~Jason's POV~
The city had a way of folding in on itself at night streets glowing orange under streetlamps, corners hiding secrets, and every whisper carrying a warning. The underground network I'd tapped into was buzzing with rumors. A new queen had risen. Ruthless. Calculated. A woman who wielded power like a weapon and who destroyed anyone who got in her way.
They called her the Queen Bee.
And her sting was lethal.
I knew the name. Heard it in hushed conversations from old contacts, whispered at back-alley meetings where deals were brokered with more blood than money. But what chilled me was the stories behind the name. Stories I couldn't quite place.
I ran a hand through my hair, eyes scanning the latest file on my tablet. Names, dates, places—all connected by a thread of violence, disappearance, and control.
Marie.
That name lingered at the back of my mind like a ghost.
She had disappeared three years ago without a trace. Gone from my life like smoke.
