All this just for a woman—because she's in love. Maybe he's using love as an excuse to do this to me. Maybe… I think I'm just going to sleep and deal with everything tomorrow.
As soon as morning came, Jace stood up and went straight to his bedroom. He took a shower immediately, cleaning his body thoroughly. He picked out the clothes he had set aside for today—because today was the day he was going to join a mafia organization.
He put the clothes on but paused. They didn't look sharp enough. So he changed his mind. He took them off and decided to wear a suit instead. He brought out his suit, grabbed an iron, and pressed it carefully, making it look cleaner and more presentable.
That morning, he also packed $600,000 in cash into a bag. He had woken up very early, smiling, almost too happy—completely forgetting what happened the day before. But this was it. Even if joining the mafia was dangerous, he wanted in. He knew it was someone from the mafia world who killed his mother. Even if it wasn't this organization, it had to be another. Still, he needed to start somewhere—get inside, gain power, outgun whoever was responsible.
He took a pile of cash in his hand.
That very morning, all the maids in the house were back on duty. As he walked through the hallway, they greeted him.
"Sir! Sir Jace, good morning!"
"Good morning, Sir Jace!"
He replied with a smile—an unusual one. The maids even whispered among themselves.
"Why is Sir Jace smiling like that? He hasn't exactly been in a good mood lately…"
Jace kept walking. He reached the garage, opened his Lamborghini, and got in. The car had only two seats, so he placed the pile of cash on the passenger seat. He started the engine, drove to the gate, and the gate man opened it for him. He drove out.
He was heading to the place where his friend, Josh, had told him to meet—a café.
When he arrived, Josh was already there, standing and waving. Jace saw him. He parked his car near the café and began walking toward his friend.
Josh kept waving, and Jace kept walking toward him.
"Oh, it's really good to see you, man. You look sharp as ever," Josh said as Jace was approaching him.
"Thank you, man. Thank you. It's all thanks to you. I owe you one for this," Jace said to Josh.
"Probably. You do owe me one," Josh replied. "It's been several months I tried to get in, but no matter what I did—money, favors—it wasn't easy. I couldn't get in. You can't just buy your way into the mafia. It was through my connection that you're here."
"That's probably the only reason why," Jace said. "Because I told them… I told them if you betrayed them or turned out to be a spy, they should take it out on me. It's a big risk, I guess. But I know you're solid, right? And don't forget—you'll be signing a contract," Josh warned.
"A contract? What kind of contract?" Jace asked.
"Let's go sit by the coffee shop," Josh said.
"Wait, wait, wait, Josh," Jace said as he stretched his hand toward him. They shook hands firmly. "Thank you. Now let's go get the coffee."
They went to the coffee shop and ordered drinks. They sat down at a table.
"Yes, a contract," Josh continued. "You're going to sign a contract about betrayal. In the mafia, betrayal means death. Money is life. And in the mafia, no one is your friend. Even if I'm there—I'm not your friend. That's something you have to understand."
"There's a contract you'll sign. It says a lot. If you betray them, they'll kill you. You must not run. Once you're in, you can never leave. It's a lifetime commitment—until death."
"Shit… that's really brutal. But I guess it still works," Jace said.
"You're really funny, as always. You don't even care," Josh said with a small laugh. "I hope you brought the money?"
"Yeah, $600,000. It's in my Lamborghini," Jace said. "Let's start moving."
"Let's go," they both said. Jace stood up, went to pay for the coffee, and walked outside.
"Let's take my Lamborghini."
He went to the car, took out the pile of cash, and placed it in the trunk. The trunk wasn't very big, so he pushed the money in carefully so it would fit.
"How's the boss like?" Jace asked as he closed the trunk and turned to Josh.
Josh got into the car with him. Jace stayed in the driver's seat while Josh sat beside him.
"You're asking about the boss? The boss is ruthless. Very, very ruthless. You'll see her—she looks like a queen, like a princess. Beautiful. But scary. Very scary and intimidating," Josh said.
"What do you mean, she?" Jace blinked. "A woman is running such a big organization?"
"Watch the way you talk about her," Josh warned. "Don't look her in the eyes. Bow your head when you speak to her—or you might lose your head. Or your life."
"So she's really that ruthless, huh? A woman?" Jace said. "That's… wow. But it's fine."
He started the Lamborghini engine and drove off.