The Reborn Mafia Queen

Chapter Two

**Damien's question hit me like a slap.**

I stood frozen in front of the mirror, heart racing. He stepped further into my room, eyes locked on me like he could see straight through my skin.

"Who is Arizona?" he asked again, voice low and sharp. "And why are you saying that name in the middle of the night?"

I forced a weak smile, playing the confused girl. "I... I must have been dreaming. It was nothing, Damien. Just a nightmare."

He did not look convinced. His tall frame filled the doorway, arms still crossed. "You have been acting strange since yesterday. Different. Richard might not notice, but I do."

I shrugged and turned away from the mirror. "Maybe I am tired of the same old crap every day. Can we talk about this in the morning? Please?"

Damien stared at me for a long second, then gave a small nod. "Get some sleep, Celine. But this conversation is not over." He closed the door behind him.

I let out a slow breath. Close call. Too close.

---

Morning came too fast. Sunlight poured through the big windows as I walked downstairs for breakfast. My new body still felt slow and fragile, but I was already learning how to move in it.

Richard sat at the head of the table with a newspaper in his hands. Damien leaned against the wall, coffee in hand, watching me again.

"Sit," Richard said without looking up. "We need to talk about your behavior last night."

I sat down quietly. "What about it?"

Richard slammed the paper on the table. "You talked back to me. In front of a business associate. Who do you think you are?"

"I was just saying I would try harder," I replied, keeping my voice soft.

"Try harder?" Richard laughed coldly. "You have done nothing but waste money and embarrass this family. Your mother spoiled you too much. Now look at you."

Damien set his coffee down. "Richard, maybe ease up. She just woke up."

"No," Richard snapped. "She needs to hear it. The company is bleeding because you keep making soft decisions, Celine. Last quarter's losses? Your fault."

I felt that familiar sting in my chest again. Celine's pain mixed with my own anger. "Then let me fix it. Give me a chance."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "A chance? You?"

Before I could answer, a young maid hurried into the dining room with a tray. She looked nervous. One of the older servants behind her shoved her shoulder hard.

"Watch where you are going, clumsy girl," the older servant hissed. "Spill anything and you are out."

The tray wobbled. The maid's eyes filled with tears.

"Stop," I said, standing up. "Leave her alone."

The room went quiet. The older servant stared at me. "Miss Celine?"

"I said leave her alone," I repeated, stepping closer. "She is doing her job. If you have a problem, take it up with me."

Richard's face turned red. "What has gotten into you? Defending the help now?"

The maid looked at me with wide eyes. "Thank you, Miss."

I gave her a small nod. "You are fine. Go on."

Damien watched the whole thing without saying a word, but his eyes never left me. I could feel the suspicion growing.

Richard pointed at me. "This is exactly what I mean. Soft. Weak. You defend servants but cannot defend the family name. Pathetic."

"I am not weak," I said, meeting his eyes. "I am just tired of watching people get stepped on for no reason."

Damien finally spoke. "Interesting. You never cared about the staff before."

I sat back down and picked up my coffee. "People change."

Richard shook his head. "Not you. Not overnight. Something is off, Celine. Fix it before the board meeting next week or I will fix it for you."

Breakfast ended in heavy silence. I excused myself as soon as I could and went back to my room. My hands were shaking, not from fear but from holding back my real self. Playing weak was harder than I thought.

I locked the door and started searching the room. Celine had a fancy laptop and an old phone in the drawer. I turned on the phone first. Messages from months ago popped up.

Most were normal. Friends. Shopping. But then I found a hidden folder.

Unknown number: *You think hiding behind daddy will save you? We know what you did.*

Another one: *Keep your mouth shut or the next accident won't be your mother's.*

My blood ran cold. The real Celine had been threatened. Someone wanted her dead long before I arrived.

I kept scrolling.

Unknown number: *Two weeks. Pay up or we come for you.*

I whispered to myself, "They were already coming for her."

I started deleting the messages one by one. I needed to clean this up before anyone else saw.

Heavy footsteps sounded in the hall. The door flew open without a knock.

Damien stormed in, eyes blazing. "What are you hiding, Celine?"

I quickly locked the phone and set it down. "Nothing. Just checking messages."

He crossed the room in three steps and stopped right in front of me. His hand slammed against the door frame. "Bullshit. You defended a maid like you suddenly grew a spine. You talked back to Richard. And now you are locked in here deleting things. Tell me what is going on."

I looked up at him, heart pounding. "I told you. I am tired of how things are."

Damien leaned closer. His voice dropped low. "You are not the same girl who cried in my car last month. Who are you?"

The air felt thick between us. I could smell his cologne, feel the heat coming off him. This man was dangerous. Possessive. And way too close.

"I am still Celine," I said softly. "Maybe I am just starting to grow up."

He did not move. His eyes searched my face like he was looking for lies. "I do not believe you. And until I figure out what changed, I am not letting you out of my sight."

My mind raced. I needed to handle this carefully. One wrong word and everything could fall apart.

But deep down, a small part of me did not completely hate how close he was standing.

The real test had just begun.