Chapter 1: Shame of the Alfero Mafia

Chapter 1: Shame of the Alfero Mafia

Pain. Hindi 'yung physical ha - mas malala. 'Yung tipo ng sakit na hindi mo alam kung buhay ka pa.

That kind of pain.

Pero iba 'to ngayon. Kasi, for the first time sa buong buhay niya, Zeyna Valez felt... small.

Light.

Soft.

Weak.

Hindi sanay si Zeyna sa ganito. She wasn't supposed to feel warm bedsheets or soft silk pillows. She was supposed to be in the middle of a mission. Or a gunfight. Or in hell.

But instead-

"Celestina... Celestina Alfero... hija, wake up."

Boses ng matanda. Malambing, pero may halong kaba.

Dahan-dahang dumilat si Zeyna. Tumingin sa paligid. She was in a massive room - Victorian-style furniture, chandeliers, paintings, roses in gold vases. Amoy imported perfume at mamahaling sabon.

"This isn't..." bulong niya.

Hindi 'to safehouse. Hindi HQ.

Definitely not heaven either - kasi hindi siya welcome doon.

She sat up - or tried to. Nanginig ang katawan niya. Para siyang sanggol na walang lakas. Her arms were too thin. Her stomach was hollow. Her chest was tight.

What the hell happened to me?

Napatingin siya sa salamin sa kabilang dulo ng kwarto. She squinted, then gasped.

Blonde hair. Pale skin. Doll face. Baby pink nightgown.

"Who. The. F-"

But before she could finish, the door opened.

Isang servant ang pumasok. Straight posture, maid uniform, walang emotion sa mukha.

"Don Valerio requests your presence for breakfast. Don't keep him waiting."

Don Valerio?

Zeyna didn't move..

Kaya lumapit ang yaya at marahang nagsalita. "Celestina... hija, you collapsed for three days. The doctors said you had a mental breakdown."

Three days?

That explains the weakness. Pero hindi pa rin niya gets ang pangalan.

Then her eyes snapped wide.

Celestina Alfero.

The name clicked like a trigger in her mind.

The youngest daughter of the infamous Alfero Mafia Clan.

Weak. Shy. Spoiled. Coward. Laging umiiyak. Laging gwardyado.

A liability sa buong pamilya.

The mafia princess everyone ignored... or mocked.

"Are you serious?" she whispered.

So now, Zeyna Valez - elite assassin, queen of fire and fury - was trapped inside the most useless girl in the entire mafia empire?

Katahimikan.

Until she laughed.

Isang mahinang, parang baliw na tawa.

"Oh, this is rich."

Thirty minutes later...

Nakaharap si Zeyna sa malaking salaming bilog habang inaayusan ng dalawang katulong. They powdered her face, brushed her hair, and buttoned up her lace dress.

It was like preparing a doll.

Pero sa loob ng isip niya, alerto pa rin siya. Every movement, every window, exit point, blind spot - ini-scan niya. Old habits.

"Celestina, stop fidgeting."

Napalingon siya sa mataray na babae na taga-ayos ng ribbon niya.

"I'm not fidgeting. I'm memorizing all your weaknesses," bulong ni Zeyna, deadpan ang tono.

Napangiwi ang babae. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing." Smile.

Pagbaba niya sa grand staircase, lahat ng mata - nakatingin sa kanya.

Not with admiration.

But with disappointment.

She heard whispers.

"Naku, ayan na naman 'yung inutil."

"Mukhang tulala pa rin. Tsk."

"Anak pa naman ng Don, walang silbi."

Zeyna kept walking.

Sa loob ng grand dining hall, naroon ang isang matandang lalaking nakasuot ng dark suit - hawak ang newspaper, may hawak na espresso.

He looked powerful. Cold. Calculated.

This must be Don Valerio Alfero.

"So," he said without looking at her, "you're alive."

Zeyna sat down across him, expressionless. "Apparently."

"You embarrassed me in front of the Italian council last week. Again. Do you even remember what happened?"

She didn't. Well, Celestina didn't.

But Zeyna smirked. "Of course I do."

"Then why did you cry in the middle of the meeting and beg to go home to your 'stuffed bunny'?"

OH. MY. GOD.

Seriously, Celestina?

She kept her cool. "Trauma. You wouldn't understand."

His eyes narrowed. "You're a disgrace."

Zeyna's fork paused in the air. She looked him in the eye.

"Not for long."

After breakfast, Zeyna wandered outside the manor - into the Alfero gardens. Sa likod ng property ay parang maze ng rose bushes, statues, and fountains. Lahat may CCTV. Lahat may guard.

But her mind wasn't on escape.

She was thinking about the body she now had.

Weak muscles. Poor stamina. Mabagal ang reflex.

Kung aatakihin siya ngayon, she'd barely last 10 seconds.

But she'd rebuild. Slowly.

"Kung ang mundo ng mafia ang gusto niyong laruin..."

"Then I'll be your queen."

That night, humarap siya sa salamin ng kwarto. Nakasando lang siya at shorts - and she studied every inch of the body she now owned.

"Celestina," she muttered, "you may have been soft. But I'm not."

She closed her eyes.

And began training in silence.

Shadowboxing. Basic stretches. Painful squats. Weak push-ups.

She collapsed after the tenth.

But she smiled.

"Every day, I'll get stronger."

"Every bruise is a reminder - Zeyna Valez lives."

And somewhere deep inside the empire...

a storm was brewing.

They thought the useless mafia daughter was back.

They had no idea...

The deadliest woman alive just returned in disguise.

END OF CHAPTER 1

Chapter 2: The Servant Who Tried to Poison Me - Coming next!

Author's note!!!(Let’s gooo! Chapter 2 is here — with a sprinkle of comedy para light but deadly si Zeyna. She’s starting to adjust sa bagong buhay niya as Celestina, pero siyempre, hindi mawawala ang palaban niyang ugali, kahit mahina pa ang katawan niya.)

You can check Wattpad! my story is in there...

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