"Is that a good idea? The Bellegrini are definitely planning something."
Fredrick's voice was filled with disbelief. He couldn't understand why Dante wanted them to show any form of hospitality to the Bellagrini, but Dante's grave voice told him that Dante was seeing a lot more in this simple visit!
"Yes, they're likely planning something, and I'm sure this is a test. They want to know how shaken we are by the boss's death. If we react badly and attack her, then they'll come down on us full force. Remaining calm in the face of the storm is the best way to throw them off right now. We aren't strong enough to handle them without losing too many men. Once we're done putting the boss in the grave and you're sworn in as the new boss, we'll deal with the Bellegrini."
Fredrick was hesitant to follow through with Dante's words, but Fredrick knew that out of all of them, Dante was the one who understood the politics of the underworld the best. Dante had been fighting in that world for a long time, so he knew what would or wouldn't lead to a full-blown war. And Dante was also right about them not being ready for a fight right now. It would be bad if the Bellegrini ended up attacking them while they were grieving.
Fredrick turned to the armed man and nodded. The armed man was shocked by the order, but he didn't hesitate as he moved to the red Humvee and told them that they could come and pay their respects. The door opened and the first people to come down were two men wearing sunglasses and red suits. They had stern faces and bald heads, and it was obvious that they were only bodyguards. One of them went to the backseat and pulled the door open, and a woman wearing a long red gown and red heels appeared from the door and stepped out. She was an extremely beautiful woman with smooth, tanned skin that almost shone under the sun. She had black hair tied into a bun with a few loose strands that were dyed red, and when she took off her sunglasses, her eyes were a deep red that immediately focused on Dante Lucas. The dress she was wearing came down her chest to show just enough cleavage to draw any man's eyes, and there was a single black rose pinned to her well-developed chest. This woman was Aliya Bellagrini, and she was the third in line to the Bellagrini throne.
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Name: Aliya Bellagrini
Affiliations: Bellagrini Family
Title(s): Mistress of Ammunition
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The skill [Physical Analysis] has grown stronger.
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[Physical Analysis [Rank C (0.5%)]]
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The user is now capable of viewing the Names, Titles, Affiliation, and General Skills possessed by those in the same Rank or lower.
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Name: Aliya Bellagrini
Affiliations: Bellagrini Family
Title(s): Mistress of Ammunition
General Skills: Weapons Proficiency, Manipulation, Weapon Analysis.
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Dante read over the title above Aliya's head quickly before he looked back down into her eyes. Dante wasn't surprised that Aliya would have [Manipulation] as a skill. He knew firsthand just how good she was at getting her way. There was a tension in the air between Aliya and Dante that wasn't lost on anyone there, and Dante never bothered to show any emotion as he watched her closely. Aliya reached into her car and grabbed a large bouquet of red flowers, and she put on a small smile as she walked over to the family and spoke in a slight eastern accent.
"Thank you for not turning away my kind gesture. It was truly shocking when we heard of George's passing."
The Matron spat to the ground beside her and spoke in a disgusted voice.
"Put your fucking flowers and get off our land. Your kind is not welcome here."
Aliya smiled lightly at this response, and she glanced at Dante again before she finally went to put her flowers in front of George's picture. Once she was done, she walked over to Dante and spoke in a low voice that was almost seductive.
"I know you think we came here to test your so-called family, but we didn't come here for a fight today. You were the real reason why I decided to step foot in this wretched place. You've been ignoring my calls, mi amor. Is this how you treat every woman in your life?"
Aliya leaned in while saying those last words so only Dante could hear her, and Dante's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Fuck off, Aliya."
Dante's sharp answer struck Aliya with intensity, and Aliya's lips began spreading into a smile. The rivalry between Dante and Aliya was something that every member of both the Lucas and Bellegrini families knew about. A few years ago, before all three families entered into a temporary ceasefire and decided not to wage war against each other because of how many lives were being lost, Dante and Aliya were always facing off against each other in the arms trafficking sector of the gang business. Aliya was the head of the arms sector for the Bellegrini family, and Dante was the head of the cleaners, so he oversaw all smuggling and transportation of guns and bullets for the Lucas family! Both Dante and Aliya did their best to destroy the other person's business at every chance that they got! Dante would steal Aliya's cargos and kill any henchmen that were useful to the Bellegrini family, and in return, Aliya put explosives on some of the Lucas family cargo and gave tips and bribes to the border police to make sure that trucks carrying Lucas ammunition couldn't pass through!
The entire situation was so bad that at one point both Dante and Aliya were killing at least five people from the other person's family every single day! But the largest blow happened when Dante managed to find out where Aliya was storing the weapons that she was planning to transport at a later date. There were more than five thousand guns and a million rounds of ammunition in the warehouse, and in a single night, Dante stole more than half of the weapons before blowing up the building so the Bellegrini couldn't use it! This one move from Dante cost the Bellegrini family millions of dollars, and it ignited a furious rage inside Aliya! Aliya was already prepared to ride out and kill every single member of the Lucas family that she could find! But before she could do that, the families went into a ceasefire and retreated into their territories, as no more killings were allowed.
Aliya almost went mad from rage when she heard about the ceasefire! It was very irritating because Dante had given her the last blow, and now it looked like she had lost to him! But after a few years had passed, Aliya realized that she was thinking about this all wrong. Aliya knew that nobody else could have done the things Dante had done to her back then. Dante was a resourceful and brilliant opponent, and Aliya knew that the best action she could take was to bring him over to the side of the Bellegrini. If Dante was with their family and they worked together, then no one would be able to stop them! So now, Aliya's mission was no longer to defeat Dante and kill him; instead, it was to defeat Dante and make him submit to her so she could recruit him into her family! And since Aliya was prepared to use any method at her disposal to make Dante join her side!
Aliya was about to say something more to Dante, but she frowned when she saw Risa putting her hand behind her back discreetly. It was obvious that Risa was reaching for her gun, and Aliya calmly sighed before giving Dante a few last words.
"My offer is still open in case you decide to change your mind. These people don't deserve your loyalty, and I'd hate to see such a promising young man die for the wrong side. Come over to my family, and I will give you everything you could've ever dreamed of, Dante. Including myself."
Aliya brushed her body against Dante as she finally turned to leave, and she gave a few parting words to the Matron before entering her car.
"They say that the sheep are the most vulnerable when the shepherd is away. Even the best guard dogs cannot work well without their shepherd to keep them in check. I hope you've realized the position that you are in at this moment, Matron Lucas. Your shepherd is dead, and the wolves are hungry. It will be an interesting year, don't you think so?"
The Matron immediately shouted in righteous anger!
"Go to hell, you diseased Bellagrini! Go to hell! You want a war!? Come and try us and you'll see if anyone from your pathetic family survives! You swine! Demon! Dog!"