Chapter 41: The Calm Before the Storm

The rain poured relentlessly, drenching the world in cold, gray emptiness.

A week had passed since Lucio freed her from the shackles.

A week since her body had healed but her soul had not.

Lucio and the Dragon Brotherhood treated her well. They had stopped restraining her, stopped treating her like a prisoner. Some even spoke to her with respect. But one thing remained unchanged. Charlotte.

The sight of her still boiled Tiffany's blood. But today wasn't about Charlotte. Today was about betrayal.

The video played on the tablet before her—again and again, looping like a nightmare she refused to wake from. Tiffany clutched the hem of her cardigan, her fingers digging into the fabric. Her eyes never left the screen, even as every fiber of her being screamed at her to look away.

There, on the podium, Yuan Lloyd Marquez stood tall. He was dressed in a jet-black suit, speaking with the confidence of a man who had already won.

"Yuan Lloyd Marquez," the announcer's voice echoed, "is hereby declared the new Alpha Don."

Tiffany's breath shook.

A few days ago, she had sneaked into the mansion, desperate to find Elizabeth, but she had failed. Instead, she had overheard the guards' careless whispers:

"The Don killed her. Said she was trying to convince him to give all power to Señorita Tiffany."

"That girl is a bomb. She doesn't know how the Brotherhood works."

Her fingernails dug into her palms. They thought she didn't know? She had studied at the Academy. She had bled to prove herself worthy. At sixteen, her father had started grooming her for leadership. She had done everything to be the daughter he wanted. So why had he changed his mind?

And now—Elizabeth. Even she was gone. Dead. She was her only ally. The only one who believed in her. The only one who whispered, "Keep going, hija. You were born for this" despite her blatant disrespect.

Who would tell her that now? Who would remind her that she was meant for more?

Tiffany squeezed her eyes shut. The past came rushing in like a storm, drowning her in memories.

TIFFANY AT SIXTEEN YEARS OLD

"Hija, you are my heiress. You are destined to inherit everything."

Her heart pounded. "But Papa, I am a woman. The Brotherhood—"

A finger pressed against her lips, silencing her. "We can change that, mi niña (my girl)."

Excitement coiled in her stomach. "What must I do then, Papa?"

The Don's smiled. "You will do everything I tell you. Can you promise me that?"

Without hesitation, Tiffany dropped to her knees in front of him. "I will, Papa. Please help me."

The Don tilted her chin up, his gaze unreadable.

"Well then," he murmured. "Strip your clothes, darling."

The memory crashed into her like a dagger to the chest. Her breathing turned shallow, her shoulders trembling in utter pain.

'He took everything from me. He's a monster!'

The rage came suddenly, exploding from within. Tiffany grabbed the tablet and hurled it across the room.

It shattered against the wall, but she wasn't done.

She grabbed books, glasses, chairs— anything she could reach, throwing them, smashing them, destroying everything in her path. Her feet crushed the broken screen, the shattered glass digging into her skin. She didn't care. Pain was better than the emptiness inside her.

Just then, a raw and feral howl ripped from her throat. "HE KILLED ELIZABETH!"

Her screams filled the room, shaking the walls.

"WHY?! WHY?!"

For minutes, she stood there, shaking and bleeding.

And then, out from the corners of her mind, the voices came…

Some mocking her, others were comforting.

"You are the heiress, Tiffany. A female Alpha Don, the first of her kind…"

"Why can't I talk, Papa?"

"It just doesn't suit you, hija."

"He's a threat to our business. He's an assassin. And now, he's making moves that could ruin us."

"You know how much I love you, Steffy. I can't let you die."

Tiffany clawed at her temples, trying to shut them out. Her feet dripped blood, staining the white sheets crimson. She collapsed onto the bed, gasping.

"Kill… kill them… the heiress must kill them all…"

Her head snapped up. "Who's there?!" she yelled.

A menacing chuckle floated. "Don't you recognize me?"

Tiffany whipped her head around, her pulse roaring in her ears. "Who the fuck are you?!"

"Look in the mirror, señorita."

Her chest rose and fell heavily as she limped toward the full-body mirror.

The reflection staring back at her—

It was her. But… it wasn't.

Her eyes glowed in confusion.

"Tiffany," the woman in the mirror purred. "Don't you recognize me?"

Tiffany's breath hitched before answering. "You… you're me," she whispered.

The woman in the mirror tilted her head. "Oh, we may have the same face," she murmured, "but we are not the same. I am Miss T. I am the stronger version of you."

Tiffany's fingers twitched. "W-what do you want?"

Miss T. smiled wider. "I'm here to help you."

Tiffany shook her head violently. "No! You're not real! I'm just— I'm just—"

"Losing your mind?" Miss T replied with a sardonic smile. "Do you think you'll end up just like your mother?"

Tiffany stumbled back, her body curling in on itself. "I'm a loser now," she whispered. "Papa chose Yuan, and now, I'm a prisoner in Lucio's hands. I— I lost everything."

Miss T sighed, shaking her head. "Tiffany, Tiffany, Tiffany…"

Her voice was softer now, almost… gentle.

"I told you, didn't I? I will help you."

Tiffany's eyes lifted. Her voice was barely a breath. "How?"

Miss T leaned in. "We will kill them. Every…last… one of them."