QUEEN OF ASHES

The Call

Chapter 4

Camila did not sleep. She sat up in her bedroom all night, looking at the photograph of herself lying in the same bed, with no idea about the shadows that must've occupied precisely the place she sat now.

By morning, all the locks had been replaced. All the corridors wired. Two new guards stood at each door, handpicked by Mara's most reliable informants. And yet, she didn't feel safer.

This wasn't Xavier anymore. There was another face in the fray. And this one intended to scare her off. Bad luck for them, Camila was no longer easy to scare.

Still, she didn't reveal the picture to Mara or Matthew yet.

She was curious about what she was battling before letting people in on her secret.

It was noon when the phone vibrated. A message from an unusual number.

Suite 917. Delirio Club. 3 PM. Come alone if you want to know who's watching you. She gazed at it.

A trap? Definitely. But she couldn't help herself. Because this was no longer revenge, it was survival.

The Delirio Club was the seedier underbelly of mafia nightlife. Private floors, restricted access, and no surveillance. Perfect for dirty meetings and blood-soaked deals. Camila wore black. Sleek. Cold. Calculated. The bouncer blinked not at all as she walked past him and into the private elevator.

The 9 was a red glow. At exactly 3:00 PM, the elevator doors opened. Suite 917 was quiet. Too quiet. She walked in, muscles tensed, hand subtly held around the handle of a blade hidden in her coat cuff, then the door shut behind her. The lights came on, and there he was, sitting in the lounge like he owned the place, Rafael De Luca, Xavier’s estranged cousin, Excommunicated from the syndicate for crossing a line even the De Lucas couldn’t tolerate.

Rumour was he’d disappeared, Gone rogue, Unhinged, Apparently not.

“Camila,” he said smoothly, eyes raking over her. “You’re even more beautiful when you’re cornered.” She didn’t move. “You were the one watching me.”

"Of course." He slowly stood up, walking over to the bar. "Couldn't miss your little rebellion. Suing for divorce. spilling syndicate secrets. threatening Xavier. You've been busy." He poured a drink and left her with none.

"What do you want?" she said.

He raised an eyebrow, sipping casually. "To help you."

She laughed once. "Help me?"

"You wish Xavier destroyed. I wish the De Luca name devastated. Looks like fate provided us with a perfect coincidence."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why would I believe a man Xavier once cast out for treason?"

He smiled like the devil in silk. "Because I, too, was betrayed," he whispered. "And because I'm the only one who knows Xavier's darkest secret." Her blood turned cold.

"What secret?"

Rafael moved closer. "Let's just say… your marriage was never as legal as you thought."

Camila's heart skipped a beat. "Explain."

But he took a step back, laughing. "Not yet. First, you have to prove to me that you mean it. See me tomorrow night. Midnight. I'll tell you the place."

"Why would I play your game?"

"Because someone else is playing with your life," he said, and his eyes turned cold. "And you need a player who knows how to play dirty." And with that, he opened the door and made a gesture to leave.

Camila stopped. Then walked around him, but not without a final glance. "Send that place," she told him. "But if this is a trap, Rafael… I won't fall twice." He smiled. "Then don't fall at all."

By the time she came home, the mansion was quiet. Xavier had not returned or so she thought. She walked into her study to pick up her tablet and froze.

Xavier was waiting for her. Sitting in her chair. Waiting.

“You’ve made quite the mess,” he said.

“Get out,” she said coldly.

He stood and walked toward her, slow and steady.

“You met with Rafael,” he said. “At Delirio.”

Her chest tightened. “You’re spying on me now?” “I’m protecting what’s mine,” he snapped.

“I’m not yours,” she replied.

His hand shot out, grabbing her arm.

“Rafael is dangerous,” he hissed. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

"Neither do you," she said, pulling herself free. "But I'm getting a picture of what you are." Xavier stepped back, gasping. "I won't let you destroy everything," he growled. "The council will never have any use for a woman who betrayed her husband and crept to his enemies. You'll be blacklisted. Chased."

"I'd rather be chased than used."

"You're saying that now. But when you're on your own, bleeding, you'll recall that I warned you."

Camila looked at him, something icy coming over her.

"Then let me say one thing," she said. "The next time you threaten me, ensure I don't have a knife in my hand."

His eyes flared with something, respect? Rage? It did not matter. He left without saying another word. And she did not look back.

That night, she could not sleep. The picture remained under her pillow. The confrontation with Rafael still echoed in her mind. And Xavier's warning hung over her like a spectre. She pulled out her phone. A new message flashed on screen. “Midnight. Warehouse District. Dock 6.” No name. No explanation. Ever.

But she knew the sender. And she knew she'd be there. Whatever truth Rafael held, she had to have it. Even if it reduced everything to ashes.