MAFIA QUEEN

CHAPTER 11- truth

It was Kian. He orchestrated a car accident — precise, deliberate. And then she saw it. A car careened off the road. Kian’s face was cold, calculating, as he looked around, pretending he had just arrived at the scene.

And then… a baby. Her.

Her chest constricted. The memory flashed: her parents, the sudden tragedy years ago, the emptiness that followed. It all clicked. Kian. He had killed her parents.

Tears filled her eyes. She wanted to cry out, to confront him, to demand answers, but her instincts screamed at her to stay silent. If Kian noticed, if he realized she knew, he might do something dangerous, just like he had tried to erase the evidence.

Instead, she sat frozen, heart hammering, the weight of the truth pressing down on her chest.

She couldn’t stay under Kian’s roof any longer. She needed safety. She needed Luke.

Her resolve hardened. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she whispered to herself, “I’m going to live with Luke. I won’t let Kian control my life anymore.”

The next morning, Gwen woke up early, around 4 a.m., her mind buzzing with anticipation and nerves. Today was the day she would finally move in with Luke. She swung her legs out of bed carefully, still half-asleep, and glanced around her room at the mountain of belongings she needed to bring with her. Three large suitcases sat open on the floor, each already partially packed, waiting for her meticulous attention.

She moved quietly, trying not to wake anyone else in the house. Every item she packed — clothes folded just so, documents stacked neatly, and personal items tucked carefully into smaller bags — felt like a step closer to freedom. To safety. To a life where Luke was no longer a fleeting presence but something permanent.

Hours passed in a blur. She paused only once, taking a sip of water from the bottle on her nightstand, wiping a stray strand of hair from her face, and looking at the suitcase labeled with delicate handwriting: Essentials. Her heart fluttered. Today, everything would change.

By 6 a.m., she had finished. The three suitcases were packed to the brim, yet manageable, and she stepped back to admire her work. Perfect. She wasn’t going to be late for work. She wasn’t going to give anyone — especially Kian — a reason to interfere.

Careful not to make a sound, she moved the heavy luggage down the stairs, feeling the weight of her decision with every step. At the bottom, she almost froze when she saw Kian sitting at the breakfast table. His eyes didn’t widen, didn’t betray any surprise. He probably assumed she was leaving simply for work.

“It’s today… you’re leaving?” Kian asked casually, his voice calm, as if the moment wasn’t significant.

Gwen straightened her posture, offering a polite greeting before nodding. Her mind kept her careful, poised.

“Yes. I… realized coming and going back would be complicated, so it’s better I stay there for a while,” she said, keeping her voice steady. She avoided revealing the urgency, the emotional pull she felt toward Luke.

Kian nodded slowly, expression unreadable. “It’s good. You’re working hard.”

Gwen inclined her head respectfully. “I’ll come back to pick up my things tomorrow. For now… have a good day.”

No argument, no lingering gaze. She knew better than to push it. If she stayed here any longer, she feared she’d do something she would regret her entire life. She picked up the suitcases, feeling the strain in her arms, and moved toward the door.

Outside, the car waited. She placed each suitcase carefully in the trunk, hands shaking slightly from the mixture of exhaustion and excitement. The drive to Luke’s was quiet, almost surreal, the early morning light filtering through the streets. Her chest tightened with anticipation. Soon, she wouldn’t have to worry about sneaking moments with him, or waiting for fleeting glimpses. Soon, he would be… her constant.

When she reached Luke’s place, she stepped out, struggling slightly with the heavy luggage. She nearly cursed under her breath, but before she could, a familiar voice rang out.

“Finally, you’re moving in with Sir!”

It was Matteo, Luke’s bodyguard, a man she had grown to trust and, over time, even consider a friend. He was already moving toward her, ready to take some of the weight off her shoulders.

“Just for work… don’t tease me,” Gwen said, a small smile tugging at her lips. She shifted one of the suitcases toward him.

Matteo chuckled, lifting it effortlessly. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get you inside before you collapse.”

He carried two of the suitcases, leaving one for her, and guided her into the building with an easy, teasing smile. For a moment, Gwen felt a rare sense of normalcy — even happiness — as they walked through the familiar halls, Matteo chatting lightly about the office, about Luke’s schedule, and about the other staff.

When they reached the office, Matteo set the suitcases down near the entrance, offering a small smile before he left. “Good luck. Don’t get lost in the boss’s mood,” he teased one last time.

Gwen rolled her eyes but followed silently toward Luke’s office. The clock read 7:30. He would be awake. She steadied her breathing and knocked softly.

“Come in,” Luke’s deep, calm voice replied.

She opened the door and stepped inside, wearing her business attire. She bowed slightly in greeting, careful, professional. She knew Luke’s gaze was sharp, and she wanted him to see clearly: work was work, love would have its time, and this moment was hers to act responsibly.

“Sir,” she began, voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest. “I… think I am ready to move in.”

She paused, standing there, awaiting his permission to sit, to begin her new routine under his roof.

Luke hid the smile that threatened to break free, masking it behind the usual controlled expression. His jaw tightened subtly, but his eyes betrayed him slightly — a faint gleam, sharp and unreadable.

“Sure,” he said finally. “I think it’s better for work, and… you won’t be late again.”

Gwen nodded, relief washing over her. “Thank you, Sir.”

She was about to leave when he spoke again, his tone more deliberate, measured, leaving no room for negotiation.

“Wait.”

She turned toward him, eyebrows slightly raised.

“Breakfast immediately after I wake up. Lunch at 1 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m. That’s the schedule,” he said, voice low and steady, but with an unmistakable underlying authority — the kind that made her feel simultaneously cared for and slightly constrained.

She nodded once, committing it to memory, then started to walk away. Her mind raced. She wanted to lean in, to give him a gentle good morning k.iss, just a fleeting connection before the day started. But she held back, careful, professional. The teasing thought lingered in her mind, making her chest tighten slightly, a mixture of frustration and longing.

Walking down the hall toward her new room, she felt the weight of her decision — leaving the house she had stayed in, stepping into a life closer to Luke, embracing the unknown. Yet beneath the nerves and the tension, there was a spark of excitement. She would finally be in a place where work and life coexisted, where Luke was not just her boss but someone she could rely on in ways she hadn’t dared to imagine before.

Even as she set her first suitcase down and began organizing her things in her new room, the thought of Luke’s controlled yet subtly tender smile lingered in her mind. The quiet rules, the careful schedule, the professional facade he maintained — all of it made her feel alive, attentive, and slightly desperate to be around him.

And as the morning light grew stronger outside the windows, Gwen allowed herself a brief, private smile. Today marked the beginning of something different. Something dangerous, exciting, and thrilling all at once. And most of all… something that involved Luke.

She adjusted the suitcases one last time, took a deep breath, and set to unpacking, mentally preparing herself for a day where work meant work, but her heart… would always have room for him.