Christ is getting so annoying—he keeps butting into my missions too much. Meanwhile, Papa stands beside me with a frown, as we, the whole family, watch the report about what is happening in the mafia world.

“Devali is going through a tough time right now; Claudia Nova is missing,” Astron explained, while Troy wore a scowl. He clearly wishes I weren’t here, but I have every right to be present—even though I’m adopted, I still need to stay informed.

“The Devali sisters are extremely dangerous; we have to keep a close watch on them. But they don’t just go after anyone who crosses their path. Still, we need to be extra careful around Arthur.” Astron showed a photo of a man who looked utterly foolish.

“Vivianne Cora is building strong ties with the Avignons,” Troy said, and all eyes turned to him.

“My intelligence reports say Vivianne often visits Barbara’s newly built hospital, which serves the mafia organizations,” Troy continued. Meanwhile, I was checking my schedule for an upcoming photoshoot, trying to make sure everything aligned.

“Barbara and Fiero pose a serious threat—they’ve developed a system that stores all their information in one place.” I paused what I was doing when I felt everyone’s gaze settle on me, including Papa’s.

“Eclipse, add this to your mission. Aside from eliminating Christ, you first need to get hold of that system they’ve created,” Papa said. I set down my phone and looked straight at them.

“This will work in our favor. Knowing the Avignons, they’re incredibly sharp—we can’t pass up something this valuable.” I nodded, though I remained seated, unmoving.

“And then there’s Devali—they’re loaded. Troy, track Vivianne. Find out if she has any romantic interests—”

“She doesn’t, actually. From what I’ve heard, she’s Don Vladimir’s personal weapon.” I lifted my coffee cup, and once again all eyes turned toward me.

“I’ve seen her before, at the place I was sent to retrieve a flash drive. Remember how the entire compound went up in flames afterward?” I asked Astron, who nodded in response.

“She killed nearly everyone there, right after Don Vladimir found out they were interfering with his business,” I continued, and the room fell even quieter.

“They never make a big fuss, but they destroy without a second thought. My theory is that they wait until someone gives them a genuine reason to strike—and then they strike hard.” I finished my explanation and lit a cigarette.

“This is bad news. If the Avignons and Devali join forces, we’ll be in real trouble,” Papa said, toying with his swagger stick.

“What if we just go after Vivianne directly?” Troy asked bluntly, and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Did you even listen to what I said? Even I wouldn’t dare try to kill that woman—she was trained her whole life to be a killer.”

“You’re just making excuses because you’re scared you can’t do it.”

“Troy, Eclipse has a point,” Astron cut in. “Why don’t you be the one to go after Vivianne instead? Let’s see if you can do any better.”

I smiled at Troy. He’s so lazy—he wants to dump every difficult task on me. And honestly, their greed makes my skin crawl.

They’re fixated on the Avignons, completely unaware that the Avignons already have Salvia on their side. And now they’re eyeing Devali’s wealth too. Are they that desperate just to try and rival the underground power of the Avignons?

“Ms. Vivianne Cora Devali has been declared dead.”

The room fell completely silent the moment our intelligence officer spoke. No one moved, and even Papa looked deep in thought.

“I don’t believe she could be killed so easily,” I said, and everyone turned to look at me.

“What? Do you know her personally or something?” Troy asked, his tone sharp and mocking. I set my phone down and fixed him with a cold stare.

“Vivianne trained alongside the Avignons since she was a child. They specialized in survival tactics back then. That plane crash? I don’t buy it one bit. Have you heard of the kind of training they went through years ago? It was pure hell.”

Papa nodded in agreement with what I said. I remembered he once tried to enroll me in that same program, but I couldn’t last even a fraction of it—the training on that island was far too brutal. That’s also why I told them I couldn’t take on someone like Vivianne through brute force, the way Troy wanted.

I know Troy is trying to set me up to fail, but it’s a good thing Papa listens and understands what I’m truly capable of.

“Don’t rush things. Let’s all move quietly in the shadows. Let Arthur do the dirty work against Devali first, and only then do we step in. That way we stay out of the chaos until it’s safe,” Astron explained, before turning his gaze to me.

“What? I’m still figuring out how to manipulate Christ,” I replied, leaning back against the sofa.

“Just use your body. Don’t ask questions about something that’s obvious.”

I shot Troy a fierce look, while Astron just shook his head in exasperation at his cousin.

“That’s not how this works,” I said, my voice filled with disgust. “If you think everything can be solved just by using my body, you’re dead wrong, Troy.”

“Christ can have any woman he wants with just a snap of his fingers. That’s why I need to stand out from all the rest. I want him to crave more than just my body—I need a solid, well-thought-out plan.”

“That’s the job you were given, so do it properly.”

My eyebrows shot up even higher, and I lost my patience completely.

“Does it look like I’m not taking my mission seriously?” I challenged.

Troy smirked. “It sure does. You keep overthinking and complaining about it, acting like it’s too much for you to handle.”

The whole room went quiet. I leaned back in my seat and reached for my lighter.

“You’re missing the point entirely,” I said, my tone sharp and cutting. “The reason there are gaps and mistakes in your work is because you never pay attention to every small detail. It’s far better to plan carefully and over-analyze than to act recklessly and mess up. I hate errors.”

That struck a nerve. Troy’s face flushed red, and he jumped to his feet, raising his fist to strike—only for Astron to hold him back.

“That is no way to treat a woman in this family,” Astron said firmly.

Papa slammed his swagger stick hard against the table three times, and the glasses rattled and clattered.

“All bark and no bite,” Papa said dismissively.

But his words didn’t bother me. I knew exactly what I was capable of—unlike Troy, who constantly messes up his own assignments and leaves me to clean up his mess, yet still acts as if he’s better than me. It’s absolutely infuriating.

“Eclipse, I want you to send in a full report on Devali immediately. Keep them under constant surveillance. And as for you, Troy—” Papa paused, looking down at his palm.

“Find the Devali sisters. If we know where they are, we can negotiate a deal with Arthur.”

I stood up, grabbed my phone and lighter from the table.

“And stop this childish bickering in front of me,” Papa added.

I faced them all with a calm, sweet smile. “I don’t consider this an argument, Papa. I’m just stating facts.”

As I turned to walk away, I caught sight of Troy’s face burning with anger. I did that on purpose—let him stay consumed by rage, so he loses focus on the mission.

…

I sat in a quiet corner of the café, watching Barbara’s newly built hospital from a distance. Her clients weren’t ordinary people—every single one belonged to various mafia organizations.

I took a sip of coffee and checked my schedule for tomorrow. It was packed solid; I wouldn’t be free until noon. It was so annoying having to juggle so many photoshoots. I’d already asked my manager to cut back, but even then, I couldn’t just drop everything to focus entirely on my work here.

“Cressida Laurent.”

My blood ran cold, and I froze in my seat. I didn’t dare turn around. It had been twenty-two years since anyone had spoken that name—the name I had before Papa Nate adopted me.

“What a beautiful name. But which do you prefer to be called—Eclipse, or Cressida Laurent?”

My vision darkened when I saw Christ standing there. He pulled out a chair and sat across from me, carrying a cup of iced coffee and a plate of garlic butter bread topped with triple cheese.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped.

He just smiled sweetly, stirring his drink. Noticing my eyes fixed on the bread, he pushed the plate toward me.

“This café is owned by my sister,” he said.

I took it immediately, though I still shot him a look of disdain.

“I know exactly why you’re here. And I know Nate—he’s as cunning as they come. Look at the situation Devali is in right now; they’re completely vulnerable,” Christ went on, taking another sip.

“Like I care,” I muttered, slicing into the bread. It tasted incredible.

“Well, just so you know—Vivianne Cora is currently in Laguna, while Claudia Nova is hiding out at a farm in the countryside,” Christ said casually.

I nearly choked on my bite. I slammed my utensils down and glared at him.

“What? Are you serious? Why would you just tell me where they are?” I hissed.

That was exactly what my mission demanded, but I never expected him to reveal the location of his own allies so easily.

“Why not? It’s the information you want, isn’t it? And you know I hate seeing you struggle to get what you need.”

I stared at him in utter disbelief. He didn’t look like a feared mafia boss at all—he looked like someone who didn’t take anything seriously.

“You’re basically handing them over to your enemies,” I said.

Christ just smirked. “You’re not my enemy. You’re my future wife.”

I couldn’t tell if he was joking or just mocking me. My appetite vanished instantly. Maybe this was just another bluff, and the sisters weren’t really there at all.

“I am your enemy. And I swear, the moment you told me where they are, you put their lives in danger,” I snapped back, feeling like I was arguing with a stubborn child.

“Relax. If you send anyone after Cora, she’ll kill every single one of them. And remember—if anyone lays a hand on Nova, she might survive, but Cora will hunt down and kill every last person responsible for hurting her sister.”

Christ reached into his pocket. I jumped up quickly and drew my gun, aiming it straight at him.

“Wait—I almost forgot to give you this!”

Christ froze when he saw the weapon pointed at him, then slowly pulled out a ring from his pocket instead.

“Our engagement ring,” he said with a wide grin.

That completely killed whatever mood I had left.

“Why? You’re already mine, so this makes us officially engaged,” he said, as two more people walked up to join him. I lowered my gun and looked them over.

“Are you actually messing with me?” I demanded.

The two newcomers laughed. When I recognized who they were, I just ran a hand over my face in frustration.

“You’ve lost your mind—falling for a girl from our rivals, and now proposing to a Dela Torre?” It was Barbara. Her cold, deadpan stare matched the sarcasm dripping from her voice as she teased her older brother.

“Shut up,” Christ’s tone turned sharp, no longer amused.

“Just take the ring, Laurent. Otherwise, he’ll keep bothering you forever,” Barbara said.

I was more confused than ever by the whole situation.

“My brother already introduced you to the Avignons, saying you’re the love of his life,” Fiero chuckled. Christ threw a punch at his brother, but Fiero dodged it easily, laughing so hard his ears turned red.

“I even have a recording of him declaring his undying love—”

“Bitch, I swear I’ll blow up your damn hospital if you don’t shut up!” Christ shouted, clearly annoyed.

When he looked back at me, I couldn’t hide the disgust written all over my face.

“You’re absolutely insane,” I said, emphasizing every word.

Christ turned his anger toward his sister instead.

“Tell your people to stop using this café as a secret hideout. I own every single business within a six-kilometer radius, and I have eyes everywhere,” Barbara said.

The three of them then ran outside, chasing each other playfully—until Christ suddenly pulled out his gun.

Was he playing me? Or was this all part of some elaborate plan to lure me and my family into a trap?

I picked up the ring and stepped out of the café.

I dialed Astron’s number. He picked up after two rings.

“Laguna and a farm out in the province?” I asked.

There was a brief pause on the other end. I opened my car door and stared at the ring in my hand. Why did I even take it? Did that mean I was actually accepting Christ’s proposal?

“Arthur is with Vlad right now, and he still hasn’t found Vladimir’s daughters. How sure are you that this information is true?” Astron asked.

I kept looking at the large diamond set in the band. “I’m certain. Just make sure we get there before Arthur does.”

I tucked the ring safely inside my bag.

“Just remember—don’t trust the Avignons. They rule this world, and they do it better than anyone,” Astron warned.

I sighed. I felt trapped in the middle of this whole mess. Was this still a mission, or was Christ truly getting closer to me just to keep his enemies under his watch?

“I know. I’m still doing what I was ordered to do,” I replied, starting the engine.

But as I pulled away, I caught sight of Christ standing across the road, watching me go—right before heavy rain began to pour down.