The Masterplan

TAKAHASHI

"Sa, subete no junbi ga debite imasu." I smiled, listening to the faint orchestra music playing inside the limousine, swirling the red wine inside the wine glass I was holding.

"Good, make sure that everything goes according to plan." I responded to Myojo, my first Capo.

His voice cackled over the ear-piece that I was wearing which was directly connected to the phone safely hidden in the pocket of the sleek black slacks that I had on for the special occasion tonight.

"Hai." Myojo said, ending the call right after.

My head perked up upon seeing the landmark for Corinthian Gardens, one of the most expensive subdivisions here in Manila, Philippines.

Magnificent houses came into my line of vision.

I could actually pinpoint who owns each of the houses in this beautiful landscape. One-eight of the population in this subdivision are members of the Mafia.

The current head of the leading Mafia group in here, Golden Island, was Allan Cortez.

I honestly like the man.

He has two daughters and one son.

If I was going to be honest, I like their family. I heard so much about his second daughter, Margaux.

It was a pity, I missed her announcement ceremony. It would have been nice to have made her acquaintance.

Another pity was that she had been chosen to take over leading the Golden Island when her father dies. I would have chosen her to be my wife. With the connections that her father has, it would have strengthened the alliance between us.

Additionally, marrying Margaux Cortez would have given me more power.

However, I was still a lucky man. I was able to gain one of the most beautiful damsel I have set my eyes on.

To be honest, Mary Serrano had caught my attention when I first saw her. She has a certain charm and that air of command that radiates from her very presence which had captured me at first sight.

I consider it a favourable outcome for Margaux Cortez being unavailable for marriage.

Else, I wouldn't have Mary Serrano for my fiancé.

Now that I think about it, even if I had Margaux, I would have done everything in my power to have Mary by my side as well.

Remembering how I came to have the engagement arranged, my thoughts went back to Allan Cortez.

Years of working with the man, it was not hard to tell how his family meant to him. It also only took a day for me to learn of his favoritism amongst his children.

Considering the close ties between them, should I feel sorry or guilty for what would take place tonight?

I stopped swirling the wine in my hand.

Why should I feel anything at all?

My father has always pushed me to do the impossible for what I wanted. It was how I had gained my reputation. It was how I always found a way to get anything and everything that I had set my eyes on.

Seeing the Cortez's mansion coming into view, I put down the champagne glass in the holder.

The modern style made it stand out from among the other grand houses surrounding it. Several cars were lined outside, stretching around the neighbouring houses.

The festivities for tonight were quite extra special. I had told Allan not to go overboard, but he insisted.

However, that was only a front. Knowing him, he merely walked inside my trap.

I wanted people to be there.

No, let me rephrase that. I needed people to be there.

I need the audience, I need people to witness the power of the Japanese Yakuza and what we are capable of doing.

I wanted them to know what we can do for power and dominion.

My father had told me that I wasn't ambitious enough. For him, I wasn't enough.

When he was alive, I was his shadow.

But now, I had the power to do more than he had ever done.

A gentle smirk formed across my lips, remembering his last moments.

Watch carefully, Otōsan. I will make you proud . I will have our name be widely known amongst the Mafia community all over the world.

I had been to the Cortez's mansion a lot of times. I consider it as my second home here.

However, those visits were merely for business related activities. I hardly met with Allan Cortez's wife and children.

But, I had heard of them. His first born, Madelein, was recently married to Jacob Miguel, one of the respected families amongst the Mafia community around here.

The arranged marriage with the Miguels, had added to Allan Cortez's influence in the Mafia. Then there was Margaux. She was a lot of things. But the most notable fact about her was being her father's favorite.

I often caught Allan Cortez mentioning her more than her siblings. Though as all parents would claim, he says he loves all of them equally. I believe him, but he can never deny that he seemed to be biased when it comes to his second child.

Lastly, his youngest son, Michael. He reminded me of my own sibling. Aiko, my sister was playful. Michael Cortez was like that too. Only, my sister doesn't go overboard in creating trouble else, she would receive a terrible punishment.

At that time when we visited the Cortez's mansion, I was merely tailing my father. He was a great man in the eyes of many.

And he really was.

But as a father, he was an entirely different person.

I was six when I found a gun hidden in my father's drawer inside their room. At age eight, he taught me how to use it and why I needed to learn.

By the time I was sixteen, there had been countless times that my father had pointed his gun at me.

He did it every time I failed him or if I had done something that he had deemed had brought shame to the family name.

When I turned eighteen, I had lost count of how many times I had pulled the trigger of a pistol nor how many times I pointed the gun to a person.

The next question that a sane person would ask was: Have I killed anyone?

If I was ever asked that interesting question, I'd like to tell the person whether they want an honest answer or if they wanted to hear a masked truth.

Often, people would rather hear the concealed version rather than the honest answer.

I guess most individuals are afraid to admit that someone they knew was capable of killing and the fact that the person in question was me.

People knew me and my reputation. If they cross a line, no one knows what could happen.

Have I killed anyone?

Maybe.

It wasn't that hard to adjust to this kind of life we have. At first, it was scary.

But gradually, it became thrilling.

I can't imagine my life outside the mafia.

This is my world, my games, my rules. In this exciting lifestyle, I thrive.

I checked my watch as the limousine came to a stop. I wasn't late, it wasn't too early either.

Punctuality has always been my strong suit.