The Reborn Mafia Queen

Chapter Three

**Marcus Hale’s name jumped off the page like a ghost.**

I froze in the dim light of the family study, heart hammering against my ribs. Of all the names in these secret files, his had to be here. The man who put a bullet in me was now connected to the Sawyers.

I had slipped into the study after midnight when the house went quiet. The heavy wooden door had creaked when I pushed it open, but no one came. Now I sat behind the big desk with a stack of hidden folders spread in front of me.

These were not normal business papers. Celine’s father kept the real records locked away. Shipping routes that moved more than cargo. Payments to people who never showed up on any official payroll. I recognized the pattern immediately. This family was neck-deep in the underworld I used to rule.

"Got you," I whispered.

My hands still felt too small and weak, but my mind worked just fine. I pulled out Celine’s phone and dialed a number I remembered from my old life. A low-level informant who moved information for cash.

The line rang twice.

A rough voice answered. "Who is this?"

"It is me," I said quietly. "I need information. Quietly."

A pause. "This number is new. Voice sounds different too. What do you want?"

"Anything you have on Marcus Hale and his current connections to shipping families. Especially the Sawyers. Send it to this number. Cash will follow."

The man laughed nervously. "You sound a lot more sure of yourself than the last girl who called from that family. Fine. Give me two hours."

"Make it one," I said and hung up.

I leaned back in the chair and rubbed my temples. Flashes of my old death kept hitting me. The rain. The pain. Marcus smiling as he pulled the trigger. My new body reacted badly. My breathing got fast and shallow. Panic. Celine’s body did not handle stress like my old one did.

"Pull yourself together," I muttered. "You are not that weak girl. Not anymore."

I went back to the files. Page after page showed deals with shady groups. One name kept coming up. Marcus Hale. He was working with a rival faction that wanted control of the Sawyer routes. They were planning to push the family out. Or worse.

"Perfect," I said under my breath. "I can use this."

I took pictures with the phone, careful not to leave any trace. My old instincts were waking up. Map the players. Find the weak spots. Strike when they least expect it.

A soft knock sounded on the study door.

I jumped and quickly closed the folders. "Who is it?"

The door opened. It was Lila, one of the younger maids I had defended earlier. She looked nervous but stepped inside anyway.

"Miss Celine? I saw the light under the door. Are you okay? Everyone else is sleeping."

I relaxed a little. "I am fine, Lila. Just couldn’t sleep. What about you?"

She closed the door behind her and spoke in a low voice. "I wanted to thank you for this morning. No one ever stands up for us. Especially not you. I mean, the old you."

I studied her face. She seemed honest. Maybe useful.

"You do not have to thank me," I said. "People should not get pushed around. Tell me something. How bad are things really in this house?"

Lila glanced at the door before answering. "Bad. Mr. Richard controls everything. Damien watches everything. And there are rumors. About money that is not clean. People coming at night for meetings."

I leaned forward. "What kind of people?"

"Scary ones," she whispered. "Men with guns under their jackets. Last week I heard them mention Marcus Hale. Sounded like trouble."

My pulse quickened. "Marcus Hale. You are sure?"

She nodded. "Yes. They said he was moving in on our routes. Mr. Richard sounded scared."

This was gold. I stood up slowly. "Lila, I need you to keep your eyes open for me. Anything strange, anyone new, you tell me. Can you do that?"

Lila smiled a little. "After what you did today? Yes. But be careful, Miss. Damien has been asking questions about you. He seems worried. Or suspicious. I cannot tell which."

"I can handle Damien," I said, even though I was not completely sure.

She left quietly. I sat back down and kept reading. More connections. More dirty money. The Sawyer empire was bigger than I thought, and it was rotting from the inside. Perfect place for me to rebuild my own power.

Another wave of memories hit me hard. My old empire. The people I trusted. The betrayal. My chest tightened again. I gripped the edge of the desk until my knuckles turned white.

"Why does this body feel everything so much?" I whispered to myself. "I cannot afford to be soft. Not now."

I forced the panic down and kept working. I mapped out names and connections on a blank paper. Marcus was the key. If I could use the Sawyers to get close to him, I could end this the right way.

The phone buzzed. The informant.

I answered fast. "Talk."

"Marcus Hale is moving fast," the man said. "He has a deal with a rival shipping group. They want the Sawyer family gone. Something about old grudges. He is the one pulling strings."

"Names," I demanded.

"Victor Kane is involved too. And a few others. Watch your back."

Victor. The name made my stomach turn. Another ghost from my past life.

"Thanks," I said. "Money is on the way."

I hung up and deleted the call log. This was moving faster than I expected. Good. I liked fast.

I gathered the most important papers and started putting everything back exactly as I found it. My hands were steadier now. The old Arizona was waking up inside this soft body.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Heavy. Familiar.

I froze. Someone was coming.

I grabbed the last folder and slipped behind the tall bookshelf just in time. The study door opened quietly.

I held my breath and peeked through a small gap.

Damien walked in. He looked tired but alert. He went straight to the desk and picked up the same folder I had been reading minutes earlier. The one with Marcus Hale’s name all over it.

He flipped through the pages slowly. His face hardened.

"What are you up to, Celine?" he muttered to himself.

My heart pounded so loud I was scared he would hear it. I stayed completely still, pressed against the wall.

Damien stood there for what felt like forever, reading. Then he closed the folder and looked around the room like he could sense something was off.

I did not move. I did not breathe.

This was bad. Really bad.

If he found me here, how was I going to explain this?