Page 22

SERGIO

The door to my room clicked shut behind me, and I leaned against it, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My mind was still reeling. Mirella, sweet, soft-spoken Mirella—had just disarmed and shot two men like she’d been doing it her whole life. And then there was Alex, calling Dahlia by name as though she wasn’t his mother. Nothing made sense, and the more I thought about it, the more it felt like I’d been handed a script for a play that I didn’t understand.

I rubbed a hand down my face and reached for my phone. There was one person I trusted to help me figure this out. I dialed Ryan, my right hand in everything important—and most things illegal.

“Get to my room,” I said as soon as he picked up. “Now.”

It wasn’t long before Ryan walked in, his usual cocky grin in place. He leaned against the edge of my desk, arms crossed. “What’s got you all worked up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “It’s Mirella. Something’s off.”

That wiped the grin off his face. “Off? How?”

I started pacing, the words tumbling out faster than I could organize them. “I went to check on Alex today. He ran to me like any kid would, but then he called Dahlia by her name. Not ‘Mom.’ Just Dahlia. When I asked, he said his mother wasn’t home. Then Mirella—she wasn’t even home.”

Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Okay, weird, but maybe the kid’s confused? You know how kids are. Didn’t you say he had some high fever or something?”

I stopped pacing and turned to face him. “It’s not just that. She’s not who she’s pretending to be. We went on a mission to secure a shipment earlier, and she... she fought like a professional. Took down men twice her size without even flinching. And not just random flailing—she knew exactly what she was doing. Like she’s done it a hundred times before.”

Ryan let out a low whistle. “You’re telling me Mirella—‘Oh no, I can’t hurt a fly’ Mirella—took out trained men?”

“She did,” I said, my voice harder than I intended. “And it wasn’t just luck. She was methodical, fast, and calm. Too calm.”

Ryan tilted his head, considering me. “You think she’s hiding something?”

“I don’t think. I know.” I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building. “And I’m going to find out what it is. I need you to dig into her past, especially after she left New York. Use your contacts, your networks—anything you can. I need answers.”

Ryan didn’t move, his expression unreadable. “You sure about this? What if you’re wrong?”

“I’m not wrong,” I said firmly. “There’s something she’s not telling me, and I need to know what it is. Besides...” I hesitated, then decided to come clean. “I’ve been building my own network within my father’s empire. Quietly. If I’m right about Mirella, this might be bigger than we think.”

Ryan’s eyes widened. “You’re building a network behind Don Carlos’s back? Are you insane? I thought when you mentioned it earlier, it was something small for just insider Intel, not a full-blown network. If he finds out—”

“I know what happens if he finds out,” I snapped. “But I’m not going to sit around and let him control my life. I’m building something for myself, something independent. I don’t want to be his puppet forever.”

Ryan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But Sergio, you’re playing with fire. Your old man won’t think twice about putting a bullet in you if he sees you as a threat.”

“Then, I’ll make sure he never finds out till I want him to,” I said, my voice low and steady. “Are you with me or not?”

Ryan met my gaze, his expression serious. “I’m with you. Just be careful, man.”

He stood and headed for the door. “Give me a couple of hours. I’ll see what I can dig up.”

After he left, the silence in my room felt oppressive. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at nothing in particular. My thoughts drifted to my father, Don Carlos—the man who’d built an empire on fear and blood. I knew what kind of man he was. Ruthless. Calculating. And completely without mercy.

Could I take him down if it came to that? Could I pull the trigger on my own father?

The thought made my stomach churn, but I knew the answer. If it came down to him or me, I’d do what I had to. Survival didn’t leave room for sentiment.

I was still lost in thought when Ryan returned about an hour later, a folder in hand. He tossed it onto the desk and gestured for me to sit.

“You’re going to want to hear this,” he said, his tone grim.

I leaned forward, my heart pounding. “How did you get this so fast?”

Ryan smirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I have a guy who has people who work undercover in big organizations, people who act as spies for competitors. I paid him enough to talk.”

Her organization? The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What organization?”

Ryan opened the folder and flipped through the pages. “Mirella isn’t who you think she is. She’s got a network, Sergio. A big one. And she’s not just some small-time player. She’s The Raven.”

The room spun for a second, and I had to grip the edge of the desk to steady myself. “The Raven? You’re telling me Mirella—my Mirella—is the mastermind behind one of the most dangerous networks out there?”

Ryan nodded, his expression grim. “She’s been playing this role, pretending to be naive, sweet, and innocent. But in reality, she’s running one of the largest underground operations I’ve ever seen. She’s got connections everywhere—smuggling, intelligence, and arms deals. You name it, she’s in it. Her Head of Operations is a former hitman named Enzo.”

I slumped back in my chair, my mind racing. Mirella. The Raven. The pieces were starting to fit together, but the picture they formed was something I wasn’t ready for.

Ryan watched me carefully. “What’s the play, Sergio? You want me to keep digging, or do we confront her?”

I shook my head, still processing everything. “No. Not yet. If she’s been hiding this from me, there’s a reason. I need to figure out what her endgame is before I make a move.”

Ryan hesitated and then nodded. “Just don’t let this blindside you. The Raven isn’t someone you mess with lightly.”

Mirella had been pretending this whole time. The woman I thought I knew was wearing a mask, and underneath it was someone far more dangerous—and far more intriguing.

*****

I sat in my car outside Mirella’s house, my fingers drumming against the steering wheel. My mind was a swirling storm of questions, doubts, and realizations that wouldn’t let up. Mirella. The Raven. They were the same person. It all lined up now, like puzzle pieces clicking together. The moments I’d brushed off as coincidences now screamed for attention.

The familiarity I’d felt when speaking to The Raven. Mirella’s sudden absences at critical moments. The way she seemed to know things no one else did. And Enzo—that name. Hearing Ryan say it had sent me back to that moment when Mirella, so casually, had answered a call and said, “Enzo, I’ll be there soon.” She had no idea I’d caught that slip.

I gripped the wheel tighter. How could I have been so blind? All this time, she’d been living a double life, leading me to believe she was just an ordinary woman caught in extraordinary circumstances. But now, knowing her secret, I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t exactly honest, either. I couldn’t even tell her I was the masked man—the stranger who’d saved her all those years ago. We were both tangled in lies.

Still, this couldn’t wait. I needed to talk to her and confront her. I had to know why she’d kept this from me and if she suspected anything about my own secrets.

Taking a deep breath, I got out of the car and walked to the door. It opened before I could knock, and there she was, standing in a simple blouse and jeans, looking as unassuming as ever.

“Sergio?” Her voice was calm, but her eyes flicked over me, sharp and calculating. She was already assessing me, as The Raven would.

“We need to talk,” I said. “It’s important.”

She studied me for a moment before stepping aside. “Come in. We can talk in the study.”

The house was quiet, almost eerily so. As I followed her down the hall, my thoughts raced. What was the best approach? Should I be direct or ease into it? Part of me wanted to lay it all out, but another part hesitated. What if I scared her off? What if confronting her too harshly made her shut down?

The study was cozy, with warm lighting and bookshelves lining the walls. Mirella gestured for me to take a seat, but I stayed standing, my hands in my pockets to keep them from fidgeting. She leaned against the desk, arms crossed, waiting for me to speak.

“I’ve been thinking,” I started, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “About you. About everything.”

Her brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. “Sergio, what’s this about?”

I stepped closer, my eyes locked on hers. “You’ve always been good at keeping secrets, haven’t you?”

She stiffened, just barely, but I caught it. The tiniest shift in her posture. “What do you mean?”

I smiled, but there was no humor in it. “Mirella. Or should I call you The Raven?”