Valentina stood over the table, staring at the map of Mexico with red markers scattered like blood drops. Every dot was a route—drug lines, safehouses, political assets—everything that made Xavier untouchable.
But now… she had fire in her blood and poison on her tongue.
"Move the next drop to Toluca," she said, eyes sharp. "We intercept there. Make it look like an ambush from a rival."
Mateo scratched his chin. "You sure you want to poke the lion this soon?"
Valentina met his gaze. "I'm not poking. I'm gutting him."
Meanwhile – Toluca Freeway, Midnight
Fog blanketed the road. A sleek black SUV sped through the darkness, guarded by two bikes and a tail car.
Then came the fireworks.
Boom! An explosion flipped the lead bike. Gunfire cracked from the hills. Valentina's crew moved like ghosts—silent, lethal, precise. They didn't leave bodies. They left whispers.
Inside the SUV, the driver gurgled his last breath as Valentina climbed in through the shattered door. She found what she came for: a sealed case labeled "ORO-X."
She opened it.
Inside—vials of golden poison. Her signature. Her legacy.
"This… changes everything."
Elsewhere – Diego's Apartment
The wall of photos and notes had grown. Valentina's face was now front and center.
Diego sat on his couch, glass of bourbon untouched, a sinking feeling in his chest.
"She's not just playing defense," he muttered. "She's building something."
Lawson stepped in, holding a fresh intel file.
"She hijacked one of Xavier's trucks," he said. "Left the crew alive but unconscious. No drugs were found—just this."
He handed Diego a vial.
Clear liquid. Gold shimmer.
Diego's eyes widened.
"La Reina Escarlata," he whispered. "The Scarlet Queen."
Back in Mexico City – Luxury High-Rise Penthouse
Lucia slipped through the door like a shadow. Valentina was already inside, glass of wine in hand.
"You intercepted ORO-X?" Lucia asked, raising an eyebrow.
Valentina turned to the skyline.
"I created it," she said softly. "They stole it from my father's formula. Xavier patented it under a fake lab name. Now I'm taking it back."
Lucia stared at her. "You really are your father's daughter."
Valentina smiled—but it didn't reach her eyes.
"No. I'm something worse."
Later That Night – Hidden Lab in Veracruz
In a dim lab filled with copper coils and glass chambers, Valentina stood with her chemist, Marisol.
"Refine it," she said, sliding the vial across. "Make it stronger. Make it beautiful."
Marisol hesitated. "Do you know what this does to people?"
Valentina's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Yes. That's why I want more."
Final Scene – Xavier's Estate
Xavier examined the empty case his men recovered.
"She took it," he said calmly.
Sofia stood behind him, arms crossed. "You said it was a myth."
"It was. Until now."
He turned toward the camera.
"Find the Scarlet Queen," he ordered. "Before she writes my name in poison."