Natayla's pov

Natalya paced the dimly lit bedroom, her fingers digging into her arms, nails pressing crescent-shaped indentations into her skin. Her face still ached from Damien’s brutal assault, and the humiliation burned deeper than the bruises. She had spent years as his wife, years being the perfect queen to his empire, only for him to toss her aside like garbage for that boy.

Luca. The name was venom on her tongue.

And now even Ava, her own daughter, was choosing him over her. That was the final insult.

Natalya inhaled sharply, her fury solidifying into something colder—something calculated. She had spent the last few days gathering information, using the remaining influence she had to pull strings in the shadows. There were still those who feared her, still those who would act on her behalf if she played her cards right.

She grabbed her phone and dialed the number she had been given.

Mikhail.

The line clicked, and a deep, amused voice greeted her. “Ah, the neglected wife. I was wondering when you’d call.”

Natalya clenched her teeth but forced her voice to remain smooth. “I have an offer for you.”

A chuckle. “Oh? And what could you possibly offer me?”

“I know you want Luca.” The words tasted bitter. “You want him as much as Damien does—if not more. And I… I want Damien ruined. I want him to suffer.”

Silence. Then, “Go on.”

Natalya smiled darkly, gripping the phone tighter. “I know Damien. I know how he thinks, how he moves. If you want Luca, you’ll never get him by playing fair. Damien is obsessed—he will burn the world to keep that boy. But if we work together… I can make sure Luca slips through his fingers.”

They made plan & Mikhail agreed.

The call ended, but Natalya’s mind was already working. Step one: Isolate Luca. Step two: Break Damien’s control. Step three… watch everything burn.

Her lips curled into a cruel smile.

This time, she wouldn’t lose.

****** Natalya stood in the dimly lit study, her fingers gripping the stem of a wine glass as she watched the clock tick down. The plan had been set in motion, and all she had to do now was wait. A twisted smirk curled on her bruised lips as she replayed the events in her mind. Damien had humiliated her, reduced her to nothing, all because of that pathetic little lawyer. It was time to remind him who she was.

The trap was simple yet effective. With the right connections and an obscene amount of money, she had arranged for an attack on Luca—subtle enough that it wouldn't be traced back to her, but brutal enough to send Damien spiraling into rage and despair. A group of hired men, skilled enough to get close but stupid enough to be disposable, had been sent after them. Their orders? Take Luca away, make him disappear for just long enough that Damien would go mad with fury.

Meanwhile, a distraction was necessary. A supposed 'urgent' business deal had been fabricated, one so enticing that Damien would have to divert his attention, leaving Luca vulnerable. She had made sure to leak the right information to make it seem like an opportunity Damien couldn't pass up.

As the clock struck the designated time, her phone buzzed. A message.

"Target sighted. Proceeding as planned."

Her heart pounded in anticipation. Soon, Luca would be out of the picture. Damien would break, and in his anger, he'd destroy everything in his path. And once the dust settled, he’d come crawling back to her, as he always did.

Or so she thought.

*****