The day continued, dragging into the afternoon. After Daniel had eaten breakfast, he and Karen agreed to split up. Daniel would meet with Norio to discuss the events from last night. However, she would meet with the Jones family. She drove through the city, pushing towards her ultimate target, her breathing increasing as she got closer. Still, her destination came into view on the horizon as she spotted the towering steel gates.
Karen exited the Chrysler Thunderbolt, staring at the gates like they were a daunting enemy upon the battlefield.
“Now or never,” Karen said.
Karen briskly walked to the gates, marshaling all her courage.
Inside, Karen embarked on a perilous mission, traveling through a golden castle. She walked the halls of Charles's mansion, Waybright Manor. But Karen soon heard a sound of great sorrow echoing through the marble corridors: Charity’s cries of agony. She stopped walking for a brief moment. Karen swallowed as she contemplated what to say to the Jones family. It was the cruelest irony. She would always scold Daniel whenever he attempted to conceal the truth. However, now, faced with a grieving family, she envied his talent for lying. Still, she slowly found the strength to continue walking.
“God help me.” Karen sighed.
As Karen reached her destination, she gazed upon Charity with fearful eyes, a crying mess on the floor as Benjamin and Sandra consoled her.
"Hello," Karen said.
“Karen,” Sandra said.
“You’re here,” Benjamin said, wiping tears from his eyes.
Charity swiftly ran to Karen, hugging her for dear life, still sobbing.
"Let it all out, my friend."
"Karen, I'm so sorry," Charity screamed.
"All is forgiven." Karen hugged Charity back.
Charity released Karen, staggering back several steps. "How can you forgive me so easily? I was so horrible to Daniel."
"You knew him as well as I. He would have been pouty for a good bit. But he would forgive you, too.”
Charity examined Karen, looking at her closely. "But still, how are you taking this so well?"
Karen swallowed again. "I have experience processing death."
Charity staggered to a chair, dropping into it.
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"You may forgive me, but I'll never forgive myself."
"Charity, your brother wouldn't want you to torture yourself like this," Sandra said.
"You're right, Mommy. But I can't help it. I'll take this pain to my grave."
Benjamin went to Charity, hugging her. As the two siblings tightly embraced each other, they began bawling. The two’s cries echoed loudly throughout the room. The sounds of their misery were like a punch to the ears. And Karen gazed at them with guilt-ridden eyes, forcing her mouth to remain shut as she wanted to divulge the truth.
***
The knight and Norio held a meeting at the Falcone warehouse.
"I was a fool thinking we could put this off for a month," Norio said.
"If you're a fool, I'm an even bigger one. I put the idea in your head," Daniel said.
"In any case, let's clean up this mess."
"The two guys I brought from last night and Larry, the liar, are they any help?"
Norio nodded no.
"They're that tough to interrogate?"
"No, two of them are dead, and the last one is in a coma."
"What?" Daniel bellowed.
"The latter committed suicide, while the former had a stroke. Larry wouldn't shut up about how the big man was coming."
Daniel staggered back onto a support beam. "Poor fools."
“Suicide is never easy to deal with.”
“I’m just in shock. They threw it all away for the big man of crime.” Daniel hit his fist on the wall. “It makes me sick.”
"I agree. But let's focus on averting more casualties."
"How?"
Norio placed a file on the table in front of Daniel. And as Daniel opened it, he found various diagrams.
"These are weapons factory schematics."
"Exactly."
"B-but I don't recognize this building."
"It belongs to the big man's main competitor, the Santinis. We finally located it with your information and our own sources."
"But why them? Why not focus on the big man?"
"Because last night, the one confirmed casualty was Lorenzo Santini. The family owns shares of the resort, and he was there at a business meeting."
"But they also stole—.” Daniel snapped his fingers. “To throw off suspicion that it was an assassination."
"And the Santinis haven't fallen for it. My Officers confirm large quantities of resources going to the building. They're going to retaliate, and it won't be pretty."
Daniel punched the table. "Then let's get them, chief."
***
Andrea sat alone by his desk as the curtains covered the windows, allowing the darkness to consume the room at Santini Manor. He shed tears, gazing at Lorenzo's cremation jar before him, slamming his head on the desk. But someone soon came into the room, making him raise his head to look at her. A person of twenty-five stood before Andrea, inordinately alluring in her grace, especially her piercing blue eyes. His sister Ophelia was a curvy beauty with tan skin, raven hair, and a slender body. She was the heart’s desire for most men. But for her brother, she stood as a calming presence in his time of grief.
"Big brother?" Ophelia asked, placing a hand on Andrea’s shoulder.
"I'm fine."
"That's why you're bawling your eyes out?" Ophelia gave Andrea a side-eye.
Andrea stood up, wiping away his tears and knocking Ophelia’s hand away."Enough. Where's our brother?"
"At the factory, like you said."
"And the project?"
"Everything's going fine, but—. Ophelia looked at Lorenzo's jar, picking it up, crying."Oh, grandfather."
"I know how you feel, but we'll avenge him." Andrea tightened his fist, shaking it before Ophelia.
"I want nothing more than to see their bloody deaths, but shouldn't we wait? Andrea, our grandfather deserves a proper funeral."
"No, we can't. Unless we retaliate quickly, our family will look weak. And our legacy lost to the big man."
"Are you sure you're ready for war with that monster? He cares nothing for human life and would rather burn the world to ash than admit defeat."
"As would I."
