THE MAFIA QUEEN

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Keifer was still on his knees, his body heavy against the cold marble floor, his fingers slack but stained with the blood of the man who had once called himself his father. Kaizer lay motionless beneath him—no heartbeat, no breath, no threat left. For a long moment, Keifer didn’t move, as if he was trying to convince himself that it was over.

A gentle touch broke through the storm inside him. Luna’s hand, hesitant but steady, pressed against his shoulder. He drew in a sharp breath at the contact and slowly forced himself upright, his dark eyes meeting hers. His lips curved into a sad, broken smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I know it’s difficult for you,” Luna whispered, her voice hoarse but still carrying that steel-like firmness. “You’ve been through… too much.”

Keifer shook his head almost immediately, strands of his dark hair falling into his face. “Jay… I’m not sad for that bastard.” His voice cracked, low but burning. He clenched his fists as if trying to anchor himself. “I’m sad that I wasn’t here. That I couldn’t protect you from him. He hurt you… and I couldn’t do a damn thing.”

Luna blinked, her expression wavering, caught off guard by the rawness in his tone. She had expected him to be triumphant, maybe even unfeeling after killing Kaizer. But sadness? Guilt? It left her speechless.

Keifer’s hand rose almost instinctively, brushing his thumb across her cheek. His jaw tightened at the blood smeared over her skin, his touch trembling with rage and tenderness all at once. His dark gaze flickered dangerously, as if the weight of his failure gnawed at him more than the act of patricide.

“I should’ve killed him more terribly,” he muttered, venom dripping from every syllable. “Made him suffer for every damn scar he left on you.”

Before Luna could answer, a violent sound shattered the air—gunshots echoing through the grand hall. Both their heads whipped around, instincts kicking in.

“Off, fucker!” a sharp voice rang out.

From the shadows of the broken doorway, Liam and Gabriele appeared, flanked by a squad of armed men. Their guns were raised, their eyes hard.

“Leave her alone!” Liam barked, his entire body thrumming with protective fury. His jaw was set, his knuckles white around the trigger.

Luna’s eyes widened, realizing instantly—he had misunderstood everything.

“No, Liam—” she shook her head, raising her hands defensively. “You’re getting it all wrong. He doesn’t want to kill me.” Her voice cut through the tension, sharp and commanding.

But Liam’s stance didn’t falter, his breathing harsh. His glare shifted to Keifer, rage blazing as if he was already picturing pulling the trigger.

Luna’s chin lifted, and she jabbed her finger toward the lifeless figure sprawled across the floor. “Look,” she snapped.

Liam’s gaze flicked down, and his body went rigid. Even Gabriele’s cold, unreadable face shifted—his eyes narrowing at the corpse of Kaizer, the monster who had haunted their world for so long.

Silence thickened. The weight of what they were seeing pressed into the room.

“If you’ll excuse us for a bit…” Luna’s tone turned sharp again, a queen reclaiming her throne, her bloody yet unbroken presence silencing doubt.

Liam’s jaw flexed, his eyes darting between her and Keifer. He looked as though he wanted to argue, to scream, to drag her away. But Luna arched a brow, her patience thinning.

“Father,” she said firmly.

Gabriele’s gaze held hers for a long second—testing, questioning—before he finally gave a slow nod. Without a word, he gripped Liam’s arm and pulled him back. The men hesitated, uneasy, but no one dared challenge the mafia queen’s order. One by one, they stepped back, leaving the chamber to its silence once again.