The Mafia Queen's Obsession

Part 6

After the intense conversation with the businessmen—men who bowed to her power, respected her intelligence, but also feared her in the same breath—Selene found herself feeling a rush of satisfaction. 

The deals were done, the money flowing, and everything in the world was exactly where it should be: under her control.

Her heels clicked against the polished marble floors as she made her way through the back corridors of the Moretti Club. 

The atmosphere was darker here, more intimate, and it was where Selene could finally let her guard down.

 She didn't need to be the untouchable queen of the city when she was in her sanctuary.

Her signature room, the one place she felt most like herself, awaited her—an opulent suite high above the club, where everything was designed to reflect her tastes: dark velvet drapes, sleek furniture, and a massive floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the neon-lit city. 

The soft glow of the lights was a reminder of how easily she controlled this world, how easily she could disappear and reappear, just like she had done to Ayla earlier.

Selene stepped inside, shutting the door behind her with a quiet click, and immediately made her way to the marble bathroom, the tension in her body finally beginning to release. 

She didn't take a second to relax, though; she was never one to linger when her mind was sharp and buzzing. 

She ran the water, letting it flow until it was hot enough to burn away the cool facade she'd kept up all night.

As she stripped off her clothes, the weight of her movements felt deliberate, controlled—nothing about her was ever accidental. 

The steam began to rise, and Selene sank into the bath with a sigh, letting the warmth wrap around her body. She closed her eyes for a moment, soaking in the silence before the thoughts of the night came flooding back.

Ayla Novak.

The journalist. 

The one person who dared to look at her and act like she wasn't the most dangerous woman in the room. 

There was something about Ayla, something defiant in her gaze that had unsettled Selene, and that unsettled feeling only made her more intrigued.

She smirked as she thought back to their brief encounter. 

Ayla had been bold, fearless in a way that made Selene both amused and impressed.

 But there was something even more delicious about how Ayla had tried to play it cool. She'd thought she could walk away from Selene, thought she could get under her skin and then retreat.

 It was cute. 

It was... almost charming.

But that was before Selene had made her move.

She submerged her head under the hot water for a moment, letting it cascade over her, imagining the way Ayla had looked at her. 

The way she'd been caught off guard by Selene's power, her presence.

Selene chuckled lowly to herself. 

Ayla Novak... what an interesting little fox.

She had made her mark on the girl without even trying, and the fact that Ayla was still out there—still wondering what came next—only made the game more enticing. 

The hunt had begun, and Selene was never one to lose.

As the water cooled around her, Selene slowly lifted her head, running her fingers through her hair and looking at her reflection in the misted mirror. 

She had no idea what Ayla was really after, but it didn't matter. 

Every move Ayla made would only bring her closer to Selene, and when the time came, she would be the one in control. 

She always was.

After a few moments of quiet contemplation, Selene stood from the bath, the water dripping down her skin as she moved toward her wardrobe. 

She pulled out a sleek purple dress—fitting, tight, just enough to keep things interesting.

She dressed with the same deliberate movements, each action an extension of her control. Every stitch, every fabric, every inch of her appearance meticulously crafted for one thing: power.

Selene paused, staring at herself in the mirror for a long moment, her lips curving into a sly smirk as she thought about Ayla again.

Run, little fox. You won't escape me that easily.

She didn't let herself dwell too long on it, though. 

The task force was always a looming presence, something she could never ignore. 

Her assistant, a loyal and sharp-eyed figure, stepped in as she was finishing her bath, handing Selene a fresh, crisp black dress.

"Selene," her assistant said, his voice tight with concern, "there's word from our informants. The task force... they've started making moves against Ayla. They're going to target her next."

Selene chuckled, a deep, almost amused sound that sent a chill through the room. "Let them. They'll learn the hard way what happens when they meddle with things they don't understand." She ran a hand through her wet hair, then stood, slipping into the dress her assistant had laid out for her.

The assistant hesitated, eyes flicking with doubt. "But, Selene... she's... she's a journalist. A threat to our empire, yes, but her curiosity—"

"Is what's going to get her into trouble, not me," Selene interrupted smoothly, a wicked smile tugging at her lips. She looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the sleek silhouette of the dress. Her mask was next, and the thought of her own shadowy persona brought a thrill. "She's already too deep. Let the task force handle it."

As she adjusted her mask, preparing to leave the room, her assistant's voice faltered. "Are you sure? The task force... they won't stop. They'll—"

Selene cut him off with a flick of her wrist. "I know what I'm doing. Ayla is... strong. She's smarter than she lets on. If she's really going to get herself out of this mess, she'll need more than luck." She smirked, her eyes glinting with both mischief and calculation. "But don't worry, I'm not leaving her to her fate."

With a final, deliberate motion, Selene turned toward the door, slipping into the shadows of the club.

 Her footsteps were light, but purposeful as she left the room, the weight of the decision pressing against her chest.

As the door closed behind her, she whispered to herself, "I'll save her... but only if she's worth saving."

With that, Selene disappeared into the night, the club's lights fading behind her as she made her way through hidden passageways, exiting the building stealthily.