The Mafia Queen's Obsession gxg

A Liability

Selene continues, her tone darkening. "You've attracted their attention because you're dangerous. Not just to the Morettis, but to the whole system. You've dug up connections that others would rather stay buried, and now the task force sees you as a liability."

Ayla's mind races as she tries to process this new information. "And you're telling me this because you want to protect me?" she asks, her voice laced with disbelief. "Or is this just part of your own game?"

Selene smirks again, but this time it's less playful, more cold. "I'm telling you this because it's in my interest that you stay alive. The task force believes they can manipulate you, but they haven't realized that you're a threat to their plans. You think you're just trying to expose the truth, but you're much more entangled in this than you know."

Her eyes lock with Ayla's, and for the first time, there's something almost... honest in them. "I'm offering you protection, maybe because I care about you, but also because you've got value to me now. Whether you like it or not, we're in the same fight."

Ayla takes a deep breath, the weight of Selene's words sinking in, her mind reeling from the layers of complexity and danger she's found herself in. 

She had been chasing the truth, but now it seemed that the truth was chasing her—along with the task force, and who knows what else.

As she processes everything, the door opens, and the assistant enters with two beautifully arranged five-star meals. 

The dishes are placed before them with silent efficiency, but the tension between Ayla and Selene lingers, thick in the air.

Selene picks up her fork, her eyes flickering to Ayla. "Eat. We have much more to discuss."

She leans forward, her curiosity and caution both piqued. 

The earlier bravado that Selene had carried slips away, replaced by a raw, unspoken pain that lingers in the air.

"Why are you so interested in the task force?" Ayla asks gently, her voice barely above a whisper. 

She's not just asking out of curiosity now; it feels like something deeper is at play, something that Selene isn't ready to reveal. 

But she needs to understand. The stakes are higher than she ever imagined, and this isn't just about mafia empires or government agencies anymore. 

There's a personal story here—a story that connects them in ways Ayla wasn't prepared for.

The room goes still as Selene's eyes darken, the light in them fading to something colder, more calculating. 

She puts down her scotch, her hands now clenched at her sides, and her voice becomes laced with venom as she speaks.

"They targeted my parents," she says, her voice suddenly flat, devoid of the arrogance and playful power she usually exudes. "They ventured too deep into the same secrets you're poking at now. Corruption, power plays, things buried deep beneath the surface. The task force—they came after them. They thought they could silence them, erase them. And they did."

Ayla's breath catches, the weight of Selene's words sinking into her chest. She hadn't expected this. 

The ruthless head of the Moretti family—this woman who had exuded nothing but power and control—had lost everything to the very forces Ayla now faced.

"They murdered them brutally," Selene continues, her words dripping with bitterness. "My parents were people who believed in justice, in exposing the truth. But they went too far. They uncovered too much, and the task force, those government dogs, decided they needed to be eliminated."

Ayla feels a wave of sympathy, but also a growing understanding of just how dangerous this situation has become for her.

 She had been so focused on uncovering the mafia's empire, not realizing she was walking straight into the same web that had destroyed Selene's family.

"I don't want the same thing happening to you," Selene adds, her gaze hardening. "I created this illegal empire, this mafia, not for power or greed. I created it for revenge. To make them pay for what they did to my family. And now... now, I'm protecting you. Because you're walking down the same path. I won't let them take you from me, Ayla."

Ayla feels the weight of Selene's words like a physical blow. 

She had assumed Selene was just another power-hungry criminal, but now she sees there's so much more at stake here—so much more that ties them together. They're both in danger, both exposed to the same forces. 

And somehow, despite everything, Selene is offering her protection.

"I didn't ask for this," Ayla says quietly, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her. "I didn't ask to be part of your revenge. I didn't even know I was digging into the same thing your parents did."

Selene's eyes soften for a fleeting moment, a rare vulnerability showing through the steel armor she's built around herself. "I know you didn't, Ayla. But that's the way it is now. You've crossed the line, and there's no turning back. So I'll make sure they don't get to you. But understand this—you're not just a journalist anymore. You're a piece in a much bigger game."

Ayla takes a deep breath, the weight of everything crashing down on her. 

She's in deeper than she ever planned, caught between the task force, the Morettis, and her own desire to uncover the truth. 

She wasn't ready for any of this, but it's clear now that she has no choice but to keep moving forward.

"I don't know if I can trust you," Ayla says softly, her eyes meeting Selene's. "But I don't have a choice, do I?"

Selene's lips curl into a small, knowing smile. "No. You don't. But I'll make sure you survive, Ayla. That, I promise."

Ayla, trying to break the growing tension in the air, leans back in her chair, her gaze still holding Selene's but with a curious glint in her eyes. 

She feels the weight of the conversation shifting toward something more personal, and decides to take a different route to learn more about the woman before her.

"Tell me," Ayla asks, her voice light but with a hint of genuine curiosity, "which school did you attend?"

Selene raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the question. For a moment, she says nothing, simply studying Ayla with that same calculating gaze. Then, her lips curl into a small, almost amused smile, as if the question amused her for reasons Ayla can't quite understand.

"School?" Selene repeats, her tone almost like she's reminiscing. "I didn't attend many traditional schools, Ayla. My education was more... unconventional."

Ayla's eyebrows furrow, intrigued. "Unconventional?" she asks, leaning forward slightly.

Selene looks at her for a beat, her expression hardening just a little before she responds. "I was raised in environments where the focus wasn't on textbooks or classrooms. My parents—before everything happened—made sure I was educated in a way that prepared me for what I'm doing now. Survival. Power. The things that really matter when you're in my position."

Ayla listens closely, noting the subtle change in Selene's tone when she mentions her parents. There's a deeper story there, something beyond what Selene has shared. But Ayla doesn't press for more, sensing that the topic might be more painful than she's willing to reveal.

"Sounds like a far cry from the school I went to," Ayla says, her voice a little lighter now. She can't help but imagine what kind of life Selene must have had, surrounded by danger and intrigue rather than the typical teenage experiences.