Fractured ties and hidden agendas

Author's POV

"Did you give him anything to take after he got home yesterday, Anabelle?" Valentino Balencentra asked staring at his son.

"Yes sir. I had one of the maids bring him lemon juice. Knowing he'd likely have a hangover this morning, I thought it would help reduce it's severity." Annabelle replied to Erald's father.

"Alright then. Josh told me that Caryl came home. Is that true?" Asked Don Valentino.

"Yes, Caryl returned briefly but left shortly after. I don't know when he left but when Erald got back yesterday, I told him about it. He rushed into Caryl's room, but he was already gone. I never saw Caryl leave either." Anabelle explained.

"But I suspect Caryl will come back today. If he meets Erald they might get into a fi—"

Before she could finish Erald interrupted her sharply.

"What the hell are you saying aunt Anabelle? Caryl is coming back AGAIN? How dare he!" Erald exclaimed, his tone brimming with disbelief and fury. The anger surged through his veins, intensifying with every second and clouding his thoughts.

A sharp pain shot through his head causing him to groan loudly..

"Argh.... Aunt, please give me one of your remedies for hung over. My head feels like it's spinning." He muttered, his face void of emotion but seething with the flames of tage that only worsened his headache.

"I'll get it immediately." Anabelle assured him.

"Erald, calm yourself. Once your headache subsides, come to my office." His father instructed before leaving the room.

Moments later, the maid entered with the pineapple juice Anabelle had prepared.

"Boss Erald the senior chief sent this for you." The maid stammered, her hands trembling as she struggled to steady herself. She was well aware that she has stepped into the lion's den.

"Put it down and get out!" Erald shouted, his anger towards his elder brother spilling over uncontrollably.

The maid bolted from the room, and in her haste, she accidentally bumped into someone on her way out.

"What the fuck is wrong with the servants in this house?!" Caryl snapped irritably, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

The maid, unaware of who Caryl was, being new to the household, apologized quickly and scurried away. She had only heard rumors about Erald's ruthless demeanor, not Caryl's, who had been absent from the villa years after murdering their mother.

"Sorry." The maid murmured and disappeared.

"What's with these disoriented maids and guards in this villa?" Caryl muttered, paranoia creeping in as he reflected on the chaotic events since his return.

"Anyway, I need to get to Dad's room and retrieve the documents before anyone notices." He said, quickening his pace.

Unbeknownst to Caryl, the villa was equipped with hidden cameras, which Erald was actively monitoring. Spotting Caryl heading toward their father's room, Erald stormed out of his own room, not even bothering to put a shirt on.

Although Erald's anger burned intensely within, he managed to maintain a composed exterior as he approached his brother.

"Hello dear brother!" Erald greeted, his expression cold, a devilish grin curving his lips.

Caryl jumped at the sound of Erald's voice, shocked to find himself face to face with the last person he wanted to see.

"Erald... h-hi!" Caryl stuttered, fumbling to find the right words.

Erald unable to restrain his rising fury, cut straight to the point.

"Just so you know, the reason I am not ripping your throat off is because of, Dad. What are you doing here? After all these years, why return now?" He demanded a his tone laced with hostility.

"I just came to retrieve some documents I need. Once I have them, I'll leave." Caryl gave half the truth attempting to maintain his composure.

"Oh, is that so? My dear brother, the guards can bring you whatever you need. Just tell them where to find it." Erald retorted, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Erald, please allow me to collect the documents myself. I promise I'll never step foot in the villa again." Caryl pleaded, desperation in his voice.

"You're leaving now. If you need those documents, as the guards to retrieve them." Erald snapped, his patience waning. His brother's mere presence disgusted him.

Realizing that further resistance could provoke dire consequences, Caryl reluctantly agreed. As he turned to leave, Erald stopped him again.

"Caryl, why were you heading towards Dad's room? Don't you dare lie to me, I saw you." Erald said, his voice thunderous.

"N-nothing," Caryl stammered, trembling with fear. "I thought Dad might be there, so I wanted seeing him."

Erald saw through the lie but chose not to press further. He simply warned Caryl to leave and never return, promising that any future trespass would be the end of his death.

Afterwards, Erald returned to his room, showered and changed. Dressed and ready he called for Renald, his assistant, to prepare the black Lamborghini Bugatti. Despite his attempts to compose himself, the anger from the morning's confrontation lingered, simmering beneath the surface.

Upon arriving at the Balecentra's company building, Erald spotted a familiar face from his highschool days.

"Hey Erald!" A woman called out her surprise mirroring his.

She approached with a confident sway, her smile as radiant as ever.

"Leona? What brings you here?" Erald asked, genuinely curious.

"I'm here for a business meeting with Valentino Balecentra. He's my father's business partner. What about you?" She replied.

"I'm Valentino Balecentra son." Erald responded with pride.

"Nice seeing you again. We'll catch up some other time." He said curtly, ending the conversation abruptly and walking away before she could respond.

In his father's office, Erald was introduced to a senior member of the Cosa Nostra, who had returned due to family emergency. Though polite because of his father, Erald felt no warmth towards the man.

Once alone, Don Valentino turned to business, instructing Erald on a crucial mission involving Lukas Santiago, rivual intent on assassinating the Balecentra family.

"Josh to my cabin now." Valentino said with a straight voice into the telecom.

Moments later, he walked in.

"Don, you called for me." Josh said.

"Yes, get those informations on Lukas Santiago and give them to Erald, he would be in charge of the mission." Don Valentino said.

"Okay Don, I would get them." He replied, and went out.

"Don Valentino, if I may ask whose the closest to Lukas Santiago in the syndicate?"

"There is a member whose name is Joseph Anthony. They are best of friend he runs a fabric company, but I don't think Joseph would denounce me because he owes me his life for sparing him after he betrayed the Cosa nostra. I don't think he would dare to make that same mistake ever again. Because I told him if he dares to denounce me again that would be the end of his life, but if you think it's him then you need to get to the root of this, if you have to kill do that and spare no life." He replied.

Moments later he arrived, handing Erald a black file, a devilish smirk spread across his face.

"Young boss, this is the information of Lukas Santiago."

Erald collected the file, flipping through the pages as he got his basics on his newest target.

Name: Lukas Santiago

Age: 45 years old

Place of birth: Wellington

"Married with two grown up children a boy and a girl, the boy's name is Grath Lukas Santiago while the girl's name is Kira Lukas Santiago. His wife is no longer staying with him but they aren't divorced yet." Josh carefully explained to him making Erald's attention to be drawed back to him.

"Lukas is a business man, who owns a multi national company in California. He runs an illegal business which is the smuggling of cocaines and other hard drugs that we supply to him."

"His parents are still alive and the dad is also part of a syndicate known as Valeina. The syndicate is been controlled by a woman whose as fierce as a lioness. Rumors has been said that Lukas and the woman that runs the valeina mafia empire are having an affair, that is why his wife left. But, that's far from the picture. Lukas has a sibling named Traven Santiago, he also has a business running, he's industry is world wide known industry known as Traven pharmaceutical industries ltd. But unlike Lukas and his dad Benjamin Santiago that are into illegal business and are in different syndicates.Traven isn't, he's clean."

"Lukas once had a best friend named Arnaldo Fernandez but no one has seen Arnaldo Fernandez's face till date he is been hiding perhaps under a disguise or rather as rumors says he has a syndicate in Milan. But ever since he and Lukas separated in college for years no one knows where he is." Josh explained.

"Also per my investigation Lukas wife Roseline Diego, is planning on killing Lukas as a revenge for what he did to her in the past. From what i gathered Lukas is responsible for the death of Roseline's parents and her illegitimate twins. He tortured them before taking their lives all because Roseline's dad said Lukas wasn't going to marry his daughter. After Lukas killed Roseline's parents in her presence, he electrocuted the dad and humiliated the mum by sexually assaulting her before killing her by burning her alive in Roseline's presence and her 12 year old sons were watching everything, little did they know that they were also destined to die. After killing her parents he told her if she doesn't marry him, her twins would also leave her and join her parents, out of desperation and helplessness she got married to him. After the wedding was done, he killed one of the twins right before her and took the other to drown him and kill him. Since then Roseline swore with her life to avenge her parents and her twins death. Those two children she has with Lukas wasn't by her will, he raped her and she got pregnant." Josh added.

"Time for me to have fun with my newest target." Erald said eager to confront his new puppet.