The moment she heard Anthony's name, Selene thought of what Selina and Guinevere had said about the heart-binding cursebug. Her skin prickled, and a chill ran down her spine. She forced a tight smile. "So why didn't you go? Hiding out and trying to flirt instead?" The man grinned. "It's my birthday." Selene nodded. The Greendale Gang had one rule everyone loved: on your birthday, you got the day off. You could sleep the entire day if you wanted. He kept talking. "Hope the mission goes well. The new deputy leader's an outsider. The guys still don't trust him." The last deputy leader had been popular and well-liked. That was exactly why Fiorella had ordered Anthony to kill him and take his spot. Selene smiled faintly. "Doesn't matter how the mission goes. He's already the deputy leader." The man froze, then laughed awkwardly, scratching his neck. "Yeah, true. I respect the guy, though. He's young, but man, he's got skills." Selene's smile deepened. "And the most important part—he's got the leader's attention." Everything in the Greendale Gang revolved around Fiorella. The gang had three halls, each with three groups. Every hall had its own leader and territory. But the other two leaders always sent their best resources to Cloudshade Hall, Fiorella's branch. Whenever leadership meetings were held, they took place there, even though Cloudshade Hall was the farthest location.The other leaders still showed up in person every single time, bringing their people along. Even the gang's elusive boss seemed perfectly fine with Fiorella holding that kind of control. Selene used to wonder how Fiorella—fragile, untrained, and not particularly clever—had ended up as a leader. Worse yet, how she had managed to earn the affection of both the other leaders and the boss himself. In a place like this, women that beautiful usually end up in the basement, not at the head of a hall. Now Selene finally understood. The boss and the other leaders were probably under the same curse as Anthony—the heart-binding cursebug. If what those old women had said was true, that curse was terrifying. But no matter the reason, Fiorella's power was unquestionable. If she wanted someone gone, they wouldn't live to see another sunrise. So even after learning the truth, Selene did what she'd always done: kept her head down and played the obedient worker. She smiled politely and said, "I'm going to tidy up the leader's room." Fiorella spent most of her time at the Cloud Inn, scamming guests, so her private quarters in the base were usually empty. It was Selene's job to keep them spotless. Fiorella was obsessive about cleanliness. Not a single speck of dust was ever allowed. Even on the hottest, driest days, Selene had to wipe down every inch of the room with a damp cloth until it gleamed. She worked fast, with careful hands and sharp attention to detail, and she knew how to stay on Fiorella's good side. That was why the job always fell to her. The man nodded and grinned. "You're always the favorite around here, Selene." Selene gave him a faint smile but didn't reply. She turned and walked away.Outside the mall, the air was bitter and sharp. She pulled her coat tighter and stepped into the snow, her boots sinking with every step. A few feet ahead, she turned into a narrow alley. The alley led straight to Cloudshade Hall's base. Every small building along the way belonged to their gang. This was likely where those old women had been caught earlier. The snow had already hidden almost every trace of the fight. Selene walked deeper until she stopped at a small two-story house. She reached into her coat, pulled out a key, and unlocked the door. From the outside, it looked like the most rundown building in the area. But this was their leader's home. The nicer buildings nearby were nothing more than warehouses, banquet halls, or housing for the team leaders, deputy leaders, and their lieutenants. Fiorella had chosen this house for two reasons. It looked unremarkable, and it sat right in the center of the compound, making it safer than the rest. But once you stepped inside, it was another world entirely. The place overflowed with luxury. Gold figurines, carved screens, and emerald benches filled the space. Even the paintings hanging casually on the walls were priceless works of art. Greendale had a long history, and most of Fiorella's collection came from its old wealth. She had a particular obsession with emeralds, and every surface shimmered with them in different hues. Every time Selene came here, she couldn't help but stare. There was always something new. Some were gifts from the boss. Others were tributes from the other leaders or trophies from Fiorella's own raids. The house glowed with wealth so intense it could make anyone envious.Selene headed for the storage room to grab her cleaning tools, but she stopped when she noticed a loose tile in the corner. She froze. That was the tunnel entrance. The gang ruled this city because they controlled the tunnels beneath it.