Viggo was watching his brother drink soda while looking outside the window. Viggo was still sitting behind the board-meeting table looking at the paper work that Nolan O'Leary had signed while glancing up at his brother with mixed feelings from time to time. Vincenzo was occupied by the looks of it. As he was looking down at the paper work Viggo said "I see you need a drink after this historical meeting. It is rare for an Irish to show up here."
Vincenzo didn't look at him as he said "It won't be repeated."
Viggo looked up at his brother "You say it so earnestly. Well, Tristan is counted as family almost so you will see Tristan at least. It will be repeated. We will have Irish in this house in this friendly manner again."
Vincenzo said "Don't count on it after today."
Viggo took in his words and he was unsure of what to think. His words and the truth behind each word hit him. Something was up. "What do you mean?" He stood up and walked to Vincenzo. He stood next to him awaiting his reply as he glanced outside the window at the direction he was looking at. He was looking at Tristan and Vienna who were still saying goodbye. Nolan was long gone and Tristan was just talking to Vienna and hugging her. He wasn't sure if he wanted to watch that. It was getting too much. He glanced at his brother "Vincenzo what do you mean?"
Vincenzo said "His uncle. He is going to be punished today on my orders. Or rather today is a start. He won't know what's hit him."
Viggo couldn't believe what he was hearing "Vincenzo... what have you done?"
Vincenzo turned to his brother as he crushed the empty soda can in his hand "Do you want me to repeat myself? I just told you Viggo. Jackson O'Neil will be in pain today... by my orders. Very shortly."
Viggo was shaking his head "Have you lost your mind? Don't you know who you are dealing with? He is ... not someone you want to hurt. Tell me why you are doing this and why you haven't told me anything about this before you did it?"
Vincenzo said "I just told you. Didn't I? I don't have to answer to you Viggo or anyone else when my baby sister's life was put in danger by Jackson and his people..."
Viggo was looking at his brother with astonishment "You make no sense... What has this got to do with Jackson?"
Vincenzo threw the crushed can of soda in the bin and said "Our baby sister was almost crushed in a car like this can of soda and almost died. No one plays god with my sister's life. No one. Jackson did so. He attempted to kill Angelia. I know it. He had a vendetta against her family for a very long time. But he wasn't the one to wipe them out. Others beat him to it. Killing your girl was going to be the ultimate victory. He wanted her dead so he could claim victory. He wanted her out of the way also since he is godfather to Reagan O'Reily and wants you to be her man. The man does have ambitions for others and himself. He played with fire by putting our sister in father. That fire he played with will burn him. He will hit back. We are ready."
Tristan was shaking his head and looking shocked "Vincenzo ... What are you saying? ... We have no proof."
Vincenzo closed his eyes as he put his hands on his hips shaking his head "I am the proof. I am the judge. I am the jury. Accept it." He then opened his eyes "Or fight it. But if you fight it, make no mistake... I will make you kneel. Don't doubt it. You can't beat me Viggo. I have all the loop holes covered. I even anticipated your attempts to confront me. Any action has a consequence so choose your words wisely."
Viggo took a deep breath "You are not understanding this. Our sister belongs to Tristan... You are going after Jackson? What have you planned to do?"
Vincenzo said " He has already killed most of the men involved in making the mess. But the ones covering up the mess are alive and are in his close circle protected by him. I will identify them, will catch them. I will kill them... All will die and he will watch them die."
Viggo said with an outraged voice "How can you catch them? How can you pull such stunt safely and why? There is no proof. You think Tristan will let you do it?"
Vincenzo said "There is only one way to find out."
Viggo objected "You can't do this. Think of our sister. Make whoever did this pay. By all means do. I agree but let's talk to Tristan.... We don't know if it was Jackson ..."
Vincenzo said "You are welcome to talk to him. I refuse to. He doesn't see it. He can't fix the problem. He needs to see what happens when our sister is hurt. He denies it all just because there is no proof. I don't work with proof. He can't shove his pathetic "where is your proof" logic down my throat. I am a Rosario. I am not an Irish. I don't care about his people."
Viggo said "What about Vienna? You will start a war today. She will be in the middle."
Vincenzo said "She won't be caught."
Viggo said "Think about what you are doing to Vienna. She loves Tristan...."
Vincenzo said "Our sister chooses family over Tristan if he makes her choose."
Viggo said urgently "There is no going back. Don't do this. Talk to Tristan..."
Vincenzo said calmly"He wants proof. I refuse to give it."
Viggo asked "When is this happening?"
Vincenzo said "What? The revenge? Tonight is only the start."
Viggo said "Tell me ... What are you going to do exactly? It sounds like you will start a war... but are you going to do?"
Vincenzo said "It is very simple... Jackson tried to kill your girl and almost killed our sister. He played god with our sister's life, then I play god with his sister's life. She may survive. Who knows?"
Viggo said shaking his head "You are mad... Vincenzo are you crazy? For some plan like this we need weeks of planning. You can't strike his family ... I am telling Tristan and our father."
Vincenzo said "Do as you wish. What I want will get done. If not today then tomorrow. But it will happen. Don't you see. There is no point stopping me. Because I won't stop even if you stop me unless I wish to stop."
Viggo said "Our sister would be heart broken. There are more peaceful ways of dealing with this... You will hurt our sister."
Vincenzo said "It is for her safety."
Viggo said "How about Clarisa?"
Vincenzo narrowed his eyes "What do you mean?"
Viggo said "She won't forgive you hurting her family. Jonas is Jackson's nephew and her cousin too. You will hurt her..."
Vincenzo said "I don't think that is of any worry to you."
Viggo said "You haven't thought of her?"
Vincenzo said "Vienna's safety matters. Terza's safety matters. Jackson needs to be taught a lesson. He played with our sister's life. Who's next? The man is out of control with his recklessness."
Viggo said " I don't dispute that but rushing in on your first day back is not the answer. Actually you have touched down in New York in hardly a few hours. Do you think planning this within some hours will lead to success. If Jackson is guilty based on your proof then he is dangerous and must be taught a lesson but you have to think it through. I trust your judgement even though I trust Tristan's too. But you need to tell me what you have planned after I am done with O'Leary's paper work in our midnight meeting tonight. Actually tell father first. You need consultations... then you must tell Tristan too. You can't act alone."
Vincenzo said " I can act alone if I choose to. Also for your information I have have planned this for longer than a few hours. I know what I am doing. But I will tell father... He wanted to see me after dinner. I will see him before." He then leaned close and reached his hand to Viggo's hair. He messed it up with his hand and gave him a meaningful smile "You don't worry for O'Leary. Go take care of your girl. Father doesn't want her at our dinner table yet... So you go to her."
Viggo stated "You always hated her.... I thought you might blame her... for what happened to Vienna."
Vincenzo put his hand on his shoulder and leaned close. He spoke in a clear and determined tone as he looked into his brother's eyes "You don't know the meaning of the word hate Viggo. As much you think you do, you don't. You don't know what's my hate like. But Jackson is about to taste it. So if you hear me say I hate someone you stay clear of my path... As for Tristan, he is an Irish American. His loyalty is to his uncle Jackson because his father taught him this way. Terrence Emmanuel O'Neil fights his own battles with the house of O'Kane. He never involved his family. He is wise. Tristan doesn't know half the things I know about his uncle. He will find out one day if his father wishes it. We do what our fathers have taught us to do. Don't we? Our father haven't taught us to hurt one another so I will never hurt your girl even though I think you could do better. You could have any girl you wanted. You are maybe one of the only males I know who receives marriage proposals in the post from around the world. Who was the last one? An Austrian princess?"
Viggo didn't want to be reminded of the awkwardness he felt. He had been approached so many times. The word went around that a global enterprise company heir was still unmarried. He wasn't engaged to Angelia so it wasn't official. He had no idea how people that he didn't even know, knew his name. He made impressions in his back to back meetings or so they said. They recommended him. He had lost count of the number of internships he was offered without applying to them. He had the talent of negotiation like his uncle Alexander who had inherited it from piero Rosario, his father.
Just then the door opened and interrupted the brothers. There was a message from their father. He wanted to see Vincenzo alone. Vincenzo gave his brother a knowing look "Fathers always know best. He knows I need to see him now before it all starts..." He then winked and walked away.
Viggo watched his brother walk away and sighed. He noticed his brother was a bit taller now and as bossy as he could be making the messenger shake as he walked past him. Times were changing. They were no longer the innocents teens. They were teens but ones with responsibility who had to grow up fast or watch their fathers business empire burn down like how Rome was. This empire was no Roman Empire as it had more than one emperor.
Vincenzo walked to his father's study. He knocked and entered. He watched his father sitting behind his desk pouring himself vodka. His father drank vodka as though it was water. He never understood how. He drank soda but he wasn't sure if his body had tolerance for heavy vodka drinking. His father downed his vodka in one go as he looked at his son. He soundly put down the glass. "Come take a seat."
Vincenzo walked to his father but didn't sit. He just leaned to the desk nearby and said "I am happy standing."
Francesco sighed as he leaned back and turned his chair around looking right at the standing firm of his son. He looked him up and down "Vincenzo... I didn't expect this day to come today. Not this soon. With all my intelligence and planning I never anticipated you take on Jackson. Tell me... What are you going to do? I know you are abducting Jackson's sister and Jackson's nephew. What's the plan?"
Vincenzo stated "Father. I don't wish to involve you in this. I can tell you it happens tonight and tonight is only a start."
Francesco turned to his vodka bottle and grabbed it with one hand and poured himself another glass. He drank from the vodka glass in one go once more and put the glass down. He looked up to his son "You have no idea Vincenzo what he can do. That family is one you don't wish to involve yourself with. They have dark secrets. Very dark secrets. Their past is darker than you think... You can't imagine what Jackson is like."
Vincenzo declared "I have a good idea. He fancies aunt Anna and he breathes. That says a lot. I know the kind of man he is and the kind of man who raised him."
Francesco asked "Do you... son? What do you know about that family and their dark secrets?"
Vincenzo said "I do know enough... I know that Tristan hasn't been told the half of it..."
Francesco said "He doesn't know anything ... because his father doesn't either. Even his father doesn't know of some of the crimes committed by family."
Vincenzo went silent. He was looking at his father with an unreadable expression. He contemplated on his next words. He whispered after seconds of silence staring him down "What are you talking about father?"
Francesco said "Jackson's father murdered for pleasure. I have never done so. In my life I have only murdered men who were threats to my family. I never took killing lightly. Jackson takes it lightly and so did his father..."
Vincenzo said "What crime is there that I don't know of that's committed by that family. You have taught me so much..."
Francesco said "But not enough ... I haven't taught you enough. Jackson's family are not like other families. They are the most feared because they have ruled with intimidation, cruelty and mass murder... Jackson murdered the entire Andovini and Gustavo family ..."
Vincenzo froze "What?"
Francesco said "Jackson ordered it. There are more cases. I can tell you ones you need to know. Jackson's father ordered the murder of the family of the daughter he supposedly adopted. He murdered all of them. He spared her... How noble of him... That girl was his. You see he was the biological father to her. He hid it. He was unfaithful."
Vincenzo was looking at his father with disbelief. He had no words. He waited for his father to continue.
Francesco sighed "They tried to force O'Neil to marry that girl. But he refused. That family is only interested in power. Nothing but power. They eliminate threats if they don't back off and stay away. O'Neil stayed away. He chose to surrender and I stand by him. You may ask me why I have let Jackson live. It's all because he is less of a threat alive than when he is dead. Don't underestimate his nephew. Jonas is an O'Kane. He has been trained to do as he is told. He has taken the back seat while Tristan leads in the battlefield. If FBI goes knocking, Tristan will be at risk and not Jonas. Jackson wants Jonas to have a clean record."
Vincenzo breathed "I don't understand father. Why hasn't anyone kept Tristan away. He has chosen my sister as his. You can't allow Tristan to serve under Jackson only for him to be a shock absorber once the FBI try to destroy them..."
Francesco said "Tristan can manage. Jackson's family won't go down. They will excel but so would we. Tristan won't be caught. O'Neil surrendered. He became the obedient rebel who stayed away. But still he rebelled. He taught his son survival skills. He has it all covered like how I do. When FBI comes knocking and not if, I have day to day plans on what will be done and what will be said. I have files and files full of evidence to reject any argument in any court against my family. I have left no evidence behind. There are no witnesses who have been left in this country. I pay for college fees of the children of those who work for me. They have houses in Canada across the border. They have no reason to betray me. They know I will wipe them out ... even if I am dead, from beyond the grave I can order the deaths of anyone who has betrayed me. Just because you haven't seen my plans and files doesn't mean I have not prepared for worst case scenario. O'Neil has prepared too. He won't go down. He won't let his son go down. I think your biggest worry should be Jackson's plans after his death. He is more dangerous dead than alive ... just like how I will be more deadly if I die. No one has made an attempt on my life. They know me."
Vincenzo said "Either way, Jackson must pay for his sins. Vienna nearly died. He nearly killed my sister. He has to pay."
Francesco stood up "I don't dispute that. O'Neil is Vienna's godfather. If he wishes to let Jackson live for now, I stand by him. I know he loves my daughter like his own. If Jackson has to die it won't be at your hands. I forbid it as your father. I will make him pay in my way and my own time. It is my fight Vincenzo and not yours. You fight Jonas when he strikes. Leave Jackson to me son."