Chapter 2 - Five Queens of the Underworld
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Liya stared at him, the reality of his words wrapping around her throat like a vice.
"Dead by Friday?" she echoed. "You can't be serious. We have nothing to do with your mafia politics!"
Adrian’s eyes darkened.
"There are five women, Liya," he stated coldly. "Five heiresses from five rival families. For the past three years, my uncle Lorenzo has been trying to force me to marry one of them to consolidate our power. I have rejected all of them. I humiliated them by refusing their alliances."
He paced the small living room, his presence making the walls feel like they were closing in.
"These women are not socialites. They are predators," Adrian explained. "Elena Romanov controls the Russian weapons trade. Isabella Falcone runs the southern drug routes. They have spent years trying to find a way to break me, to force me to the altar. And last night, they watched me abandon a multi-million dollar negotiation because you had tears in your eyes."
"So they think I'm your lover," Liya realized, the blood draining from her face.
"They think you are my heart," Adrian corrected softly.
The silence in the room became unbearable. Liya thought of her mother, sleeping peacefully in the next room, completely oblivious to the war that had just arrived on their doorstep.
"What do we do?" Liya asked, her voice losing its fight.
"You pack a bag," Adrian ordered, pulling a secure phone from his pocket. "You and your mother are moving into my penthouse. It is the only fully secure location in the city. I have already dispatched a specialized medical transport team to move her equipment."
"I can't just move in with a mob boss!"
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Adrian stopped, turning to look at her with an expression that brooked no argument.
"You don't have a choice, Liya. You are a target now. And I protect what is mine."
