As Jace stepped out of the room, he kept walking straight, lost in thought and boiling with frustration. The idea that he was now under Serena's control—and that she planned to marry his father—only made his blood run hotter. That was what really stung. It wasn't just signing her contract. It was her. The manipulation. The greed. The control.
He clenched his fists as he walked, barely noticing where he was going, until he looked up and spotted Josh standing ahead, looking worried.
Jace's face brightened, just a little.
"Hey, Josh. Josh!" he called.
Josh rushed toward him.
"Jace, I can't believe you actually did it," he said, eyes wide with disbelief.
"You talk too damn much. You don't know what could've happened—to you or to me."
"What do you mean?" Jace asked, still catching his breath.
Josh stared at him like he didn't understand how Jace was still standing.
"That's the nicest I've ever seen the boss act. Ever. And I'm not exaggerating. People who speak even slightly out of turn to her get killed. Just like that. She doesn't value life. She's ruthless. I honestly thought we were done for. Hell, we still might be."
"Why are you panicking like this?" Jace asked. "Is she really that bad? Life matters, man."
Josh leaned in, voice low and urgent.
"Jace, she's not just bad. She's worse. She's a war machine. Cold, calculated. Want an example?"
Jace raised an eyebrow.
"Go on."
"There was this guy once," Josh said. "Spilled a drink—coffee—on her shirt. Not here, somewhere else. He worked under her but didn't fear her. Thought he was too important. Know what happened?"
"He didn't apologize?" Jace guessed.
Josh nodded.
"Not a word. And no one was around—just her and a few of her inner circle. You know what she did? She had his entire family wiped out. Every last one. Then she had him hanged in front of his house. She ordered it. Just like that."
Jace blinked.
"That's… insane."
"It's not insane. It's Serena," Josh replied grimly. "You're lucky she didn't kill you just for making eye contact. The fact that you walked out of that room alive? That's a miracle."
Jace took a deep breath, shaking his head.
"This whole thing is messed up. But you know what? I still hate her. I don't care if I signed that contract. I'll never let her marry my dad. She's using him for his money—to clean up her mess."
Josh nodded slowly.
"You said that to her face?"
"Yeah. And I meant it."
Josh chuckled nervously.
"You're bold, man. Suicidal—but bold. Come on. Let's get out of here. Maybe grab some coffee. I think we both deserve to be breathing right now."
"Yeah… I didn't expect to survive that," Jace said, still stunned.
"You're lucky you ran into me," Josh grinned. "You looked like you were lost."
"I was," Jace admitted. "Didn't even know which way I came in. Just kept walking."
"Come on. Let's head to the hall," Josh said. "From there we'll go to the casino. There's a room that leads straight out. Just follow me."
"Lead the way," Jace said, falling in step beside him.
As Josh led the way, Jace followed him, both of them walking out of the building and finally out of the casino.
"Finally, I'm in," Jace said, letting out a deep breath.
Josh gave him a sideways look. "Yeah, man. You're in. But wait… what was that back there? Did you say she's going to be your stepmom?"
"Yeah," Jace muttered, still trying to wrap his head around it. "She's going to be my stepmom. I'm honestly still shocked. I mean… my stepmom is a mafia boss. A dangerous one."
Josh shook his head. "Man, that's bad news. I might have to give you space, bro. Serena's one of the scariest mafia bosses in the entire country. This isn't some gang leader. She's terrifying."
"I don't even care about her being dangerous," Jace said bitterly. "Even if she was just a gold digger, that would've been bad enough. But she's a rich gold digger. And she still wants to suck my father dry—take everything he has."
Josh nodded slowly. "Man, you've got it rough. I'm still wrapping my head around it. Serena wants to marry your dad? That's insane. Sure, she's beautiful—but she's as dangerous as a tiger."
"No, no, no—don't insult tigers like that," Jace replied. "Tigers are cool. You can't use a cool animal to describe her. You want a word that fits? She's a snake. A venomous, cold-blooded snake."
Josh laughed. "Okay, okay. Fair. That's the perfect word. A snake fits her better than anything else."
Jace's face turned serious again.
"Things could get worse. War might really break out. I'm sure you heard… her father's been hospitalized. For the past three years, she's been the one running everything. She's the one keeping this empire together. And now everyone's accepted her as the boss."
Josh ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, I heard. It's crazy. But come on, let's just chill for a bit. Let's get in the car—go grab something. Coffee maybe?"
"Sure," Jace said, and the two of them walked toward his parked Lamborghini. He tossed Josh the keys to unlock it, then slid into the driver's seat. Josh jumped in beside him.
"Where we headed?" Josh asked as Jace started the engine.
"Coffee, like you said."
Josh groaned. "Nah, man. You're killing me. You're so lame sometimes. This is a big day—you just signed your soul away to a mafia queen. Coffee? Really?"
"Well, what do you want then?" Jace asked, raising a brow.
"Let's go grab a drink. Something stronger. A beer at least. Come on, live a little."
Jace smirked and shook his head. "Alright, alright. You win. Beer it is."
He turned the wheel and steered the car in a different direction, driving them toward the nearest bar.