"Boss, I have the investigation on the Yakuza oyabun, and you won't believe it if I tell you, so I'm leaving you the photos," said Massimo, my most trusted man.
I took the folder from his hands, and inside were the movements of the man I was doing business with: Hiroshi Yagami. He played the role of the oyabun of the largest Asian mafia, one that had taken root in California during the diaspora of the Second World War. Like many others, including the Camorra itself that I currently led, they had claimed territory and established themselves until the place became their home.
The Japanese mafia wasn't just closed and secretive; they followed a system and codes of honor that were much more rigid than ours. Unlike us, they had a head figure who served as a father to all their members. After being pursued in Asia, Hiroshi migrated here to delve into the foundations of a place that provided him with most of his profits.
In the images, I saw him change clothes, distance himself from his two most loyal men, and take a flight to San Francisco. He stayed in a discreet hotel and there he met a woman who appeared to be a goddess: blonde, stunning, tall, and over forty years old. I looked at my man, and he smiled at me with amused satisfaction.
"Keep looking..."
"It's not strange for the Yakuza to have mistresses," I retorted, and he burst into laughter.
"You're right, it's not strange, but what's expressed in the following photos and the report is what's unusual. Read it carefully," he said with amusement and checked his watch. "I'll review everything related to the recent fights and new fighters."
"Go ahead..."
"If you have any doubts, don't hesitate to call me."
With that, he walked away, and I continued looking at the photos.
I noticed that Massimo had followed the blonde woman. She entered an event organization center, greeted many people, and managed various things. Her face, for some reason, seemed familiar to me until I remembered that she used to be a well-known model.
She appeared in commercials, and there was one for a beer where she was in a bikini. I chuckled because the perverted Hiroshi must have had some kind of obsession with her. Then, as I moved to the next photo, I was surprised to see that after she returned home, a car parked, and a beautiful girl with Asian features got out.
That's when my neurons kicked in.
"The old man has his dirty secrets."
The last photo showed the two of them having dinner at a restaurant, hugging each other affectionately. So, when I looked at the reports, my thought was confirmed: they were mother and daughter.
Amaya James
Date of Birth: August fifteenth, year two thousand.
Mother: Pamela James.
Father: not registered.
Main Address: San Francisco, Lang Avenue, Thirteenth Street, House number eighty-two.
Residential Address: Berkeley, university dormitories.
Email: amayajames_@g***l.com
Social Security Number: 768-235-1921
Occupation: Undergraduate student in the English program at the University of California, UC Berkeley, with a GPA of 4.0.
Political Party: unidentified.
Marital Status: single.
Social Life: no noteworthy activities.
Hobbies: reading and volunteering at the Creston Public Library, where she helps children in her free time and spends the rest of her time in the university library working as a consultant.
Attached: Academic schedule, daily routines, work, and details of her dietary plan.
I reread the dossier many times, even enough to memorize a couple of details.
What was curious was that, according to the investigator's latest reports, the story Pamela maintained was that Amaya's father was a fling she had in Japan while she was modeling there. However, it was known that she not only enrolled the girl in Japanese classes but also signed her up for activities and took her to places where she could connect with her paternal culture.
It was strangely satisfying to read that.
It seemed like a lot for a fling. So, after digging deep, according to some unreliable sources, Hiroshi stopped meeting with his daughter when she turned eighteen. What caught my attention the most, and by the night, I had thoroughly studied the man's dark secret. It was obvious that the girl was his daughter. She shared the most characteristics with him, as well as his love for reading.
I grinned like a content cat, delighted to have something to potentially use against my future new prey if necessary.
"Hiroshi Yagami, if you play dirty with me, I'll make sure the Yakuza not only loses respect for you but also hates you for hiding such a beauty," I said aloud.
This fact couldn't be hidden.
I examined the photos closely, marveling at how Amaya had a unique beauty, one that wasn't common, especially because she had an inherent innocence that added a subtle charm to the whole affair. That's why I prepared for the meeting I had with the Yakuza's high command. Whether I liked it or not, I needed them to secure the military power necessary to defeat the other Camorra clan that had turned my life into a disaster.
They not only killed my parents and the heir of the Italian mafia, but they also kidnapped my little sister, sold her, and traumatized her to a level that I swore to avenge until the end of my days. To me, they had to pay with blood, sweat, and tears. That's why I needed to forge the best alliances, undermine their business, acquire better weapons, address the Camorra's weaknesses, and become a Capo that everyone would fear just by mentioning my name.
Alessio Milano had to become synonymous with tremors, with power, with justice, and cruelty at the same time. I would make them pay one by one for all the harm they brought upon my family, and if I had to play dirty with the Yakuza to achieve that, I would.
And perhaps she would be the means to achieve my end.
"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 a
"You must be joking, Mom," I told my mother after hearing the request she made. She wasn't just asking me to set aside my beliefs, but to give a chance to a man who spoke of righteousness, rights, values, and more, yet lacked respect for his own family through an affair. Moreover, he led one of the criminal organizations causing the most harm to the world.This was outrageous!"No, I'm really letting you know, your father wants to see you, and you should go. The meeting is going to happen, whether you want it or not, and for me, the best thing you could do is approach your father without him being forced to do it," she answered seriously, with a touch of concern in her voice. "He... He wants to mend things, Amaya, so just give him a chance.""I'm sorry, but a person who keeps me as his dirty secret doesn't deserve a chance," I replied and hung up on my mother as quickly as I could, tired of even considering that she might be insistent. Before my father no longer directly interfered in
"This has to be a nightmare...""If it's any consolation, little sister, he's doing it to protect you," Hiro said.The look he got from our father silenced him immediately, enough for him to turn his face away."What are you talking about?""When we get to Los Angeles, we'll talk about everything, I promise you, suki," my father replied, and I furrowed my brow.I shook my head; I was somewhat afraid, and I didn't miss the serious look Hiro gave Hiroshi. It made me wonder if it was something natural, usual, for the oyabun to be so expressive and affectionate. I didn't want to inquire, so I just looked out the window until we reached San Francisco. To my complete astonishment, my mother was waiting at the door with a large suitcase and a handbag."Why are we going home?" I questioned the man of all my troubles."Because your mother wants to see you before we board the plane, and we also came for some of your things," he explained, narrowing his eyes."I need all my assignments, everythi
If anything in this life had surprised me, it was Amaya's appearance in that dress, looking as fabulous as she could and completely unaware of her attractiveness. I glanced at the favored Yagami girls; both wore expressions of consternation. I could guess their thoughts quite well: the more superficial one was probably thinking she had competition for attention, while the power-hungry one assumed she had another rival in the succession line.That made me smile. However, when I saw her stop next to her brother, who surprisingly had his arm linked with hers as a clear sign of respect and acceptance, I heard the most interesting conversation of my life because it revealed something that was in the report: the girl could speak more than one language.Her response in flawless Italian not only surprised my chatty soldiers but also caught the attention of the rest of the community. I remained silent to see what would happen, but I gave a stern look to the idiots who had opened their mouths.
"She... She's not a daughter from my marriage, but the circumstances of her conception are not a relevant topic in light of the fact that she carries my blood, Yakuza blood, and as such, she falls under its mantle and protection," he retorted with utmost seriousness and clarity, emphasizing an intriguing point, a point not beyond comprehension: Amaya was his daughter and had the same rights as the rest. "The process of changing her name, as well as bestowing upon her a new surname, will conclude shortly, and she will officially become a Yagami."The man's wife was boiling with anger, twisted to the point of being shaken entirely. Her daughters were the epitome of modesty, yet they reached out to comfort their mother, while Hiro held his younger sister who seemed on the verge of fainting. With those words, the table fell into silence, and the council members stood to give a small bow to the girl who was on the brink of tears. With that, she had sealed the poor girl's fate, so it was wi
The presentation was a complete nightmare for me.There was no way to lie about it, especially not after the disaster that unfolded.My father had not only revealed the fact that he had fathered me outside of his marriage, which in itself was an expression of wanting to marginalize me in front of everyone, but he had also made a public declaration that they would protect me no matter what, which meant I had to adhere to certain principles that I knew nothing about.I felt completely out of sorts, out of my own skin.It was a complete disaster, much bigger than I had expected, and I was nervous, especially after he announced that a member of the Camorra, the most violent Italian mafia of all, would marry one of his daughters. This, after the announcement of my paternity, included me and meant an even greater disaster.I didn't want to get involved in this world, I wanted nothing to do with either side, I just wanted to live my life in peace, far away from everything and everyone. So wh
"I... I give them my blessing," he replied, and I felt the wound of betrayal.The Camorra boss took my hands and turned me with infinite delicacy so that I would look at him. The man wasn't ugly; he was tall, somewhat blond, and had imposing green eyes that stood out against his handsome features. The only thing that obstructed the view was the mask, but it wasn't something ugly or extravagant.However, that's what made him intimidating to the rest, and when he fixed his gaze on mine, I felt as if I had been firmly ensnared, with a kind of deep magnetism that put me on guard."Ore to kekkon shite kure."He said it in a difficult pronunciation, but it shook me to the core.I just looked at him, I didn't know for how long, but it was a long time because Hiro cleared his throat, and then he asked again:"Cho ni narou.""I... " I looked at my father for a moment, and he nodded firmly, so I closed my eyes tightly and squeezed his hands. "Yes."People applauded, some without much enthusiasm
Her reaction to my words was as if she had been stabbed."Doesn't your daughter have any idea how the Yakuza operates?" I asked Hiroshi incredulously."Don't get involved in this..." the man retorted defiantly.I shook my head, crossed my arms, and cut him off with an icy stare."She agreed to be my wife, my woman, interamente mia, so I have every right in the world to ask, to know how ignorant she is of her origins," I replied sternly.I wasn't sure if it was the tone, I used that frightened her or the realization that things went much further than what had been told to her. I just saw Amaya become dizzy from the impact of it all, so I quickly held her and helped her sit down.She was trembling, her hands cold and sweaty."Are you okay? Do you need anything?" I asked immediately."I..."She looked conflicted, and then her father approached, which made her react."Suki...""I want you to answer him. Come on, tell him what you don't have the courage to tell me, tell him what you've ref