4. Alessio

"The man arrived alone," pointed out Massimo, my Consigliere, best friend, and advisor. That made me smile with pleasure, and I thought about my final offer: fifty million dollars, unrestricted passage from Nevada to Washington state, access to ports and shipments. All of this in exchange for weapons, drugs, and his withdrawal of support in the midst of the war we would wage—a war in which I needed the others to be left isolated, without anyone extending a helping hand when I came without hesitation to kill him.

"Do you think he'll accept?" I asked my friend, and he looked at me with a furrowed brow.

"The man isn't foolish; he knows it's a profitable deal with you. But he's one of those who follow ridiculous codes, so he'll want guarantees. As for that, I'm afraid I can't read minds. He's quite unpredictable in his actions. Most of the time, he follows the council's decisions, but there are moments when he acts on his impulses," he explained matter-of-factly. "Discovering his affair and his illegitimate child... It was a stroke of luck. Especially since he's always watched his back."

"But I suppose after so many years, his guard has come down," I added for him, and we exchanged knowing smiles.

We walked to the bistro-style restaurant by Lake Tahoe, the neutral ground where we had chosen to discuss our business. He was there, sitting, sipping on a glass of whisky. His men, upon seeing me, assumed defensive positions, which made me smile. It was typical for them.

He tended to have a shrewd, cruel gaze, but after saving my sister's life in a fire that left part of my face burned, I appeared like a monster, a beast capable of devouring everything in my path. So, Massimo stayed at a prudent distance, and I took a seat with the man of the moment.

"Well, I see you're interested in doing business. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered having you travel here," I spoke before sitting down and signaled the waiter to come over. When he approached, I ordered, "The same as the gentleman."

"Well, I like that you don't beat around the bush, Alessio. Tell me what you want from me, what you offer, and based on that, I'll seriously consider whether to lend my support or not," he said with seriousness, without a hint of fear.

The Japanese man was well-versed in business, astute, with much more experience than me. Nevertheless, he wasn't a fool who could be easily swayed.

"Alright, I want control over the arms and drug trade in the western part of the country. Provide me with a significant number of arms, ammunition, and in the event of a conflict, withhold assistance from my enemies," I got straight to the point, "without interfering."

The man furrowed his brow before smiling.

"Why would I even consider doing business with you?"

"For two reasons: I'll give you fifty million dollars upfront as a guarantee for the first tons of drugs and the weapons I require. Additionally, you'll have a partner who will help you make money through sales and provide you unrestricted passage from Nevada to Washington, with access to ports and shipments, all properly notified, of course," I laid out everything without hesitation and looked at him with a hint of suspicion.

It was a tempting offer; one he couldn't just easily dismiss.

"Have you thoroughly studied this plan?"

"Don't take me for a fool, Hiroshi. I know perfectly well what I want and what I'm offering. Now, if you have any modifications, then consult with whoever you consult and let me know. If it's within my possibilities, we'll incorporate it into the agreement," I said. "But here's the thing: don't test my patience or waste my time. You have one week to provide a response. Silence will be taken as a refusal, and we won't have any issues."

"We won't have issues, but crossing state borders and accessing your territory will become much more problematic, am I wrong?"

"Not at all. Just one last warning, from one boss to another: don't use this as a manipulation tactic. Otherwise, I'll ensure that even your dirtiest secret, or perhaps your most beautiful one, sees the light of day. It would be quite interesting to witness that. However, I do believe you're a very intelligent man," I retorted before standing up, taking the whisky that had just arrived, and offering him a smile.

He must have had an idea that I was referring to his daughter Amaya, so he looked at me with anger. I left him there, alone with his thoughts. The curious thing was, I never thought that I'd call for a test of loyalty that would involve marrying one of his daughters. So, as if the most delicious plans were beginning to form in my mind, I scheduled a series of meetings for the next three weeks to get to know them all and choose a bride who suited me.

This would give me time to study my prey.

Hiroshi had two legitimate daughters with his wife.

Dai and Ima Yagami. The first was ambitious, shrewd, intelligent, and according to reports from my infiltrators, she advised her father in business matters. She held power within the clan, and the council held her in high esteem. She was also a fighter, a combatant, and quite ruthless. As such, she was automatically excluded from my marriage plans, as she would destroy me at the first opportunity to turn my machinery in service of the Yakuza.

Ima was a spoiled rich girl, someone who only wanted money to squander as she pleased. She lived from one trip to another, immersed in a world of fashion and luxury. She was a doll in every sense of the word, with numerous surgeries that made her look stunning, yet empty more than anything else. She would undoubtedly be a total annoyance.

However, the bastard child, Amaya, was completely different from the others. She was calm, simple, dedicated to her studies, and not involved in her father's world. She seemed to want a quiet life, a simple life, a life where she could achieve her dreams.

She intrigued me so much that I spied on her activities in the library, how she helped foreign children improve their language skills to speak more fluently and harmoniously. She was magnificent in more ways than one. She didn't possess a conventional beauty, the kind I was accustomed to seeing; she was simply beautiful, and that was enough. The funny thing was that she didn't realize it herself.

I noticed two men, one perhaps a bit older than me, who didn't approach her but couldn't take his eyes off her, as well as a boy around her age who was more careful, more cautious in displaying his attention toward her. It was as if she had captivated them. I wondered if the bastard who took her innocence away realized what prize he had let slip through his fingers.

The curious thing about how the world works is that I didn't expect her to wander close to the shelves where I was hiding, giving me a glorious moment to observe her and interact with her. It was pleasant to get to know her thoughts to the point of release.

"You guys don't meet women's expectations because you don't even make an effort to do the basics required for it," she argued astutely. "You only put in some effort at the beginning, when you want to get what you want from a woman, but then... You don't do anything else. You leave most of the work, most of the burden, to them... Women end up not only holding the foundations of relationships but also doing most of the work to make things function, while men only contribute financially and often end up hiding them like dirty secrets."

She stopped her diatribe when she realized she was saying more than she intended. I understood her situation.

"Don't worry, I understand your perspective to a certain extent," I said calmly. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I'll look for books on aliens; they should be interesting to understand."

With that, I left, trying to avoid her gaze. However, I ended up being a voyeur and followed her to the university residences. There, I saw her enter and disappear into her world. Finally, I returned to my world. Massimo was in the van, and I noticed his sidelong smile, but he didn't say anything.

"Let's head back home. I have a lot to plan," I stated.

"Which of the women are you going to marry?" he asked jokingly before starting the engine.

"We'll see, we'll see what destiny has in store for me."

The most intelligent thing I could do was to choose the weakest daughter, the one I could manipulate to my liking. But something deep within me told me it would be dangerous because she reminded me too much of the good things that would be destroyed. However, something deep in my chest wanted to claim her—I didn't understand why.

I just wanted Amaya to be mine.