The chill wind off the docks whipped Maria's hair around her face, but she stood her ground. Across from her, Nia Mbeki watched with amused detachment, as though sizing up an insect she could crush at will.
"You think Chuka is the villain," Nia said smoothly, taking a slow step forward. "He was nothing without my network. I built the empire. I gave him the resources. He was just the bait."
Maria's jaw tightened. "You used him to destroy lives."
"I used him to control pawns," Nia replied, unbothered. "And right now, you're one of them—unless you decide to work with me."
Maria blinked. "What?"
Nia gave a slow smile. "You want Chuka gone? So do I. He's sloppy. Emotional. Dangerous. He's made too many mistakes and he's drawing heat to my organization. I need him removed."
Maria stared at the woman, trying to read behind her cold, calculating eyes.
"You want me to help you take him out?" she asked.
"Exactly. In exchange, your name gets erased from every trace of our records. You disappear. You live happily ever after with your billionaire."
Maria's heart pounded. The offer was terrifying… and tempting.
But something about it didn't feel right.
"And what happens after Chuka's gone?" she asked. "What happens to the next girl who crosses you? Or the next man who defies you?"
Nia tilted her head. "You don't get to ask questions like that, Maria. You get to choose—be part of the solution, or stay on his hit list. That's the deal."
---
Back at the penthouse...
Alexander paced the room like a caged lion. His phone calls had all gone unanswered. Maria had vanished.
Then the door opened.
She stepped in, pale but composed.
"Where were you?" he asked, crossing to her. "I called your phone a dozen times—"
"I met Nia," Maria said, cutting him off. "She offered me a deal. Help her get rid of Chuka in exchange for our safety."
Alexander's fists clenched. "You went alone?"
"I had to. I needed to hear it for myself. Alex... she's the one in control, not Chuka."
Alexander stared at her. "And what do you want to do?"
Maria sat down, taking a slow breath. "I want him gone. But I won't make a deal with the devil to do it."
Alexander knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.
"Then we find our own way. We bring them both down."
Maria nodded.
Together.
---
Later that night…
In a shadowy corner of the city, Chuka listened to the audio recording Nia had secretly sent him—Maria's voice, raw and fearless, refusing the deal.
His face twisted.
"She thinks she can outplay me," he murmured, loading a pistol. "She thinks that billionaire will keep her safe."
He snapped the gun closed.
"I'll show her what happens when pawns try to play queen."