CHAPTER 4

Giovanni’s voice was calm yet commanding as every of his words carried with it hidden meaning and messages that needs to be decoded.

Mr Tommaso slowly placed his wine glass down too while listening carefully as he noticed the shift in Giovanni’s tone immediately.

Something serious was coming and it was not just a random discussion, he knows his friend, he was a Don that never spoke carelessly no matter the situation.

Every sentence from his mouth was calculated, it was a strategic speech with dangerous meanings underlined in it.

“That’s a good thing I must say Gio, so what business are you proposing this time you can talk to me my good friend” Mr Tommaso said as he seated straight.

Mr Giovanni leaned backwards slowly into his chair as his face had a scar along his jaw that became more visible beneath the dim lights a reminder of the countless wars he had survived.

“I am proposing a marital relationship between our clans Tom, a bonding that will seal us stronger together” Mr Giovani said smiling but he could see immediately that a change was clearly seen on Mr Tommaso face as he enters a reflective moment.

The room instantly became quieter and even the rain outside suddenly felt distant as Tommaso froze slightly.

“Marriage?” Mr Tommaso said in his head as his mind immediately drifted toward Azzura.

“This is my daughter, my only child?” He thought in his head.

The little girl who once ran laughing through the gardens holding onto Mrs Gaia clothes, the girl who hated rules and feared absolutely nothing.

“Can she really survive inside the Ndrangheta family….inside Giovanni’s brutal world” Mr Tommaso thought as he kept asking himself different questions in his head.

“Is this good for my daughter, will this not be so much burden on her and a strong edge for me?” Mr Tommaso thought in his head once more as he looked out of the room for a while in silence.

Meanwhile Giovanni observed him from the side carefully this is because he already understood exactly what troubled his friend and truthfully he had expected hesitation from his friend from the start.

“Any father would hesitate to decide or jump on this offer especially when the groom involved is my son Francesco” Mr Giovanni thought in his head as he kept his gave on his friend Mr Tommaso.

Francesco Ndrangheta.

A young man feared even among grown men, a cold, proud, silent and extremely dangerous young man.

“Are you with me Tom?” Mr Gaia asked bringing Mr Tommaso out of his thoughts.

“Yes yes I am fine I was just kinda you know thinking things through first, I wouldn't want to rush for am answer immediately after all” Mr Tommaso said smiling.

Giovanni nodded slowly as he clearly understands his friend's fears and line of thought.

“True true I understand how you may feel right now, the rush and urgency in the matter well I guess that was my fault but you know as friends I believe telling you earlier wouldn't be a bad idea you know” Mr Giovanni said.

He stood up from his chair slowly before walking toward the giant transparent door overlooking the estate grounds.

Several black vehicles were parked neatly outside while armed guards patrolled the mansion perimeter carefully despite the heavy rainfall.

“You know it helps increase the bonding our families and increase both security and extra business deals and connections” Mr Giovanni said as he tries to convince Mr Tommaso to agree to his proposal.

Tommaso remained thoughtful “everything Giovanni said so far made perfect sense I won't deny that” he said in his head.

“The Sil clan is respected but compared to the Ndranghetas?” Mr Tommaso asked himself and without needing an answer the obvious was clearly seen.

His clan is weak, painfully weak even though they have been for years and have built an empire for themselves.

The only reason rival clans had not crushed the Sil Family completely was because everyone knew they were under Giovanni’s protection and that protection alone carried terrifying value.

After thinking once more for a long while Mr Tommaso raised his head up and giving a deep sigh he spoke “alright it's fine I think the union would be a good thing so yes I here to it” Mr Tommaso said with a smile on his face as he decided.

Giovanni’s expression immediately brightened instantly “ohh thank goodness” he said in his head because for once the feared Don looked genuinely pleased that his friend agreed to his request.

“This is great you really surprised me and for this I will increase our connections and business deals, I will make sure to build your clan to be stronger and as this marriage works we both will be unstoppable” Mr Giovanni said with great enthusiasm.

Mr Tommaso laughed softly.

“But you are great already come on, you have the number one in the world Mafia Family, highly respected and have not gone down for decades already come on you are very strong already, except you just intend on teasing me old friend” Mr Tommaso said.

Giovanni chuckled lightly “ohh come on old friend of course I wouldn't dare and why would I in the first place, we have always been there for each other for years so you can trust me that I won't dare mess with our family and relationship” Mr Giovanni said with great respect.

Mr Tommaso quietly observed his friend for a while longer than expected and he noticed that something else was hidden beneath Giovanni’s words.

The Intent of his words was way more than friendship that was tilting into something more than an alliance.

Giovanni wanted permanence, a bond that is impossible to break and with this it shows that there was another reason too.

Giovanni slowly poured more wine into both glasses before speaking again.

“You know Tom” he began quietly “Francesco rarely shows interest in anything not even to me his father”