A few days after my talk with my father, here I am now, a part of the life that I had tried to run away from. Life here is not as complicated as I thought it to be. Well, at this point, all I have to do is basically check the shipment documents and manage the finances. This is still a far cry from what I used to do as an architect, but hey, this still works for me. "Hey, Ari, how are the shipments coming along? Is everything good?" Ethan began to question me as soon as he walked into the meeting room. I tried to look up from the pile of papers I was concentrating on at the moment to see my brother, who showed up to somehow be geared for action. Seeing him like this made my heart start beating fast again. "What is actually happening, Ethan? Why else are you wearing that outfit?" I started pressing him. "I asked you a question, Ari," he replied, narrowing his eyes at me. "Try responding to my question with nothing but an answer rather than just another question." "Every shipment for
"I know, Ari, and just like you, I am just scared for you as you are for us. Don't worry, we will find him, get him and make him pay. We still have several of Allister’s men with us, who have pledged to support us." As I heard Ethan mention the name Allister, I felt numb once again. It has been weeks since the day that we lost him. Weeks that I have been slowly trying to make something of the life I am living. At first, I just wanted to die along with him, but after that conversation with Kyle, a renewed spirit in me emerged. I need to live so that Elliot’s sacrifices will really be worthwhile. "And we will find him. We will find Dimitri Wilison and make him pay." I said with conviction. "Still you haven’t answered my question, Ethan. Where are you going?" I asked him again. If Ethan thinks he can get away with my questioning, he is dead wrong. "Surely you won't let this slip, right?" I gave him a good head shake in response to his question. I don't consider for a second that I'll
"Are you ready, Ari?" Markus shows up in the meeting room and wants to know. After my earlier talk with Ethan, I informed him that I would meet with Matt before the transfer. "Give me five, and then I'll be out with you." I started out by saying, looking up to glance at him while nodding my head. "Do not even take a lot of time. The sotto capo wants to get this request of yours done and over with. They are hurrying the transfer." He sort of reminded me that Ethan was hurrying to complete this move, which I already knew, and then closed the door. After I've figured out how to deal with living a mafia life, Markus is my go-to person. He was chosen to make certain I was safe and protected and had to always be with me by both my father and Ethan. Thanks to the fact that we are pretty much the same age and also that he does not at all seem as restrictive to me as the capo does, it was not even difficult to feel at ease with him. I started to gather the documents I was perusing and organ
One after the other, the men left the room after throwing Markus a shrug and turning to just go. Markus was scowling, and his only response to me was, "No, Ari." He said with conviction, "I'm sorry, but I'll have to refuse that request at this time. This is not part of the agreement." Markus is just as hard-headed as I am, which in itself is probably why my father and Ethan opted to have him around my side all the time. Markus is not intimidated nor easily terrified of me, unlike all the other men here, and most of the time, it really is me who has been following him instead of the other way around. I stared daggers at him, brows arched and arms over my chest in defiance. "No, Ari. You can continually ask me to leave, but I won't do that. And for you to know, I am not afraid that he'll do something to you. What I am terrified of is you doing another spectacle to him, which will earn me another ire from the sotto capo. Therefore, we can go on and on about this banter, and your five mi
After such a hectic, hard, and crazy week for all of us, I was blissfully doing nothing in my room, taking the moment to attempt to find some time to think about things that have happened to me in the past few weeks. My life has been a roller coaster ride and it keeps on having the highs and lows of the journey. Today, however, was different. Everything else in this place just looked relaxed and peaceful, and culturally safe after Matt's transfer last week. Even though it is still a far cry from what a peaceful family actually is, I'm still pleased and thrilled as it is. Due to my affiliation with all of these mob activities within our organization, I have also experienced a variety of changes in the way things are. I recently had a serious conversation with Ethan, and now that he is more confident in me, he is assigning me responsibilities beyond the areas of administration and finances. He's letting me see now how things work around here in full spectrum. He also agreed to let me
"Who did this?" I asked again, feeling defeated that this had to be this way. I was forced to stop mid-step by the words "Dimitri Wilson" that was spoken by Markus. "Where is that prick?" I demanded as I turned to face Markus in a fit of rage. "That jerk asshole needs to be caught and he needs to die." "Ethan has him in his custody at the chamber in the warehouse as we speak." "How?" I know that Markus gets my one-word questions every time. I don't want to use all the energy I have to question him. I need to save my strength to kill Dimitri Wilson. "In the facility where your father is going to inspect the shipments, the old Wilson was able to infiltrate and gun down the guards on the post. After he shot your father, he tried to escape, but the capo, together with a few of our men, was able to seize him before he could flee." "I am sure as hell that somebody helped him get inside. I want everyone investigated!" "Don't worry, Ari, your older brother gave out the orders already. C
The Dragon Warriors. After my father's death, that is who we are now. Who would have thought that we would find our way back to this cruel life when we almost gave it up a few months ago? Not just my family, but even the rest of the crew found it very difficult to adjust to the last several months after my father's untimely death. We knew that we were all going to die at some point in the life that we were living, but we were nonetheless unprepared for it to happen. Nobody saw it coming, and when it happened, we were all so shattered and broken by reality. The Gregory family's life was filled with ambiguity, and we are all in denial. Ethan made a conscious decision that perhaps we should stay focused on our legitimate business and live a life free from the mafia world. To put the past behind us and begin afresh, we moved to a new location once again. And we did live, staying in the shadows of the unknown. It was never easy for me either. Two significant people in my life unexpectedl
I am more than ready for the meeting with the Asians. I prepared for this last night and want nothing more than to complete this mission with flying colors. I see to it that what I'm wearing will be suited for this deal. I'm attempting the completely ragged but hot and elegant look while donning a five-inch stiletto, tight black jeans, a black cropped shirt, and a black leather jacket. The attire and my aesthetic appeal should help me achieve my goals. And that's when we sign a new contract in our favor. I'm trying to make sure that everything with this deal will go as smoothly as possible. This is the very first time Ethan has chosen to give me consent in order to effectively manage this on my own. He had given me complete discretion in how to handle the Asian mob and forge productive partnerships with them on my own terms. And I am more than ready to do just that. When I came out of my room, I proceeded to walk outside to meet with Markus. But before I could totally get out of the
Finally, the story has come to an end. Apologies, as it took longer than I had expected because of a lot of circumstances and my busy schedule. This is not perfect as well, and I know that, but I really want to thank you all so much for the support and for giving this book a chance. I deeply appreciate all the readers and followers who are supporting my stories in GN. Please support and keep reading my other stories in GN: English: (On-going) The Dragster's Mafia Heiress The Runaways' Second Chance Mate Taglish: The Invisible Love of Billionaire (completed) Married to the Runaway Bride (completed) Falling for the Replacement Mistress (On-going) The Rise of the Fallen Ex-Wife (On-going) Entangled to the Hidden Mafia (On-going)
Two men could be seen discreetly bickering over something in the stillness of the night. And although what was happening was visible to the rest of the men on the ground with them, they all chose not to interfere at this moment. They know better than to meddle with something that is not their concern. No one can genuinely understand what the verbal hubbub that is occurring between the two is all about as well. But whatever it is, it begins to appear to be about something big and important for the two to face off on the grounds just like that. The two men exchanged dirty, mean looks as they awaited each other's next move. And it also seemed as if they were about to each draw their firearms and end this ordeal between them, but both of them subsequently changed their minds and thought better of their situation. It really shouldn't reach such an extent once more. They now behave more calmly and rationally with each other than they used to in the past as a result of the changes in their
The wedding ceremony is happening in a blur for both of them. They are just too focused on each other all the time, as they are both holding each other's hands. The couple is so overjoyed about everything that is happening that they were smiling all throughout. And why wouldn't they? They are getting married! "Now that you can, Elliot, you may now recite your vows." The priest directed him. Elliot wasn't accustomed to these situations, of course. He's never been kind to express how he really feels, especially about love topics, and most of all not in front of other people. Kyle and Brit are the only people who could possibly know everything about what his heart desires. Nevertheless, today, he is willing to voice his opinion openly about Ariella and take away all his inhibitions because he wants Ari to understand how important she is to him. Before actually beginning to say his vows, he even took a deep breath to compose himself. "Hey, you know how hard this is for me, Ari, sweetie.
As I stood beside Kyle, my heartbeat was thumping frantically in my chest. I am anxious and excited, and I can tell that every person in the hall is feeling the same way as I am. This is where it all ends now. This is the culmination of everything that we've worked so hard to achieve. Today is a very special day for me and Ari, and everyone present here today is going to celebrate this momentous occasion with us. And I've honestly been eagerly awaiting this moment as well for a very long time now. But, in addition to that, I am currently experiencing a wide range of emotions. And for the very first time in my life, I can feel my hands and legs trembling at the same time at just the thought of Ariella Gregory. A distinct kind of nervousness is what I am starting to experience because, even though I'm anxious as I stand here with my best man, my excitement for what today will bring outweighs my nervousness by a long shot. Today is my most anticipated day. I'm going to get married tod
"There may still be time for you to make up your mind and change the decisions that you made, so are you sure that this is exactly what you intended to be doing?" Markus is acting like an a-hole as usual at this moment. "Sure, everything else with the villains of your lives is done and over with, but are you absolutely able to say that you wanted to marry him, that douche? Just tell me, Ariella, and I am willing to save you from this misery that you are about to get yourself into." I scowled at him as I crossed my arms in front of my chest to just let him know that he was not in the least amusing me and that I was beginning to get upset and clearly annoyed with him. "Markus, are you done grating on my nerves? If you are, can you shut the hell up now?" "What the heck, pumpkin? Why are you being so rude and surly? I'm merely trying to provide some clarity to your muddled and disorganized thinking. And I just want to let you know there is still enough time to back out." "Shut the heck
"It’s alright, dear. It's actually a very sweet gesture from you. And it just shows how much you really love my daughter." "I really do love her." He said proudly. Ari is too pleased, and she can feel the butterflies in her stomach again just hearing Elliot's words of affection for her in front of her mother. "And I love him too, so much, mom." She said proudly as well, then turning her attention to her fiance she said. "And yeah, I'm actually making your breakfast, but I thought that something must have happened because you kept calling and shouting my name that I have to see you. Are you seriously missing me all that much?" He replied confidently, "I certainly do." Then he lowers his voice and whispers to Ari, "Let's go back up into our room and I'll show you how much I miss you and how much I love you." "I like that." Ari answered grinning. She then turned to face her mother asking her, "Mom, will you be an angel and take over in the kitchen? Elliot and I just need to discuss s
Elliot immediately woke up from his sleep when he dreamed about Ariella not being beside him. He tried to reach for her but was surprised to find out that she was really no longer lying next to him. "Ari!" He exclaimed in an instant. He's been so protective of her since the recent incident that the prospect of losing her again fills him with dread. He has lost her so many times in the past that he will not allow it to happen again. He jumped out of bed and briskly walked into the bathroom to look for her. "Baby?" He called out to her again but still got no response. He then tried looking for her in the walk-in closet, but still, she was nowhere to be seen. "Baby, where are you?" He says to himself. Instantly, he began to feel uneasy. How could she have gone anywhere without him? Did she abandon him? But why? What did he do to merit that from her? He tried reaching out to her all the time, but Ari is still finding it hard to get through the events of last time, and as he and Ethan d
It is extremely simple to fool this young man who thinks so highly of himself, and as Mattias nods his head in agreement with Lucio, the elderly man feels he has done an outstanding job. With that being said, he has to leave immediately before Mattias poses a lot of questions that he wouldn't be able to answer. After concluding his report, he said, "With all of that information revealed to you, I will put it to rest at that for the time being." He then grabbed the money and, having to put it in his bag, rose up from his seat and proceeded to go. "I need to leave right now because I have somewhere I need to be. Call me if your big boss has another assignment for me." He declared, turning to leave without waiting for Mattias to respond. "The Allisters—what's up with them then?" The moment Mattias posed that query, Lucio halted in his tracks. "What? What about the Allisters?" "Isn't it that you told me you have information concerning both Gregory and Allister?" Mattias inquired as he
Lucio was so excited about this meet-up that he greeted Mattias as soon as he came through the door, saying, "Mattias, it's been quite some time since I last heard from you. What surprises do you have in store for me now? Did the boss seem to like everything that I had to say about the Gregory and Allister families? I need details about what went through with your plans." The most recent incidents involving the Wilsons, Gregorys, and Allisters are still unknown to Lucio. He still doesn't know that Mattias and his men have been captured and are under direct orders from Elliot, nor does he know that Matthew is already dead. He made the decision to maintain a low profile after receiving numerous threats from an anonymous gang, and since he doesn't have anyone to back him up solidly, he decided to stay put and keep silent for a little while. And now he's overjoyed that Mattias has summoned him. He may not have information now, but Mattias won't know that, so it will be easy money for