Europe / Florence / Palazzo Medici Riccardi (A Bedroom): June 23rd, 2020.
(Annabelle's POV)
*BZZ*
I jolted awake and said with a mutter "Hm…"
*DING*
I glanced down at the iphone pro max in my left hand and seen a blue artificial face on the screen.
The room was silent for a long moment.
I smiled.
"Hello nexus, welcome back." I said calmly while holding the phone up.
The room was silent.
The mouth moved.
[DING!]
[You look different ma'am]
The smile on my face immediately disappeared as I said "A lot has happened, enough of that now put in code 777596664441. Tell me the status of my laundered account."
[DING!]
A notification appeared and the phone screen changed to a loading one.
The room went completely silent.
"So the changes I made in nexus's programming were enough for nexus to shut itself down when I died" I thought calmly while rubbing my aching thighs as I watched the screen continue to load.
I smiled and said with a chuckle "Excellent, very good."
[DING!]
[50%]
[60%]
[70%]
[80%]
[90%]
[100%]
[DING!]
[Balance: 1,800,000,000]
"…Right. I forgot I spent 55 million as part of a deal in the backdoor plot in my past life." I said with a tired sigh.
The room was completely silent for a moment.
Dear reader.
I didn't say anything but I knew you were there.
You were probably wondering what the backdoor plot was.
The room was silent.
I smiled.
It was a ponzi scheme.
Dear reader.
Before you judge me.
I don't care.
The victim was a renowned bank.
A very wealthy renowned bank.
I spent years creating the backdoor plot until eventually the idiots willingly walked through the front door while I escaped through the back.
Simple.
Greed.
Promises.
Money.
More greed.
Then eventually.
My money.
I chuckled and said with a smirk "Fifty five million was used to finish everything and disappear."
The room was silent.
I looked back at the balance.
[1,800,000,000]
I smiled and said calmly "Which means I don't need those fucking financial records anymore."
[DING!]
[Correct ma'am]
I became silent.
Romeo.
Gian.
Florence.
The title.
Duke of florence.
I rubbed my aching thigh and stared at the ceiling.
I originally wanted the records because I needed to know where the money was.
How much the family had.
What romeo was hiding.
Who was stealing.
Who was lying.
That no longer mattered.
I had one billion eight hundred million dollars.
Romeo had five million.
Allegedly.
The room was silent.
"No." I said with a smile.
Killing romeo would be stupid.
Why.
News was deadly.
Taking the title by force would be even more stupid.
I needed romeo alive.
Typical.
Embarrassed.
Weak.
Desperate.
And most importantly.
Willing.
Dear reader.
You don't take something from a man when you can make him hand it to you himself.
I glanced down at the phone and said calmly "Nexus."
[DING!]
[Yes ma'am]
"Create a file." I said calmly while rubbing my left thigh with a sigh at the pain.
[DING!]
[Name?]
I smiled and said dryly with a trill "Romeo."
[DING!]
[File created]
"Good." I said as I rested my head against the pillow.
Romeo was duke because everyone accepted that romeo was duke.
The family.
The guards.
Florence.
Remove that acceptance and what was left.
A fat daddy loving bitch boy with a cane.
I chuckled and said with a wave of my right wrinkled hand "I don't need the books."
The room was silent.
I need romeo.
Alive.
I smiled.
Dear reader.
Money bought many things.
But the most valuable thing money could buy…
Was time.
And romeo had absolutely no idea that his was running out.
Mines.
Yes.
Mines has only just been extended.
(Romeo's POV)
Romeo stood inside of his father's bedroom with both hands wrapped around the golden head of his cane and a ugly look on his face.
The room smelled like medicine.
Old wood.
Expensive perfume.
And death taking its sweet fucking time.
Gian gastone de' medici II sat against several pillows near the center of the enormous bed with a silk robe wrapped around his thin body and a glass of water untouched beside him.
Ninety five years old.
Frail.
Wrinkled.
Weak enough that one badly placed sickness could probably finish the job.
Yet somehow.
Romeo still felt twelve whenever the old bastard looked at him.
Gian coughed into a white handkerchief.
*COUGH* *COUGH*
Romeo's eyebrows creased and he asked "Are you alright father."
Gian slowly lowered the handkerchief.
"Do I look alright." Asked gian softly.
Romeo became silent.
"No." Said romeo.
"Then why ask stupid questions." Said gian calmly.
The room went silent.
Romeo's jaw tightened.
Typical.
Gian glanced toward the window and asked "The vatican."
Romeo froze.
Only slightly.
Unfortunately.
His father noticed everything.
"What about it." Asked romeo calmly.
Gian slowly looked at him.
That was all.
No shouting.
No accusation.
Just those old grey-blue eyes.
Romeo swallowed and said "The meeting went well enough."
Gian nodded slowly.
"Good." Said gian.
The room was silent.
Romeo blinked.
That was it.
Good.
Gian reached for the glass of water with a trembling hand.
His fingers failed to close around it.
Romeo immediately stepped forward and handed it to him.
Gian took a small sip.
"Thank you." Said gian quietly.
Romeo nodded.
Gian rested his head against the pillow and said with a tired sigh "I was worried."
Romeo's eyebrows creased.
"About what." Asked romeo.
"You." Said gian.
Romeo became silent.
Gian looked down at his wrinkled hands and said softly "I am old romeo."
The room went quiet.
"I know." Said romeo.
"No. You know numbers. Ninety five. You don't understand what ninety five feels like." Said gian calmly .
Romeo said nothing.
Gian smiled weakly and said "Every morning I wake up surprised."
Romeo's grip tightened around his cane.
His father looked small.
Too small.
For one disgusting moment, romeo felt guilty.
Gian sighed and said calmly "I won't always be here to clean your mistakes."
Romeo's face changed.
"My mistakes." Asked romeo.
Gian looked at him.
There it was.
The hook.
Romeo saw it.
And stepped on it anyway.
"The pope withdrew support." Said romeo suddenly.
Silence.
Gian did not move.
Romeo stared at him.
"Francis said the church will no longer legitimize our authority or the divine order surrounding the family." Said romeo.
Gian closed his eyes.
Romeo immediately said with sweat trailing down his forehead as his mouth continued to move on its own "But it isn't permanent."
No response.
"I can fix it." Said romeo with a nervous look on his face.
Nothing.
Romeo's breathing became heavier as he said with beads of sweat forming and trailing "I already have options."
Gian opened his eyes slowly and asked "What options."
Romeo hesitated.
Gian looked away.
"Never mind." Said gian weakly.
Romeo's eyebrows creased and said with shock "What."
"You clearly don't trust me." Said gian calmly.
"Father." Said romeo Immediately with shock.
"I understand." Said gian quietly.
Romeo stared at him.
Fucking bastard.
"I was going to restructure the report." Said romeo with a sigh.
Gian remained silent.
"Cardinal bellini still owes us. I can use his seal and make the documentation appear less disastrous than it actually is." Said romeo as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.
Gian slowly turned his head.
Romeo sighed and said "I moved two million into santoro biomedica through shell companies."
Gian's eyes narrowed.
"Masks. Protective gowns. Filters. Covid has created demand everywhere." Said romeo quickly.
The room was silent.
"And the rent program." Asked gian.
Romeo froze.
Gian smiled faintly and said with a trembling bony finger pointing at him "You thought I didn't know."
Romeo's face hardened as he said "It isn't what people will say."
"What will they say." Asked gian with intrigue.
Romeo became silent.
Gian stared.
Romeo exhaled and said "Six months of mercy. Missed rent becomes long-term debt. Interest. Collateral where possible. Labor arrangements if necessary."
Gian nodded.
Slowly.
Almost proudly.
Romeo noticed.
And relaxed.
Just enough.
Gian adjusted his throat, only to cough a little and asked "How much money do we actually have."
Romeo looked toward the floor.
Gian waited.
"Five million." Said romeo dryly.
The room became completely silent.
Gian's face did not move.
That was worse.
"Five." Said gian softly.
Romeo nodded.
"Five million." Asked gian again softly.
"Yes." Said romeo Immediately with sweat falling from his forehead and onto the floor.
Gian looked toward the ceiling.
Romeo immediately said "Which is why santoro matters. Covid is not merely a disease anymore. It is an economy."
Gian's eyes slowly moved toward him.
"Everyone is frightened. It should make us a fortune." Said romeo with nervous crazed eyes, his arms spread wide.
He froze.
A thought appeared.
Small.
Then larger.
Romeo's lips parted.
Everyone was frightened.
Hospitals.
Deaths.
Lockdowns.
Masks.
Businesses collapsing.
Governments arguing.
The world had one story.
Covid.
Romeo's fingers slowly loosened around his cane.
Gian noticed.
"What." Asked gian.
Romeo smiled.
Not widely.
Carefully.
"The news." Said romeo with a smile.
Gian stared.
Romeo turned toward the window and said with a smile "Every outlet is chasing the same thing. Infection numbers. Government failures. Hospitals. Deaths. Restrictions."
The room was silent.
Romeo's smile widened as he said "We don't need the public to love us."
Gian's eyes narrowed.
"We only need them looking somewhere else." Said romeo while turning around.
Romeo start at the wall while saying "Flood the outlets."
Gian said nothing.
"Give them access to santoro. Announce Medici investment into pandemic manufacturing. Masks. Equipment. Relief." Said romeo with a grin taking form on his face.
Romeo tapped his cane against the floor.
*TAK*
"Make Florence look concerned. Make me look useful. And every time someone asks about the vatican we talk about covid." Said romeo with a smile.
Gian stared at his son for a long moment.
Then smiled.
Weakly.
Proudly.
Manipulatively.
Romeo did not notice the last one.
"Now…that sounds like my son." Said gian softly.
Romeo raised an eyebrow.
Romeo smiled.
For the first time all morning.
He had entered the room hiding everything.
He would leave having confessed nearly all of it.
But romeo did not think about that.
Why.
Because gian had given him something far more dangerous than criticism.
Approval.
And some sons would empty entire kingdoms just to hear their fathers say they were proud.
Romeo turned toward the door.
"Rest father." Said romeo calmly.
Gian closed his eyes while saying with a sigh "I intend to."
Romeo left.
The door clicked shut.
*CLICK*
Gian opened his eyes.
And smiled.
…
THE END…