NOTE: For a better reading, when I point out during the chapter, listen to the song "Desire (Hucci Remix)" by Meg Myers :)

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Narrator's Point Of View

An ordinary day.

Just an ordinary day.

Christopher got up and kissed the top of his wife's head, who was resting serenely in a seemingly deep sleep next to him. Last night he came home very late; the encounter with Keana yielded good and satisfying hours of sex, which prevented him from returning home earlier and see his wife up. But it wasn't a problem, Camila never cared if Christopher got home late or not, she didn't have those kinds of concerns towards her husband. Collins lifted his body completely from the bed, and walked in lazy steps to the bathroom of the suite, where he did his morning hygiene. After a hot shower, which fogged the glass of the shower box, the man wrapped a white towel around his waist as he rubbed his wet hair with a hand-towel. He stopped in front of his closet, staring at the color gradient sequence of tailored suits, from the darkest to the lightest, opting for a black chalk stripe one. After being perfectly ready, he sat down at the breakfast table, as he checked his emails and messages on the screen of his phone. The businessman would have a full day, since in his schedule there was an extremely important meeting with his biggest investors, a new contract would be signed, a kind of renewal, and in no way could that go wrong.

The Rolls-Royce was parked in front of the mansion's front door, waiting for the businessman who was now descending the stairs towards the black, luxurious vehicle. Carlos, his driver, opened the door quickly after a polite greeting, which was reciprocated by the man before he settled on the comfortable seat of his car. It didn't take long, and the vehicle was driving into the parking lot of the oil company. The traffic that morning seemed to cooperate so that there was no delay. Christopher got out of the car, and strode into the monumental building of Collins Enterprise. The employees were in their proper places, performing their daily tasks as usual. Some stared at him, fearing his imposing gaze, almost evil. He was a respected man, or rather, a feared one. He didn't have a very docile reputation, which helped maintain a certain distance between the rest of his employees towards him.

"Good Morning, Christopher." John greeted as he approached, causing Collins to extend his hand forward, informing the elevator sensors not to close the doors.

"Good Morning."

"Are you ready for today?" John asked as he scratched the back of his neck.

"What?"

"For the meeting with the investors. It will be somewhat complicated after the theft, the Collins Enterprise's safes are low. And there's still the problem with the environmentalists." The lawyer sighed dissatisfied as he remembered the heap of problems that the company was facing. Christopher grimaced, and sighed, as he watched the constant exchange of numbers on the elevator panel.

"We'll recover from this problem, don't worry. And I don't think they'll want to end the contract with us, it would be an absurd. They'd lose a very important partnership! And the environmentalists are insignificant, they don't scare me at all."

"I wouldn't see them that way." John said with a worried countenance, making the businessman roll his eyes.

"Well I do! There's nothing they can do against me, except to complain all the time."

The beep of the elevator sounded loudly, informing the men that they had reached the requested floor. The metal doors opened, giving room for the two of them to walk down the long hall to the presidential office.

"I've been watching the social media movement, and I'm afraid they'll start something bigger. You know how things spread, and with the support of the masses, this could turn into a snowball."

Christopher nodded his head to his secretary in greeting, and walked into his office quickly, being followed by John's footsteps. He didn't want to hear about the environmentalists, he was fed up with those people who at all costs tried to interrupt his expansive work, with fixed ideas about what he should or shouldn't do. Collins didn't give two shits about the environment, let alone about those who defended it. His main goal was to fill his pockets with money, and expand his power in the business world.

"I'm one of the most powerful businessmen in this country, do you really think that there is someone out there who has the power to bring me down?" Christopher asked confidently as he unbuttoned his jacket, to then occupy his seat in the presidential chair.

John remained standing a few meters away from the desk as he swallowed hard the fearful idea that surrounded his head. He knew things were in a delicate situation, and that all the care in the world wouldn't be enough to keep Collins Enterprise in a healthy balance.

"No, sir." John said.

"See? I'm glad you agree with me, John. Don't worry about the silly rumors. Those environmentalists are nothing but idlers, they've always threatened me, and look, I'm still making loads of money with no problems." Christopher said with a victorious smile.

John nodded slowly, even though he didn't agree. He knew that going against Christopher Collins was totally useless, the businessman had his truth as absolute, and there was no one in the world who could change his mind.

"I'm the king of all this, John." He said as he pressed his index finger on the desk. "There's no force greater than me."

"Alright, forget what I said."

"Much better."

After planning some topics for the meeting that morning, the lawyer left Christopher's office, leaving him completely alone with his thoughts. Collins didn't show it, but he felt that something very big was approaching, and it wasn't in his favor. He sighed tiredly as he lifted the glass to his lips, savoring the small sip of Whiskey, one of the most expensive in the country. After placing the glass on the desk, he glanced at the reports left by his secretary, which contained all the guidelines of the meeting that would happen in half an hour. Among the clutter of papers on his desk, there was a single envelope, no sender. Christopher frowned, analyzing the anonymous delivery, as he thought about the notes received by his new lover, Keana Issartel. Was it another letter? At first, he was afraid, however, his curiosity was so big that the businessman didn't even bother to open it carefully. The paper was torn, exposing the content of the letter.

Indeed, there was no sender in that letter. Christopher sighed, swallowing hard before attempting to read the printed lines of that paper:

'Hello, king. Long time no see. I see that you're enjoying your last minutes of glory. The game is coming to an end, you know that, right? Christopher... In a game of chess, gaining time is an important advantage. And I did it. You underestimate those you think are your pawns, and even if they were, they aren't all weak pieces. They are in the front line, always, having an extraordinary mobility. Incredible, isn't it? But that's not the point, I'm not your pawn, on the contrary. I'm a much more important piece, and it's important to remember that I'm on the opposite side, I'm your adversary. Don't forget, never, that everything happens for a reason; just like in chess, one shouldn't make a move without a good reason. Like in chess, you can't sacrifice something without a clear and appropriate reason, but you did it. Your reasons? Are there reasons other than your unbridled greed for power? It doesn't matter. That is no longer my concern. You exposed yourself, king. And that is a serious mistake in a game like ours. There's nothing more to do, your protectors were useless, and now you're alone before my army.

Get ready.'

The man focused his attention on the last line of that letter. His heart pounded frantically, nervously and angrily in his chest. Christopher took a deep breath, and crumpled the paper tightly, squeezing it in the palm of his hand, as if the author could feel his anger. He closed his eyes, swallowing hard the knot that formed in his throat, now dry. His adversary wasn't there to play, nor to bluff, whoever it was, had specified that perfectly well. He didn't have an amateur as an enemy, that was clear. The businessman's adversary showed to be as, or more, powerful than him.

"This can't be happening!" He exclaimed nervously.

His thoughts were disordered, confused, making it impossible for him to formulate any logical reasoning about the contents of that letter. All that filled Collins' mind in that moment was anger and fear. Anger for knowing that someone planned to overthrow him, and fear for knowing that whoever it was, had the ammunition to do that, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Christopher had no way out, because he didn't know who his enemy was. In the middle of this game, the king had a blindfold over his eyes, preventing him from aiming at a concrete enemy. There were many pieces on the opposite side of the board, important pieces, that hid the real reason for his fear. As for his side, he had nothing but badly used pawns.

"Shit! I have to do something."

He got up from his chair quickly as he tried to organize his ideas. Something needed to be done, and urgently if he didn't want to be exposed, as he imagined he would be. The businessman paced back and forth, constantly, as he talked to himself in an attempt to think about his next step.

"You need to stay calm." He told himself.

The man walked to his desk, grabbing the glass with the alcoholic liquid, to then drink it all, feeling the Whiskey descend his throat. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, feeling the liquid burn his throat, then his stomach. It calmed him, it strangely calmed him down. He took a deep breath, inhaling as much as he could, and then turned to the glass wall of his office, which gave a broad view of the grayish sea of buildings in New York. Christopher felt that something very bad would happen, his subconscious triggered like a fire alarm. In that instant, all the people who passed through his life, and that somehow were hit by his wealth of power, became targets.

"No one can bring me down, no one has the power for that."

He repeated that sentence three times, in a frustrating attempt to convince his subconscious that everything would end well, even when the whole world indicated otherwise. Collins heard the soft beep of his cell phone, and soon enough grabbed it to check it out. It was a text message, from an unknown number. A chill went down his spine, as if he could feel the content of the message, even though he didn't really know what it was about. With some trepidation, he pressed the icon on the screen, expanding the window with the text:

'Your time is running out.'

Before he could even think, another message expanded on the screen, right below the first one:

'Are you afraid?'

'You better be.'

His breath weighed, making his chest rise and fall with certain difficulty. He looked around, and there was no one there, he was alone.

'Tic, tac. Think about your last words before you fall.'

His heart started hammering again, as if at any moment it could pierce his chest. He closed his eyes, locking his phone in his hands, which still vibrated insistently with each text. It was a slow, psychological torture that would little by little drive him mad.

'Who are you? Tell me!' He typed quickly, and sent it.

'I am your ruin.'

"Excuse me, Mr. Collins." The secretary said as she walked into his office.

"What do you want? Have you been standing there for a long time?" He asked nervously.

"No, sir. I just entered your office."

He took a deep breath again, running the back of his hand over his sweat-damp forehead, which was nothing more than a consequence of his nervousness. He shook his head, and put his cell phone in the pocket of his pants.

"I just came here to let you know that the meeting is about to begin. The investors are waiting."

"Tell them I'll be right there." He ordered quickly, so that the secretary could leave.

Christopher stopped in front of the conference room, as if he was about to enter a cage with lions. The letter, followed by the text messages, really had destabilized him. Before heading for the meeting, he sent the messages to Brandon, and forwarded them to Keana as well, who soon enough promised to help him. He needed reinforcements, and no one better than his accomplices for that.

"Aren't you coming in?" John asked as he opened the door.

"I am!" He exclaimed, startled.

The meeting was going tranquilly, at least for the others. One of the employees of Collins Enterprise was talking about the company's current situation, arguing based on the market, the course it would take, always indicating an improvement, even if it was hard to achieve. The investors seemed attentive, they payed attention to every detail, while Christopher tried to disguise his unbalanced state. The text messages wouldn't stop, and from the information obtained by Keana, the phone number was always in a different location, preventing her from finding the culprit. The digital manipulation was such that it couldn't even be tracked accurately.

'Oh, king. Did you really believe that no one could break into your palace?'

'Let me tell you something: I can do anything.'

'I'm everywhere, Christopher.'

He lifted his head, inhaling the air desperately. He drummed his fingers on the table, and then wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, removing the traces of sweat. He was nervous, or rather, he was desperate. His head was overloaded, leaving him completely lost. Collins stared at everyone present in that room, noticing that no one was holding a cell phone. He turned his attention back to his mobile device, which was hid under the table, and looked at the last message received:

'You don't see me, do you? But I'll show you that I'm here.'

The man pressed the button on the side of the phone, and turned it off. And soon enough got rid of it, throwing it on the floor. Christopher didn't want to see those messages anymore, didn't want to think about it. He believed that it was nothing more than a trick to drive him completely mad, destabilizing him during a meeting that was very important for the future of his company.

Collins looked at the employee in front of him, who continued to talk about the future projects of his company, but he didn't absorb not even a word uttered by the man. All he could think about in that instant was Charlie Cooper. Yes, he was thinking about a man who's been dead for more than five years. His eyes closed, and a sequence of memories invaded his thoughts like magnetic waves. And as if that wasn't enough, in the back of his head he heard screams, howls of an angry crowd. Was he going mad? The voices became more and more intense, and constant. Christopher opened his eyes, and the lights in the conference room began to blink, as if the lamps were going to blackout at any moment.

"What's happening?" The man on the opposite side of the table asked, while he frowned in confusion.

"Do you hear that?" Another man asked.

Collins realized that the voices weren't only in his head, everyone else also heard them like him. The lights continued to blink constantly, leaving everyone there with an even more confused countenance.

"It's probably nothing." John said in an attempt to calm them down.

"No, I'm hearing screams." The same man spoke again. "Everyone here hears it too, right?"

They all nodded quickly, staring at each other. Screams could really be heard, and they were gradually getting more loud and intense. Collins swallowed hard, having his thoughts taken by the text messages with the threats. The lights went back to normal, but the screams were still present, and getting increasingly louder.

"What's happening, Collins?" One of the main shareholders asked.

"I don't know..." He murmured, lost. "But don't worry, it's probably nothing. I-" The lights, which had gone back to normal, started to blink insistently again. He sighed heavily, facing John's fearful look. Collins let his gaze alternate between a random spot on the wall and the members of the meeting. "This can't be happening to me." He whispered to himself as he lowered his head.

*(Play song)*

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

"Christopher..." The lawyer whispered, stunned, with a lost look towards his boss. Collins was afraid of what was to come, but he had to show tranquility before the investors, he couldn't lose control and put everything at risk. "You better come see this."

The businessman swallowed hard, and walked to the glass window of the conference room. Upon stopping before the thick glass, he saw the crowd of people in front of Collins Enterprise. It wasn't tens, nor hundreds, there were thousands of people shouting loud and clear sentences of protest against the oil drilling made by his company. They were all in black, with posters and masks in opposition.

"It can't be..." He murmured in disbelief.

"What are we going to do?" John asked in a whisper.

"What the hell is happening? They are furious!" One of the investors exclaimed, extremely nervous.

"Mr. Francis, stay calm, we'll sort this out." He said to the man who kept his eyes wide towards the group of protesters in front of the building.

"You can't make this go away, Collins. Look, there are thousands of them."

Francis was really terrified, it was easily noticeable in his troubled gaze. The other members and investors were no different, they were all in the oil business, and were also as guilty of the damages as Christopher. The president of Collins Enterprise walked away from the window, and ran to the table, grabbing the phone that was lying on the floor. He knew that that was the work of his adversary, nothing could explain such a fuss, when for years no protest had been made. His uncontrolled breathing clearly indicated his nervous state, which wouldn't go away so soon. After a few seconds, the cell phone turned on, and soon enough vibrated indicating the incoming of new text messages:

'It's starting...'

'Don't say I didn't warn you.'

'Your game is coming to an end, Christopher Collins.'

'Say hi to your protester friends.'

'Enjoy your downfall, powerful king. The show is on me.'

The man cussed the person sending the texts with all his fury as he squeezed the cell phone in his hands. The voices that filled the environment mingled with the screams of protest outside, leaving him completely upset. And as if that wasn't enough, the shrill sound of the fire alarm cut through the air, triggering the sprinkling system that poured water all over the place, leaving everyone even more startled. The siren was louder than usual, to the point of being almost deafening.

"What the fuck is this?!" The businessman exclaimed, as he was getting completely soaked.

"Christopher!" Francis exclaimed with both hands in his ears, in an ineffectual attempt to muffle the noise.

The room was abruptly invaded by one of the secretaries, who had a startled and nervous countenance. She was breathing hard, as if she had just run a marathon. "They're evacuating all the rooms. I think those people outside are about to break into Collins Enterprise." She said nervously.

"Let's get out of here!" John shouted, opening the door so that all the investors could leave.

The older gentlemen left that room in hurried steps, being followed by all the others. Christopher remained standing still, as if his body wasn't able to obey the orders sent by his brain. He was shocked, incredibly surprised by so many things happening at once.

"Chris! Let's go!" John shouted from the hall as all that water poured over their heads, attracting the attention of the businessman who finally walked towards the lawyer.

"Isn't it dangerous to stay in the lobby?" The businessman asked as he walked through the emergency door to the fire escape stairs. "What if they break in?"

"No, the security guards are at the front, preventing the protesters from entering."

"John! There are thousands of them, the security guards can't handle them all!" Collins said in exasperation as he descended the stairs.

"I'll call the police. Don't worry!"

All the floors of the luxurious building were now empty. After a general evacuation, triggered by the fire alarm, the employees of all the sectors were crowded in the huge lobby of the entrance. Men and women whispered nervously about the possible break in of the protesters, who screamed furiously outside. They were revolted and dissatisfied with the exaggerated extraction of oil, and to make things worse, there was still the leak that polluted a big natural area.

"The cops have already been called! Everyone stay calm!"

One of the employees exclaimed loudly, so that everyone else could calm down, but it didn't work. The atmosphere there was of pure nervousness, which spread with the frightened looks of everyone inside. Meanwhile, the crowd outside seethed angrily. It was a perfect demonstration of hell, the hell commanded by the mighty queen.

Camila Collins.

The Latina was on the top floor, at the top of the monumental building of Collins Enterprise, watching the protest of all that crowd down below. Camila felt the adrenaline run through her veins, straight into her blood that flowed through her body. For many years, she waited for that moment, yearned for that feeling as the apex of her life, and it had finally arrived. Nothing could make her happier, satisfied, and above all, avenged.

"Collins just descended to the lobby. There's no one else on the floors of C.E." Dinah's voice sounded tranquil through the earpiece that the Latina had in her ear.

Camila pulled the lever of the machine she installed in the front of the building, it would be a small gift for those who shouted furiously down below.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I looked through the security cameras, and it's all clear."

The digital system of Collins Enterprise was totally breached. Dinah and Normani infiltrated themselves like a lethal virus, damaging all and every system considered normal in that company, from the sound system, lighting, to the security cameras and safes. Everything was under the domain and command of Camila.

"Let's start the second part."

"Okay. I'm going to freeze the security system now, be careful, we're going to lose sight of you."

"It's okay. We'll stay connected through the earpiece."

Camila took a deep breath, and entered the main elevator. She approached the panel and typed the number that would take her to the floor of the presidential office. In that moment, the woman didn't feel fear, much less apprehension. She was taken over by the adrenaline, which boosted her so milimetrically calculated actions. Karla had planned those moves for seven long years, and she was finally there, about to perform her last move. The beep of the elevator sounded quietly, followed by the opening of the metal doors. The young woman faced the totally soaked hall, with a smirk on her face. Before taking her first step out of the metal box, the Latina lifted the plain white mask that covered her whole face, thus hiding her identity, and only then walked graciously down the main hall. The fire alarm was just background noise now, the water no longer poured from the sprinkling system. Camila didn't want to ruin her feminine tailored pantsuit, so perfectly chosen for the occasion. The only thing that could be heard on that floor, other than the angry shouts of the protesters, was the delicate click of her black high heels on the floor.

"Oh, Collins, you have no idea how happy this moment makes me."

Camila walked into her husband's office calmly, as if she wasn't in a hurry, even when she should be. She removed the mask and sat on the presidential chair, it was comfortable, and she looked good on it, so to speak. She stayed for a few instants looking around, wondering how everything could have been, if he hadn't changed the course of her life. Maybe that place would be hers. Maybe she would still have Charlie's presence by her side. Camila swallowed hard, and pushed away such memories from her mind. She didn't want to remember anything that would distract her, it wasn't the right time.

"Are you ready? Try to be faster. The police have been called, and the squad is leaving the precinct as we speak."

She couldn't care less about the police, she wasn't afraid of the danger, nor of the consequences that her actions might entail. She only had one goal, and she would fulfill it to the end.

"I just got into C.E.'s system." She said as she stared at the screen of Collins' laptop. "I logged in with Collins' login."

"Alright, we're getting things ready for your transfer." Normani said in a focused way as she typed in the numerical sequence on her computer. Both she and Dinah were perfectly focused on two computer screens. Both with countless windows and systems.

"The account is loading."

Camila looked at the computer screen, leaving her attention on the high number that was still under the domain of Christopher. That was the last theft, there would be nothing left after those simple clicks.

"It's ready, queen. Take what's yours." Dinah said in a victorious voice tone, which opened a broad smile on Camila's face.

Camila's brown eyes shone before that number exposed on the screen, it was more than she could imagine. It wasn't millions, it was fucking billions of dollars. She opened the transfer window, and typed in the amount that went beyond 170 billion dollars. In that moment, Camila Cabello was taking all the fortune of the biggest businessman of the oil business in the United States of America.

"I'm transferring."

She felt her throat dry, her hands sweating, and her heart beating frantically, in sheer euphoria and adrenaline. Her heavy breathing indicated her excited state. But nothing compared to the peace that flooded her soul, she was walking out of that darkness. Finally, she was freeing herself. Camila plugged the access pendrive in the side of the machine, so that the password was overwritten, and the access to the transfer was granted.

The green bar filled itself slowly, making her drum her fingers anxiously on Christopher's desk. It was the countdown to the end of that era. Everything that he had achieved through illegal actions was being taken back. Her majestic plan became fulfilled at the end of that transfer. A glittering message appeared on the screen, drawing the attention of the greedy gaze of the vengeful woman.

'Transfer completed successfully.'

'Current balance: negative.'

"Oh my God..." Those were the only words that came out of her mouth. She still didn't believe that she had really done it. "I did it..."

"Really?" Dinah asked anxiously.

"Yes! Dinah, I did it!"

"Fuck, I can't believe it! We did it!"

Camila laughed nervously, hearing the excited squeaks of Dinah and Normani on the other side. Both women were also as nervous as Camila, but they needed to remain tranquil so that nothing would go wrong. Careful attention was essential to conclude the operation.

"Get out of there! I just heard the frequency of the police radio. Lauren is on her way." Normani said.

"Shit!" The Latina exclaimed as she got up.

"We're millionaires, girls!" Dinah said victoriously.

"We are, but focus. Let's erase all the movements now. The access door for backups is open, we can erase everything from there as well. We have Collins password, and with it we can do everything." Normani said quickly as she typed on the keyboard of her computer.

Dinah just nodded, and followed her girlfriend's orders. Normani had an abundant knowledge of digital systems, and nothing was totally impossible for her.

"We'll handle the rest from here, focus on getting out of there safely, queen."

"Don't worry. Enjoy the rest of my show, girls. Now comes the best part."

"Oh, I'm so ready!" The blonde laughed.

"You're crazy, Camila." Normani smiled.

"I am."

Camila closed Christopher's office, and walked tranquilly down the halls of that floor, as if she wanted to record in her memory all the instants of that moment. Her heart was beating violently in her chest, but satisfied. She returned to the elevator and pressed the button that would take her to the lobby, and positioned herself in the center of the metallic box as she delighted in that feeling that took over her soul. The elevator of Collins Enterprise possessed walls of glass, where everyone inside had a broad view of who was outside, in the main lobby, but whoever was in the hall couldn't see who was inside the metal box.

Karla enjoyed the dreadful show in the lobby, where hundreds of employees were watching the outraged movement of the protesters outside. The screaming could still be heard, flooding her ears with satisfaction. She focused her gaze on Collins, who exclaimed irritably, nervous in the midst of that multitude of employees. It was a real chaos, observed on the ringside seat by the provocateur of everything.

Camila laughed.

She let a sarcastic and victorious laugh leave her lips as a way to vent her happiness. She turned her eyes to the mirror inside the elevator, as she released her hair that until then was tied in a ponytail. She turned her body to face the mirrored wall, and slid one of her hands gently over her right shoulder, as if wiping something there. She stared at her designer outfit, a feminine tailored black pantsuit. It made her look even more sexy and incredibly beautiful.

"Police cars around the corner in the avenue. Don't take too long."

The queen didn't answer, she remained in silence as she slid the blood-red-lipstick over her so perfectly drawn lips. She looked wonderful, she thought to herself.

The elevator stopped, opening the doors to the opposite side of the lobby. Camila knew that company like the back of her hand, and she knew exactly what she needed to do to not be recognized. She walked to the bathroom at the end of the hall, where there was a black backpack, from where she removed a black hoodie. She put it on quickly, and put dark sunglasses on her face, to then go back to the lobby. The chaos was such that no one could recognize her in the midst of all that mess. The protesters were at full force, in an aggressive clash with the security guards of the building, who used force to push them away. Collins was further ahead, alongside the investors, who were completely freaking out. She didn't feel content to spread fear among the innocent, but she felt avenged for making Christopher feel like that. Karla adjusted the sunglasses on her face and put the hood over her head. The crowd inside the lobby began to move in a frenzy, going quickly to the emergency exit, which seemed to be too small for such a cluster of desperate people. The security guards lost control, and everyone began to mingle, employees and protesters, leaving Collins totally stunned. The Latina cast one last look at her husband, who was pacing back and forth, totally upset, before infiltrating herself in the middle of the crowd who was leaving the chaotic building.

Outside, everything was much more intense, people were shouting, raising their posters, asking for the end of such inconsequent exploitation. They were furious, and rightly so. Camila stopped in the middle of the crowd, and stared at the building, before grabbing her phone. The text messages game still hadn't come to an end.

'You better run to your office, save what you have left.'

As soon as Christopher read the text message, he left his coworkers and ran desperately to the fire escape stairs. He knew what it was about, knew that he was being robbed. And deep in his subconscious there was left a spark of hope of trying to save something, even when he knew that he had no power for that. He ran up the stairs, step by step. He was tired, terrified, feeling utterly useless before such blow against his power. The man reached an elevator, and finally reached the presidential floor, facing the completely soaked hall. He sighed and ran towards his office.

"Oh my God..."

His gaze focused on a single object, his computer. Deep down he knew what he was going to see, but he tried to delay that moment as much as he could. He walked in slow, melancholy steps, until reaching his desk. He sat on the chair, fearing what was to come. And carefully, he lifted the screen of his laptop, allowing himself to see what he was so afraid of. He stayed there for minutes, still, static, with his gaze locked on the small letters exposed on the screen.

'Account balance: 0,00.'

Collins had the feeling his heart stopped, froze for a split second, which made all his blood go cold. He couldn't move, much less have any kind of reaction. He had nothing, absolutely nothing. His ears stopped identifying the noise in the background, absorbing only the sound of his heartbeat. It was slow, but it didn't mean tranquility, it was desperation. Christopher only moved when his phone vibrated again. He was reluctant for a few seconds, but his curiosity spoke louder.

'You're getting what you deserve. And all this is still not enough, that's how much I hate you.'

'Now you can see what it's like to have nothing anymore. Now you know how I once felt. You took everything from me, absolutely everything. And I'm not talking about material goods, I couldn't care less about that. I'm talking about something greater, that you'll never understand. Scumbags like you don't feel anything.'

He couldn't take his eyes off the gleaming screen of his phone.

'The game is over, honey. You fell before my power. – from your queen, Camila Cabello.'

He closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly, while his whole body trembled. Collins was taken by hatred, one of the darkest feelings that a human being could have. He got up, taking a deep breath, as if the oxygen wasn't entering his lungs. His mind worked frantically on everything that had just happened. Within fucking minutes, everything was lost.

"Shit! Shit!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, before throwing his phone with all his strength against the wall. The object crashed with the furious impact.

The objects on his desk fell to the floor as the man tossed them uncontrollably, in an attempt to release the anger that filled his mind. He heard the screams outside, and begged God for all that to stop. But there was nothing that could go against the laws of cause and effect. It was a consequence. He knew that all that was nothing more than a consequence of everything he did.

"I'm going to kill you!" He shouted. "Motherfucker! Bitch!"

Collins left everything behind, and ran away from there. He was being guided by the hate that was taking over his heart. Now he understood everything, he knew exactly what it was all about. He knew that he had slept beside his worst enemy for many years, and had never even realized it. His wife was a demon disguised in angel's skin. A tempting, persuasive, calculating angel. Camila always knew everything, all the little details. She was there, in every advanced square, in every knocked over piece. She was there, increasing her power in the quiet of the night.

"Bitch!" He seethed angrily as he stormed into the crowded lobby once again.

He looked around, as if he wanted to find her. The crowd of people was still there, shouting, demanding their rights, but to him that became just a detail. The sirens of the police cars could be heard in the background, gradually increasing with the proximity.

"Sir! Don't leave!" One of the security guards exclaimed.

"Leave me alone!" He shouted.

"It could be dangerous!" The man said again.

"Take your fucking hand off me. I want to leave!"

The security guard looked at him startled, and allowed access to the businessman, who walked outside. It was a sunny morning, which made him squeeze his eyes to see better. People shouted close to him, but they walked away with every step he took towards the middle of the crowd. Christopher didn't care about everyone there, he only wanted to find one person, and he was sure she was there. He stared at every face, which looked more like a blur before his lost eyes. His heavy breathing made his chest rise and fall desperately. He was dizzy, feeling suffocated.

The exalted crowd moved away abruptly when the police cars arrived to the place. Lauren stepped out of the first car, with a serious countenance, and a piercing gaze, while the other cops asked the people present there to be calm. They were all properly armed, prepared for the worst. The Deputy landed her eyes on Collins, who was still looking for his wife in the middle of a cluster of women. He was right, he knew her in a way. He knew she was there, and that she would never miss seeing his downfall. Among the thousands of bodies that moved restlessly, he found her.

His gaze crossed that crowd, landing on the woman who one day seduced him with a sole purpose. Camila lifted her head, challenging, powerful and petulant. She looked magnificent, she seemed to have dressed for the most important event of the year, which wasn't far from the truth. He sighed, and cussed inwardly, but didn't move. Everything happened in a split second. Karla expanded her blood-red lips, flashing one of her best smiles.

"You fell." She mouthed, before pressing a button on the remote she held in her hands.

A loud noise, almost like the one from a small explosion, was heard.

Two bursts at the top of the building.

And all the frightened gazes were turned to the sky. The crowd screamed desperately, excitedly, when thousands of dollars flew over their heads. It was raining money. Camila had literally made money rain in that place. In that instant, an exact sum of one million dollars bathed the bodies of those who protested against the empire of Christopher Collins.

"Son of a bitch!" He shouted at the sight of the people going crazy.

People were running, jumping and moving sharply to get as much money as they could, almost like hunger games, while the Latina walked away graciously to the car on the other side of the street. Christopher, in his turn, tried to find her again, and before he could run to get to her, he heard Lauren's voice cut through the air, reaching his ears.

"Don't take another step!"

He stopped, but out of sheer confusion. Collins turned towards Lauren with an incredulous look, in disbelief. "What did you say?"

"I told you to stay where you are!"

"I need to do something important, something you should be doing!" He said contemptuously, before walking to the place where he saw Camila.

"If you don't stop, I'll be forced to shoot you!"

He widened his eyes when the other cops approached, taking his arms behind his back.

"What are you doing? Let me go now!" He shouted as he tried to pull away from the cops. "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"

"With a disgusting criminal."

"How dare you talk to me like that? Let me go now!"

"You're under arrest, Christopher!"

"What... you can't..." He said, stunned, as he received accusative looks from the people around.

"Don't try to resist! It's over!" Lauren shouted.

"I was just robbed, and you're arresting me? You're crazy!" He seethed. "Let me go, dammit!" He shouted at the police officer holding one of his arms.

"Don't release him!"

"You can't arrest me, Jauregui!"

"Not only can I, as I will. You need to understand that I'm the authority now. And under my order, you're going to the police station."

"You have no reason to arrest me!"

"You're under arrest for the death of Charlie Cooper. For stealing money from Cooper Enterprise, for the creation of the shell company called Turner Industry. Do you want more, or is that enough for you?"

"No..."

"Cuff him." The Deputy ordered, before walking away.

"You're on her side! Two bitches!" He shouted desperately, while his wrists were being cuffed by the group of police officers. "You're a shitty cop! Cunt!"

Lauren clenched her jaw, furious. She was trying not to lose control, but Christopher was abusing her goodwill. The woman spun on her heel, and walked over to the man, who stared at her angrily. She stopped a few centimeters away from him, staring into his fearless light eyes.

"You better be very careful with what you say. I can add disrespect to an officer to your criminal record. And you don't want to increase your years in jail, do you? You're getting what you deserve, and I'm going to make sure you pay for everything you've done!"

"I'm going to kill her." The man whispered, looking deep into Lauren's green eyes.

"Take him to the car. And then handle the rest of the operation here." She ordered the officers next to her, without taking her attentive eyes off the businessman in front of her.

"I'm going to kill her, you'll see!" He shouted as he was being dragged by the police officers.

Christopher Collins was taken to the police car under the boos of the crowd who now possessed a part of his money, and Lauren was right behind. The police officers took care of keeping everyone away, so that the car could maneuver and drive out of the front of the company. Lauren faced the man's furious gaze, who was now settled inside her car. She just smirked, before putting her sunglasses on her face.

"You'll pay for everything."

-----

Camila Cabello's Point Of View

I put two ice cubes inside the glass, followed by a good amount of Whiskey. I set the bottle on the silver platter, and grabbed my glass. I walked in slow steps, as I listened to the song that emanated from the speakers in that room. I was in a mansion, bought by Dinah last month. According to the blonde, she needed a place at her level, and that place seemed to be of her taste, and comfort. It was located on the west side of town, very far away from Collins mansion, where I least wanted to be. Dinah and Normani, in their turn, were celebrating our glorious day, alone, doing things that I'd really love to do as well.

I shook my head, and savored the first sip of that strong drink. I felt my throat warm in the very instant it came into contact with the liquid, bringing me certain stability. My head was still on the same frequency of hours ago. Everything revolved around my last move, and how perfect it had been.

"A toast, Charlie." I whispered as I raised my glass up.

I was tired, but too exalted to rest. It was night, and even after a full day like that one, my body was still full of adrenaline, as if it had ingested some kind of drug. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs to their limit, before walking to the center of the living room. I threw myself on the big couch that had such a soft padded. Dinah knew how to choose those things. I placed the glass on the coffee table as I thought about everything that had happened. How crazy could that situation be? Had everything finally come to an end?

God!

I closed my eyes and slid my hands through my hair as I sighed in relief. Upon opening my eyes, I faced the chessboard, very fancy, made of glass. And for a few instants, my whole story flashed in my mind. I pushed away all the pieces from the opposite side, leaving only the king and two pawns. On my side, I organized everything with precision, leaving the queen in the center, on her left side was the tower and the bishop, and on the right side there was a pawn. However, upon analyzing the situation wholly, that piece on the right side, it no longer fit as a mere pawn, its strength was much greater. So, I tapped the tip of my fingers over the pieces thrown to the side, and opted for another. My pawn had crossed the board, reaching the last square on the opposite side, where it finally received the power to turn into the piece I so longed for.

Another queen.

A powerful queen.

A smile was born on my lips as I put the two pieces together, side by side.

I held both with my fingers, and when I knocked over the unprotected king in the center of the board, I felt soft hands slid down my shoulders, and someone occupied the place by my side. The king's piece fell and hit the board.

I stared into Lauren's bright green eyes, which showed certain tiredness, but a victorious glow. She rested her hand on my thigh, and expanded her rosy lips into an accomplice smile. And I reciprocated it, receiving her mouth with mine.

"Checkmate." She whispered in victory against my lips.

-----

NOTE: I'm still ksdfghjkjhfghj! Best chapter I've ever read! I'm still SHOOK! Everyone was shook, the name of the fic in Brazilian "Xeque-Mate" and "Camila Collins" were trending worldwide on twitter after Evelin updated the chapter. Just WOW! And don't worry, the fic is not over yet; and everything will be clarified in the next chapters. When Evelin updates again, I'll translate and post it :)