Emerald City had never been this quiet.
Not even during the great mafia wars.
Not even when the royal families of the underground fought for control.
But now?
Now, the silence was suffocating.
Every street. Every alley. Every dark corner of the city held its breath.
Because they all knew—
The devil was about to wake up.
---
Serena sat on the cold leather couch in Ochieng's penthouse, her hands clenched into fists.
She had spent years trying to forget him.
But now, sitting here, surrounded by the scent of his cologne, by the very essence of his power—
She knew she had never really let go.
Ochieng stood near the window, his back to her. His phone sat untouched on the table, vibrating with messages.
She knew what they were.
Updates. War strategies. Blood on the streets.
But he hadn't picked it up.
Because right now—
She was his priority.
"Why did you come back?" his voice was like silk wrapped around steel.
Serena swallowed hard. "Because I can't stay away."
His jaw clenched, and in that moment, she knew—
She had just gambled her heart.
And the man standing before her?
He never lost.
---
Kieran Blackwood's Descent into Madness
Kieran stood in the ruins of his nightclub, smoke curling around his expensive shoes.
His entire empire—burning.
And the man responsible?
Untouchable.
Elena watched her brother from the shadows, her lips curving into a smirk.
"Are you ready to beg for mercy, Kieran?" she whispered.
But Kieran?
He only laughed.
A dark, broken sound.
Because mercy?
He had never believed in it.
---
Word spread fast.
The Blackwoods were losing.
Ochieng had declared war.
And the city was choosing sides.
Some ran. Some hid.
But the strongest?
They stood beside him.
Because they knew—
A war fought with him was a war already won.
---
Serena walked toward Ochieng, her heart pounding.
"Let me help you."
His gaze was unreadable, cold, calculating.
"Help me?" His voice was quiet. Dangerous.
"I know the Blackwoods' weakness."
That caught his attention.
He took a slow step forward, eyes never leaving hers.
"And why would you betray them for me?"
Serena's breath hitched.
She could have lied.
Could have said it was business.
But instead—
"Because I love you."
The words hung between them, a loaded gun ready to go off.
And then, for the first time since this war began—
Ochieng smiled.
A dangerous, knowing smile.
Because now?
Now, the real game had begun.
---
The City Waits for Blood
The first bullet had been fired.
But the war?
It was just beginning.
And this time—
Ochieng wasn't playing to win.
He was playing to destroy.
-