Even if it's my bday today, here are three new chapters as gift for you, guys. GUESS, Who is back?❤️

------------------ Charlotte "I am a woman and I have a power here."

Power is something you can gain with difficulty, but so easily slip through your fingers and lose literally everything. It's not just about being above everyone else. If you're high enough above everyone else's heads, especially as a woman, no one will touch you or your loved ones out of respect. No one will dare even look at you, and when they do, they'll be blinded by the fact that you're not paying attention to them.

That's why I missed my old life so much. Because there I always rose higher and higher, I was feared and respected at the same time more and that's what I lost. I did it. "You will always be Kirillova, krasavica." He told me once. "We do not bend the knee. Neither does anyone else. We will force our enemies to do it."

Those words are still deeply imprinted in my heart, but they don't matter. With those thoughts, I grip the steering wheel of Cade's car tighter. It so happened that John, like a little girl, decided to whine and grumble about the whole thing, as you would expect from him, and Lin became my ponytail for a week.

My thoughts were confused, it was hard to breathe and the only person who could help me with this was my brother, Alex. He and I were our father's mistake. Even though my mother was his wife, no one wanted me, but Alex was the son of a mistress, but this secret was revealed only when I was fifteen.

Monica, his mother, died a year later when her husband was killed, from a heart attack. Alex was only 26 years old and he found out about me, about us, about dad. So Monica wanted to clear her karma and confess. And it seems he should have hated the unexpected sister, but it turned out that the new Don of the mafia at such a young age has the biggest heart I have ever seen.

He literally broke into our house because he started beating our father while my mother was screaming. I remember how weak I felt watching this from the stairs. But I only wanted to help myself because I didn't feel bad. At that moment, when the stranger turned to me with blood on his white shirt, I thought I was finished. Not knowing the reason, not knowing who it was - I thought I would die.

But his long legs crossed the distance between us and he just hugged me. At that moment, when the truth came to me, it seemed to me that my brother was my family. But I was not selfish, staying in this house, with rare meetings with Alex, I found myself in a marriage with his enemy. That is why it was my secret until a war almost started because of me because my stupid mother decided to "save" me and told everything herself.

It was when this happened that there was no doubt that Mom was a dumb bitch. How is that possible? She finally decided to do something when it was already too late. And everything only got more complicated. But only smart girls like me knew that whoever could cause a battle could also be the reason for a peace pact.

"Are you even listening to me?" Muttered a hysterical man named John. "Or maybe you just have time only to start a harem?" "No I didn't listen to you, because you are a man and you are speaking." "What..."

"Oh my god, will you shut up?" Lin hissed from the backseat just as I was about to. I'm starting to like this girl.

"Don't interfere here at all!" "Listen, don't you dare yell at her." I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "If you were going to play a man, you could have at least done it sometimes during our marriage."

"Forgive me what?" His laughter was like a superficial thunderstorm. "You heard me." I turned onto the street where our house was. "Are you saying you were the perfect husband?" "Sure." I chuckled as I slammed on the brakes, stopping the SUV right at the door. "Think better." I stepped out of the car with all my confidence.

"Thank God we're here." Lyn muttered as we started up the stairs to the right door of the apartment. "I'll never get married, I swear." "Look how fun it is..." We were already on the necessary third floor, which is why I simultaneously started to take out the keys. "You always have a faithful puppy behind your back."

I deliberately provoked him, dreaming of finding out how far John would go, but I didn't expect how rudely he grabbed me by the elbow right next to the door, turning me towards him. "Repeat it." "Take your hand away." My voice was too deep. "Don't play games with me like that, Johnny." "So what?" His grin was the last straw. Well, there was progress, like a good girl I warned, but like a bad girl my other hand squeezed his throat with all its might, making him wheeze.

"Don't you dare think that I'm so guilty." I smiled sweetly. "You were cheating on me, acted like a goat, used me too, and notice that even a man like Cade trusted me with his car, while you were afraid of my touching yours." "Let me go." He croaked.

"What? Not such a confident man anymore." I blinked innocently. "You're just a man who has a dick but even though I have a pussy I don't need another one anymore so stop pretending to be a man. I don't have to justify myself to you."

His eyes were so dark I thought I could see my death in them. Luckily even the mafiosi can't eat my guts so why worry about a mama's boy?

"I. Said. Let me go. Stupid bitch." I tried not to be distracted by how furious he sounded. "Yes, of course, wait a minute." I tossed the keys to Lin. "Open the doors, we'll go pack our things and then let John in." "This is my apartment. You wouldn't dare." "It's better if you're not here when we leave."

And the next sound John heard was the door slamming. Right in front of him. Oh, I should have given him the advice that Cade knows so well - Don't anger women, no matter if she can shoot or wield a knife. We are smarter, more cunning, and most importantly - to lead men around by our finger is as delightful as eating chocolate at night. That thing we will never refuse.

***

"God, you're a terrible housewife!" Lin muttered, opening the balcony door even wider. "How can you leave wet laundry in the washing machine for two days?" "Well, forgive me that in the mafia world they taught me other things." I chuckled, throwing another pair of jeans into the suitcase. "The princesses have other things to do there."

"But you weren't a princess, you were the queen of snakes." I looked up, hearing the cheeky notes in her voice. But it was obvious that she had no instinct for self-preservation at all, if she so brazenly collapsed on the bed, causing the suitcase to shake a little.

"Have you found out about me?" I chuckled and turned back to the closet. "Roman told me about you." I clutched the shirt tighter, quickly throwing it into my suitcase. Keep packing. Just do it. "By the way, why, queen of snakes?" "Hasn't your little nose figured out why yet?"

"Ha - ha - ha. Very funny." I finally shoved the last of my things in and, trying not to get distracted again, sat down next to the suitcases. "But I realized that it's better not to make you angry." "Well, you answered your own question." Her eyes widened with interest. "I was his wife. So a queen but a snake? Everyone associated it with the fact that even with a little innocence I hissed and bit everyone with my poisonous teeth." I shook my head cheerfully, which was completely lost in the memory.

"Then why did you exchange such a life for a boring one with an idiot husband?" She leaned on her fist. I did the same, repeating her pose. "Do you think Cade is not an idiot?" "The fact that you can't even call him by his real name tells me you're attached." "I can. But I don't want to."

In my soul I know who is he. My husband. The head of the Russian mafia. Roman Kirillov. The man who healed me and destroyed me in an instant. And even though I may be a psychopath, at least calling him Cade will make it easier for me to be around him and not remember the past. It would be easier to refuse, but it is important for me to carry out this plan as much as it is for him.

"What happened between you?" "You are not my friend so I shouldn't tell you this." "No, but since I'm stuck with you for a whole week, give me at least some information." "What in return?" I narrowed my eyes, looking at her. "What do you want?"

"You're the curious type. I get it." I exhaled and fell backwards onto the bed next to her. "Let's do it this way, three questions for me and three questions for you." "Any?" "Yes. Be glad I'm being kind today." As soon as the words left my lips, a crazy anticipation from her hung in the air.

I was kind today. Yes, I'm getting divorced soon. Twice. I'm secretive. I fucking married a cheater and a man who needed a wife to please his mother, just to hide from Cade. But I have such a terrible time hiding my life and identity that maybe three questions from a weird girl will help me ease the weight on my shoulders.

"So...why aren't you and Roman together anymore?" Her elbow hit me lightly in the side. "And yes, I won't call him Cade." "Um...we." I cleared my throat. "I was a stupid girl in love. Every night...I dreamed that one day our marriage would be real. I waited, hoping for everything to go back to how it was in the beginning, but the miracle didn't happen and when he didn't even notice how much he missed, I decided to run away." I wasn't exactly lying, but I couldn't tell the truth either, because only me and Natasha would take this secret with us.

"That sounds... disgusting." Her body began to fidget nervously next to mine. "I'd rather be alone than get married." "It's all up to you, no matter what, Dean will be upset if you don't marry him." "What? We're friends." Her laughter further confirmed my theory. "Friends? You and him had a sex."

"What?" She immediately fell silent. "It doesn't matter, it's none of my business, just forget about my theories." My gaze wandered to the ceiling. "How did you both end up with Cade?" "Dean and I are best friends, so close that they even got into debt with the mafia at the same time. Until recently, they took and then gave back, but the business collapsed and suddenly they both needed children."

My stomach did three turns at once and tightened into a tight knot, sinking lower and lower. This story seemed to be the same but much more terrible. Because my father was dead but theirs? Such people cannot reproduce. I swear.

"Ask your second question, we have to leave soon." I decided to change the subject and pulled my phone out of the pocket of the shorts I had recently put on. "What are the chances that you'll go back to Roman?" "Are you a romantic?" I thoughtfully turned my head towards her. "Or what?" "I like reading books, okay?" She clicked her tongue, looking at me too. "I already know a lot about you because of Roman. And the hate-to-love trope is my favorite."

"God, remind me not to talk to you again." I ran my hand over my face. "I don't need a man to win." "Sure?" "Oh yeah... Men don't know what periods, childbirth, waxing and other things are that would make you cry, so trust me... I can handle it myself." "But you never answered." Her sly smile began to irritate.

"That I'll fuck him...99.9%, but that I'll let him become my husband again? Never." "All the main characters say that." Her dreamy voice was starting to drive me crazy. Alex...text me already.

"What does this mean? We're not in a damn book!" I exclaimed. "And so they say the same thing." "Go to hell." I sat up abruptly. Forget it, I don't need anything else but silence, ice cream, and my brother.

"Hey, but two more questions or queens can't keep their word." "Ask the last one, I don't want to do this anymore." My eyes focused on the new message. "Where are we going to live if you're going to run away from this apartment now? I mean, where are we going?" I broke into a victorious smile as I read the text.

Alex: I'm already waiting for you, you can come.

"To the enemy's lairs. That's where we're going, my dear."