink. She calmly placed her own cup down with that same elegance she always carried, as if nothing could ever rattle her. “Are you certain?” she asked, her voice was searching for certainty. “You think you can handle it now?”Her gaze pinned me, unwavering, the kind of stare that could strip you bare if you weren’t ready. But I was. “Yes,” I answere
SEVASTIAN“Sevastian, let him go!” Aunt Priscilla’s sharp voice echoed in the whole room. But I didn’t move nor follow her words. My hand was already fisted in Hector’s collar, dragging him up just enough for his feet to lift slightly off the floor. My jaw clenched so tightly I could feel the tendons stretching down my neck. My blood boiled, and my rage pounding in my ears louder than anyone’s voice.Yet this bastard dared to smirk. That smug fucking smirk like he hadn’t just signed his death certificate.“Didn’t you hear her?” Hector taunted, lips twitching in amusement, his voice thick with mockery.I wanted to crush his windpipe. Right there. Right now.I glared at him, as I tightened my grip. He chuckled like I was a goddamn joke to him. “It seems your godson doesn’t want to collaborate with the Savelli,” he said, glancing over his shoulder.My gaze followed.And there he was.Jack Kostov.Sitting comfortably on the leather couch like he owned the entire fucking city. One han
CELESTINAA gentle touch brushes against my face, it was light and careful.I felt the warmth spread through me, it was so familiar that I felt so hurt. Slowly, I opened my eyes and for a moment, everything was hazy and blurred. But I didn’t need a perfect vision to know who stood in front of me.“Found you,” she said softly, poking my cheek like she used to when I was little.I blinked as I adjusted my vision until the haze cleared. There she was, the same woman I used to see when I was a child. The woman who appeared in my fragments of memory and fading dreams. A phantom I once believed was just a trick my mind played to comfort me when no one else would.I shot upright, my breath catching in my throat, and without even thinking, I threw my arms around her.God… I clung to her like I was drowning and she was the last thing keeping me above water.I don’t understand. I didn’t understand why my eyes were suddenly burning, and why my shoulders trembled, or why I felt like something
VALERIAAfter Celestina found out the truth about our father, and his connection with the Ortega's, something inside her shifted. No, not just shifted. She changed completely.The weight of it was too much. Knowing that Jack Kostov, a notorious Russian mafia figure with his hands in nearly every syndicate imaginable, was not only our father but also tied to the Ortega family. Even I, who heard about it, makes me tremble. Because I also know how powerful that man is. No, he’s no longer human but a devil in disguise. His works, his business are all in-human. It is widely known how that man was haunted by the government yet they couldn’t even put him in prison because Jack was also protected by some governor, mayor, and even some personnel in police. That’s why he was known as the King of Mafia’s. Some of them admired him and other’s hated him, he had so many enemies yet he was still alive for some reason. And I knew, just like how I felt. Celestina also felt the same, we’re twins a
SEVASTIANIt’s been three months since I followed Hector all the way to Celestina’s apartment, and I still remember every second of that night like it’s carved under my skin.There are memories that blur over time, yet it’s still vividly reminding me that Celestina doesn't trust me or see me as her husband. I clench my jaw tight as I recall how her hand gently touches his face. I buried myself in alcohol hoping it could lessen but none of it eases the one I felt. Rather, I felt more resentful and hated everything that came into my mind. That night left a mark, and no amount of distraction or alcohol could scrub it clean.“You seem to be lost in thought,” Aunt Priscilla said, her voice slicing through the fog in my head. She sat beside me on the long velvet couch like we weren’t waiting for a goddamn lunatic to walk through the door.I barely turned my head. “Isn’t that normal these days?”She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.“He’s coming today,” Natasha chimed in from across the
CELESTINAThe silence felt unbearable.Victoria sat motionless, except for her hands gripping the blanket on her lap so tightly I swore the fabric would tear. Her knuckles had gone white, and the quiet weight in the air gnawed at my chest like a slow, twisting knife.Then Valeria broke the silence that consumed the whole room. “There’s one thing I want to know.” Her voice was low but sharp, different from what she usually sounds. That even I, was turned to look at her and startled by her sudden shift demeanor. Victoria lifted her gaze. Her expression didn’t shift, but something in her eyes flickered like she already knew what Valeria might ask. “Who is our father?” Valeria asked.The moment the words left in her mouth, I saw a raw reaction which I hadn’t anticipated. Victoria’s entire body stiffened, her shoulders rising slightly before trembling like a leaf clinging to a dying branch.It is the same reaction of fear and feeling I felt when I was inside of Neo secret room. “Don’