LOGINCalla's black car moved fast through the dark streets. The city lights blurred past her window. She sat in the back seat, her heart still pounding from the party. "Are you alright, madam?" asked the driver. His name was Amir, a serious man from Shaw's security company. He had started working for her a month ago. "I'm fine, Amir," Calla said, but her voice was tight. "Just get me home." "Yes, madam." Soon, the iron gates of her huge mansion appeared. They opened slowly like giant metal arms welcoming her back. Her home stood like a white castle in the moonlight. Bright lights showed every corner of the big garden. Four guards with guns walked around the property. They nodded when her car passed. Amir stopped the car at the front door. He got out and opened her door. "Goodnight, madam," he said with a small bow. "I hope you sleep well." "Thank you, Amir," Calla said. She walked quickly up the marble steps. Her high heels made clicking sounds that echoed in the quiet night. Insid
The grand ballroom was a swirling sea of black silk and hidden faces. Soft music floated in the air, mixing with the clinking of glasses and the low hum of a hundred conversations. Calla stood by a towering ice sculpture, feeling its cold breath on her skin. She gripped her sparkling water, her knuckles white. She was getting used to the atmosphere, it might be her first time but if she ass going to remain in this business, she had to get used to it and that was exactly she was trying to do without making a fool of herself. Neva leaned close, her voice a steady anchor in the storm. "Just breathe. You look perfect. No one knows it's you. Though I doubt they even know who you are without the mask except they watch the Damien Calloway's ex wife news." "Oh Neva nice joke but anyways everyone here is a wolf in a mask, they are so weird and the atmosphere screams dangerous." Calla whispered back, her eyes scanning the crowd. "I can feel their eyes on me, some are admiring my dress, some
Neva held up the heavy cream envelope. "It came for you. Special delivery." Calla took it, feeling the thick, expensive paper. "What is it?" "Open it," Neva said, her voice serious. Calla slid her finger under the sealed edge. Inside, fancy words were printed on stiff card: You are cordially invited, to the Annual Gala of Prosperity. Black Tie. Masks Required. An evening of elegance and discretion. "What is this?" Calla asked, reading it again. "The mafia gala," Neva explained quietly. "The big one. All the important families go. The bosses, their wives... everyone who is anyone in our world. Ricardo received this every year." Calla looked at the date. "It's in two weeks." "Yes," Neva said. "And now you are invited. As La Jefa. As the boss. Ricardo was probably the one who attended it before." Calla leaned back in her chair, thinking hard. "Will... Killian be there?" Neva nodded slowly. "When I worked for him, he never missed it. It's where secret deals are made. Where po
The money was coming in faster than anyone had ever seen. Calla sat in her polished, newly completed office at the brewery, big windows framing the busy factory floor below where bottles moved like a golden river. Neva walked in, smile bright. “Another big order, Calla. From the north, five hundred cases of the Reposado Especial.”“Good,” Calla said without looking up from her papers. “Tell them they’ll have it. Next week.”“This is amazing,” Neva breathed, excitement in every syllable. “Everyone wants it. It’s the only thing people talk about on the street. They say it’s magic.”“That’s the problem,” a low voice said from the doorway. Silas stepped in, face serious like a dark cloud. “Jorge and Miguel are here. They want to talk. Now.”Calla finally looked up and saw them waiting outside, angry. “Let them in,” she said.They didn’t sit. Jorge spoke first, deliberately dropping the honorific. “Calla. Your idea, the special tequila, it’s a great success. It’s making more money than we
Silas found Calla at her new office, a temporary space near the port. The smell of salt and fish was strong in the air. “It is done, Jefa,” Silas said. He stood very still. Calla looked up from her papers. “And?” “They found Carlos this morning. In his car. In the middle of the city. The message was clear.” “Good,” Calla said. She went back to her papers. “Now his drivers, his suppliers… they will listen to you?” “Yes, Jefa,” Silas said. “They are scared. Everyone is scared. No one is talking against you now.” “That is what I wanted,” Calla said. “Fear is a good tool. Now, come. We have work to do." The old factory by the water was now a busy place. Men were working, making noise. This was the future home of ‘Sombra de Agave’. Calla walked through the dust and noise. Neva was right behind her. A man in a hard hat came up to her. He held a paper plan. “Señora Calla, there is a problem. The copper pipes for the water. They are very expensive. The steel pipes are cheaper. They wi
The morning sun was gentle. Calla sat at her desk in her real office. This was her legal company, the one she had built herself. Papers for shipping, for taxes, for workers. It was normal. It was safe. For a few hours, she was just a businesswoman. The phone rang. A client was unhappy about a late delivery. She spoke calmly, fixing the problem Last night felt like a strange dream. The dark warehouse. The men with their hard faces. Silas calling her "Jefa." Her heart had been pounding, but her voice was steady. She was the boss now. But this morning, she was also still Calla. She drank her tea and placed a hand on her growing stomach. She had to be strong for them. She had to be smart. The day passed slowly. She did her work. She signed papers. She talked to her employees. But in the back of her mind, she was thinking about the night. She was thinking about the men. She was thinking about power. When night fell, Neva drove her to a different part of the city. It was an old, quiet







