The Mafia Queen's Obsession gxg

Sacrifices Are Made

Selene's vision was dimming rapidly, the world around her a haze of shadows and muffled sounds.

 Pain radiated from her stomach, sharp and unforgiving, but she forced herself to focus. 

Her team's voices crackled faintly in her earpiece, frantic and filled with concern.

"Selene, what's your status?!" Caden's voice cut through the chaos, his usual calm replaced by urgency.

Selene groaned, the effort to speak feeling like a monumental task.

 Her lips parted, and she forced out the words, her tone firm despite the weakness overtaking her. "Caden... Nina... focus on the mission. Secure the target." Her breaths were labored, but her command carried its usual authority. "I'll... be fine."

Ayla's tear-streaked face hovered above her, her hands pressing desperately against the wound. "You're not fine!" Ayla's voice cracked, anger and fear blending into a heartbreaking cry. "You're bleeding out, Selene. You need medical help now!"

Selene's hand weakly reached for Ayla's, her fingers brushing against hers. "I can handle this," she murmured, her eyes locking onto Ayla's, even as her strength waned. "They need me to... lead. Finish what we started."

Amara's voice came through the comms, sharp and steady. "Selene, you're in no condition to—"

"That's an order," Selene rasped, cutting her off, her tone laced with iron resolve. "Get it done. No mistakes." Her breathing was shallow, her grip on consciousness slipping, but she managed a faint smirk. "I'm not... going anywhere."

Her body grew heavier, her head lolling against Ayla's lap. 

The last thing she saw before the darkness consumed her was Ayla's face, a mix of fury and despair, and the soft glow of tears in her eyes.

And then, everything went black.

————

Ayla sat in stunned silence, her fingers trembling as they gently brushed through Selene's hair, her mind replaying everything in a whirl. 

The image of Selene, her face pale and bloodied, flashed in her thoughts again and again. 

The sharp crack of the rifle, the sudden, brutal impact. How Selene had shielded her with her own body, taking the bullet meant for her.

The weight of it hit Ayla all at once. 

She had betrayed Selene. 

She had been so consumed by her need for revenge, her desire to expose the truth, that she had pushed Selene away, not realizing just how much of herself she had let in. 

And now, Selene had risked her life for Ayla—for someone who had once seen her as nothing more than an obstacle.

The realization crushed Ayla. She hadn't even allowed herself to believe that she might care for Selene until it was almost too late. 

Now, the thought of losing her, of not being able to make things right, gnawed at her insides.

 She protected me. 

The thought echoed in Ayla's mind, the pain in her chest intensifying. And I... I turned away from her. 

I pushed her into this. 

All because of my own anger.

Ayla's throat tightened. 

I made her believe I didn't care.