gan's

Years

my veiled cheeks. The man tied to the chair, hands bound

mixing with sweat on his dirt-smeared face. "I didn

hrough the slit. I wasn't the same woman I was years ago who would flinch

and deliberate

to say my name,

t was a mistake! I was desperate... they

wrist, the knife sl

g his shirt crimson. He gurgled, trying to scream, but

gged them for mercy,"

until the last trace of life left his eyes. The

f them

til I

Make sure the others get the mess

ttered, already moving to d

d. That kill hadn't made me feel

lled off the veil and collapsed onto the leathe

But from memory, no matter the men I had sla

ago, I h

dignity had been crushed under his shoe like I was nothing but a discarded toy. I wan

e van p

turn around, something hit the back of my head. Sha

o windows. My body was wrapped in bandages. My skin itched and

Sl

ung, not much older than me. He had a scar running from his jaw to the base of his

e's wife," he

y sit up. For a moment I thought

. "Good. I don't like

him. "Why di

rd me. "Because I figured the

dn't.

I see potential. Work for me. Become someone he c

hen. But deep dow

k the

how to poison, how to shoot, how to disappear. I learned to command. I learned to lead. I handled drug trades

prepared me for the d

med the nausea on stress. I

ai no

ing, tossing a test kit

at it,

di

iti

preg

hispered. My voic

ng for a long time.

loser and looked

e they'll fear even before they know your name. And

I

led. My name still feared across all cities,

me. I didn't need to

little boys trailing behind him in matching hoodies. Th

id first, his vo

ran to me, arms wide

heartbeat. Ethan and Cole. Six years ol

I said, crouch

oodles," C

g!" Etha

ery bag. "There's cup noodles in

hed out

urned

wo days. Every

owly. "And

hion business is legal, clean, and profitable. Apartment's in uptown Manhattan

s for a second,

g to the

ather succumbed and gave him the empire even without my presence, alongside the conniving Mirand

nd school fo

emy. Nobody will question their ide

f whiskey. My hands shook just a

red?" Ka

him. "No. Ju

y, watching the amber liq

use crying. But still... he ruined me.

bed, foldin

him now. He wouldn't

, he will. The day I bring him to hi

rrow. Your first public appearance will be at the grand reopening

back to t

rld meet th

my vengeance lifted, slowly, silent