On the following happenings, we will be talking about affiliations whether blood-related or not. What makes one a member of a family? Is it all about being associated through a preserved bloodline? Or a bond no one could ever tarnish? Who knows? This is a small world, after all. We are interconnected to one another.

The Manzo Family came back to New York for a reason; get back to the crime business and replenish the legacy they once left as an organized crime family. And with their slightly tweaked traditions, is it possible for them to get to it with their newly-made connections and enemies?

The events are rapid enough to take place that they even barely know each other, but is there something wrong if they do it in the middle of business hours? What could go wrong? Perhaps, this could be an interview with measured caution if it goes too personal. Their temper isn't the best one to deal with, and who knows if one or two of them is trigger-happy?

Business and personal matters shouldn't be on the same page, they say. It always gets questionable if one is mixing it up and deal with its consequences. If a business gets way too personal, one shouldn't take it way too seriously when it comes to negotiations. And if they haven't forgotten this so-called golden rule, then why are they involved in the first place?

There they are, Don Dino Manzo of the Manzo family from Italy, Vicente Campana formerly representing Los Desperados from Latin America to pursue getting into the big leagues, and Grant Wallace who happens to be a deranged psychopath that will wreck everything that gets in his way.

Even after the chaos caused by them and the opposing family that is the Hopkins, Dino still manages to escape with his group in a flamboyant manner. Their getaway car happens to be a black limousine and as it arrives with a car valet driving it, a cleanup team hired by him has prepared to dispose of the crushed bodies of the Hopkins family and its associates involved in the war that took place earlier.

Likewise, there they go. Making their way to the next matters they should take care of while inside a limousine that the wealthy Don Manzo owns. And of course, they should keep themselves entertained with music to jam with. "So, uh, you two might wanna listen to some classics."

"What are you? Some boomer who couldn't get over of the '50s?" Grant dared to treat Don Manzo with contempt.

"Easy there, brother. And oh, don't get me wrong, I'm heavily influenced by that." Dino just smiled at Grant's harsh words while pouring bourbon on a glass.

"Good, because this reminds me of a video game I played years ago. Wait a minute... You look like Vito Scaletta!" Grant's mood changed after seeing the similarities between Don Manzo and the protagonist of the Mafia II video game.

"This is definitely a ride back to the '50s..." Vicente sighed, and he doesn't have a choice to ride the trend.

"Say, how does this Vito Scaletta share any resemblances with me?" Dino asked with a curious look on his face.

"I mean seriously, the hair, the suit, the fedora, fucking everything! It's so gangster!" Grant couldn't behave so well in his seat as he says it.

"With all due respect, we do not use the term 'gangster'. You see, the Manzo Family isn't just a group of street-level hooligans. Sadly, we moved here to America to spice things up and bring its old glory back." Don Manzo shares his visions about immigrating to the United States.

"If you two are talking about gangsters, well look at me. I was a cholo back then until I was sophisticated. I see it as a requirement for an opportunity, you know. This is like the reimagined American Dream." Vincent emphasizes the feeling of living in a dream.

"Too bad the American Dream had my old folks dead. I never even got the chance to talk to them at a family reunion." The head of the Manzo Family kept on opening up about his lineage.

"Then what brings you to America to be exact? Expand your family business here?" Grant asked, lighting up a cigarette.

"Keeping it old school." It seems that Don Manzo likes to maintain his operations in an old-fashioned way.

"So that means you would stick to the traditions?" Grant kept on asking, showing curiosities in the Cosa Nostra.

"Why so interested, mister?" The Don came up with a question himself.

"Nothing, you guys just look cool. The name's Grant fucking Wallace, by the way." He provided his name.

"I like how sharp that tongue of yours, Grant. I kept a Mexican by my side, and I guess I should learn what flag you raise." Don Manzo asks where Grant came from.

"Came from an Irish heritage, until my ancestors destined here," Grant tells them his ancestral roots.

"Now what? Gonna go and beat each other up?" Vincent told them jokingly.

"I don't mind, really. You like to play with guns, huh?" Don Manzo notices his certain fetish for firearms.

"I don't have a choice and I don't give a fuck. They always blame what I'm into for everything I do!" Grant seemingly raised his voice at them.

"Calm down, Grant. We will get to that later." Dino tells him to stay in peace.

"We will let you fuck some shit up just in case you want something to get out of your chest, amigo. So keep your hands on your pockets." Vicente added.

"Fine." Grant agreed after all.

"Good, now we could focus on our next move." Dino moves on to the foreseeable future.

"So, where are we going again?" Vincent forgot where is their destination.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"A childhood friend of mine." Dino gave them a hint.

"Are you sure? Because it sounds like we're going to whack someone." Vincent didn't like how it sounds like.

"Good grief... No, we're not." Don Manzo dismisses their speculations.

"Okay, just asking." Vicente agreed, fixing his necktie.

Soon as their vehicle pulled over as they find themselves in a gate of a manor, the driver then notified them. "We have arrived, Don Manzo."

"Grazie." Dino thanked the driver after he opened the car door for them.

"Prego, Don Manzo." The driver also thanked him.

Gazing at the gate, both Vincent and Grant were incredibly amazed by it. Don Manzo couldn't help but acquire a grin from their reactions, unlocking the gate with his copy of its key before allowing themselves to enter the mansion. Its aesthetic was grand yet subtle, just the way how the majority would like it. From the verdant gardens to its spacious yards, it felt so refreshing.

"Welcome to Villa Marina, boys. I used to drop by here when I was younger. What do you think I am? A first-timer here in America? Oh, no." Dino introduced the villa, handpicking the ripened tomatoes in its garden.

While harvesting its fruits, a woman in elegant clothing could be seen near the mansion's door. She walked down the aisle with a letter in her hand, meeting her childhood friend Don Manzo for the first time in almost a decade. "Buon pomeriggio, Dino."

Dino turned around to gawk at her delightful smile, showing his hands carrying tomatoes. "You haven't changed at all, Antonella. Enjoying life, I presume?"

"I'm still asking myself what is the purpose of it, Dino. Anywho, what's with the visit?" Antonella asked after trading cheek kisses with him.

"Ah, I'm glad you asked. My brother Sal and my son Fabio decided to move out because my wife is... You know. She's against Fabio's dreams to become a boxer, and I wanted my boy to fulfill it." He opens up about his relationship with his spouse causing him to move out.

"Ah, Cristina has always been an overprotective mother to Fabio. So pardon her." Antonella knew how would his wife react.

"We haven't had a fighter in the family yet, you know what I'm saying? She just doesn't want Fabio to get hurt, and I understand that. But he keeps insisting that he wanted to be in the ring someday to I'm making it happen." Dino lives up to his decisions.

"I see, and oh, who are those two handsome boys behind you?" She peeked at both Vincent and Grant.

Vincent walked near the lady, placing a soft kiss in her hand as he held it gently. "Vicente Campana, señorita. A pleasure to meet you."

"Are you from Latin America, Vicente?" She noticed the way how Vicente speaks.

"Yes, I am. I started to work for Señor Manzo recently and we ran into the Hopkins family earlier. Turns out that they don't give me the money I want, so I changed teams." Vincent tells about his adventures so far.

"Good for you to work for Dino, my dear. And how about you?" She turns her attention to Grant.

"Grant... Grant Wallace." He shows no interest in talking to her.

"Thank you for the tomatoes, by the way." Don Manzo wouldn't get rid of what he picked.

"No, I'm using it for marinara." Antonella took the fruits away from him.

"You bet." Don Manzo crossed his arms, smiling at her actions.

"Oh, what are we doing here, anyway? Get inside and make yourself comfortable." Antonella makes sure that they are welcome to the villa.

The Don left a chuckle, deciding to give Vincent and Grant a tour inside the Villa Marina. It felt nostalgic for him upon returning, and the memories it gave were truly sentimental. "This mansion... It's still stunning as ever, wow. I'm speechless. How did Don Marina manage to preserve such a lovely place?"

"Simple. It's modeled after our mansion back in Sicily." Antonella heads to the kitchen.

"I got this, Antonella. How's your hand injury, by the way? I think you shouldn't be cooking if it's not yet fully healed." Don Manzo gets protective over his childhood friend.

"Oh, it's nothing, Dino. That wasn't as bad as you think. And besides, you're the visitor." She insisted, getting a chopping board and a knife to prepare the ingredients.

"I thought this was my home too?" Dino stepped inside the kitchen, persisting to help her in cooking.

"Okay, Dino. You win. And oh, are you sure that it'll be fine for you to talk about the boys you brought here?" Antonella changed the subject immediately.

"Oh, sure. What's with Vincent and Grant?" Don Manzo was okay with it.

"They both seem like ethical individuals, but have you forgotten what happened to my father after he trusted a Mexican?" She puts her hands on her waist to accentuate her point.

"Don Marina got whacked, that's what happened." He recalled what happened to Antonella's father.

"Yes, he was indeed whacked. But you know who were the ones who did it? It's those Mexicans, Dino." Antonella divulges what happened to Don Marina.

"He had it coming, Antonella. My father warned him to not get involved in narcotics and look what happened to him. It's all business, see?" He meant that it was purely business and not personal.

"You're right, I guess we shouldn't be talking about this in front of the food." She started to spatter the tomatoes and some other spices to cook the marinara into the pot.

"Oh, I guess I should give them a small tour first." Dino walked out of the kitchen, going back to Grant and Vincent.

Meanwhile, Vincent is looking at a rather exquisite painting. He is unquestionably intrigued by its style, not to mention the enthusiasm he has to learn about it. "This painting... It dazzles me, Don Manzo. Who is that?"

"Oh, that? You're looking at a portrait of Don Marina himself." Don Manzo explains that the person in the painting is none other than Antonella's father.

Grant was about to touch it then Antonella glared at him. "I wouldn't check on its frame if I were you."

"Damn it..." Grant kept his hands away from the portrait.

"Don Marina was my godfather... And a damn good one." Dino looked up to Don Marina's portrait.

"Lucky you, Don Manzo. My family's extended but it only makes it worse." Grant sighed weakly.

"Family comes first, Grant. But in your case, youngsters like you are struggling to socialize. Don't worry, it's totally understandable." Dino shows his soft side when it comes to them.

"Fuck all of them, anyway. They disappoint me more than I disappoint them." Grant took a deep breath, crossing his arms to show his hidden contempt towards his family.

"How would you describe them with just a single word?" Don Manzo lets the young Grant to release his frustrations verbally.

"Hypocrites... They're a bunch of fucking hypocritical sons of bitches." He told the word that would illustrate them.

"Sounds like someone didn't have a good time with his family," Vicente added, putting his emptied cigarette out.

"Why do you care? It's not like you guys know me on a personal level." Grant looked at both Dino and Vincent.

"That's what we're doing, fratello mio." Don Manzo smiled gaily.

While the three males are talking in the living room, Antonella was almost done with the marinara and pasta when someone called her on her phone. With the enthusiasm to answer the phone call, she accepted it. "Marina residence, how may I help you?"

"Antonella. It's me, your uncle Marty!" The one who called is her uncle Martin.

"Oh? Um, you don't call me unless it's urgent. What's the emergency?" She felt odd about the sudden phone call from her uncle.

"Cheer up, my dear. This is not serious or anything. I called because I have something to announce. I know you are still grieving your father's death, but the show must go on, my dear." Marty tries to cheer her up despite her loss.

"Okay, uncle Marty. What do you want? Pay you a visit?" She realized that she was mourning excessively.

"Not really, Antonella. Remember your cousin Lucia?" He asked if she still knows her cousin.

"Of course, uncle Marty. How can I forget about Lucia? What's with her, by the way?" Antonella was curious about the news about her cousin Lucia.

"Well, she's getting married next month, and I almost forgot to tell you that the Manzo and Leone Family are invited to the wedding." He declared the three families that are told to come to the wedding.

"Really? When's the wedding? I'm sure that Tommy would have the best time of his life." Antonella was confident enough for Lucia's wedding.

"No, Tommy and Lucia are done. Wait, she didn't tell you about this one? She and Giorgi Leone are back together." Just when Marty revealed who's going to be Lucia's husband, Antonella was shocked in awe, dropping her phone after hearing it.

Don Manzo was still sharing stories with Grant and Vincent when he heard a crashing sound, seeing Antonella's phone getting shattered from the careless fall. He immediately told Vincent to pick up the broken parts of the phone, disposing of its shards before turning the stove off, bringing her out of the kitchen to ask what went wrong.

"What was that all about, Antonella? I heard that you were talking to uncle Martin on the phone." Dino took his coat off, blanketing her with it.

The phone wasn't the only one that is broken, Antonella felt it as well. She had a deep gulp, showing hints of disgust and dismay from her words. "Could you believe it? Lucia Marina and Giorgi Leone getting married... No, this can't be."

"What's the matter with Giorgi? I talked to him back in Firenze before travelling here. Come on, tell me what's with him." He held his childhood friend's cold hands, convincing her.

"Giorgi's never been the same after he became a made man. I don't want her around Lucia. She deserves better." Antonella stared blankly, speaking out against the wedding between Giorgi and her cousin.

"Care to tell me what makes him incompatible to be Lucia's husband?" Dino would like to learn about Giorgi's actions.

"Last year, Lucia caught him cheating on some girl he met at the brothel. She kept her mouth shut, of course. She didn't want to get in trouble, and she was too timid to tell everyone... He's putting his family's name to shame, Dino. How did they end up dating each other again? Porca miseria!" Antonella's closeness to Lucia brought her to learn about Giorgi's suspicious activities.

Dino's positivity vanished after hearing about the conflict, considering that he should have a meeting with the core members of the three families to discuss Giorgi and Lucia's wedding. Sure, Don Manzo is caring towards his family and associates. But when someone tries to wrong or even corrupt them, they'll encounter a different type of person. "Consider it handled, Antonella."

After Vincent was done expunging the broken pieces of her busted mobile device, he took a quick glimpse at Don Manzo curiously. "Is there any problem, Señor Manzo?"

"No... Actually, yes. We do have a problem. Let's see if the three families will concur with this one..."

To be continued...