Chapter 3 Vengeance and a Shadow of Doubt

After 10 years

Years had sculpted Emerlda into a woman of striking beauty, a stark contrast to the scared girl who first arrived. Tonight, she moved with practiced grace, distributing dresses and shoes. Unlike the others, sleek black adorned her form – a somber reminder of Borstov's demise. The news was fresh, a rival gang in the States claiming his life. Whispers of the Evolution gang's decline swirled amongst the girls. Gustov, the reckless successor, was rumored to be burning through their resources with reckless abandon. Pockets of rebellion simmered within the group, but Luka, the enforcer, kept a fragile balance of control.Emerlda knew the truth – Diana sold them all to Evolution for a hefty price. Tonight was another transaction. Diana, her eyes cold and calculating, leaned close. "Years I've waited for this. A buyer's already paid your asking price. Remember your training."Emerlda held her gaze, a flicker of steel in her own eyes. "Yes, Madame Diana."The girls were ushered to opulent rooms, showered with luxuries far removed from their reality. Yet, Emerlda slipped away, her heart heavy. Reaching Anya's grave, now adorned with roses she'd carefully tended, she placed the teddy bear beside it. "You deserve it more than I do," she whispered, a promise hanging in the air.Guests began trickling in – small-time hoods, businessmen with names that whispered of power. Masks hid the girls' identities as they served drinks. Emerlda understood her purpose – a commodity to be traded. Gustov, a nervous wreck surrounded by hulking guards, flinched at every contact. Diana, subservient, offered him potent whiskey while discreetly offering him "companionship."Spotting Diana retreat to her study, Emerlda approached the guard, Slayer. "Madame Diana requests me," she lied, her voice laced with practiced authority.Inside, Diana stacked a mountain of cash. "Impressive," Emerlda breathed, locking the door behind her. Diana's face flickered with unease. "What are you doing?""Admiring your work," Emerlda said, her voice devoid of warmth. "But today, the transaction involves a different kind of currency."Reaching into Diana's desk drawer, she produced a gun – the one she'd pocketed while cleaning earlier. Diana's eyes widened in terror. "Weren't my instructions clear enough?" she stammered.Emerlda's gaze was glacial. "My orders don't come from Evolution's whores."Adrenaline surged through Diana as she lunged for the door. Emerlda reacted with practiced speed, slamming her head into the oak barrier. A struggle ensued, brutal and desperate. Diana slashed out with a hidden blade, carving red lines on Emerlda's flesh. But revenge fueled Emerlda's strength. Ignoring the pain, she wrestled the knife away.Diana slumped against the desk, blood staining her expensive dress. "You…won't get away with this," she rasped, clutching her bleeding leg.Emerlda loomed over her, the knife glinting in the dim light. "It's not revenge," she said, her voice surprisingly calm. "This was never about Anya. You were a cog in the machine, just like me. But the machine…it needs a little adjustment."A chilling laugh escaped her lips. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to."Emerlda sank onto the plush bed, the cold seeping through her thin nightgown. Blood stained the fabric a gruesome crimson, a stark reminder of the brutality she'd just unleashed. Across the room, Luka stood silhouetted against the window, his face obscured by the shadows."Took your sweet time," Luka finally spoke, his voice a low rumble.Emerlda winced, the throbbing pain in her side a constant reminder of the fight. Ignoring his comment, she rasped, "Looks like you handled the rest."A flicker of movement in the gloom revealed Luka raising an eyebrow. "Indeed. Less mess for you to clean up."Emerlda felt a sardonic smile tug at her lips. "Always the considerate uncle." Her gaze drifted to the doorway, where the unconscious girl lay crumpled like a discarded rag. Pity didn't even register. "One down, how many more to go?"Luka remained by the window, his silence a heavy presence. "Enough chatter," he finally said, his voice sharp. He moved across the room, his cane tapping a steady rhythm against the floor. Stopping beside the bed, he held out a small, intricately carved wooden box.Emerlda narrowed her eyes, suspicion coiling in her gut. "What's that supposed to be?""A gift," Luka replied, his voice devoid of warmth. "A reminder of where you came from."Hesitantly, Emerlda reached out and took the box. The cool wood felt smooth beneath her fingertips. With a click, the lid opened, revealing a worn leather-bound diary. Before she could ask, Luka spoke again."Your mother's."Emerlda's breath hitched. Her mother, Isabella – a ghost from her past, a woman shrouded in secrecy and whispers. Curiosity warred with a deep-seated resentment.Sensing her turmoil, Luka continued. "It's time you understood the game you've been a pawn in, Emerlda. Time you learned who your true enemies are."Emerlda's gaze flickered between the diary and Luka's shadowed face. This unexpected turn of events offered a potential escape from the violence she'd just embraced. Could the truth in that diary be the key to her freedom? Or was it just another trap within the twisted game of Evolution?Emerlda sank onto the plush bed, the cold seeping through her thin nightgown. Blood stained the fabric a gruesome crimson, a stark reminder of the brutality she'd just unleashed. Across the room, Luka stood silhouetted against the window, his face obscured by the shadows."Took your sweet time," Luka finally spoke, his voice a low rumble.Emerlda winced, the throbbing pain in her side a constant reminder of the fight. Ignoring his comment, she rasped, "Looks like you handled the rest."A flicker of movement in the gloom revealed Luka raising an eyebrow. "Indeed. Less mess for you to clean up."Emerlda felt a sardonic smile tug at her lips. "Always the considerate uncle." Her gaze drifted to the doorway, where the unconscious girl lay crumpled like a discarded rag. Pity didn't even register. "One down, how many more to go?"Luka remained by the window, his silence a heavy presence. "Enough chatter," he finally said, his voice sharp. He moved across the room, his cane tapping a steady rhythm against the floor. Stopping beside the bed, he held out a small, intricately carved wooden box.Emerlda narrowed her eyes, suspicion coiling in her gut. "What's that supposed to be?""A gift," Luka replied, his voice devoid of warmth. "A reminder of where you came from."Hesitantly, Emerlda reached out and took the box. The cool wood felt smooth beneath her fingertips. With a click, the lid opened, revealing a worn leather-bound diary. Before she could ask, Luka spoke again."Your mother's."Emerlda's breath hitched. Her mother, Isabella – a ghost from her past, a woman shrouded in secrecy and whispers. Curiosity warred with a deep-seated resentment.Sensing her turmoil, Luka continued. "It's time you understood the game you've been a pawn in, Emerlda. Time you learned who your true enemies are."Emerlda's gaze flickered between the diary and Luka's shadowed face. This unexpected turn of events offered a potential escape from the violence she'd just embraced. Could the truth in that diary be the key to her freedom? Or was it just another trap within the twisted game of Evolution?Emerlda clutched the diary, its worn leather cool against her heated skin. A million questions swirled in her mind, each one a thorn competing for dominance."My mother?" she finally whispered, the word tasting foreign on her tongue. "Why now? Why give this to me after all these years?"Luka sighed, a weary sound that echoed in the tense silence. "Because the game has changed," he said, his voice low and gravelly. "Gustov is dead. Evolution is on the brink. You are the last Borstov, Emerlda. The only one who can hold it together."Emerlda scoffed, a harsh, humorless sound. "Hold what together? Lies? Violence? A legacy built on the blood of innocents like Anya?" Her gaze darted towards the unconscious girl at the doorway, a stark reminder of the carnage she'd just unleashed.Luka didn't flinch. "Perhaps," he admitted, his voice devoid of excuses. "But there's more to the story, Emerlda. Your mother… she wasn't entirely a monster."Emerlda's eyes narrowed. "Don't try to rewrite history, Uncle. She sold me to this life!""She did," Luka conceded. "But there were reasons. Enemies you don't even know exist. Enemies who are pulling the strings from the shadows."He took a step closer, his cane tapping a slow, deliberate rhythm against the floor. "This diary," he continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "may hold the key to unraveling it all. Your mother's secrets, your past, and maybe even… a way out."Emerlda slammed the doorknob shut, the metallic clang echoing in the tense silence. A plume of smoke curled from Luka's cigar, twisting like a malevolent spirit. "Take your master off whilst I am being nice," she spat, her voice laced with ice.Luka chuckled, a dry rasp that sent shivers down Emerlda's spine. He extinguished his cigar, the embers glowing like malevolent eyes in the half-light. "You are the only Borstov left, Emerlda," he said, his voice low and gravelly. "The sole heir to Evolution."Emerlda's jaw clenched. "So you killed your master…" she began, disbelief lacing her tone."Gustov wasn't Borstov's son," Luka interrupted, his gaze unwavering. "You are his only flesh and blood. He's been running from place to place, a scared rabbit with his mother at his heels."A sardonic laugh escaped Emerlda's lips. "What a shitty twist of events," she muttered. "Should I share a penny of my sympathy? If you're done with your dramatic pronouncements, perhaps you could clean up your own trash on the way out."Luka's face remained impassive. "Scum are already crawling out of the woodwork," he countered, his voice firm. "They see a power vacuum and smell blood. What will you do, Emerlda? Hide in this gilded cage and dream of a life that never existed? Don't give me that peaceful life bullshit. More blood will be spilled if you delay taking the reins."He took a slow, deliberate step closer. "The time has come to show these hyenas you are more than just a woman," he said, his voice dropping to a low growl.Emerlda met his gaze, her eyes devoid of warmth. "Why don't you take over, Uncle Luka, if you care so much about Evolution?" she challenged, her voice laced with a dangerous edge.Luka studied her for a long moment, a flicker of something akin to pity crossing his features. "I have one foot in the grave, child," he finally said. "Consider this a new era. An era with you at the helm."The door creaked open, revealing a burly guard dragging a battered Gustov behind him. The man's face was a canvas of raw flesh and fear, his bravado thoroughly shattered."What is your answer, Emerlda?" Luka pressed, his voice hard. "Will you let what your parents built crumble into dust?"Fury contorted Emerlda's features. "They didn't care about me," she hissed. "They abandoned me here, a pawn in their twisted game."Luka's eyes narrowed. "The empire is yours now," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Its fate rests on your shoulders. We are bound by a cruel twist of fate. You've had a shitty life, but now you have a chance to carve your own path. You can do whatever your heart desires."Emerlda's gaze flickered to Gustov, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face. "Where is Maria?" she demanded, her voice a steely whisper.Luka smirked, a hint of something sinister playing on his lips. "We've already sent men to find her. Perhaps you'd like a word before we…dispose of her?"Emerlda shrugged on a coat, her movements deliberate. As she passed the whimpering girls huddled in the corner, she threw a scathing remark over her shoulder. "Get a grip on yourselves and start cleaning these bodies before they start rotting. Why waste tears on trash?"Reaching the car, a guard opened the door for Gustov. Emerlda, however, stopped him with a cold glare. "Don't dirty the seats," she commanded. "Chain him to the back. Let him enjoy the scenery."Luka watched the scene unfold, a flicker of concern crossing his features. "We need him to tell us about Maria," he reminded her.Emerlda inhaled sharply, her eyes hardening further. "Will you tell me where Maria is?" she choked out, her voice laced with barely contained rage.Gustov, sensing a flicker of vulnerability, spat at her feet, a mixture of blood and saliva landing on her shoe.Disgust contorted Emerlda's face. She snatched a handkerchief from Luka, wiping the grime away with a practiced flick of her wrist. Then, her voice devoid of emotion, she ordered, "Tie him by the neck."Sliding into the car, she picked up a book and began reading, her face impassive. As the car sped away, Gustov's choked gasps faded into the distance. Emerlda remained unfazed, the only sign of her