BENEATH HER EMPIRE

ays she couldn't quite place. There was something about his words, about the subtle undertone of his insistence on their "fated" connection, tha

n reflected off the glass, a stark contrast to the cold steel of the city's skyline. She had built this empire from nothi

ro's family had too much power, too much reach, for her to simply ignore. The questio

nterrupted by a sof

e called, her

ious as ever. "We've got a problem,"

to the folder, then ba

sn't just another routine report. "It's

way. While Alejandro's mind was sharp and calculating, Gabriel was raw, volatile-unpredictable. He w

" she asked, her voi

rivals. The Delgados." Marco paused, watching her closel

om the northern states, known for their ruthlessness. The fact that Gabriel might be aligning wit

, her voice still calm, t

forces with them, it could destabilize everything," Marco explained. "He's unpredictabl

he'd thought. If Gabriel had made a deal with the Delgados, it wasn't just about Alejandro anymore. It was about her enti

find on Gabriel's meetings, his connections with the Delgados. And make sure t

gravity of the situation. "Und

n her. The Delgados, Gabriel, Alejandro-they were all pieces on the same chessb

el's recent actions had put him on edge. He had always known his brother was reckless, but now, with the Delgados involved, things were becoming

his father: "Have you spoken to G

for a moment before typing his r

and the Delgados were no small threat. If Gabriel was aligning with them, i

g through his fingers. The marriage to Isabella was supposed to stabilize things, but now, with Gabriel's betrayal th

ansion far away from the public eye. She didn't like to be seen here, but there were things th

Marco said, handing he

saw pictures of Gabriel-meeting with a Delgado representative, shaking hands, discussing so

" Marco asked, wa

to get ahead of this. If Gabriel is siding with the Delgado

arco asked. "Gabriel is... volatile.

ware of what he's capable of. But if an

that control was everything, and now, she was about to prove it. Gabriel may have thought he could

ion made. "Prepare ever

had been meeting with the Delgados, a place as dark and dangerous as Gabriel himself. The pla

hat something was off. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, a warning sig

-standing with two of the Delgados, their voices l

d a stack of crates. Her eyes locked on Gabriel, the anger bubbling beneat

ce echoed through the wareh

ang out, dripping with disdain.