Chapter 61

The sun hangs high in the sky as I stand next to my father near the docks in Miami. My heart races, and for the first time in a long time, I feel excited about this meeting. As the oldest, it's something I've always wanted – to be included in the family business, to prove to my father that just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't run the Manuel Syndicate as well as any man.

A salty breeze blows through my curly hair, carrying with it the scent of seaweed and diesel fumes from the fishing boats swaying gently in their berths. The squawking of seagulls mixes with the distant hum of traffic as they search for scraps of food among the detritus littering the dockside, creating a cacophony of life.

"Lucia, pay attention," my father chides, snapping me back

A man approaches us, his dark hair slicked back and his darker features giving away a lifetime of experience. I eye him up and down, taking in every detail, before he introduces himself as Axe. My father waves off his introduction wi