Chapter Text
Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, as morning closely faded into noon. Vincenzo lay next to Cha-young, caressing the tendrils around her face, as she lazily stared back at him. They had settled on cuddling, since their last round had nearly sent them into the netherworld.
“We should get up.” Cha-young had mumbled for the third time, but neither made any attempts to move. This was the problem.
“Getting out bed is only going to cause problems.” Vincenzo sighed, tracing the curve of her ear.
“We can’t stay in here forever.” She playfully whined. “I’m hungry.”
“I’ll order room-service.” He offered softly.
Cha-young sighed. “Byeonhosanim-,” she tried again.
“No Byeonhosanim,” Vincenzo adamantly denied. “No Consigliere, no Capocrimine. If we get up, you’ll have to deal with your murder case, and I’ll have to deal with Cassano business.”
“But it’s who we are.” She explained, reluctantly. At times their lives were exhausting, but she’d rather be driving the crazy bus than taking a backseat. And Vincenzo was no different.
"For once in my life, I’d like to be Park Joo Hyeong.” He confessed raking a frustrated hand through his hair. “And not have to clean up shit outside of this bedroom.” Cha-young chuckled into his shoulder. “We’re glorified janitors.”
At that revelation, Vincenzo laughed. “Dammit. I’m a billionaire, and Mafia Boss, and I’m doing a job which pays less than 20,000 W a year in South Korea.”
“But you know,” She smiled, tracing his abs, “People are counting on us. So, we can’t stay here, in our own little world, no matter how much we want to.” And they both REALLY wanted to.
Vincenzo glanced at the door, before taking a peek under the sheets at Cha-young's body. He whimpered like a puppy, before conceding. “Fine. But if anything goes wrong today, somebody’s getting shot.”
“Deal!” Cha-young laughed, getting out of the bed. She stretched like a lazy cat, eliciting a growl from Vincenzo. She glanced over her shoulder and winked. “Tease.” he grumbled.
-------
No sooner had the couple reached the shores of La Pag Liuzza, their respective phones started vibrating. They shared a hopeless pout, and headed for the villa.
Vincenzo escorted Cha-young to her study. “I have a meeting with the Russo family in half an hour and a late business lunch around 2PM.”
“I have to check on Seo-Miri and talk to my client. I’ll be locked in this room all day.” Cha-young glared at her paperwork.
When she felt a kiss on her cheek, she caught his signature, ‘I told you so.’ expression. “Yah, go away. I have the world to save.”
Vincenzo laughed, and left her to deal with her demons while he battled with his own.
-----Later in the Day------------
“No!” Cha-young shouted through the video call. “That’s not good enough! We’re not going for a settlement; we’re going for a full conviction!”
“But Ms. Hong,” One of her lawyer’s gulped, as the others cowered behind him.
“You tell that pig who calls himself a judge, I’m coming for his head, not an arm or a leg.” She insisted. “We are JIPURAGI. We do not negotiate with dirty law officials who kidnap and rape under aged girls!” She ended the video call with a scream.
A bunch of wimps! It was a constant battle to remind herself that others weren’t like Vincenzo. Most people didn’t want to become the devil to beat a demon. But she had learned that evil men only knew carnage. And she would give them this corrupt judge the justice he deserved by any means necessary.
Coming back to reality, she decided to take a walk to the kitchen, praying that Seo-Miri had intel on the lockbox footage.
-- --------
Cha young paced back and forth in the kitchen, reviewing the footage that Seo-Miri had managed to save. Unfortunately, it was obstructed.
“It will take some time, but I think I know a guy who can salvage the video.” Seo-Miri offered.
“How long?” Cha-young sighed, because they were running out of time, and this was her only real lead.
“Based on how crappy the video feed was, maybe 36 hours?” She guessed.
“Okay.” Cha young said. “Call me when you have something.”
“Sure thing eonni.”
Cha-young hung up the phone and finished munching on her pickle, about to dig in the pantry for something else, when she heard a should, and rustling.
A chill immediately went through her spine. She peeked through the cracked door to see feet being drug into the next room.
The back kitchen door swung open to reveal Marco, with a water in his hand. “What are-”
Cha young flew to him, clamping her hand over his mouth while putting a finger to her lips. Marco didn’t have to be told twice. He grabbed her hand, and they quietly left the way he came, making their way towards the back stairs, just in time to hear a voice curse in Italian. They found their way to a room tucked away next to the library.
“Where are we?” Cha-young whispered.
“The armory.” Marco pointed to a armored knight statue.
Cha-young frantically searched the room for something to arm herself with. Heavy footsteps could be heard above them.
“Here, take this.” Marco offered, handing her a stick with a spiked metal ball on the end.
Cha young stared at him skeptically. “The men upstairs have guns, Marco! What are we supposed to with this?!”
“I don’t know! I’m ten!” The kid huffed.
Cha-young rolled her eyes. She needed to think. Where would Vincenzo hide a gun? “Can we get to your uncle’s office from here?”
Marco nodded. “Come on. There’s a hidden passage way.”
He went over to a book and pulled the lever, opening a passageway.
Cha young smirked. ‘So that’s how he’s been sneaking out the house.’ The secret door closed just as a gang of men busted through the armory.
“Come on!” Marco ran down the tight hallway, guiding them to Vincenzo’s study.
“He thinks I don’t know about it, but Uncle Vincenzo always leaves a one in the-” he immediately went the world globe and opened it, revealing nothing inside.
“Looking for this?”
Cha-young spun around, placing Marco behind her. A man emerged from the shadows, holding the gun in his hand, with his two henchmen by his side. It was the same man from last night at festival.
“Papa?” Marco called out, sounding nothing like the arrogant lively kid she had come to know.
“È passato molto tempo, figlio mio.” The man greeted with no hint of warmth.
‘Papa...This is Paolo?’ Cha-young wondered to herself. He looked haggard, with this the same type a crazy desperation in his green eyes as Jong Seok had in his.
Acknowledging Cha-young with a lecherous grin, he bowed slightly. “We meet again Mademoiselle.”
“Cosa stai facendo qui?!" She demanded to know.
Paolo raised a brow, impressed that she knew Italian. “I’m here to claim what is rightfully mine. This matter does not concern you, so step aside.”
Marco clung to the back of her shirt for dear life. Obviously, Paolo’s intentions for his son didn’t bode well.
Cha-young took another step back, providing more distance. “Marco isn’t going anywhere with you.”
Paolo exhaled, seemingly bored with the conversation. “Get them.” he commanded his men.
Remembering she still hand the medieval weapon in her grasp, Cha-young let out a war cry and swung hard, making direct contact with the henchmen’s face. He dropped the floor, wailing in pain.
The other henchmen raised his gun, but Paolo frowned. “I need them alive, you moron! Get her!”
Cha young quickly picked up the wailing henchmen’s gun, shooting the other twice in the leg.
The victory was short-lived as more of Paolo’s thugs arrived closing in on Marco and Cha-young. Cha-young had emptied the clip but more kept coming. They were now trapped balcony, overlooking the ocean.
“You yellow, impudent, uncivilized gutter rat!” Paolo shouted, in pure rage.” Marco is my blood! He belongs with -”
“Vincenzo!” Cha-young shouted at him. “And you’ll never be the Capocrimine again!”
Turning to Marco, she lifted him on the ledge. “Can you swim?”
“Yes, but-.” Marco answered.
“Good.” Cha young affirmed, before pushing him off the ledge into the ocean below. Her heart broke as she heard the boy’s screams, praying he’d made it out alive. A sharp pain hit the back of her neck, and her world faded to black.
-----------
Vincenzo sat in the lush office of Gianni Russo, trying to hard to keep his focus from wondering to a certain someone.
The meeting had dragged on longer than intended, partly because Gianni loved to brag about how the Luciano family’s burnt vineyard has been very profitable for both the Cassano and Russo family.
“Everything is in order sir.” Monica assured Mr. Russo. “The Luciano’s are willing to settle, giving 40% of profits to the Russo family.”
“Vincenzo,” Gianni’s smile was a mile wide. “Fabio always said you were the future of Cassano.”
Vincenzo just drank his brandy, knowing it wasn’t his mafia father who’d appointed him. Fabio was a traditionalist, and would never let an outsider, no matter how well-loved, run Cassano family. It was Nona, who’d appointed him, which he would argue was the biggest honor.
“So, shall we begin on the merger agreement with-” Monica started, but was stalled by the doors bursting open.
“Capocrimine!” Luca hurried over to him, whispering in his ear. Vincenzo’s heart stopped, but his face was stone cold as he digested what was being told.
Without a second glance at Mr. Russo or Monica’s confused glances, he stood and headed out with Luca.
He checked his phone, silently cursing Monica for telling him to silence his phone during their meeting. He had 10 missed calls from Antoni. Shit.
He dialed the number.
“It was Paolo, Capocrimine.” Antoni explained. “They ambushed us. He knew you wouldn’t be here.”
So, he had a mole in the Cassano family. “Where are they?” he demanded to know.
“Video footage shows Ms. Hong Cha-young being carried out by Paolo’s men.” Antoni answered. “No word on young Master Marco.”
“Find him. “Vincenzo commanded, ending the call.
“We shut down the ports, and I filled in Mr. Russo.” Luca informed him as they drove to the docks. “He’s shutting off all access to the mainland. So at least for now, Paolo is trapped in Malta.”
Vincenzo didn’t respond. He held his lighter, flicking between his fingers. There was no way around it. Paolo would pay for this atrocity with his life.
---------------------------
Marco coughed as he crawled ashore. Ms. Cha-young was crazy as a bag of cats, but she saved his life. As for his father, he wasn't worried.
'Uncle Vincenzo would make him pay.' he thought as he stumbled to his feet, dragging his cold body up the cobbled steps.
A chill ran through him as he saw the limp body of one of the guards. Seeing the gun underneath the jacket, Marco grabbed him, his hand trembling.
He quietly stepped into the small cottage, making his way past the kitchen. The bedroom door was ajar, but nothing could prepare him for what he saw.
There was Nonna, blood pouring from her shoulder, laying still on the floor.
Marco dropped the gun and rushed to her side “Nonna, per favore alzati! Dobbiamo andare!" Nonna didn’t move.
He continued to hug her limp body, clutching to it for dear life.
“Marco.”
Startled, Marco shuffled to his feet, grabbing the gun. He pointed it carelessly towards the intruder, and fired.