"What could you possibly want? I'm busy here," Serena snapped without looking up.
Lucas stepped in, calm but with a trace of urgency. "Looks like there's a problem."
Serena narrowed her eyes. "What problem? Be specific."
Lucas took a step forward. "The goods—they've been stolen. The ones we were bringing in to flip for millions and avoid the war."
Serena's tone turned ice-cold. "Stolen? By who?"
"Pirates," Lucas said flatly.
Her chair screeched back as she shot up to her feet. "Pirates?! How the hell is that even possible?!"
Lucas stood still, steadying his voice. "I don't know the full story yet, but it's confirmed. The illegal shipment—gone. Not a single crate left."
Serena's jaw tightened. "Those drugs were worth over ten million dollars. That ship was loaded to the brim."
Lucas nodded grimly. "And it wasn't the cops or customs. If it were them, at least we'd know where it ended up. But pirates? That's chaos. And we don't have time for chaos."
Serena stared hard at him. "You think I'm stupid, Lucas? Huh? Is that what you think?"
"No, ma'am," Lucas said quickly, his voice tense.
"Then tell me—how did they get stolen? Are you sure your men didn't sell it off and stage a robbery? Or are you covering for someone?"
Lucas swallowed. "We're running a full investigation. We're not ruling out any possibilities. But I swear, ma'am, I had no hand in this. I'm sorry it happened, but we're doing everything we can."
Serena paced slowly, thinking aloud. "You realize what this means, right? If I don't deliver that money—or the product—there's going to be war. And it's not that I'm afraid of war. It's just… messy. Loud. Wasteful."
"Yes, ma'am," Lucas said quietly.
"How many active Mafia members do we have in this region?" Serena asked sharply, pivoting to him.
"As of this morning's report—over 37,000, ma'am," Lucas replied.
"And in this building? Right behind the casino?"
"Roughly 700, all loyal."
Serena paused. Her expression turned cold, almost unreadable.
"War is now on the table," she said. "The deadline for that payment is six to seven months. That shipment was our leverage. Without it, we're exposed. And I don't like being exposed."
"Yes, ma'am. But it's still possible—"
Before he could finish, Serena stormed to a desk drawer and yanked it open. She pulled out a pistol and walked right up to Lucas.
She pressed the cold metal to his neck.
"Don't you dare play games with me, Lucas. You find out who did this. I don't care if they're in the middle of the damn ocean. Find. That. Shipment."
She leaned closer. Her voice dropped into a hiss.
"Take whoever you need. Burn the whole coast if you have to. But I want my product. The buyer's ready. All that's left is delivery. And if we lose that deal—"
She pulled the gun away, eyes burning. "You don't want to know what happens next."
Then she turned and sat back down, her chair more like a throne than a seat.
Lucas exhaled, barely keeping himself composed. "Yes, ma'am. If you'll excuse me," he said, backing away.
He turned and left, his spine stiff, sweat collecting at the back of his neck.
The war had already started—quietly.
So that's why she wants to marry my dad?
It's true… There's going to be a war. And she's involved in illegal stuff…
Jace thought to himself, lost in his thoughts.
This isn't just some girl. Why is this happening?
He stared blankly at the floor.
"Hey! Hey!" Serena snapped. But Jace didn't respond. His mind was far away.
Without warning, one of Serena's men stepped forward and slammed the butt of his gun into Jace's back.
"Ah! My back!" Jace cried out in pain.
"Mom is calling you," the man sneered. "The boss is talking to you. Show some respect. Don't go getting too comfortable just because you're still breathing."
Jace held his back, groaning, trying to keep himself from yelling again.
"What's taking you so long to sign a single piece of paper?" Serena said coldly. "You already read the damn thing. You and I both know you're going to sign it anyway."
Jace clenched his jaw. The pain still burned, but he pushed it down, forcing himself to act like a man.
"Fine. I'll sign it now," he said. Without hesitating, he picked up the pen and scribbled his name across the contract.
Then, with a glare, he stretched the paper out to Serena.
"Take it."
Serena took the paper, smirked, and said,
"Welcome to my empire. You're mine now. A loyal dog. My dog."
Jace snapped back, "So you were actually telling the truth about the war… You needed money that badly, huh?"
Serena shrugged. "Of course, I was telling the truth. I might lie sometimes, but not about everything. I don't waste lies on things that serious."
Jace glared at her. "I don't care if I signed your contract or if I'm under you now. I'm still not going to let you marry my dad. I know you're just trying to drain his money to pay off your debts."
Serena's expression didn't change. Her voice was calm but mocking.
"'Let me'? Oh, sweetheart. It doesn't matter if you let me or not. He's going to marry me. Your father wants me. And once we're married, I'll drain every last dollar out of him and pay off what I owe. So relax. I've got it handled."
Jace's hands curled into fists. "You'll never be my stepmother," he muttered under his breath.
"Sure. Keep dreaming," Serena said with a smug smile. "Now, shoo. Out."
"Get out. Now," she repeated louder, snapping her fingers.
The men in the room raised their guns again, aiming them at Jace.
"You heard the boss," one of them said. "She's your boss now too. Get moving."
Jace took a deep breath, trying to keep his anger in check. He turned toward the door but paused, shooting one last glare at Serena.
You damn bitch… I swear, I'd punch that smirk off your face if I could. You think you've won? You should know your place.
He didn't speak the words aloud, but they were screaming in his mind.
As he walked out, one thought repeated in his head like a vow