Author's Note: There will be Violent/Gore/Triggering Content in this chapter. You have been warned ahead.
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When the paramedics arrived to the mansion, they immediately carried the leader of the major family, placing his unconscious body on a stretcher bed and taking him to the ambulance vehicle. He seemed to have suffered from a heart stroke, and needed to be taken to the hospital as soon as possible before it's too late. It was already evening by the time they got to the hospital and the doctors were already taking care of the emergency.
A male bodyguard had entered with Kyle to the emergency room to check on leader's condition once the doctors gave them the permission to come inside. On the other hand, Kai decided to sit on the couch outside of the emergency room.
She was still in dismay, breathing heavily with tachycardia. Petrified to the core, not knowing what to do. Her fingers were interlocked, thumbs brushing against each other in circles, attempting to relief the extreme anxiety that was consuming her.
Loosing a mother was tragic enough, and the least thing she wanted right now was for her father to leave her too. This was too much to handle. Why did things needed to be this way? Where exactly did it go wrong?
After a few minutes, Kyle and the bodyguard exited the room again with a female doctor following behind them. The three of them approached the sitting Kai, all of them wearing a serious expression that was hard to read. Kai couldn't tell whether this was good or bad news, and it was making her even more agitated.
Kyle stared at his older sister before letting out a deep sigh. He sat down beside her resting his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. He knew that the frown on her face meant that she was at the edge of bursting in tears, and believe it or not, that hurt Kyle deep inside.
It was heartbreaking to see a person like Kai in a state like this. She doesn't cry easily, but when she really cares for someone, her tears will always betray her. Kai was the closest one to their father out of the two. It makes sense for her to be the most affected here.
"I know that there's many things on your mind right now, Kai. You have many responsibilities to carry on your shoulders, but your mental health is the most important thing right now. You need to try to relax and then we can handle the rest together." Kyle paused briefly before continuing, "I'm aware that if the minor family finds out about this then more trouble might come in the future for the major clan. I believe that it's time to get serious and set up a plan together before the disaster takes place."
Kai felt her throat becoming dry as she listened. Whenever Kyle avoided a specific subject, that meant that it was definitely bad news. He was not getting straight to the point. He was not mentioning their father. Did that meant that...No...It can't be...
Eyelashes trembled with restraint tears. Kai had a bad feeling. Her chest was aching. "D-Don't tell me that f-father..."
Kyle closed his eyes and held his breath in for a few seconds. The stammering of her voice was too painful to hear. It was broken, cracking with sobs. Kyle assented his head before opening his eyes again, shifting his gaze to the female doctor standing in front of them. He breathed out and lifted up his chin to signal the doctor that she could now speak.
The female doctor nodded and proceeded to explain, "Ms. Kai, we want to inform you that your father didn't suffer from a heart stroke. He was actually poisoned."
Kai felt her heart sinking further at the mention of poison.
"We are still trying to figure out what substance was used to help you find the suspect. We've really done our best here, but...I'm sorry. Your father couldn't make it, unfortunately." The doctor bowed down her head with shame before turning around and leaving.
When Kai saw that the doctor was leaving, a sudden urge hit her. She wanted to chase after that woman and yell at her. Threatened her to do something. How could she leave things like this?!
'WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE COULDN'T MAKE IT?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SAVE HIS LIFE! AREN'T YOU A PROFESSIONAL?! YOU ONLY HAD ONE JOB! WHY?! JUST WHY?! TELL ME WHY YOU COULDN'T HELP HIM?! I PAY YOU SO MUCH MONEY AND THIS IS WHAT I GET IN RETURN? COME BACK HERE!'
Kai hastily got off the couch and was about to follow the doctor, but Kyle pulled her by the arm abruptly, sitting her back down. "Hey, Kai! Calm down! What are you doing?They really tried their best!"
The hallway soon fell into complete silence, only the faint sniffing of a woman could be heard.
Behind that scowling face hid an immense sorrow that slowly began to take over Kai. Tears rolled down from her cheeks as sobs escaped from her mouth. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She couldn't believe it. Her father had died. Her father was really dead!
'No, no, no. Please no. This can't be true. This can't be happening. It's not true! Aaaagghh!!! Please tell me this is all a nightmare. Father, don't do this to me. Please don't leave me! I'm begging you. Come back to me. I promise to be a better daughter. I will take a better care of the company and let you rest from now on. I will focus more on my job and be a responsible boss, but please, I need you to come back. Don't leave me! I can't handle everything by myself. You know that I can't do this all alone.' Kai was bawling internally. She covered her mouth with her hand, holding herself back from letting out an agonizing scream.
Kyle tried to remain calm, although he was also hurting inside. He slid his arm behind Kai's back and rubbed her back gently. He was quiet all this time, not knowing what to tell her to console her.
At the end, Kyle decided to stay by her side until she could calm down on her own. It was better this way. It will take her some time to process everything that happened.
"Mr. Kyle, I think we should bring her back to the mansion so that she can have some time alone." The male bodyguard standing next to them suggested. "I can drive her back, and you can stay here with-..." His words came to an abrupt stop.
Kyle turned his head around slowly, meeting eyes with the bodyguard.
The bodyguard gulped down with difficulty, noticing the dark glare that Kyle was giving him. Those piercing eyes were like sharp needles, threatening him to shut the fuck up and not say another word.
Kyle seemed to be infuriated by something that the bodyguard was about to say.
What could it be?
The bodyguard stiffened his body, feeling the unpleasing tension building up between them. He knew that it was better to keep his mouth shut to avoid provoking the young master even further.
Why would Kyle be so alarmed and hot tempered all of a sudden? Was he hiding something?
There was definitely something suspicious going on here. These two seem to know something that Kai didn't. However, Kai didn't realize this because she was currently mourning the death of her father, not paying attention to anything else.
Kyle finally rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze away from the bodyguard. He pulled Kai closer, and gave her a side hug, letting her rest her head beneath the crook of his neck. Tears fell from her eyes like rain, damping his black shirt, but he didn't care.
In a moment like this, it felt like their roles had suddenly changed. Kyle was acting like the older sibling who was taking care of the younger one. It was after a while that Kai realized this and she quickly sat up.
She straightened her back and wiped away the tears to compose herself. The way she was behaving just now was shameful and it was making her feel embarrassed. She didn't want to act like a cry baby in front of others. Wasn't she supposed to be the one protecting Kyle and consoling him?
'Get yourself together, Kai!' She scolded herself mentally.
Kyle stared at her blankly, not knowing what the hell was on his sister's mind now.
Kai lowered her head, spotting that platinum ring that she always wore around her index finger. This glowing ring gave her the authority and power of the major clan. In other words, it represents the the absolute power the major family, and it gives her the honorable title, "The Mafia Boss after the Leader."
She lifted her hand slightly to take another closer look to that ring that her father gave her back when she was only eighteen. This reminded her once again of her position in this mafia world.
It was time...
Time to stop playing games.
Stand up like a boss and step away from the comfort zone.
It was time to sit on the thrown.
Face the truth and fight for the major family.
Protect her people and the one's she loves at all cost.
If Kai doesn't do this, then no one will.
The clock is ticking and the world is spinning in her palms. Kai was now the rule maker.
It was time to take action. If she continues to step backwards, then the major clan will fall into ruins.
It's time to wake up.
Time to move forward and fight the battle that's approaching ahead.
Kyle was right when he said earlier that the minor clan might want to bring trouble in the future when they find out about the leader's death. That's why they need to be prepared for anything and everything.
Kai doesn't know where Paris is right now. Maybe she is still at the mansion, or perhaps she already left a long time ago. If Paris went back to her own house, then that wouldn't be surprising either.
Before coming to the hospital, Kai had ordered Pearl to keep watch on Paris. But seeing how things are going, Kai already knew that Paris won't be waiting for her anymore. She must've escaped the mansion by now and Pearl has failed her task like always.
Haha...ha...ha, it was not surprising anymore. This was not the first time that this happens. Kai was not an idiot. She knows. She really knows. The story its repeating itself again and again.
Paris has been distancing herself from the major clan these days. It was obvious that she was concealing something from them. This was not good. It was making Kai overthink more than what she should. But, who could blame her? Kai has trust issues. Did Paris forget about that?
Kai didn't know why, but she had the gut feeling that Paris was secretly siding with the minor family. She didn't want to assume, but everything could be possible at this point. Paris is not being honest with her. How could she trust in someone who is not being fully genuine?
Kai felt her heart crumbling. It was tearing apart. Pain. It was so painful. Why was Paris doing this to her? It hurts.
Was she being betrayed again?
It wasn't hard to realize that everything was slowly collapsing down in front of her eyes.
A calamity was coming...
Without wasting anymore time, Kai stood on her feet and turned to look at Kyle. "Let's head back to the mansion. We have to inform all the bodyguards about what happened to father as soon as we get back. I'll set a meeting with the minor family tomorrow in the evening. And just in case anything were to happen, then...We need to be ready."
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There was a lot of movement at the minor family's house the next morning. The bodyguards were walking around the mansion, going back and forth, left to right, upstairs then downstairs, talking here and there, it was a complete chaos.
It didn't took long for Venus to become aware of the commotion, and she immediately went to her father's office to ask him what the hell was going on. Why was everyone acting like if they were in the middle of world war three?
The door of the office slammed opened as she barged in, encountering an unpleasant scene as soon as she entered the room. The leader of the minor family was burning the face of one of his bodyguards with the tip of a lit cigarette. The howling and screaming echoed through the entire room as the bodyguard begged for mercy.
"AAARRGGHHH! SORRY! I'M SORRY BOSS! I'M REALLY SORRY! I PROMISE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. PLEASE! STOP! NO! AAARGHHH AAAHHHHH! GRRRRR!"
The bodyguard gritted his teeth and continued to growl in agony. Like an animal that was being tortured to death. Half of his face was swollen and bleeding like if he was punch several times, while the other half had two small burning marks that were caused by the cigarette just now.
"If you fail to make another task for me again, I'll make sure to end your life with my own hands! I will burn you alive! You hear me?!" The head of the minor family shouted furiously at the bodyguard, loosening his grip around the collar of the man's shirt, and releasing him harshly.
The vulnerable bodyguard fell to the ground violently, his head crashing against the floor in the process. He was so shocked and petrified that he couldn't even move. He could only nod swiftly in response with tears in his eyes.
Even though this was disturbing thing to watch, for Venus, it was not a big deal. She has witness worse things than that, and she has also gone through worse things too. She just ignored it and proceeded to ask her question to her father. "Pa, what the hell is going on here? Why is everyone so restless this early in the morning?"
The leader of the minor family got off from his chair and approached Venus once he saw her. "Perfect timing, Venus! I was about to call you over to tell you about the great news that I received from last night." His mood suddenly changed. He was now talking with a more gentle tone of voice.
Venus creased her brows in confusion, still not comprehending what the fuck was happening. "Great news? What happened?"
The leader let out chuckle, placing both of his palms on his daughter's shoulders and explained. "I sent an undercovered bodyguard yesterday to spy on the major family. He informed me that my brother was dead and that he was poisoned. It's unknown who the culprit is, but that doesn't really matter right now. The leader of the major clan is dead, Venus! Do you know what that means?"
Venus' emerald eyes widened slightly after hearing this. Her heart couldn't help but to skip a beat by the excitement that had suddenly kicked in. "No way. Did we finally win for the first time? Did the minor family win against the main family?"
"Not quite yet, but...we are almost there. We just need to do one more thing." The leader lifted his pinky finger, showing his golden ring to Venus.
Similar to Kai's ring, this ring also represented authority and power, but it was the one from the minor clan. Since they were the "minor" family, this ring was supposed to be worn on the pinky finger because they have always been inferior to the major clan.
"We need to kill Kai to be able to reign and take over the company. Once we do that, we will finally be the winners." After saying this, the leader of the minor family took off the golden ring and lifted Venus wrist with his large hand. "Our day has finally come, Venus. From now on, you will be incharged of the minor clan, and I will take over the major clan. You will wear the golden ring, and I will wear platinum ring. The two families will be united and will become one. We will finally have the absolute power, my daughter." He slowly slipped the golden ring on Venus index finger.
The size of this ring was quite large because it was meant to be worn by a man on the pinky finger. That's why it fitted Venus almost perfectly. It was just a little loose, but not too much to be noticed. Wearing this ring on the index finger also meant that the minor clan had more power and authority now.
"Pa..." Venus was overwhelmed. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The golden ring was placed on her finger. Was this a dream, or was she actually awake at this moment?
Did Venus just become the second leader? Was her father recognizing her? Was he praising her for the first time? Was he proud of her like she has always wished for?
Faint tears formed on Venus' eyes, causing them to glisten with the reflection of the light from the room. "Papa...are you being serious about this? Are you for real? You're not joking around, right?" Her hand was slightly trembling underneath her father's grasp. He was holding her gently. Like never before.
This was a new kind of feeling. This was too good to be real. It was the first time that her father was treating her like this, and Venus was afraid that he was actually joking around to make fun of her later and beat her up.
"I'm not joking, Venus. I'm serious. Don't be scared. It's your turn to shine. Once we kill Kai, everything will be over. We will be able to live happily with Michael, and without having to worry about being looked down by others ever again." The leader lifted his other hand and patted Venus on the head.
The tears were already running down her face. Venus felt so content right now. She never thought that something like this would ever happen to her. She was speechless. Flabbergasted.
Her father was trusting her wholeheartdly with this. Giving her such a significant thing like this golden ring on her finger was something to be more than grateful about. She needed to make sure to make him proud this time, even if that means that she must kill her own cousin, Kai. She'll do anything just to hear a single compliment from him. She wanted to be worth it in her father's eyes for once.
"I have already informed everyone in the house. The bodyguards are getting ready to fight. We were supposed to have a meeting with the major family in the evening, but since we are planning a sneak attack, then it's better to start heading over there now. We'll bring them down before they even realize it." The leader of the minor family told his daughter with a light smile.
Venus nodded and wiped away the tears from her eyes. "What about Michael? Where is he staying?"
"He'll stay here. I ordered a group of bodyguards to guard him. He'll be fine. Don't worry." The leader answered.
"W-What about m-me, sir? What s-should I do?" The quivering voice of man interrupted them abruptly. This was the male bodyguard that was beaten up earlier. He was still inside of the office, laying on the ground, afraid to stand up and get punched again.
This poor bodyguard was the one who was sent to spy on the major family. The reason why he was punished earlier by the leader was because he was caught by one of the male bodyguards from the main family and failed his task. That's how he ended up in this terrible state. It literally looks like he was ran over by a car.
The bodyguard soon regretted opening his mouth because another round of loud shouting came at him, frightening him to death until he fainted on the spot.
There was no doubt that the leader of the minor family was the grim reaper. Snatching away souls from their bodies as swift as a lighting.
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Pistols, rifles, shotguns, bombs, fogger bombs, knives, bats, bulletproof vests...
Everything was ready.
When the minor family arrived to the gates of the main mansion, they were greeted by six male bodyguards from the major clan who were guarding the entrance.
These bodyguards were always wearing black suits. Weren't they uncomfortable with them? The sun was radiant today. They must be sweating beneath all those layers of clothing. Poor them. They are going to scorch alive under the sun.
In contrast to that, the bodyguards from the minor clan were all dressed in casual clothing. All of them wore a simple shirts and ripped jeans. They looked like they were ready to go to the cheapest supermarket that was in this city
The only one who actually bothered to dress up properly was Venus. She was wearing a crimson red suit and a black button-up shirt made out of silk. The fabric was loose and fresh. Her style was eye catching. Beyond attractive. Stunning. Breathtaking. Nothing like her dad who looked like he was going to play golf with those black shorts and that crumpled grey shirt that he probably took from the laundry basket. That ugly looking outfit was still expensive though. It came from that well-known brand named 'Chanel'. Don't judge a book by its cover.
The minor clan divided itself into six groups. In other words, in six cars, and each one of them brought five people inside. Venus was the first person to get off from one of those white identical vehicles. Her bodyguard opened the door for her and she got out with so much elegance. Her blonde long hair was swaying with the calm breeze, and her emerald green eyes were brighter than ever.
"Good morning, Ms. Venus. What brings you here this early in the morning?" One of the male bodyguards from the major clan standing by the gates spoke up first.
Venus lifted her chin in a smug manner and replied flatly, "We were invited to come to a meeting today. We came a little early. Can you open the gates for us?"
"Pardon me, Ms. Venus, but I didn't get any orders from boss to allow you to go inside the house at this hour. I was told that you'll come in the evening. I think you should come back later. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I must follow the orders of my boss." The bodyguard was speaking politely, but it still sounded a little daring. Was he trying to provoke Venus?
Oh, boy. He was messing with the wrong person.
"Shut the fuck up, and open the gates. Who do you think you are talking to, huh?" Venus spat out through gritted teeth. She was not playing around and her patience was known to be very limited. This man had already gotten on her nerves.
The male bodyguard adjusted his glasses, pushing them closer to his eyes before responding fearlessly, "You will be well adviced to turn around and go home, Ms. Venus. Don't make fuss out of this. Ms. Kai doesn't want guests to come at this hour. You need to respect that from her."
"Well, what if I tell you that we came here to make a fuss. What are you going to do about it?" Venus sneered. With an abrupt move, she takes out a pistol from inside her blazer, and aims it towards the bodyguard.
As soon as she did that, all the bodyguards that were inside the white cars got out immediately, pointing their guns to the other bodyguards that were guarding the gates of the major family. The leader of the minor family was also in the scene now, aiming his shotgun towards the opponents.
By this time, the six male bodyguards that were guarding the gates were already at full alert, and they were all raising their guns towards them too.
The bodyguard with the fine glasses said with a serious expression, "Then, you will have to get over my body before going inside. I'm ready to fight."
The sinister smirk on Venus' face broaden before the loud sound of gunshots resonated in the skies. Crowls were startled by it and started to flapping their wings, flying all over the place.
*BANG! BANG! BANG!*
The war between the major and the minor family had finaly begun...
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Author's Note: Hello there, folks! I'm back with another update after so long lol! I apologize for taking so long to comeback. As you all know, I have a quite busy schedule. Anyways, I want to let you guys now that we are reaching the finale of this book! There's only five more chapters left to write after this one, plus an epilogue and then this story will end. This has been a great journey and I hope you guys are excited to read the next chapters ahead! ^^