THE MAFIA QUEEN

Luna sat in the dim glow of the chandelier at Salvador Mansion, her own house finally silent around her. For the first time in days, she wasn't in anyone else's space, wasn't forcing smiles or swallowing words. And yet, the emptiness of her home felt heavier than the chaos of MJ's.

The memory clawed at her chest - Kavin leaning in, the brush of his touch, that flicker of intimacy she couldn't stomach. Her stomach twisted. It wasn't revulsion toward him exactly, but toward herself. The ugliness of the feeling made her press her nails into her palms.

How pathetic.
How utterly weak.

Because even after everything Keifer had done, after every scar, betrayal, and shattered truth, she still loved him. The realization was like a dagger driven into her own ribs. Love, when she should only feel rage. Longing, when she should only crave his destruction.

She dragged in a trembling breath, but it came out broken. Why him? Why still him? It felt like a betrayal of her own pain, a betrayal of Liam. She could almost hear Liam's voice echoing inside her skull, mocking, taunting, scorning her for faltering. "You'll never be strong enough, Luna. Not against him. Not against yourself."

Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears fall.

"No," she whispered to the silence. "Not now."

Yes, she needed her revenge. But she also needed her survival. And right now, that meant something even more urgent: saving her father's legacy. The Salvador empire, the company he had bled decades into, was teetering - greedy partners clawing at it like vultures. If she stumbled here, if she lost that ground, she'd lose everything before she even touched Keifer.

The revenge could wait. For now, she would play the cold strategist. For now, she would silence Liam's voice, even if it scraped her raw inside.

But the thought left her hollow, the guilt gnawing at her ribs like worms in the dark. Revenge aside, company first. Love buried, mask on. And yet, somewhere deep, she couldn't shake the feeling that every choice she made was another betrayal - of Liam, of herself, and worst of all, of the part of her that still, against all reason, belonged to Keifer.

The Salvador Enterprises boardroom had never been this suffocating. The air hummed with whispers, papers shuffled, and the faint sound of expensive watches tapping impatiently on the polished mahogany table.

Four names. Four candidates.
And only one throne.

The Vice Chairman adjusted his tie with smug ease, certain his tenure made him the natural heir. The loyal senior employee of twenty years sat stiff-backed, his eyes brimming with the hunger of a man who had sacrificed everything for the company. The Chief Marketing Officer smirked, charisma dripping off him, already gathering nods and support.

And then there was Luna Salvador.

The only daughter of the chairman. Well, adopted daughter.The woman everyone whispered was too young, too emotional, too reckless. The one they believed would fold under pressure.

The speeches rolled one by one. The Vice Chairman rattled off his experience, the years he'd "carried" the company through storms. The veteran spoke of his dedication, his loyalty, the decades of service etched into his wrinkles. The CMO flashed graphs and market charts, smooth-talking his way into the board's graces. Every nod, every murmured "well done" seemed to tilt the balance in his favor.

By the time the CMO finished, he was practically glowing with victory. The throne is mine, his eyes said, mocking her.

Then it was Luna's turn.

She rose, spine straight, heels clicking against the marble floor with an elegance that demanded silence. Her expression betrayed nothing - no nerves, no fear. Only steel. She flicked the projector on, her presentation glowing against the wall.