The cold, metallic scent of blood filled the air, mingling with the salt of the ocean breeze. The distant sound of waves crashing against the rocky shore was a stark contrast to the chaos unfolding on the secluded island. Fenn Isabel Fortex, once a queen of the Cojuangco Mafia Organization, stood defiant, even as her men lay lifeless around her.
Her emerald eyes burned with fury as she faced the two people she had once called family. Wyatt Felix Lim, her husband, and Kristine Madielle Lorre, his ex-fiancé, stood a few paces away, their expressions twisted with satisfaction and malice.
"You thought you could rule over me, Fenn," Wyatt sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "But you were nothing more than a pawn in my game."
Fenn's gaze never wavered, even as Kristine stepped forward, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "And now, your reign is over. But we couldn't let you go without a proper farewell."
A movement in the shadows caught Fenn's attention, and her heart clenched. Her four-year-old daughter, Sarah, was being dragged into the clearing, her innocent eyes wide with terror.
"Please, not her," Fenn's voice cracked, desperation seeping into her words. "She's just a child."
But Wyatt's laughter echoed through the night. "She's your legacy, Fenn. And like you, she'll watch everything she loves be destroyed."
Fenn's screams filled the air as the first blow landed, her body wracked with pain and anguish, but her mind was only on her daughter. Even in her final moments, she vowed that Sarah would live, grow strong, and carry the memory of her mother's fight.
As the world faded into darkness, Fenn whispered her last words, "Be strong, my Sarah. Be stronger than I ever was."
The memory clung to Sarah like a shroud, even years later. She awoke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding against her ribcage, the ghostly echoes of her mother's cries still lingering in her ears. The dim light of the moon filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across her sparsely furnished room.
Sarah sat up, running a hand through her dark, tangled hair, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare. The same nightmare that haunted her ever since that fateful night.
She stood, walking to the window, her gaze fixed on the city skyline beyond. Davao City stretched out before her, a complex web of light and shadow, much like her own life. She had survived the treachery of her father's betrayal and the loss of her mother, but it had left her with an unquenchable thirst for vengeance.
Her fingers tightened into fists at her sides. She had waited long enough, preparing, honing her skills, and building alliances in the shadows. Now, it was time to bring justice to those who had destroyed her family. The Cojuangco Mafia would remember her name, not as a victim but as the harbinger of their downfall.
With a final glance at the city, Sarah turned away from the window. The dawn of her reckoning was near, and nothing would stand in her way.