Chapter 5 THE AUCTION CONTD (ESTELLA)

Estella froze mid-step, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes locked on the man standing in

front of her.

"Dad?" she called out, her voice barely above whisper, laced in disbelief.

She hadn't seen him in years and didn't want to not after what he did. And yet, there he was,

like a ghost stepping out of the past.

He stepped towards her as if the years between them could be closed in a few strides.

"Hey, Pumpkin," he greeted softly

She hated when he called her that. It made her feel small.

"Good day, Dad," she replied, her voice neutral, guarded. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you

doing here?"

He shrugged lightly, eyes drifting around the studio, taking in the vibrant paintings, the elegance

setup. "What? Am I not invited to my pretty daughter's auction?"

His attempt at charm fell flat. He reached out and gave her shoulder a soft pat. "You are doing

quite well. I'm proud of you."

But the warmth didn't reach her. "You still haven't answered my question. How did you know

about the auction?"

'I've always had my eyes on you," he said, voice lowering. "You really think I'd let you live

your life without knowing what's going on? I know everything, love."

"Didn't Catherine tell you I was coming?" he added, eyeing her carefully.

"No, she didn't," she responded. "Hold on Catherine knew about this?" she asked, stepping

away.

He saw the fury ignite in her eyes, the sharp edge in her glare said more than words ever could.

Sensing the storm brewing, he raised his hands slightly in defense, his voice calm but rushed.

"Look, I told Catherine not to tell you I was coming. I thought... maybe it'd be easier that way."

He followed, undeterred. "Esty, it's time to let go of the past. You can't keep holding on to it

forever. You can't shut me out like this."

She stopped abruptly and turned, her patience thinning. "Dad, I'm not ready for your sermons. I

have guests to attend to if you don't mind."

"Hey." He reached for her arm. "You can't walk away from me like that, just hear me out."

"I'm still your father, I deserve respect."

Her eyes flashed. "What more do you have to say? I'm not coming home. I'm happy here. I

don't need your power or your protection. I can protect myself.

He looked as though he had been struck. Still, he pressed on. "You know it wasn't entirely my

fault that you lost Anne. It was...

"A coincidence?" she snapped. "Is that what you are calling it now? If you hadn't gone after

those bastards, they wouldn't have come for me. Anne would still be alive, do you understand?

She'd be in my arms."

Estella's voice cracked. The room seemed to still, even though no one else around them noticed.

"That's why I'm here, "he said quietly. "To make amend. Look I regret my actions and I

won't let them repeat again. I just want to protect you from what is coming, I miss you. Please......

come home.

Her lips parted, but no reply came. Just a heavy silence.

Finally, she turned. "What is coming?" She asked curiously.

"Meet me in the car when you finish your business." He said, leaving her standing in the

remnants of her thoughts.

The art auction ended. The last painting was wrapped up and the last guest exited. Outside,

evening had settled in cool and quiet. She found him waiting in his car, surrounded by sleek, dark

vehicles, his convoy. He made another attempt to manipulate her into coming home by repeating

his plea like a broken record that hoped to get a positive response from her. But Estella was not

buying the fake pleas and tears. She knew her father well.

"it's not safe here" He started. Axel and his men know you are still alive, they are hunting. Trust

me, they won't stop until they've got you, and peeled every last inch of flesh from your bones."

And that's one of the reasons I want you to come home. I can't protect you here.

This time, something shifted. She forgave him, not fully, not easily, but enough. He wasn't lying,

she really needed his help. Axel was a ruthless mafia lord that no body messed with, he was

ruthless with his killings. The scar was still there, etched deep in her soul, the quest for vengeance

burned brighter. Anne's death never stopped tormenting her. And though she had stepped away

from the criminal world, she knew she could not win this alone. She needed him. Because beneath

the elegance of her new life she was still a ruthless mafia daughter. She was just like her father

Max.

When he saw the vengeance in her eyes, he was convinced that she might return, he left, convoy

engines humming into the night.

Halfway to the car, Catherine appeared. She walked beside Estella wordlessly until they climbed in

and shut the doors behind them.

Her mind drifted back Ella during the long silent drive. "Did you get anything on Ella?" she

asked, eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"Yeah, we found her," Catherine replied.

A flicker of hope sparked in Estella's eyes, at that moment she forgot Axel and his intentions.

"Tell me"

"She's an upcoming model. I found her on Instagram with the descriptions you gave me. I'll

send her handle. She's got a boyfriend."

Estella didn't flinch. "Not surprised."

"We were also able to track her background." Catherine continued. "Her mother her years ago

for her boyfriend. Since then, she has been with Romeo Alnaldo, rumored to be Lucas Alnaldo's

illegitimate son." Who happens to be one of your father's chief rival." Catherine hesitated, then

added. "And... it seems Romeo's been cheating on her. We found a video."

She handed over the phone. Estella watched in silence and disgust as Romeo flirted shamelessly

with another woman.

"Interesting," she murmured.

That's all we could gather so far," Catherine said.

Estella nodded.

Silence returned. The car hummed softly as it moved through the quiet road.

Soon, the vehicle pulled up in front of Estella's residence. The hum of the engine faded as the

driver turned slightly in his seat.

"We've arrived, ma'am," he said calmly.

Estella blinked out of her thoughts; her mind still heavy with unfinished plans. She nodded, then

turned to her secretary.

"Have the driver take you home," she instructed. "And listen carefully, I need you to gather all

our men. Secure every critical file, every document that matters. We are leaving New York soon. No

delays.

Her tone was firm leaving no room for Catherine to question her decisions. She left leaving

Catharine puzzled.

Estella stepped into her apartment, exhaustion pressing into her bones. She headed straight to the

freezer, grabbed a chilled bottle of water, and took a long sip. The silence of the space wrapped

around her like a blanket; brief, but welcome.

Just then, her phone beeped. A message from Catherine lit up the screen. She had sent Ella's

Instagram handle.

Without hesitation, Estella tapped the link as she made her way into the bedroom. She sank into

the bed scrolling through the profile with quiet intensity.

Ella's page was filled with light, candid smiles, soft eyes, graceful poses. Estella lingered on each

image, studying her with a curiosity that quickly deepened into something more.

Then she saw it, a photo of Ella with her whore boyfriend. They were holding each other, their

closeness on display. A flicker of jealousy flashed across Estella's face, the same way it did

whenever she saw Anne with another lady, but it quickly melted into a knowing smile.

"This will be easy," she whispered.

She knew he didn't deserve her. Not with the way he was sneaking around behind Ella's back.

And Estella had no intentions of playing fair. Ella would be hers completely. And no one would stop

that from happening.

With Estella's gaze still fixed on the image of Ella and her promiscuous boyfriend "Romeo," her

fingers quickly moved across the screen as she composed a message to Catharine;

"I need every information on Romeo Alnaldo. His business dealings, connections, dig deep." She

hit send, her eyes narrowing slightly. She needed to know how involved he was with the crime

world, if he was going to stand in her she needed a leverage and she would find it.

Catharine's phone beeped, breaking the silence of her apartment. She glanced at the screen; it

was a message from Estella.

She raised an eyebrow, a frown forming slowly. Why was Estella so invested in this new girl, Ella

martyr? Ever since the death of Anne, Estella had kept her distance from any emotional

entanglements. This sudden obsession felt... different, unsettlingly considering what was at stake,

Estella didn't need any distractions.

A wave of worry washed over her. As cold and sharp as Estella could be. Catherine genuinely cared

about her. Working for Estella wasn't always easy, she was demanding, ruthless even but

Catherine had grown to admire her strength, her drive, she had grown fond of her.

Still, questioning Estella's orders wasn't an option.

With a sigh, she pulled up her email, attached a picture of Romeo, and typed a brief message to

Noah:

"Estella needs everything you can dig up on Romeo Alnaldo.

She hit send, her fingers hesitating for a second. Whatever Estella was planning, Catherine knew it

had already begun.