Six months later.
The city had changed.
Everyone could feel it.
The streets were quieter at night.
The small gangs that once fought for scraps had disappeared.
The powerful families who used to control the underworld had either bent the knee—
Or vanished.
Now there was only one empire.
The De Luca Empire.
And at the top of it stood two rulers.
The Ruthless Don.
And his Queen.
The Throne Room
Inside the newly renovated De Luca headquarters, the atmosphere was calm but tense.
A long conference table filled the center of the room.
Men in expensive suits sat quietly on both sides.
Crime bosses.
Business owners.
Territory leaders.
All of them waiting.
At the head of the table sat Alessandro De Luca.
His posture relaxed.
His expression unreadable.
But everyone in the room knew what he was capable of.
The man had destroyed the council.
Killed Viktor Orlov.
And taken the entire underworld in a single war.
Now he ruled everything.
Adrian leaned against the wall beside the window, arms crossed.
He watched the nervous men at the table and smirked.
"They look like they're about to faint."
Luca, sitting beside Alessandro, chuckled.
"That's because half of them tried to betray us six months ago."
Adrian shrugged.
"Fair."
The Queen Arrives
The doors opened quietly.
Every man in the room stood immediately.
Elena walked in.
Black dress.
Calm expression.
Confident steps.
Six months ago she had been a woman pulled into a dangerous world.
Now—
She ruled it.
Alessandro watched her approach.
There was something different about her now.
Colder.
Stronger.
More dangerous.
She sat beside him at the head of the table.
The room remained silent.
Finally she spoke.
"Let's begin."
A New System
A man across the table cleared his throat nervously.
"Lady De Luca…"
Elena raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"We have a problem in the northern district."
Adrian muttered under his breath.
"Here we go."
The man continued.
"Someone new is moving into the city."
Luca frowned.
"Another gang?"
"No."
The man shook his head.
"Someone bigger."
Elena leaned forward slightly.
"How big?"
The man swallowed.
"Bigger than the old council."
The room went quiet.
Adrian sighed.
"I knew it was too peaceful."
The First Warning
Valentina entered the room quickly carrying a tablet.
"You need to see this."
She placed the device on the table.
A video began playing.
Security footage from the harbor.
Dozens of ships arriving in the port overnight.
Cargo containers being unloaded.
Armed men everywhere.
Adrian frowned.
"That's a private army."
Valentina nodded.
"Yes."
Elena looked closer at the footage.
Then her eyes narrowed.
"Pause it."
The image froze.
A man stepped out of one of the ships.
Tall.
Wearing a long dark coat.
His face partially hidden by shadow.
But one detail stood out clearly.
A symbol on his ring.
Elena's breath caught.
"No…"
Alessandro noticed her reaction immediately.
"What is it?"
Elena whispered slowly.
"That symbol…"
"I've seen it before."
Luca leaned closer.
"Where?"
Elena's voice dropped.
"In my father's files."
Adrian blinked.
"Your fake father or your psycho one?"
Elena didn't answer.
Instead she said something far more troubling.
"My real father wasn't the only one with that symbol."
Alessandro's eyes darkened.
"What does it mean?"
Elena looked up slowly.
"It means the people behind Orlov…"
"…have finally arrived."
Across the Ocean
Far away—
On the deck of a massive black ship entering the harbor—
The mysterious man from the footage stood watching the city skyline.
A soldier approached him.
"Sir, we've arrived."
The man nodded slowly.
"And the De Luca empire?"
"They control the city."
The man smiled faintly.
"Good."
He looked toward the glowing skyline.
"Then the real war can begin."