Stephanie, the Mafia Queen

After finishing her cigarette, Stephanie went to the balcony to get some fresh air. There were many stars in the dark sky, indicating that it wouldn't rain tonight.

Stephanie took another puff of her cigarette before discarding it in the ashtray. She glanced again at the man lying on the bed, with whom she had shared an intense moment just a while ago.

His eyes were open, lifeless, staring into nothingness. His arm hung limply on the side of the bed, where his own blood dripped.

Stephanie didn't bother to cover the man's naked body; she didn't want to further soil her clothes. Instead, she retrieved her cellphone from her pocket and dialed a number.

"Mission done," she said. "I need someone to clean this up."

"Cleaner's on its way," replied Froilan.

"Any more missions for me today?"

"Nah. You're good. But you might want to clean yourself. Cleaning up a mafia mess isn't part of a cleaner's job description."

"Maybe he has extra clothes for changing, right?"

Froilan chuckled softly. "Like I said, that's not part of their job. If he has any, you'll have to pay for the extra service."

Stephanie clicked her tongue. "Next time, I'll hire my own cleaner. This is such a hassle."

"You should. You can afford it."

After ending the call, Stephanie headed to the bathroom and began scrubbing off the splattered blood from her clothes. She was grateful that she wasn't wearing white, a lesson she had learned in her nearly twenty-four years as a mafia member.

She turned off the rushing water in the sink when someone knocked. She grabbed a silk robe hanging nearby and put it on before cautiously approaching the door. Using the peephole, she saw a male housekeeper standing outside with cleaning supplies. Stephanie couldn't see his face because of the hat he wore. Before opening the door, she asked what he needed.

"Housekeeping," the housekeeper said.

"I didn't call for one," Stephanie replied.

The housekeeper checked the room number attached to the door. "Room 403. Miss Seraphine called for housekeeping."

Upon hearing her mafia code name, Stephanie opened the door. The cleaner entered swiftly, and Stephanie closed the door behind him. Without exchanging words, the cleaner started his work.

"Hey," Stephanie called out in the middle of his task.

He turned to her with a serious look.

"Do you happen to have extra clothes there? I can't get this stain out of my outfit."

The cleaner stood up briefly from his crouched position, removed his cleaning gloves, and rummaged through his cart. He handed Stephanie a black shirt, and she took it gratefully.

"Nice. Thanks. Anything you want in return?"

The man just shrugged before returning to his work. Stephanie chuckled and changed her clothes. She had never talked to a cleaner in all her years, and she thought it might be part of their job.

After changing, she left the man to his work. Free for the night, Stephanie had one thing on her mind – a visit to the Impero Bar.

Upon arrival, Enteng, the bartender, immediately handed her a shot of Tequila. Stephanie sat at a stool, watching the dance floor.

"Done for the night, Ma'am Stephanie?" Enteng asked.

"Yeah. At last."

"Looks like you finished early tonight."

"That's good, right? I have more time to drink."

Enteng chuckled. "You're right. I'll keep the shots coming, then."

"Thank you, Enteng."

Stephanie focused her gaze on the dance floor while sipping her drink. She noticed some familiar faces, people who, like her, seemed to be done for the day. Some ordinary folks could enter the bar, but entry was strict and challenging.

Some of those inside were relatives of mafia members, children of governors, and other influential figures in the country. Many of them were aware of Stephanie's work, but a few remained oblivious.

She grinned to herself, unable to believe that there were people here who had no idea that their lives could be in danger at any moment.

Having consumed several glasses, Stephanie felt the call of nature. While washing her hands, she heard someone vomiting in one of the cubicles. It was a common sight in bars, but she noticed the woman was also crying.

Stephanie approached as the woman emerged from the cubicle. She looked disheveled, with vomit on the side of her mouth. Stephanie, accustomed to gruesome scenes in her line of work, still winced at the sight of vomit.

"Are you okay?" Stephanie asked.

The woman, unfamiliar to her, turned to her, seemingly unfocused. Stephanie confirmed that she was drunk as the woman smiled and raised her hand.

"I'm okay," Stephanie nodded when the woman continued. "My boyfriend just cheated, but it's okay. The world will keep turning. Don't worry."

Stephanie's mouth agape, she was left holding the faucet handle. She couldn't believe what the woman was saying – as if cheating was a casual matter and she was completely fine with it.

The woman washed her face and seemed to have sobered up a bit. Stephanie decided to leave, having nothing to do with the woman's problems.

As she walked out of the bathroom, the woman spoke again. "Is this how men are? After getting what they want, they move on to another woman? I always thought this only happened in shows. Apparently, it happens in real life too."

"People write what we see on TV," Stephanie replied without looking at the woman. "The scenes are either real events or inspired by real happenings. Take your pick."

Avaluan, as she introduced herself, was left dumbfounded. "My name's Avaluan. You are?"

Stephanie faced her fully. "Let's not get there. It's better if you don't know me."

"That's unfair. Now you know my name."

"Not my fault. I didn't ask for your name. You gave it voluntarily."

Stephanie chuckled and left the woman to her thoughts. She went back to the bar, where Enteng offered her another shot.

"Done for the night, Ma'am Stephanie?" he asked again.

"Yeah. Finally."

"You finished early tonight. Anything bothering you?"

Stephanie shrugged. "Just encountered a strange woman in the bathroom. She thinks cheating is no big deal."

Enteng raised an eyebrow. "Well, people have their own views. Some can handle it better than others."

Stephanie sighed. "I just need a break."

As Stephanie left the bar, Avaluan was still contemplating what had just happened.

"Wow! I've never met someone like her. There are really some rude people in the world. I thought they only existed in my dramas."

She paused, recalling Stephanie's words.

"People write what we see on TV. The scenes are either real events or inspired by real happenings. Take your pick."

Avaluan sighed. "She does have a point, but she's still annoying!"

Back at her house, Stephanie noticed a familiar car parked in her spot. She quickly moved her own car before entering.

Her parents, Stacy and Axril, were sitting on the sofa, engaged in a cheerful conversation. Upon hearing Stephanie's arrival, they greeted her.

"Welcome home, anak," Stacy, her stepmother, said.

"Thank you, 'ma. What are you doing here? It's so late," Stephanie kissed them on the cheek before joining the conversation. "And you didn't even call me. I could have come home earlier."

"We're on our way to the airport," Axril, her stepfather, explained. "We dropped by to say goodbye. We'll be away for a couple of months."

"We thought," Stacy added, "you might want to see us before we leave. It'll be a long time, possibly even a year."

She held Stephanie's hands and squeezed them gently.

Stephanie smiled. "Ma, Pa, I'll be okay. I'm twenty-four, and I can stand on my own. You don't have to worry about me. I can even take care of a man thrice my size."

Axril laughed. "That's not what we're worried about, anak. We know facing trained assassins is a piece of cake for you. What concerns us is being alone in this house for an extended period. You might feel lonely."

Stephanie smiled even wider. "Seriously, I'll be fine. If you're worried, I'll visit you if I have the time."

"That's great!" Stacy said before standing up. "We need to go, our flight's in an hour. And please, take a bath. You smell like alcohol."

"Okay. I'm sorry. Take care."

As her parents left, Stephanie changed into comfortable clothes. She went out for a jog in a tracksuit, playing music on her phone through earphones.

On her way back home, she dodged something thrown at her. Reacting quickly, she narrowly avoided the projectile, realizing it was a shoe. She removed her earphones to hear what the person had to say.

"I've been calling you, but you didn't hear anything," Avaluan said. "Were you deaf when I tried talking to you earlier?"

Stephanie showed her earphones, just removed, but didn't say anything.

Avaluan's mouth gaped. "Oh, I didn't notice. Sorry." She scratched the back of her head.

Stephanie sighed. "What more do you want from me?"

Avaluan averted her gaze out of embarrassment. "I just wanted to ask if you live here. But never mind, it's not really my business."

Another sigh escaped Stephanie's lips. "Did you throw your shoe at me just to ask if I live here?"

"But you couldn't hear me, so that's why I did it. I couldn't catch up because you were running so fast." Avaluan pouted like a child.

"What's it to you if I live here or not?"

"I'm new in this area, and you're the only person I know, so I was just trying to get to know you." She furrowed her brow. "And why are you so grumpy? Did I do something to you?"

"Nothing. If you want to get to know people around here, you're approaching the wrong person. And please, you don't even know my name, so basically, you don't know me. Try another neighbor."

After Stephanie left, Avaluan sighed. She tried to understand Stephanie's behavior, but no matter what she did, she couldn't believe it.

"Wow! I've never met someone like her. There really are rude people in the world. I thought they only existed in my dramas."

She paused, recalling Stephanie's words.

"People write what we see on TV. The scenes are either real events or inspired by real happenings. Take your pick."

Avaluan sighed again. "She does have a point, but she's still annoying!"