Game Of Cards

The city was changing, its pulse uneven, chaotic. Every move I made felt like trying to plug a hole in a sinking ship while another leak sprang open. El Rey wasn't just building an empire—he was unraveling mine.

For the first time since I took the throne, I felt the fragility of my power. Not because I doubted myself, but because the enemy was invisible. And invisible enemies were the most dangerous of all.

A New Lead

The sound of knocking pulled me out of my thoughts. Lucia stepped into my office, her face a mixture of relief and urgency. "We have something. One of Emilio's old lieutenants, Diego Morales, just resurfaced."

"Where?" I asked, already standing.

"Southside docks," she replied. "He's been lying low, but word is, he's been in contact with El Rey's people. If anyone knows something, it's him."

Rico appeared at the doorway. "I'll get the team ready."

"No," I said firmly. "This one's mine. If El Rey's as calculated as we think, he'll be watching for a show of force. We can't risk scaring Diego off before we get answers."

Lucia hesitated. "You're walking into the docks alone?"

"Not alone," I said, glancing at Rico. "I'll take him. No soldiers, no fanfare. We keep this quiet."

Rico gave me a grim nod. "Let's move."

A Meeting in the Shadows

The docks were eerily quiet, the faint sound of water lapping against the piers the only sign of life. Diego was exactly where Lucia's informant said he'd be, pacing near an abandoned warehouse.

His head snapped up as Rico and I approached, his hand instinctively moving to the weapon tucked at his waist.

"Relax," I said, holding my hands out to show I wasn't armed. "We're here to talk."

Diego's eyes darted nervously between us. "You shouldn't be here. If they find out I talked to you—"

"They who?" I cut in, stepping closer. "El Rey? You think he's going to protect you? Because I can promise you, Diego, he won't. Not when I'm through with him."

Diego hesitated, his shoulders sagging. "You don't understand. He's different. He doesn't need loyalty. He demands it."

"And you gave it to him?" I asked, my voice sharp.

Diego shook his head. "I didn't have a choice. None of us did. He knows everything, Adriana. He knows your strengths, your weaknesses, your history. He's been planning this for years."

The words sent a chill down my spine. "If he's been planning this for years, then you know who he is."

Diego's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw something close to pity in his gaze. "You won't like the answer."

"Try me," I said, my patience wearing thin.

Diego took a deep breath. "El Rey isn't some outsider. He's one of yours."

The Weight of Betrayal

The drive back to the estate was silent, the weight of Diego's words pressing down on me like a physical force. If El Rey was one of mine, then the betrayal ran deeper than I'd imagined.

Rico broke the silence first. "You believe him?"

I gripped the steering wheel tighter. "He had no reason to lie. The fear in his eyes was real."

"So what now?"

"Now," I said, my voice cold, "we find out who's been playing me from the inside. And when we do, we remind them what happens when you betray a Vasquez."

Cracks in the Foundation

Back at the estate, I gathered my inner circle—Rico, Lucia, and Raul. The mood was tense, the air thick with unspoken questions.

"El Rey isn't just some ambitious upstart," I began, pacing the room. "He's someone who knows us—our operations, our vulnerabilities, our history. Diego confirmed it. He's been planning this for years."

Raul frowned. "If that's true, then he's had help. Someone close to us."

"Exactly," I said, stopping to face them. "Which means no one outside this room can be trusted."

Lucia hesitated. "Adriana, if what Diego said is true… do you think it's possible El Rey was working with Emilio?"

The thought hadn't occurred to me, but now that she'd said it, it made sense. Emilio had been exiled years ago, but he'd never stopped scheming. If he'd been grooming someone to take over in his place, someone who understood the Vasquez family inside and out…

"It's possible," I said slowly. "But Emilio's gone. Whoever El Rey is, they're not working for him anymore. They're working for themselves."

The First Move

The following days were a whirlwind of strategy and misdirection. I fed false information to key players in the organization, waiting to see who would bite. It was a dangerous game, but I needed to draw El Rey out—and I needed to do it before he could strike again.

One by one, the cracks began to show. An intercepted message here, a suspicious move there. Slowly but surely, a pattern emerged, leading me closer to the truth.

And then, finally, it happened.

A name. A face.

Someone I had trusted.