Empire is not a novel that courts comfort. It is a closing act built on emotional damage, moral collapse, and the irrevocable cost of power. As the final instalment in the Cartel trilogy, it completes a narrative that has always been less interested in redemption than in consequence—and it commits to that stance without flinching.

Mariana’s double life sits at the heart of this book. Outwardly, she exists as a respectable professional—an accountant with a carefully curated normalcy. Inwardly, she is trapped within a criminal system she cannot simply walk away from. Her captivity is not defined by chains, but by knowledge, obligation, and fear. It is a far more realistic—and disturbing—portrayal of entrapment than the dramatic escapes often offered by dark romance.