THE PIECES BEGIN TO SHIFT

Eliana Vance had learned to trust her instincts, and right now, they were screaming at her.

She sat at her desk in the precinct, her fingers drumming rhythmically against the surface. Banky Lockwood's journal lay open before her, taunting her with unfinished thoughts and cryptic warnings. The more she sifted through the details, the more one name started creeping into her mind, Cassiel Dain.

Zayden's ex-wife.

Eliana didn't know much about Cassiel beyond what little public records provided. The divorce had been swift, quietly handled, with no media frenzy. That was unusual for a Lockwood scandal. And yet, the whispers about her… they were there.

She tapped her pen against her notepad, eyes scanning the notes she had collected so far.

1. Banky Lockwood feared for his life.

2. He suspected someone close to him was responsible.

3. The night before his murder, he tried to name someone.

She flipped the page.

4. Cassiel Dain disappeared from the public eye after the divorce.

5. No trace of her in the usual places. No financial transactions in her name. No online presence.

6. Yet, people still spoke of her in hushed tones.

Eliana exhaled sharply.

Cassiel Dain wasn't just missing. She had made herself invisible.

But why?

Her gut told her Cassiel wasn't just running. She was hiding. Or worse, plotting.

Before she could dwell on it further, Bilal approached, dropping a file onto her desk. "We got something."

Eliana raised a brow and opened the folder. Inside was a flight manifest from Florida to New York, set for arrival that evening. Her heart skipped.

Cassiel Dain.

She was coming back.

And Eliana was going to be waiting.

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Cassiel Dain – The Queen Mother Returns.

The private jet hummed softly as it soared through the night sky. Cassiel Dain leaned back in her leather seat, swirling a glass of whiskey between her fingers. The taste was sharp, burning its way down her throat, but she welcomed it. Anything to keep her mind focused.

Across from her, a man with graying hair and a scar running down his cheek watched her carefully. Victor Moreau, one of her most trusted men, though even he knew better than to push too far.

"That could've gone smoother," he said finally.

Cassiel sighed, pressing two fingers to her temple. "I never intended for it to be smooth. But this?" She scoffed. "This is getting messy."

Victor nodded. "The Miami situation was handled, but not without loose ends."

"There are always loose ends." Cassiel downed the rest of her drink and set the glass aside. Her fingers tapped against her knee, the only sign of her irritation.

Victor leaned forward. "What's next?"

Cassiel stared out the window. Below them, the lights of the city stretched endlessly, a web of power and opportunity.

"I should have never had to step out of the shadows," she murmured.

The plan had been simple. Wait, watch, let the pieces fall into place. But people had gotten greedy, sloppy. Now, the whole thing was spiraling faster than she anticipated.

Victor hesitated. "And the Lockwood case?"

Cassiel's jaw tightened.

She had spent years crafting her silence, staying hidden while her pieces moved in the dark. Zayden had never understood the game, but she had played it well. The Lockwoods had always thought themselves untouchable, but power had a way of shifting hands.

Yet now, with Banky dead, too many eyes were looking in her direction.

And one of those eyes belonged to Detective Eliana Vance.

Cassiel smirked, running her finger along the rim of her empty glass. "She's getting too close."

Victor frowned. "Do you want her handled?"

Cassiel chuckled softly. "Not yet."

The jet hit a patch of turbulence, but Cassiel barely noticed. Her mind was already ten steps ahead, thinking, calculating.

The plan wasn't derailed yet. She just needed to make the next move.

And if that meant reminding people why they used to fear the Queen Mother, then so be it.