Is this destiny?

~ East Sicily, undisclosed location ~

Man is his mid-fifties is sitting in the shade of a massive olive tree and gazing at the perfect blue surface of the Ionian Sea which is glistening under the morning sun. This is his favorite spot to sit and think in peace before he needs to face all the craziness of the reality.

Behind him is an impeccable Mediterranean villa positioned so that it provides panoramic views of the East, South and West from massive terraces.

The man\'s sharp features enhanced by his tanned skin are undeniably eye-catching despite him crossing a half-century mark in age. His hazel eyes with a subtle green hue are clear and his dark hair peppered with grays around his temples make him look wise while his aura is threatening.

The man\'s name is Angelo De Luca. He is the head of the crime syndicate known under name \'Nero armi\', the largest underground weapons dealer in South Europe.

He frowned slightly at the sound of footsteps behind him. He knows that no one will dare to disturb him at this time, unless it\'s important… and even when it\'s important, only one man will approach him: Bruno, Angelo\'s right-hand man who is by his side for almost two decades.

"Yes, Bruno?", Angelo asked with a sigh.

Bruno stopped two steps away from his boss. "The report you requested arrived."

Angelo gestured to Bruno to read it.

Bruno opened the folder he is holding before speaking: "We found who is looking into your identity. He started from the name you used in United States and is reaching out to our contacts in Spain and France. At this rate, he will find out your real identity in less than a month, unless we issue a gag order."

Angelo frowned. "My name from the United States? It\'s nineteen years since I used it last time. Who is looking into this?"

"Smith family from California."

"Sounds familiar…", Angelo raised his hand, indicating to Bruno not to tell him. Two second later, he remembered: "Smithsonite corp.?"

"Yes, boss."

"Why would they look into me? I have no business with them. Or are they thinking of expanding into my territory?", Angelo mused.

"You should see this…", Bruno handed one photo to Angelo.

Angelo looked at the photo with Emma and Charlie on it and his eyes stirred with emotions, making them appear greener than usually. "Is this Emma? She looks like her mother…"

His fingers glided over the photo, gently caressing Emma\'s profile. When he saw her last time, she was about five years old.

"Yes. That is Emma.", Bruno responded and added: "She goes by Donatella\'s last name, Ronin. And she is engaged to Charles Smith."

"The young man by her side?", Angelo guessed.

Bruno confirmed.

Angelo looked at the photo for few more seconds before returning it to Bruno. "Why are they looking into me? Are Smiths doing a background check on Emma?"

"It does not look like it. They are not using their main channels to gather information. Only her fiancé is looking into this."

Angelo thought for some time about this and the only logical conclusion is that Emma is interested in her father, and her fiancé is helping her without the involvement of the rest of the Smith family. He thought at loud: "Dona told me that I am dead for them, and that she will make sure my kids don\'t know about me. Did she change her mind?"

"That… I don\'t know.", Bruno admitted.

Bruno saw a trace of smile on Angelo\'s face and his heart stopped.

Bruno was about ten years old when Angelo adopted him from a local orphanage. Since then, for twenty years, Bruno is following Angelo, learning about the business and connections.

Over the years, Angelo told everyone more than once that Bruno will inherit his position when the time comes.

Bruno is aware that Angelo had a relationship with a woman in United States which resulted in four children and for almost two decades, Angelo is staying out of their lives, focusing on the organization he is leading.

Angelo said that he is staying away only to keep them safe, but Bruno never found out more than that. Well, he does not need more information. Considering the type of business they are in, it is normal that many people want to get rid of Angelo and anyone connected to him is a liability.

Bruno swallowed hard while wondering: is Angelo thinking of reconnecting with his family? If he does that, will one of his biological children be the next boss? In their organization everyone believes that there is nothing more important than blood relationships, family. That is why even with Angelo\'s guidance and blessings, still many of their subordinates don\'t accept Bruno as the next leader and they are not openly revolting only because of the respect they have toward Angelo.

However, if his children show up, Bruno is done. Heck, they don\'t even need to show up! It will be enough for those people to find out that Angelo has children and they will use that fact to completely discredit Bruno because they follow words that blood is thicker than water!

Unaware of Bruno\'s emotional turmoil, Angelo smirked. "There is only one way to find out what caused this... Bring me the phone from my safe."

Angelo saw that Bruno is not moving. He yanked the folder from Bruno\'s hands and called: "Bruno?!"

Bruno snapped out of his daze. "Yes. Right away…"

Bruno dashed inside villa.

Angelo glanced at the contents of the folder and read information related to Charlie and Emma.

Few minutes later, Bruno returned with a phone in his hand.

"Did you know that my firstborn is engaged to the man who will soon sit at the top of Smithsonite corp.?", Angelo asked with glee in his voice. "And she opened up her rehabilitation center… Of course you know this, you prepared this report. Why didn\'t you give me this sooner? She is a healer like her mother and has a business sense like me…"

Bruno looked at Angelo who blabbed excitedly and his heart sunk. The more he listened, the more he was convinced that Angelo wants his children back into his life. Or at least this oldest one. Does that mean that his future is set as a follower? Always to be the second in command? Bruno never thought about that as a bad thing, but a promise to reach the top (someday) was ingrained into him and now that is slipping away, and he is… unsettled.

Bruno balled his hands into fists while thinking that there is NO WAY he will let an outsider take over something that he is working toward for two decades, no matter what blood flows in their veins!

How can he go about this? He can eliminate Angelo\'s children… no, no… if Angelo suspects that Bruno is behind it, he will lose much more than a promising future. But how can he ensure that this young lady does not return as the next boss? With her bloodline and marriage to the Smith, she will be unstoppable… Well, he can\'t do anything about the bloodline, but what about the marriage?

Bruno\'s eyes lit up when an idea hit him: if he stops Emma from marrying Charlie, she will lose the business backing… and if HE marries Emma, he will get the support of the bloodline! Ha! Like this even those who are against him taking over after Angelo will shut up and have no option than to support him!

Bruno kept the phone on the side table, next to the Angelo who was lost in his thoughts.

"I will leave you to it.", Bruno said while walking back into the villa. He needs to look into Angelo\'s daughter in detail.

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