"No! What is this loser doing here?" Serena screamed inside her head, her expression frozen while her thoughts raced. "How? How did he end up here? He's about to ruin everything. My plan, my future—he'll destroy it all if I don't act fast. Think, Serena. Think!"
Serena sat still on her throne-like chair, her legs crossed elegantly, eyes locked on Jace with forced calm. But inside, panic clawed at her like fire on dry wood.
Josh stood stiffly beside Jace, utterly confused and tense. He hadn't expected this. No one had.
Jace, oblivious to the danger, pointed at her and shouted, "You! You're the one trying to marry my dad! What are you doing here?"
Josh spun around and hissed, "Shut up! Are you insane?" Then, turning to Serena, he added nervously, "Ma'am, he doesn't know what he's saying—he thinks you're someone else. Please, just give me a moment to—"
"She is my soon-to-be stepmom!" Jace snapped, cutting him off. "Next week, she's marrying my father. So what the hell is she doing here?!"
Josh's face went pale. "She's… she's the Mafia boss, Jace. You need to shut up right now before we both get killed. Do you even understand where we are? Watch your damn mouth."
Before another word could be spoken, three armed guards raised their weapons and pointed them directly at both of them. The air thickened instantly.
"Wait! What did you just say?" Jace started to shout again, but Serena's voice cracked through the room like thunder.
"Mr. Jace, do not speak when I speak, you cockroach." Her voice was low but deadly. She slammed her palm onto the table in front of her, making the entire room flinch. "You're a cockroach to me—and I'll crush you like one if you don't learn to shut your filthy mouth."
Josh held his breath. Jace looked stunned.
One of the guards stepped forward. "Ma'am, should we—?"
"Leave," Serena interrupted coldly. "All of you. Except him." Her finger pointed directly at Jace. She glanced once at Josh. "You stay too. For now."
The room emptied quickly, leaving only Serena, Jace, and Josh.
Jace stared at her, the betrayal rising in his chest like venom. "So it's true. You're not who I thought you were. You're a criminal—a damn underworld boss."
Serena rolled her eyes with pure disdain. "And you think I care what you thought I was?" she sneered. "You think I wanted your approval, little boy? You're not even a speck of dust in my world."
Jace's fists clenched. "I'm going to tell my father everything. You're not feminine, you're not attractive—you're a monster."
Serena laughed dryly. "You think I care about being feminine? I command empires. I spill blood with one word. You don't know power until you've stared it in the face—and baby, I am power."
She stood up slowly, heels clicking with authority on the cold floor. Dressed in a crisp white blouse, a tight black skirt, and tall heels that echoed with each step, she walked toward him with predator-like grace.
Her voice dropped, deadly calm: "Kneel."
Jace didn't move. "You wouldn't dare."
Her eyes darkened. "You think I'm bluffing?" She tilted her head slightly. "Get on the ground. Now."
Josh stayed silent, looking at Jace with panic in his eyes.
Jace stared into Serena's face—and what he saw made his blood freeze. There was no trace of mercy. Only the eyes of a beast, a killer.
He hesitated… then slowly sank to his knees.
In a flash, Serena kicked him across the face. The sharp heel cracked against his cheekbone, drawing blood.
He collapsed onto his side, groaning.
Josh winced, but said nothing. He knew this was only the beginning.
"Now get out of this room," Serena said coldly, turning her eyes to Josh. "Let me deal with this loser who thought it was smart to raise his voice at me. He's about to regret that decision for the rest of his miserable life."
Josh didn't argue. Without a word, he stepped back and exited the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.
Now it was just Serena and Jace.
She rose slowly from her throne, the room falling into a chilling silence as her heels clicked against the marble floor. Jace remained on his knees, the sting of her last kick still fresh on his cheek.
He lifted his head slightly, glaring at her. "I never liked you," he spat. "Not from the beginning. Something about you always felt wrong. But this—this is worse than I ever imagined."
Serena raised an eyebrow, amused. "Go on," she said with a smirk, arms folded.
"You're as young as me, yet you're marrying my father. You're lying to him—manipulating him. He's not the man he used to be, and you're taking advantage of that. What kind of person are you? You're my soon-to-be stepmother, and you're running the underworld?" Jace's voice was a mixture of disgust and disbelief. "It's pathetic."
Serena's smile faded instantly.
"I said, shut your mouth!" she barked, and in one swift motion, she kicked him again—this time harder, the sharp point of her heel cutting his lip. "Keep talking, and you'll lose more than your teeth. I can promise you that."
Jace winced, blood trickling down his chin. Still, he stared up at her defiantly.
Serena circled him like a lion sizing up a wounded animal.
"You wouldn't dare tell your father," she said calmly. "Do you want to know why? Because the moment you do, you're dead."
She knelt beside him, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Some of the security guards working in your house? They answer to me. They've been watching your family for months. And if you breathe one word of what you saw here… well, let's just say your funeral would be a closed casket."
Jace clenched his fists in silence. Rage burned in his chest, but fear was creeping in.
Serena stood again, dusting off her skirt. "But I'm feeling generous today, so I'm offering you a deal. Stay silent, and I'll let you join the mafia. That was the original arrangement anyway—Josh told me someone was bringing in $600,000, and here you are. We need the cash. Times are tight, and war is coming."
Jace spat on the floor. "Hell no. I'm not joining anything. And I swear to God, I will make sure my father never marries a monster like you."
Serena leaned in slowly, her tone laced with venom. "Then you've signed your own death sentence."
She smiled—a cold, wicked smile. "The moment you walk out that door, you're a target. Every room you sleep in, every window you look out from—you'll never know who's watching you, but someone always will. Because I'll make sure of it. Your life will become a cage, and I hold the key."
Jace swallowed hard, the weight of her threat settling in his gut.
"You think this is a game?" she whispered. "I run empires, Jace. I don't blink when I take lives. Do you really think I'd hesitate with yours?"
Serena straightened up, still smiling as she walked back to her throne.
"Now kneel properly, and keep quiet until I decide what to do with you."
Jace dropped his eyes to the ground, blood on his lips, humiliation in his chest. He didn't respond.
And in that silence, Serena knew she had won—for now.