Night in Ravenska City bwas /bcloaked in mist, the bcold /bair biting to the bone, as if freezing the heart of anyone wandering outside.

But inside an old warehouse on the outskirts of the bcity/b, the atmosphere was heated by the desperate screams of a bman /bkneeling with his hands tied, his face swollen and bruised.

Standing before him bwas /bba /bgraceful woman bwith /ba terrifying aura. She wore a long ck coat that only heightened bthe /boppressive presence she exuded.

“Tell the truth. Why did you betray us? There’s no point in lying. You’ll die either way?

Aliana bZavier/b.

Adopted daughter of Gabriel Corvo, the bmost /bfeared mafia boss in Ravenska. At just twenty–five years old, Aliana had be a formidable figure in the underworld–not just due to her adoptive bfather’s /binfluence, but because of her own unwavering resolve and fierce sense of justice.

“I swear, Miss Aliana… I made a mistake. I didn’t mean to betray you… they pressured me.” the bman /bwhimpered, his voice trembling. his body shivering in fear.

“Pressured?”

Aliana stepped closer, her leather boots creaking against the damp warehouse floor. Her dark eyes pierced through the man kneeling before her

“You think that’s enough of a reason to betray the Corvo family? You leaked information to our enemies, Alexel. How much did they bpay /byou?”

“N–not a dime… I… I was just scared-

“Scared.” Aliana cut him off, her voice icy. She bent down, her face level with his

“When you joined the Corvo family, what did my father say to you? Do you remember?”

The man swallowed hard, but stayed silent.

“I’ll ask again. What did he bsay/b?” Her voice rose an octave, the threat in her btone /bsharp enough to cut skin.

“H–he said… betrayal is the greatest bsin/b,” Alexei murmured, his voice barely baudible/b.

“Correct,” Aliana sneered “And bnow /byou’vemitted that bvery /bsin. You know what happens to btraitors/b, don’t

you?”

Alexei wept, begging for mercy, but Aliana remained motionless. Without hesitation, she drew a pistol from under her bck /bcoat.

In ba /bsingle breath, the gunshot echoed through the room, ending the man’s life. There was no bhesitation /bon Aliana’s bface/b–she bnever /bforgave betrayal.

“Clean this bup/b,” Aliana ordered coldly to the two men standing in the corner.

They nodded quickly, their bodies tense from witnessing bAliana’s /bruthlessness

As bAliana /bholstered her pistol, a man burst into the warehouse. bTall /band well–groomed, he wore a wless gray suit despite the chans baround /bbhim/b. This was Kafe Donovan, bAliana’s /bbpersonal /bbassistant /band right–hand man.

reent news”

“bMiss /bAliana,” Rafe saidb, /bbapproaching /bbher/bb, /bslightly bout /bof bbreath /bthough his expression remainedposed. “There’s urgent

“Speak,” Aliana replied curtly, bwalking /bout of the warehouse bas /bif she’d justpleted a mundane btask/b.

Rafe matched her pace. “bYour /bsister, Miss Alicia Zavier, hasmitted suicide.”

bAliana /bfroze in ce.

For a moment, only the sound of rain could be heard. Ana turned to Rafe with a difficult–to–read expression.

“My sister

343 PM P

“Yes. You’ve been summoned by the Zavier bfamily/b. They said the situation with Miss Alicia is grave.”

Aliana stood still. She bhad /balways known her gentle, vulnerable sister blived /bunder immense pressure–but suicide? bThat /bhad never crossed her bmind/b. Especially knowing how little tolerance Alicia had for pain, self–harm seemed unthinkable.

Aliana bwas /bAlicia Zavier’s twin. But because twins were considered a “bad omen” by the old–fashioned Zavier family, bAliana /bhad been given away at birth, raised far from home. She had grown up with her adoptive parents in Ravenska, about 6,000 kilometers away from. Zenith, her birthce.

Unlike the kind and yielding Alicia, Aliana had grown up under the care of a mafia family–independent, stubborn, and fiercely ambitious.

Aliana scoffed lightly, a bitter smile curling her lips. “The Zavier family? They remember I exist now, after twenty–five years of throwing me baway/bb?/bb” /b

“They seem to have no choice, Miss, if they’re calling you back, Rafe replied, “But you know this could be dangerous. If they truly want you to return, there must be a hidden bagenda/bb./b”

Aliana bsaid /bnothing. In her mind, bitter childhood memories resurfaced. Parents bwho /bshould’ve loved her had instead discarded her, deeming her cursed. No one could understand how hard she’d had to fight to survive–if not for Gabriel Corvo, the infamous mafia king, she might not have lived at all.

“My sister…mitted suicide,” Aliana murmured to herself. “Why? She had everything–family, wealth, a perfect–looking life. While I, the one they cast out, had to survive through blood and bullets”

Rafe watched her with concern. “Will you go. Miss?”

Aliana inhaled deeply, then nodded. “I will. Not for them, but for Alicia. I need to know what made my sister end her life.”

“In that case, I’ll arrange our departure for tonight,” said Rafe

“No need 17 bgo /balone,” Aliana cut him off. “You stay here and watch over the territory. I don’t want trouble while I’m gone.”

“But, Miss-

-No buts, Rafe. You know I can take care of myself.”

Rafe nodded, though his face clearly showed reluctance. Very well, Miss. But please, if anything happens, let me know immediately.”

Aliana didn’t respond. She simply stared out at the rain beyond the warehouse, her gaze narrowing.

Several hourster…

A ck car cruised smoothly toward the Zavier family mansion. Throughout the journey, Aliana sat quietly in the backseat, her face expressionless. But her mind was in turmoil, wondering what awaited her in the ce she was once meant to call home.

After 25 years of living abroad band /bsurviving in shadows as the discarded daughterb, /bAliana had never imagined returning. The ten–hour trip gave her more than enough btime /bto revisit everything–especially the incident ten byears /bago when her parents rejected her for trying to see Alicia.

bAliana’s /bemotions swirled–rage toward her parents mixed with worry for the twin sister she hadn’t seen in so blong- /b

The car stopped in bfront /bof the grand old bmansion /bof the Zavier bfamily/b. Aliana was surprised to see numerous condolence wreaths decorating the front yard. Mourners bhad /bgathered, their faces solemn,

Inside the car, bAliana /bcould bonly /bstare bnkly/b. Her eyes gazed through bthe /bbss/b, observing the foreign yet undeniable scene of grief. She knew now it was toote bto /bsee bAlicia/bb. /bHer sister bwas /btruly gone.

Suppressing the surge of sorrow bthat /brose in her chest, Aliana clenched her fists as memories of bthe /bbpast /bshed by–bespecially /bbthe /bmoment when she and Alicia had first truly connected. Ana remembered how her sister had once said,

Sis rome get me. I want to live with you”

A single tear fell, but she wiped it away immediately. She fought hard to bury the guilt swelling inside her–for not being able to fulfill the one promise her bsister /bhad asked of her.

E