Chapter 6: The Rossi Family

When the recession struck the country in the 70s, a lot suffered from unemployment to horrifying and suffocating inflation. Most of the businesses were bankrupt and closed, and even the small companies took a huge plunge when the economic depression hit the country. 

The Rossi Enterprise was not able to escape the economic plunge, however, we did not suffer financially for too long, as my grandfather (Tobias Rossi III) said, illicit businesses saved the family from the financial deficit. We were quite involved in almost everything, drug trafficking, weapon trade, and even the expensive tariff of the Sole Port. 

The control of the port and cargo escort brought revenue to the family to fend for our security and to keep the company going. 

It's true, the generation before me traded drugs for income and influence, not for its consumption. It was a strict rule on the code, drug users were banned in the family. If found with illegal substances or use of illegal substances will be punished under severe scrutiny of the family code. 

Hence, most of the members who "accidentally" got involved with the use of illegal substances were "illegally" removed from the family. Some were found swimming in the port, and some were no longer found. The police had no control of the law in the 70s as the mafia ran the city. So whenever a body was dropped in the port, the police had no jurisdiction whatsoever to investigate it. 

Weapon trade also brought name and money to the Rossi Enterprise, we monopolized the trading business in the country and even today, our long-standing name was built through the cargo escort business. Today, the enterprise delegated the authority to another subsidiary and has been under the care of our relatives. 

Weapon trade had been an easy business as we held control of the ports. We never deny our involvement with illicit business transactions however no laws could prove our direct involvement in such deals. 

One thing our family was famous for in the Association, was manipulation. We orchestrated small and big decisions in the city and held power above lawmakers and politicians;

'A person is easily controlled if they are subsumed by greed, guilt, and fear.' the infamous quote my grandfather used to say whenever I saw him play with his specialized deck of cards. Up until now, those cards were still a mystery to me. Plus, as my grandfather grew older, those cards were seldom played. 

The Rossi Enterprise business structure was amended three times because of the personal favors my grandmother, my mother, and my Aunt Erin's request. 

These changes were in my grandfather's secret room that only the heir of the family could have access to. On the walls were paintings of my grandmother, a section of history dedicated to my mother, and Aunt Erin's letter. 

My grandfather loved my grandmother so much that he had to change the family and the company, he single-handedly dragged our dirty name out from the years of piled dirt and blood. 

The company grew into an enterprise and is now one of the wealthiest enterprises around the world. Our ways were changed, from cruelty to professional business deals. These changes brought the family to a new age but did not change some of our ways, killing. 

A Rossi would kill once it was necessary, and we never pulled of trigger for bloodlust. My grandfather and father worked hard to restructure the name "mafia" and keep the city in peace. 

When our family name gained fame, the jealous eyes were inevitable, we gained friends and countless enemies. My grandfather was continuously subjected to death threats and assassination until my grandmother died in the 90s. 

The pain and loneliness were obvious in my grandfather's eyes for years, he even stopped business transactions for 2 years. This angered most of the elders in the union and tried to remove the power from Tobias until his comeback and removed the greedy senior members of the council. 

September 1994, two months after my birth my grandfather removed the threat, befriended the enemies for business treaties, and gave the control of Sole Port back to the government. 

Tobias, my grandfather, changed the whole business structure upon the request of my Aunt Erin to secure my safety and her safety. 

Rossi Enterprise had three divisions and one chairman to oversee the whole company, when I was born, my grandfather was the chairman and head of the family. However, as democratic as we wanted it to be, a chairman could only impose a rule if the senior elite members of the council had reached an agreement for the new rule. 

In simple words, even though my grandfather was the chairman his words were not the code the family follows, much less the enterprise decision. He had to go through a series of endless meetings if he wanted to add new rules to the family code. 

This rule was changed when my grandmother died, my grandfather befriended officials and politicians to build a strong foothold in the family and slowly eradicated the three divisions. He took over the business decisions and ran the family the way he wanted it.

My Aunt Erin's letter pushed Tobias to take over the family, as she found pieces of evidence of how my grandmother died at the hands of a senior member of the Rossi. Although we value loyalty, we are vulnerable to traitors and opportunists. 

Killing all senior elite council members, eradicating the three divisions, and giving protection to the future generation, my grandfather Tobias earned his name as 'the Executioner'. 

By the time I was 7, my grandfather Tobias removed himself from the enterprise and groomed my father, Anthony, to become the head of the Rossi Family. 

Unlike my grandfather, Anthony was realistic and pragmatic, his business choices were based on his calculation. My father was more calculative than my grandpa, after all, he was one of the business geniuses in the country. He did not involve himself in cruelty, he was the only mafia head who did not own guns or transact with arms dealers. 

My father was the only heir who did not indulge himself in brute fighting. A lot of the elders doubted him and saw him as a weak leader until he proved them wrong by defeating all of them without lifting a finger or two. 

Like, I said, the Rossi family was great at manipulation, and as the eldest heir of the family name, my father was a master of manipulation, hence, he did not need to have a gun to protect himself - he had people to do that for him. 

—

However, just like any great leaders, my father's authority fell through when my mother was assassinated when I was 12, that was the only time I saw my father held a gun and exposed his fears. His prime ended and his influence in the family began to decline. 

The enterprise crumbled down and once again back to red, we were about to collapse when my grandfather reinstated the three divisions, 

The emblem Bear was given to my second uncle, the Whale emblem was handed to my grandfather's assistant Secretary Han while the Tiger emblem was given to my father. The leaders of the division had the same authority clearance in the family, they could inherit the family and even gain the same support and influence. 

My grandfather reinstated the three divisions to challenge my father's authority and to mock him for his poor choices. However, my grandfather chose to bring back the divisions to protect the family from destruction and bankruptcy. 

We managed to bounce back from the impending bankruptcy and pushed my father to invest in real estate business which saved his generation and contributed to my generation. 

When I took over, the family was far from bankruptcy, the family code was respected by all divisions and all were compensated well. The spirit of oneness was spread all over the family and there was peace. 

Or so I thought… This peace was not for too long when Antonio Rossi came home and began to show his true color and intention. 

Our family depended 80% on the family code which entails the 7 most sacred laws in the family:

Loyalty is your breath, live and die for the familyThe absence of the heir will be voted by the three divisionsDeath is given to those who deserve it, bloodlust is not an optionThe family will protect its members and even above the lawRespect should be earned, and influence as well A Rossi will not hesitate to place judgment in protecting the peaceRossi will never be involved in drugs and human trafficking

***

I could hear Richard's heavy footsteps as he drew closer to my room, he knocked three times, before opening the door, and I could hear my door creaking. 

"Sir, it's time.."

"Mmm," 

I closed my laptop and stood in front of the mirror, readjusting my bow tie, and left my room, 

"How excited are you to attend your own funeral?" Code X playfully asked as he grabbed his headphones and followed us to the elevator. 

"The arrangements for Ms. Harper are all done, sir. After tonight, you can visit the hospital for the turnover. Our people are also on standby in the event of any retaliation from Antonio." 

If tonight turned out to be the way I wanted it to happen, Isabelle could go back to her original peaceful life without any of my influence. 

'That's the right choice, right?' sadness crept into my eyes as I imagined waking up tomorrow without Isabelle's clamor in the morning, or her semantics, or even her hazel eyes. 

Is this how we say goodbye?