Chapter 4: Lucien's POV

Azaeres—a name that signed the warrant to wipe out my entire family. Yet, there’s one under my roof. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good. I’ve been looking for a crack to get through, and this is the perfect time. I can’t let it go because I can’t stand them.

My men have been surveilling the Azaeres family for two years. From secretly tailing Edgard everywhere he goes, wire-tapping his cars, and setting a spy on the compound. We even mapped the back gate routine—it opens without fail at 12 midnight. Yet, plans to get vital information for my revenge proved futile. Edgard Azaeres is one son of a bitch, but he’s good at what he does. I must give him that.

I thought it would take months to acquire the leverage I needed. Then his treacherous daughter made life easy. Xena Azaeres, the ruthless one. Edgard’s right hand. Fears no one and signs deals with the mafias in Edgard’s absence. That’s how much he trusts her. The perfect candidate for an alliance, but one that cannot be trusted. I knew she was sneaking around with the Damien guy for years. I didn’t care. Well, not until I heard about the marriage. Besides hating the Azaeres family, I despise cheaters. Isn’t it simpler to break things off if you don’t want them anymore rather than cheating? Damien took it too far with the marriage. Love. An illusion that fades when one partner deems it right. Such a waste of time. His infidelity paved the way for me, and for that I might be thankful.

Zolandria Azaeres. She’s feistier than they give her credit. My meeting with her this afternoon wasn’t what I expected. She’s supposed to agree to everything I say, but she kept speaking back. The only thing that made her quiet was the mention of her family. I might have gone too hard on her, considering she’s going to help with my plan, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Azaeres blood runs through her. She’s equally an enemy. One that I must watch closely. One mistake and my cover is blown.

A sharp knock disrupts my thoughts. “Come in,” Kane enters.

“Did you leave her unguarded?” If he’s here, then it means she’s alone.

“No, Boss. Xanders is posted at her door.”

“I specifically asked you to be with her, not Xanders.”

Kane is my most trusted guard. He’s more of a brother than a guard, but we don’t make our relationship known. He’s been with me since we both ran away from the charity home. He stood by me when I built this empire from the ground up, and he’s the closest thing to family I have. We’ve been through a lot. Kane lost his family in a car crash and was in the charity home for two years before I got there.

I remember our first encounter like it was yesterday. A week into the home, no one came near me—just whispers and side glances. That boy, they called me, as if I couldn’t hear. I didn’t care. I’d already lost everything.

Kane was different. Smaller, leaner, but stubborn as hell. He sat beside me one afternoon and offered an apple. I ignored him, thinking he’d walk away like the rest. He didn’t. He just stayed there, quiet and steady, until the silence got awkward. I finally took it.

That simple gesture built a brotherhood. We ended up sharing a room, and years later, he’s still the only one I trust without question.

“Well, I needed to talk to you. I didn’t want to leave her unguarded, too, hence Xander.” he takes a seat.

“What is it?” I question, hoping there hasn’t been any setback in our plan.

“She has refused all her meals. She hasn’t had anything since she got here,” he answers.

“This is why you needed to talk to me? Because a grown woman has refused to eat? Let her starve. Tsk.” I can’t believe this.

“I think she has seen the articles online too; she’s been bawling her eyes out for more than an hour,” he continues.

“And?” I question, still trying to understand how any of this is my business.

“C’mon. She’s under your roof, you’re responsible for her now.”

“Kane, we have a lot on our plate to get bothered about whether an adult eats or not. Any feedback on the Obsidian Pact?”

“Some of the Mafia Lords are being reluctant. They want to know who’s behind the deal,” Kane sighs.

“These cowards. Dig up any dirt you can get on each of them. We’ll use it when the time is right.”

“Including the ones who had already agreed to the deal?” Kane asks, confused.

“Yes. We can’t trust any of them. They’re all conniving bastards like Azaeres. We must tread carefully. Keep monitoring the daughter, too. Anything else you want to talk about?” I question.

“No,” he walks to the door, and before he steps out, he turns, “You know her name. Use it.” And then he’s out the door. Do I have to check up on her? No. It’s none of my business if she eats or not. Kane can bother himself with that.

Between the two of us, he’s the most compassionate one, which is why he’s concerned about her. Well, he’s not the one in my shoes. A family that murdered mine doesn’t deserve my compassion. They can go to hell for all I care, but I want to be the one to send them there.

The Azaeres think they own the world because of their name. They forget the graves buried under their empire. Some of those graves are mine, and they will pay for it.

Zolandria is the key. She doesn’t know it yet. The first crack in the Azaeres dynasty. And I intend to pry it open.

I pour myself a glass of scotch. The burn on my throat reminds me I’m still human. I hate that.

I remember the smell of smoke the night my house burned down—the laughter of men who wore Azaeres rings. I was ten. By sunrise, I had no home, no family, no name. Only rage.

They called it a “business cleanup.” I call it murder.

Zolandria’s presence under my roof isn’t a coincidence—it’s poetic justice.

The first daughter of the man who destroyed everything I loved now sits helplessly in my home. And when the time comes, she’ll give me what I want—even if it breaks her.