The Bernardi Mansion.
A heavy knock sounded on the door of Adonis’s home study, and he ignored it as he leaned back, stretching his legs to get comfortable, his eyes not leaving the laptop screen on his black mahogany desk.
It was footage of the club from the night before.
Folding his hands beneath his chin, he narrowed his eyes as a young man came into view; he looked around twice before slipping into an office.
Adonis’s office at the club.
The knocking continued, more louder and impatient than the first. Before Adonis could tell whoever it was to go away, the door was thrown open.
A young, handsome man who looked to be no more than 35 years old strolled in with a teasing smirk and a bag of chips in one hand. Unlike Adonis, who always wore a simple black-brown, roughly curled hairstyle, he was a blondie with the same build.
Adonis threw him a glance.
“I didn’t say enter.”
“… but I don’t care either way.” Luca sang out, munching loudly on the chips.
Adonis rolled his eyes at Luca. This was his usual antics. No one had ever dared to speak to him the way Luca did, but he was Luca.
Adonis’s right-hand man-his one and only friend turned brother.
Growing up in a secluded mansion away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Adonis didn’t have the time to make friends. He was homeschooled for the first half of his life to enable him to start his training early until he moved to Italy to complete his training and college.
Between training to take over the Capo position and homeschooling, Adonis grew up in the comfort of his maids and bodyguards. He had no time to make friends. No one was allowed in or out of the mansion without strict measures. But Luca, being the son of his grandfather’s consigliere and adviser, made it easy for them to bond.
Given the nature of his father’s job in the mafia, he was always at the mansion to see Adonis’s grandfather, and Luca always tagged along. This regular visit developed into a brotherly relationship. As children, they were inseparable. They trained and did almost everything together, so when Adonis left for Italy, Luca went with him.
Now, it’s been five years since they’ve been back.
Five years since Adonis left his position as the head of the family in Italy to be the General Head of the Bernardis.
Although, unlike Adonis, Luca was the playful and laid-back one.
He ungracefully dumped himself on the plush leather sofa in the middle of the big study.
“So, why did you ask me to run the investigation?”
Adonis shrugged as he resumed staring intently at the screen.
“Hello! I was in the middle of something very important when you called me to have the guys run a background check. Not once, but twice. The least you can do is tell me why, Adonis.”
Adonis grumbled, a frown adorning his face as the footage came to a stop. He slammed the laptop shut, anger coursing through his veins as he thought of a way to deal with the men he had seen on the screen.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before opening them once again to look at Luca, who already had his gaze fixed on him. A sceptical look on his face.
“I was poisoned.” Adonis deadpanned.
Luca jumped on his feet; gone was the playful look and, in its place, a deadly one.
“What? When was that? Let me call the family doctor; we can find the bastard after.” He paced around, his phone in his ear, until Adonis’s next words stopped him.
“… with an aphrodisiac.”
Luca paused, the hand holding the phone to his ear unconsciously dropped, as he stared at Adonis in shock. The tips of his ears and nose suddenly became a burning red as his face twisted in a silly manner. If it wasn’t for the killer look Adonis stared him down with, he’d have burst out in laughter ages ago.
“What happened? How did you know?” Luca asked, disguising his laughter with a cough.
“I was at the club for the biweekly audit when I heard about a bomb threat by one of Antonio’s men. I went down to watch the CCTV before going back to my office to pick up my gun.”
Luca sat once again, picking up his forgotten bag of chips.
“Always the Grecos. So it happened in the office, then?”
Adonis exhaled.
“Yes, but I didn’t notice till I went to check out the bomb threat in the staff’s room. Turned out it was a force alarm.”
Luca pulled on a thoughtful look.
“I think their main goal was to poison you. They knew they couldn’t do it while you were present and alert. The bomb threat was just a distraction.”
Adonis smirked. This was why he worked better with Luca than anyone else. Luca was smart and fast-thinking.
“I came to the same conclusion. Anyhow. I’ve got my man. They’ll pay.”
Luca nodded in approval. There was no point in reasoning with Adonis. He was always strong-headed and adamant whenever he got like this and would not rest until he’d had his way.
Turning back to him, he suddenly recalled the reason he came.
“Wait, where does the background check come in?”
Adonis chuckled darkly, and Luca threw him a suspicious look.
“Adonis, who’s the girl? Who’s the man also?”
Adonis ignored him as he checked the watch on his wrist.
They still had five hours before they were to meet at the restaurant, but from his recent discovery about Cara’s so-called ex-fiance and the intel his men gave him an hour ago, he expected her call to come in anytime from now.
His eyes drifted to the phone on his table, and he stared at it. Hard. The stare was enough to drill a hole into it if that was possible.
Luca sat upright.
“Adonis,” he tentatively called as mother would, when explaining to a two-year-old why he is wrong. “What did you do?”
Adonis took his eyes off the phone for a minute.
“Nothing.”
Luca sighed. Adonis was always one to go off on his own, and as much as he loved his friend, he must admit that he was a little stiff.
He grew worried at what Adonis might have done.
“Adonis, your coronation is just two weeks away. I know that the threats have increased since the news, but they’re just petty threats. Nothing the men can’t handle. Nothing I can’t handle. Don’t be going off on your own.” Luca reasoned with him, but Adonis’s attention remained stuck on the phone.
A silly tilt of one corner of his lips that looked too cold to be a smirk sat on his face as he paid Luca no mind at all.
“Adonis. You should be preparing for your coronation, finding a wife. Didn’t you hear what Nonno said?” He referred to Adonis’s grandfather. “No wife, no Capo position. Are you even listening to me?” Luca exclaimed, frustrated at Adonis’s nonchalance.
Adonis raised a finger to his lips in reply, and then a dark smile appeared on his face.
Before Luca could say another word, the silence was broken by the sound of Adonis’s phone ringing.
Adonis received the call and with a cunny look at Luca, activated the loudspeaker as he waited for the caller to speak.
“We should meet up, Mr. Bernardi. Have your driver come pick me up now.” Cara spoke, and then she ended the call immediately.
Adonis looked over to Luca, who was still sitting, silently watching with a confused look on his face.
“I hope you’re not busy tonight.” He said as he stood up, making a beeline for the door.
“Why?” Luca asked just as he pulled it open, and Adonis looked over his shoulder.
“I want you to meet my future wife.”
And then he walked out.