Chapter 7: The Throne Does Not Wait
The mansion no longer felt the same.
It was quieter, but not peaceful.
It felt like something had been ripped out of it.
Mila stood in the center of the living room, her phone still in her hand. The image of Alexander on the ground refused to leave her mind.
Dead.
The word echoed again.
Her chest tightened, but this time, she didn't let it linger.
Her expression hardened.
If he was truly gone… then everything had changed.
And she had no time to break.
"Call them."
Her voice came out cold.
The guard standing nearby straightened immediately.
"My Lordress?"
"The syndicate. All of them. I want an urgent meeting. Now."
There was no hesitation this time.
"Yes, my Lordress."
He left quickly.
Mila exhaled slowly, her fingers curling into a fist.
This was it.
No turning back.
If Alexander was gone, then power would not sit empty.
And she would not allow anyone take it from her.
Not Russell.
Not anyone.
Hours later, the meeting room was filled.
The same men.
The same power.
But something was different.
The seat at the head of the table…
Empty.
Whispers moved across the room like smoke.
"Is it true?"
"The Don is really dead?"
"Who called this meeting?"
The door opened.
Silence fell instantly.
Mila walked in.
Slow.
Composed.
Dangerous.
Every eye turned to her.
She didn't hesitate.
She walked straight to the head of the table…
And sat down.
A quiet storm passed through the room.
Some were shocked.
Some offended.
Some amused.
But none spoke.
Not yet.
Then another voice broke the silence.
"Well… this is unexpected."
Russell.
He leaned back in his chair, a faint smile on his lips, his eyes watching Mila closely.
"My Lordress," he added, his tone smooth. "Or should I say… acting Don?"
A few low chuckles followed.
Mila didn't react.
She leaned slightly forward, her fingers resting on the table.
"Alexander Cora is dead."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"And until further notice… I take his place."
The room shifted.
Some men exchanged glances.
Others leaned forward.
Russell's smile deepened slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"My Lordress," he spoke again, this time softer. "Power like this… is not something you simply claim. It requires structure, experience… guidance."
His eyes locked with hers.
"I can help you with that."
There it was.
Control.
Mila saw through it immediately.
She didn't even blink.
"I didn't ask for your help."
The room went still.
Russell's smile paused for a second.
Barely noticeable.
But it was there.
Mila continued.
"If I wanted guidance, I would have asked for it."
Her gaze sharpened.
"But I didn't."
A few men shifted uncomfortably.
This was not going the way they expected.
Russell leaned forward slightly now.
"My Lordress, I only mean to support you. This position is not… forgiving."
"And I am not asking it to be."
Her voice cut through his.
Clean.
Sharp.
Final.
Silence.
Heavy.
Mila straightened in her seat.
"From today, every decision passes through me."
Her eyes moved across the room.
Slow.
Calculating.
"If there is anyone here who has a problem with that…"
She paused.
Letting the words settle.
"They can speak now."
No one did.
No one moved.
Even the air felt still.
Russell leaned back again, studying her.
She wasn't breaking.
She wasn't hesitating.
She wasn't the same girl from before.
A small smile returned to his lips.
Good.
This just became more interesting.
Mila leaned back slightly.
"The business continues as usual."
Her tone carried authority now.
"Every deal. Every movement. Every report… comes to me."
She paused.
Then added quietly.
"And if I find out anyone is moving behind my back…"
Her gaze darkened.
"They won't live to regret it."
No one doubted her.
Not in that moment.
Not with that look in her eyes.
The meeting continued.
But something had already shifted.
A new order had begun.
And Mila sat at the center of it.
Not as a victim.
Not as a pawn.
But as power.
Even if that power was built on something fragile.
Even if somewhere deep inside her…
Something still didn't feel right.
But she buried it.
Because right now…
The throne did not wait.
.....
On Mila's arrival back home, she still didn't see Kaine anywhere.
"Is he really dead?"
She contemplated for a while before walking to her own room.
Everything had changed.
The styles had been changed to her taste, since she was now the head over the house and his syndicate business.
Yet the room still smelled like him.
Alexander.
His scent still lingered in the curtains, on the chair, on the sheets.
Mila stopped at the center of the room.
Her breathing tightened.
Why was she feeling this way?
Wasn't this what she wanted?
She walked to the mirror and stared at herself.
"You won."
She said it to her reflection.
But somehow, it didn't sound like victory.
She turned away immediately.
"No. This is what I wanted."
Yet her heart refused to agree.
........
Another place in Alaska.....
"Ma'am, you will be fine, you just need to take some rest."
The young nurse told her.
Rosell smiled back weakly, choosing to believe her.
Just then, she saw a cute young man speaking quietly to the nurse.
He had been standing at the entrance since she had woken up.
"Who are you?"
She managed to speak from her bed where she laid.
"Madam, you don't need to worry about me. Just focus on getting better."
Kaine replied calmly.
"What about Mila? How's she doing? Is she well taken care of?"
Her concern showed immediately in her expression.
Kaine smiled.
He knew things were not okay between young master and Miss Mila.
But he could not interfere more than doing what he was told.
"She's fine. Our young master is taking good care of her, and I am sure soon, you will meet her."
Rosell relaxed hearing him.
Her cheeks flushed with a weak smile as she remembered her Mila.
So cheerful.
So hardworking.
So innocent.
She had already heard the news about her husband.
It saddened her deeply.
But she had left fate to do its work.
The day she was about to die, the same devil she had hated saved her.
Alexander Cora.
She remembered his face that day.
The seriousness in his eyes when he spoke about Mila.
That was when she knew.
Her daughter was in safe hands.
Even if she did not understand why.
After all, maybe she herself could not offer Mila the life she truly deserved.
...
Vera had been deeply disturbed ever since she saw the news.
No calls.
No messages.
Nothing from Mila.
Today, she drove down to her house.
Her car swerved gently as she stopped.
She parked carefully and stormed out.
She was putting on a blue pant and office shirt.
"Mila! Mila!"
She shouted, knocking loudly on the door.
But there was no response.
Then a neighbor came out.
"You shouldn't behave like this in a neighborhood. If you need to see them, give them a call, not this behavior. It's affecting others badly."
The woman barked and walked away, leaving Vera astonished.
"What?"
Vera smirked and ignored her.
When she couldn't knock anymore, she forcefully pushed the door open.
The door creaked.
And immediately,"No! It can't be!"
Vera knelt violently without control.
Her hands began to shake.
Her chest tightened.
Her eyes widened in horror.
What left her shocked was not the empty house as she came in.
But something more frightening
Something that made her entire body go cold.
Her lips trembled.
"Mila... what have you gotten yourself into?"