Chapter 19

The Devil’s Council

This hall used to give me chills. With its towering ceilings, luxurious velvet drapes, and walls covered in gold, it was more than just a show of wealth. It was a reminder of who had the real power, who made the rules, and who did the dirty work behind closed doors.

But now, I find myself working within these very walls not as a victim or a pawn, but as the storm itself.

I wore crimson, my mother’s color, not out of love, but for war. The room fell silent as I stepped inside, flanked by Vera and Nico on one side and Damian on the other.

There were twelve seats on the council. Ten were occupied, and Lucien’s was glaringly empty.

That was a symbol I had turned into reality.

“Miss Marco,” Councilman Renald said, his tone tight. “What brings you here for this…dramatic appearance?”

I stepped onto the center of the marble floor.

“I’m here to talk about Lucien.”

“Lucien Moretti is a respected member of this…”

“Was,” I interrupted, my voice slicing through the room. “He’s no longer in power. He’s not alive in the way that matters.”

Gasps echoed around the chamber. A few murmurs followed. One man tried to stand but quickly sat back down when Damian shot him a warning look.

Renaldi narrowed his eyes at me. “So, you admit to taking down a council member?”

“I admit to protecting this city from a man who slaughtered innocent lives, funded trafficking, and killed my parents to hold onto his throne.”

“You have proof?” a woman asked, her skepticism clear.

I snatched a file from Vera’s hands and tossed it onto the grand table.

“It’s all in here bank records, witness statements, surveillance footage. He broke your rules, and now, I’m here to help write new ones.”

Laughter erupted from one corner, and I turned sharply toward the sound.

“I have Cross’s support,” I said firmly. “Damian stands with me.”

Marcello scoffed. “Because he married you?”

“No,” Damian replied, stepping forward, his voice as hard as steel. “Because she earned it. Everything she’s done, she’s done with intelligence, ruthlessness, and fire. She’s not just my wife; she’s my successor.”

Another wave of gasps rippled through the room.

I stayed calm. “I’m not asking for a seat. I’m offering a solution.”

The council leaned in, intrigued.

“I’ll take Lucien’s empire, clean it up, strip it of blood ties, and restructure it. I’ll rebuild it under Marco’s terms no trafficking, no war crimes, no public heat. Just clean financial control, transport, and protection. And in exchange…”

I locked eyes with each of them.

“You name Lucien’s replacement.”

A heavy pause followed.

Then Renaldi spoke up, “You want his seat?”

“I want his seat,” I repeated. “And his silence. No retaliation, no debt collection. Just peace.”

Marcello laughed again, a harsh sound. “You really think we’ll just hand you that power?”

I leaned forward, my voice low and sharp. “You don’t have a choice.”

I tossed another flash drive onto the table.

“This has all the dirt Lucien had on each of you. Every secret he used to blackmail his way to the top. And I’m not threatening you.”

I smiled. “I’m freeing you.”

An extended silence hung in the air.

As the meeting wrapped up, the chamber emptied slowly, whispers trailing behind every departing councilman.

I stood there, rooted to the spot.

Damian turned to me, his voice barely above a whisper. “They’ll have to vote.”

I knew they wouldn’t all see eye to eye.

“They don’t need to agree. They just need to fear what happens if they don’t,” he added. I nodded; and they definitely do.

Vera showed up next to us, her gaze sharp as a tack. “You just declared war and you did it with a smile.”

I had given them a way out. I corrected myself in my mind. If they’re smart, they’ll take it.

That night, I found myself alone on the rooftop of the Cross estate, the wind rushing by me like a secret I wasn’t meant to hear.

Damian found me there.

“The council will vote tomorrow,” he said. I nodded in response.

He stepped closer, “You’ve come further than I ever thought you would.”

I shot him a look. You made me a pawn once.

“I know,” he replied, reading my mind.

I turned to face him fully. Why didn’t you stop me from becoming this?

“Because I knew you’d turn into something much stronger than I could ever be.”

I reached for his hands, my voice barely a whisper. You still scare me sometimes.

He pressed a kiss to the back of my hand.

“Good,” he murmured. “Then we’re on the same page.”

The next day, the council cast their votes. Eight were in favor, one against, and one abstained.

The seat that once belonged to Lucien Moretti was now officially given to Claire Marco Cross.

Not through inheritance, but through fire.

Locked away in a cell beneath the estate, Lucien coughed up blood onto the cold concrete floor.

He knew his time was running out. He had underestimated her not just Claire, but Elena too.

He could still hear her voice echoing in Claire’s defiance. But it wasn’t just a memory anymore.

It was rebirth, and it was coming for him.