The Defining Moment

Alexander's POV

I had just gotten out of college when I found out the truth about my family, about who my father really was and I had a choice to make. I could either turn my back on my family and my true nature or I could do what my father and his father did before me. Finding out that my father was the head of a cartel came as a huge shock to me. You see I have always had a resentment towards my father because I thought that he he didn't love me as his only son.

I was always away in boarding school and even when I was home, he was never with us. So like any other rich kid with a chip on his shoulders I rebelled. I always knew that my father was a powerful man, I knew that he had a lot of influence but I didn't know how deep it went, that was until I ran and kilked someone over right after I got my degree in Harvard. I was young and foolish and on that night, I was drunk and high on drugs. I knew that it didn't matter who my father was, the judge was definitely going to send me to jail.

I was no longer a teenager but an adult, that meant state prison, I could take care of myself but I knew that I was not built for prison, I called my father and he told me that he would take care of it and he did but it also gave him something he can use against me. He always told me that no one should even get an opportunity to have something they can use against you and I gave him that opportunity and he used it.

He kept evidence that could send me to jail and used it against me. He finally told me who I really was and then he started to pull me into the business and before I knew it, I was in too deep. After all that he did to keep me out of jail, I knew that I had no choice but to what was right for all of us. I wish I can say that was the only time my father had used that against me but I would be lying. He knows that I can't say no to him and so he holds it against me.

We have come a long way since he first initiated me into the family business. Now I have taken over at every sense of the word. I am one of the youngest and the most successful business man in New York. A CEO of a very successful company and the leader of one of the most powerful cartels in New York city. Everyone knows me as Alex Black but the Mafias know me as Mr X. Mr X is a mystery to many others. They know about me but no one really knows who I am. I have worked very hard to keep my identity a secret.

I was in my home gym working out my cellphone rang. I placed the weights down and I went to take my call. It was one of the guys that worked for me. His name was Knuckles. He was in charge of all the shipments that come in and out. I trust his judgement because he knows what he is doing.

" Is it done?" I asked him.

" Yes Mr X, We are on our way to the docks sir." Knuckles said to me.

" Good, tell Smith to prepare the merchandise for the Columbians, tell him that it is top priority. " He said.

" On it sir. " He said and hung up.

On my end things were going smoothly. The Columbians have delivered on their promise and now it is time for me to do the same. The Columbians and my family have been working together ever since my grandfather took over the cartels and became the head of it. My father said he was just a runner selling dope on the streets and he worked his way to the top, built his own legacy and then started the shipping company that I am now the CEO of.

He was the first Mr X and now that name is mine. Just like him, everyone in the underground world knows my name but only a few knows my face. Alexander Black is a totally different story. Everyone knows who I am, it's hard to miss me when I am being compared to Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. I took a shipping company and turned it into a huge consortium, it is not just shipping we do, we have a tech division, a pharmaceutical division and an investment division where we back up and buy into small start up companies.

After the call with Knuckles I felt a bit relaxed. I have been having this strange feeling that something was going to go wrong with the deal and now that they have delivered the Coke, I can breathe. There's a war brewing between the Columbians and other cartel's, they need what we have and we need what they have. Now they have given me another task, one I was not too crazy about but had to do regardless. All that I know is that I can't deny them anything.

" X... " Jack came into my gym holding an iPad in his hand. He didn't look too happy. " X you have to see this. " He said. Jack and I have been friends for a long time, I trust this man with my whole life, that is why he is the head of my security.

" See what?" I asked him.

" Well you won't believe what your father has done." He said and handed me the iPad. I saw my father standing in front of a podium with one of his old friends. I pressed play.

"It is with great pleasure to tell you all that my son has proposed to his long time girlfriend Ella Swiss, the pair has had an on and off relationship but now they have finally decided to do the right thing. " My father with a smile.

" What the hell?" I asked Jack.

" Who the hell is Ella Swiss?" He asked me. He doesn't know her but why would he? I mean she was basically a teenager the last time I saw her, I can't even remember when was that. Ella's father and my father have always been friends, they would see each other from time to time and once in a while they would bring her with them, she was young so I don't even think that I have said more than two sentences to her.

" This must be joke, I am sure of it. " I said.

" So you know her?" He asked me.

" Yes, I mean no... it's complicated." I said.

" Bro, it's either you know her or you don't, which one is it?" He asked me.

" Fine I know her but we are not that close. " I said.

" So your father just announced an engagement that you know nothing about?" Jack asked me.

" Precisely. I mean she was just a little insecure teenager the last time I saw her. My father can't be serious about this, I just announced my break up with Natalie and now this?" I said.

" So what are you going to do about it? He gave a press release and everyone is talking about it, there's even a trending Hashtag." He said.

" I don't get it, Why would he do that? I mean I know my father and he wouldn't just do this, there has to be a good reason why he did this." I said.

" So are you really going to marry this girl?" Jack asked me.

" Are you crazy? we don't even know each other like that, you know what? I am going to get to the bottom of this. " I said to him.

" What does that mean?" He asked me.

" We are going to see him." I said and gave him back the iPad. I took a quick shower and we left the penthouse. I have no time for games. I have clients on my a** , I have the cartels and triads to deal and this is the last thing I need in my life right now. Jack and I went outside and just like that, reporters where waiting for me outside. I had to use another exit point to get away from them. I got my parents house and there was reporters camping on the gate. I am glad that I had tinted windows on my car. I could see them but they couldn't see me.

"Do you see what that old man has done, this is ridiculous. " I said to Jack.

" Well you always say that no publicity is bad publicity." He said as he made his way through the crowd. A few minutes later we got to the house. I got out and went in.

" Alexander... Good to see you." Martha said. I will be honest with you, I don't know how old she is but I know that she is old. She has been in my family from the time I was born, now she helps my mother with the staff around the house. The cook, the cleaner, the driver, she sees to all of it. She is like part of our family.

" Good to see you too..." I said and gave her a warm hug.

" He is waiting for you in the study." She said.

" So he knew that I was coming?" I asked her.

" He asked me to brew your coffee." She said. It was clear that my father has thought this through, he knew that I would come, my guess is that he knows that I won't be happy about it.

"Thanks Martha. " I said and went up to my father's study. I knocked on the door.

" Come in..." He said. I opened the door and went it, the smell of coffee hit me.

" Take a seat." My father said. I squinted a little and sat down. I was trying to figure out what he was actually playing at, my father is the master of mind games.

" I take it you know why I am here. " I said to him.

" Yes. " He said.

" Yes? That's all you are going to say?" I asked him.

" I don't think that there is anything to discuss, this will be good for you?" He said.

" Wow! You must be kidding me, tell me that this is just one bad joke because there is no ways I am going to go through with all of this." I said.

" Alexander Black, you are what you are today because of me, now tell me? Have I ever led you astray?" He asked me.

"No but this is insane, isn't she too young to be my wife? And why her?" I asked him.

" So there's a war brewing within the cartels and we strong alliances and lucky for us Gregory feels the same way. You have a good deal with the Columbians but without his pipeline, we cannot do anything. Now Greg has agreed to give us the New York pipeline as long as we can supply him with what we get from the Columbians.

With that pipeline we can be able to get in anything we want into New York because this new pipeline is the best hidden secret, no more dealing with the crazy Jamaicans and we can finally cut ties with the Mexicans. " He said.

" Fine but why do I have to marry his daughter? What has that got to do with anything?" I asked him.

" You see son, Gregory wants to make sure that we don't back out on our word, your union will strengthen both parties, we will have full use of their resources and they will have ours, a union makes us family and family always looks out for one another." He said.

I knew that my father wouldn't just do this without a good reason. I can hear what he was telling me and it made sense but my life is too hectic right now. I simply don't have space for anything else.

" Dad I don't know about this whole marriage thing, why can't we just sign a contract?" I asked him.

" I told you son, marriage makes us family. Gregory is from a noble family, a royal from Scotland, they are the perfect cover. Son this is the thing we needed to take our business to greater heights, we will have ties all over the world. " He said to me.