The Mafia Queen's Obsession gxg

Does it make any difference

Still, the reality of it all didn't change the fact that he was responsible for so much destruction—the same destruction that had brought Ayla and Selene together in the first place.

"Does it make any difference, Selene?" Ayla asked softly, her voice raw with emotion. "Does knowing why he did it change anything?"

Selene was quiet for a moment, her gaze steady. "No, it doesn't change what happened. It doesn't change the fact that he killed them, or that my life—and yours—was ripped apart because of it. But it gives us understanding. It gives us a reason. And sometimes, that's the only thing that helps you keep going."

Ayla took a shaky breath, feeling the weight of Selene's words settle deep in her chest. 

She had always been so focused on the betrayal, on the destruction that Amos had caused, that she had never stopped to consider his motives, his reasoning. 

Now that she knew the truth, it didn't erase the hurt, but it offered a deeper understanding of the tragedy that had unfolded.

"You don't have to carry this burden alone either," Selene added quietly, her hands still gently cradling Ayla's face. "We've both lost so much, but we still have each other. And we'll make sure that what happened to us doesn't happen to anyone else."

Ayla's heart felt heavy, but also strangely lighter, as though the weight of the past had been acknowledged, even if it couldn't be erased. "Thank you, Selene," Ayla whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Selene smiled softly, her thumb brushing across Ayla's cheek one last time. "You'll never have to find out. I'm right here, always."

And in that moment, Ayla realised something else—the truth might hurt, but with Selene by her side, they would face whatever came next together. They had both been broken by the past, but together, they were strong enough to build something new.

As the days went by, Ayla tried to make sense of everything she had learned about her brother, Amos. 

Despite the revelation about his dark past, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. She had come to terms with what he had done, but she also knew that the weight of his actions—his involvement in their parents' death and the chaos that had followed—was far from over.

One evening, as Ayla was finishing up an interview, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. The number was unfamiliar, but the name that appeared on the screen froze her in place.

Amos Novak.

Her heart skipped a beat as she hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Ayla," his voice came through the phone, sounding strained and urgent, completely different from the calm, collected persona he usually carried. "I need your help."

She leaned against the wall, her pulse quickening. "Amos? What's going on? Are you okay?"

There was a long pause on the other end, and for a moment, Ayla thought he might hang up. But then he spoke again, his voice low and tense.

"They're coming for me, Ayla. Someone's after me," he said, his words laced with a sense of desperation. "I don't know who it is, but they're close. They know who I am. I can't hide forever."

Ayla's mind raced. 

She could hear the fear in his voice, but she also knew that Amos had never been afraid of anything. 

This was different—something serious was happening, and it was something he couldn't control.

"Who's after you? What's going on?" Ayla asked, trying to keep her voice steady, though her insides were twisting with unease.