Mia jerked up, her widened eyes almost popping out of their sockets as Mia stared at him.

"Justin?" Mia gasped, her lips trembling in shock.

"You see? What more lies are you going to tell, huh?" The man said, waving his fingers at Mia.

"I'm sorry, they threatened to kill me if I didn't spill the truth," Justin blurted out without a tinge of remorse in his eyes.

Mia heard her heart shatter into pieces as the man she had wholeheartedly loved made her take a fall for a crime she had never thought of committing.

To her, Justin was the only one who could ever love her. But now, everything that she had thought was true was all a lie. A deep lie that she never saw from the beginning.

"How could you do this to me, Justin?" Mia whispered in a cracked voice, her heart burning in rage and betrayal.

"I'm sorry, boss, you've got to understand," he muttered.

Mia's heart clenched and she growled loudly and then raced toward him, blinded by anger and pain.

"Hey!" The cop growled, but before he could get to me, her hands were already stuck in his hair, pulling out strands of hair from his scalp and earning an agonized scream from him.

She desired to kill him for lying to her and deceiving her.

She wanted to make him pay for what he had done to her, even if it meant committing a true crime this time.

The man beside Justin grabbed her and tossed her to the ground, glaring hard at her.

"How dare you try to show off your dirty colors here, huh? Mark my words, even your agents won't be able to save you from us!" The man growled, shaking his clenched fist at Mia.

The interrogator stepped forward and grabbed Mia, forcing her on her feet.

Mia dropped her head, tears threatened to spill out of her eyes but she held them back, swearing silently that she wouldn't cry.

She slumped into the chair and buried her flushed face in her palm, trembling in anger and shock.

The interrogator banged his fist on the table, and she jumped but didn't look at him.

"He told us everything you've been doing. We don't need to interrogate you anymore," the interrogator said and she raised her head, glaring at him.

"What do you mean by you won't ask me any more questions? I'm the victim here!" Mia retorted.

The men exchanged glances and shared a mocking laughter that pierced through her soul.

The man stopped laughing and leaned closer, mischief darting across his eyes.

"You are the mafia queen, there is no need to prove you are not since your underling has exposed you. Get a lawyer if necessary, but be rest assured that you're going to jail," the man muttered.

Mia's jaws dropped in shock and she gasped, unable to comprehend what was going on in their minds.

"Get up. It's time to get into the lock-up," he muttered.

Mia huffed, shaking her head in disagreement.

"No! This is wrong, he had it all set up. The bastard is lying to you all!" Mia screamed but none of them listened to her.

She knew they wouldn't listen, but she had no other choice but to keep screaming out her innocence even if she ended up in a place she didn't belong— jail.

As the man dragged her off, she craned her neck backward and caught Justin smirking at her. He didn't look like the man she had fallen in love with, he looked nothing like the man she had courted for years.

Mia felt her heart break even more at the thought of going to jail for a man who promised to sacrifice everything for her sake.

The man dragged her into the detention cell and slammed the door shut, locking it up while he cursed at her loudly.

Mia slipped down to the cold floor and buried her face in her palm, sobbing quietly.

"Why is she crying?" One of the women asked as they watched her in awe.

"That is just a show she's putting up. She will get out soon," the loud woman snapped.

Mia directed a glare at her and she slammed her mouth shut, cringing back.

No one said a word to Mia as she sat on the ground, wallowing in pain and anger.

Hours passed, and slowly, it unfolded to a day. It was a day of no hope, a day of wallowing in deeper pain and agony, left with no one to speak with aside from the inner voice in her mind.

She couldn't even look forward to the future like she always did whenever she was in a tight corner.

Mia had concluded that the future was neither bright nor bleak. There was no future, only death existed ahead.

"Hey!" A soft voice startled her, snapping her back to reality.

She slowly swerved her head to the side and stared at the lady sitting down next to her.

The lady seemed to be her age mate, or perhaps, a bit older.

The lady's sharp dark eyes roamed around Mia's face and body as if she was searching for something on her.

Her beautiful face was cold and unreadable, and her icy, sharp eyes seemed so commanding and intimidating.

"I've been watching you since you arrived," the woman said, her words cutting through Mia's silent analysis.

Mia raised her brows, wondering why she hadn't seen her ever since she arrived.

"You claim to be the mafia queen?" The woman muttered, scoffing lowly.

Mia sighed and looked away, tired of hearing the same words over and over again.

"Hey, can't you talk? Did the accusations get your tongue?" The curt words of the woman pricked Mia's heart, forcing her to snap a glare at the woman.

"Shut your trap and leave this place because you know nothing!" Mia growled and gasps from the other women filled the room.

The woman seemed unshaken by Mia's threat. She remained seated on the spot, a knowing smirk tugged at the corners of her lips.

She chuckled and leaned closer to Mia, hitting her hot breath on Mia's neck as she tilted her neck towards her ear.

"Yoh think I'll fear you just because you come here and claim to the mafia queen? Quit the act, I know who the real Mafia queen is," she whispered, and Mia's heart dropped into her belly.

She jerked her head to the side and stared at the smirking woman with widened eyes.

"What did you say? Do you know who she is? Who is…"

The woman raised her hand, signaling her to speak in low tones before drawing closer.

"I know your useless boyfriend set you up, and I'm also aware that the cops were bribed by a hidden organization," the woman said, and Mia gasped, slapping her hand over her mouth in shock.

"Don't worry too much, you won't be going to jail. There is someone that will help us."

"Who?" Mia whispered, bubbling in excitement and renewed hope.

The woman smiled, her dark eyes twinkling as she leaned towards her ear.

"I will help you escape, but not without a payback, do you agree to this?" The woman asked.

Mia gulped hard and stared intently at her face but couldn't make out anything from the blank expression.

She knew this was her only hope to avoid going to jail, but she couldn't help but wonder what this woman could ask of her after helping her escape death.

What if she forces her to do something worse than the crime she has been accused of?

What if…

"Are you interested?" The woman cut through her thoughts and she looked up, her eyes gleaming.

Without thinking twice, she parted her lips and responded, "Yes, I agree."

The woman's lips twitched up into a smirk and she threw her head back, chuckling darkly.

Mia gulped hard as she watched her silently, pondering who the woman was and what power she had to get her out of detention despite the accusation hanging around her neck.

"Get ready to leave with me once it's time," she muttered and Mia quickly nodded, excitement surging through her.

The woman turned to crawl back to the corner she had been in, but Mia grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"What is your name?" She asked.

The woman froze and her fist clenched, her eyes darkening.

"How did you know that I wasn't the Mafia queen?" Mia asked.

The woman craned her neck back and smirked viciously then tore Mia's grip off her hand.

"You should only care about getting out of here alive," she muttered, and before Mia could let her words sink in, she was gone.

She didn't understand what the woman meant, but she decided to heed the words and concentrate on getting out alive.

She lay down on the cold floor and sighed loudly. For the first time since she was forced to the police station, a smile appeared on her face and hope filled her beautiful almond eyes.

She didn't bother thinking about what the woman's condition could be or who she was, all she dreamt of was getting out of her enemies' reach. That was all that mattered to her.

Throughout the night, she kept falling in and out of sleep, her heart skipping any time she jerked up and looked in the direction of the woman.

The more she looked at her, the more she realized that the woman had been there even before she was arrested and brought there.

She had quietly sat down in a corner and watched everything unfold without saying a word.

She knew how to draw fear and respect whenever she stepped into a gathering, but somehow, she lay low in the detention center, not even releasing her real name to the police or anyone in the cell.

She had different identities used for different purposes and places. This was all done perfectly through her powerful family.

The burner phone she had hidden inside the bra she wore buzzed and her eyes flew open.

She darted her eyes around the silent cell and slowly crawled on her knees toward Mia, who had already fallen asleep after waiting for hours.

She tapped Mia lightly as she fixed her sharp eyes on the door.

Mia stirred and jolted up, fear darting across her eyes.

She swerved her head around, her heart thumping rapidly in fear and excitement.

"We should get going now," the woman muttered.

Mia nodded and made to stand up but she dragged her down, placing her finger over her lips to be quiet.

Mia obeyed immediately and succumbed to her silent rules.

The rustle of keys at the door caught their attention and drew the woman to the door.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" A man clothed in a cop uniform asked and she nodded, extending her hand.

Mia's jaws dropped as she watched them converse in low tones.

She couldn't believe that the woman had connections to some of the cops in the station. She finally understood why the woman was so confident when she talked about helping her escape.

She stopped talking and craned her neck back, smirking at Mia.

She slipped away from the door and crawled back to the cell then handed a mask over to Mia.

Mia took the mask without asking questions and put it on.

The woman nodded and gestured for her to follow her lead.

The man threw the door open, daring not to make a slight noise to avoid waking up the other detainees.

The woman and Mia crawled out of the cell, and the man noiselessly locked the door and began to lead them out of the police station through a secret passageway that led out to the back of the building.

Mia wouldn't stop shivering as they walked along the silent empty corridors.

Sweat broke out on her body and the loud thumping of her heart threatened to expose her.

The woman glanced at her from the corner of her eyes and noticed how scared she was.

She gripped her hand and stared at her with assurance in her eyes.

Mia gulped hard and slowly calmed down but the fear never left her.

The thought of getting caught hunted her mind severely, almost paralyzing her with fear.

She wondered if she would survive this prison break, and even if she did, how would she live? Everyone had tagged her the Mafia queen, and this meant that she would be unable to show up in public.

She didn't know how influential the woman was to take such a step with boldness, but she was sure the woman wouldn't have any problem living normally like she used to.

Should she go back and face the judgment and leave her fate to God, or should she break the rule to fix her life?

A blaring sound pierced into Mia's ears, slashing through her thoughts.

She jerked her head up and swerved her head around as red lights blinked repeatedly while the sound got louder.

The woman froze and stared at the ceiling then cursed loudly and took to her heels, pulling Mia along.

Mia's heart sank into her belly, and she heard shouts at the end of the corridor.

She felt like breaking down into tears as her feet, which were almost becoming numb, slowed her pace.

"Run faster! Don't look back!" The woman's screams propelled Mia to summon up a little courage and take control of her freezing body.

The police officer, who was ahead of them, got to a large exit door and rolled it open, then turned and beckoned towards them.

The two women ran like their lives depended on that chaotic moment and narrowly shoved past the exit door before it slammed shut.

The woman let go of Mia's hand as they got to a fence and skillfully jumped over.

Mia's stomach clenched as she stared at the high wall, knowing fully well that she would never be able to jump over the wall on her own.

It was a dead end for her and no form of magic could give her the kind of strength she saw the woman exude.

Her trembling feet began to stagger back but the man grabbed her arm and hauled her forward.

Mia pinned her lips together and slammed her eyes shut as the man wrapped his hand around her body and jumped off the fence.

Mia let out a scream as the man hit the ground.

He groaned and let go of her, then nursed his shoulder, which got bruised in the process of jumping over.

Mia released a breath she never knew she was holding as she rolled on the cold ground, breathing in an air of freedom— the kind of air that she never thought of breathing freely again.

"You've got some cigarette, Mark?" The woman's voice came up, causing Mia to sit up on the bare ground.

"No!" The man groused.

The woman frowned and narrowed her eyes in disappointment.

"Shit!" She spat and raised her hand to smash the lighter in her hand.

"Oh… I found a stick!" The man said.

She stopped and looked at the cigarette in his hand, smiling in relief.

She walked towards him and snatched the cigarette then lit it.

After taking a long drag at the cigarette, she exhaled smoke and turned to face Mia.

"How are you doing?" She asked.

"Huh?" Mia mumbled, still trying to understand the lady she was seeing.

"You must be fine then," she added and puffed out smoke, chuckling darkly.

She faced Mia again, an evil smirk on her face.

"You know you owe me, right?" She muttered.

"Yes," Mia responded.

She looked at the building and then back at her, pondering on how she would tell her that they were still in the enemy territory.

"Don't worry, the alarm wasn't for us," she said, reading her mind.

Mia nodded and sighed then staggered up to her feet.

"You asked for my name, right?" She asked and Mia looked up at her.

"My name is Aurora Fernandez…" she paused and threw her head back, waiting for a reaction from Mia.

When she got nothing but a blank look, she walked closer to her and placed her hand on Mia's shoulder.

"As for the mafia queen, I killed her myself," she whispered into Mia's ear and Mia felt her blood freeze.

Her eyes widened and her limbs shook as her words echoed in her head. She couldn't believe that she sought help from a killer, a person who seemed to have no sympathy lurking in her eyes.

Mia needed no one to tell her that she was yet in grave danger. Perhaps one that is even greater than being in jail.

She gasped and tried to shift away from her but Aurora grabbed her and pulled her closer, smirking evilly as her eyes burned into Mia's rheumy eyes.

"I have fulfilled my part of the deal. It is time you fulfill yours."

Mia shivered at Aurora's words and felt her heart tighten in fear and regret.

"Right?" She muttered, jerking closer. Mia staggered back and reluctantly nodded her head, "Yes."

Aurora smirked sinisterly and straightened up then slipped the cigarette stick between her red lips and took a drag at the cigarette.

"What is the deal?" Mia mustered courage and blurted out.

She puffed out smoke teasingly, watching the dark air that hung between us.

Mia coughed slightly and turned her face away with disdain scribbled across her face.

"Don't worry, I will let you know what you should do when the time comes," she responded with an evil glee in her eyes.

The moment she turned away from Mia, a black, sleek limo drove to the spot where they stood.

Aurora sighed and threw the cigarette away then walked towards the car, gesturing for Mia.

Mia snapped out of the daze she was in and slowly shuffled forward, hoping her trembling feet wouldn't send her to the ground.

The closer she got to the limousine and Aurora, the more she pictured herself being in a worse situation.

"Hop inside, let's go," Aurora said.

She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she could take the opportunity to run away from Aurora. But when she remembered that the police would be searching for her son, she pushed the thought away and slowly got into the car.

Aurora didn't stop smoking in the car and Mia didn't bother hiding the discomfort she had in the car.

She clenched her fist and stared out of the window, cursing silently at her.

She thought of what to do if she got done with Aurora, but couldn't come up with any escape plan.

She needed a passport to leave the country, and she couldn't work.

The news of the Mafia queen and her face was everywhere in the media. Walking freely on the streets was nearly impossible too.

She sighed and dropped her head on the headrest, her throat burning in pain and anger.

"I don't think anything good would come out of escaping from there," Mia blurted out.

Aurora pulled out the vape pen in between her lips and raised her brows as she stared at Mia, amused.

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm better off being in jail than hiding like a fugitive for the rest of my life," Mia muttered.

Aurora scoffed and narrowed her eyes, slipping the vape pen back into her mouth.

She took a long drag and exhaled thick dark smoke that almost choked Mia.

"You should be worrying about what I plan to make you do," Aurora muttered, and Mia's heart skipped.

"What do you plan to make me do?" Mia asked as she glared at her.

Aurora chuckled, mischief dancing in her eyes.

"Wait for it."

Mia frowned and felt like slapping her hard on the cheeks but refrained from doing it, knowing how dangerous she looked.

She sighed helplessly and looked out of the window, letting silence reign in the car again.

Mia's brows raised in surprise as they drove through the most famous estate in the country—the paradise.

The estate wasn't just meant for anyone. It was uniquely meant for the wealthiest and most influential figures in the country.

Only people with millions and billions of net worth are opportune to get a luxury home in the estate.

Living in that estate would always put any influencer in the ranks of the wealthiest and most respected influencers in the country.

Knowing how difficult it is to get a place there even with money, Mia realized that the lady beside her must be a well-known wealthy woman who had different connections in the government.

Mia slowly looked at her, wondering who she truly was.

The name she gave her was not well-known and unheard of, but the aura she possessed was questionable and intimidating.

Aurora seemed to sense her curiosity as a smile dangled at the corner of her lips.

She squared her shoulders in pride and took a long drag from the cigarette she held, allowing Mia to feed her curious eyes in silence.

The car drove through a large black gate at the end of the winding road of the estate.

Mia's jaws dropped in awe as the car drove into the white house of Paradise estate.

It had been rumored for years that the white house belonged to the unknown owner of the estate.

Mia batted her lashes severally in disbelief as she stepped out of the car, swerving her head around.

Her eyes traveled from the large fountain in the middle of the large pathway to the lawns then up to the huge, tall building that stood majestically before her.

The golden glow from the rising sun cast a golden glow over the flowers and the garden that surrounded the mansion was filled with sweet-smelling roses and lush greenery.

The building stood tall and silent, exuding a feeling that made Mia shiver.

"Come on in. We have documents to sign," Aurora said, driving her back to reality.

She nodded wordlessly, suddenly dumbstruck by the elegance and surprise that hit her upon her entrance.

They strolled along the path in silence, while Mia struggled with the questions in her mind.

It was hard to believe that the woman she met under detention lived in such a place.

Could she be related to the mafia queen? Why was she arrested in the first place?

Different questions rang in her mind but she couldn't bring herself to spill them out.

The moment they stepped into the house, the luxury of the interior hit her.

From the high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and walls adorned with intriguing artwork down to the polished floor made of rich, dark hardwood.

The living room was so spacious and decorated with plush carpets, velvet drapes, and sophisticated modern furniture.

"Come," Aurora said in a hard voice.

Mia gulped hard and trailed after her. They ascended the grand staircase and headed to Aurora's private study.

As Mia fed her eyes with beauty and luxury, she was hit by a nudging feeling that this unparalleled comfort that the mansion gave must have been gotten through dark means.

She knew, she believed, and she swore silently to find out what that meant.

Aurora sighed and slumped into a chair behind the oak desk then pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to me.

"Sign it," Aurora blurted out without mincing words.

Mia stared at her in disbelief and scoffed loudly then looked at the paper and began to read through the content.

Her breath hitched as she got to the second section of the contract.

She slowly looked up, her eyes widening.

"Marriage?" She gasped, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Aurora hummed and nodded her head.

"You have 30 days to make my brother fall for you."

The paper slipped out of her hand and she huffed loudly in disgust.

"I just got betrayed by the man I love!" Mia groused in anger.

Aurora shrugged lightly, narrowing her eyes.

"That is none of my business, is it?" Aurora stated.

Mia glared at her and slammed her fist on the table, her eyes filled with anger.

"Your brother's inability to find a woman is not my business either!" She muttered and the blood drained from Aurora's face.

"What did you say?" She muttered in clenched teeth.

Mia sighed and straightened up.

"I'm done with you, Aurora Fernandez, or whatever your name is," she spat and spun around, heading for the door.

"You will regret refusing this offer!" Aurora snapped as Mia reached the door.

She smirked and turned the knob but froze as the door pulled open, revealing a familiar face.

Mia's jaw dropped as she stared at the tall, huge man staring down at her with eyes full of disgust.

She had seen those eyes before and she had wished never to see them again the last time she did.

His lips twitched in annoyance as he ran his eyes over her body, not bothering to hide his irritation.

"Who is this little thing, Eva?" His hoarse voice filled the room, causing goosebumps to appear on Mia's skin.

Standing right before her was the CEO of the company that owned the department store she worked in. It was none other than the arrogant boss, Lucius Loveto.