Chapter 8

• Alessio
• If anything in this life had surprised me, it was Amaya's appearance in that dress, looking as fabulous as she could and completely unaware of her attractiveness. I glanced at the favored Yagami girls; both wore expressions of consternation. I could guess their thoughts quite well: the more superficial one was probably thinking she had competition for attention, while the power-hungry one assumed she had another rival in the succession line.
• That made me smile. However, when I saw her stop next to her brother, who surprisingly had his arm linked with hers as a clear sign of respect and acceptance, I heard the most interesting conversation of my life because it revealed something that was in the report: the girl could speak more than one language.
• Her response in flawless Italian not only surprised my chatty soldiers but also caught the attention of the rest of the community. I remained silent to see what would happen, but I gave a stern look to the idiots who had opened their mouths. This prompted them to apologize to her.
• " Mi dispiace molto di averlo detto, signorina."
• They left, and Massimo looked at me as if he wanted to reprimand them. I shook my head, signaling him not to do anything. However, I noted that when we left this event, I would give them a beating they would never forget. They were complete idiots.
• I watched as she and her brother went to greet their father, who introduced her to his wife and his other two daughters. The women wore fake smiles, not directed at poor Amaya, but solely for the audience they had, which was larger than the closed circle of the clan. Later, Hiro was astute enough to distance her from them and lead her aside. They were very close to me; they probably hadn't seen me as I had decided to step away from the public's attention.
• "Do you speak Italian?" her brother asked, amused, and my Consigliere and I exchanged entertained glances.
• "Not just Italian. Apart from this and English, I speak Japanese, Russian, Mandarin, and Spanish. I'm also practicing French and Swedish," she said with a hint of embarrassment.
• "Really?" Her brother nodded, chuckling with a hint of consternation. "Then I don't understand why the hell you're studying English and specializing in teaching it. You could have specialized in politics, modern languages, international studies, and more."
• The guy had a point, and I saw her frowning.
• "That never crossed my mind. I learned other languages because I have a knack for sounds and morphemes. But my learning was based on wanting to understand people who wanted to learn my mother tongue," she explained, and I smiled.
• The girl didn't have a single ounce of ambition in her body.
• She had a defined goal driven by the need to serve others, something that none of us, powerful men with desires to conquer everything in our path, would ever truly understand.
• Her brother looked at her in surprise, and she withdrew even further. I knew the moment he realized that the girl wasn't just a good soul; she didn't quite fit into the society to which her family belonged.
• "I don't understand why our father didn't train you from a young age with such a skill and use you as a spy," he stated without holding back, and she shook her head. "I still can't believe you even exist, but I suppose the hypocrite has a coherent explanation for everything."
• Massimo smiled, and I couldn't help but think that Hiro was either more foolish than the rest or incredibly intelligent. Such conversations weren't typical in places like this. However, I didn't dismiss it; it was something I might want to remember later. So, I patiently waited for us to be escorted to the dining area.
• I watched everyone heading toward another entrance of the ostentatious mansion and didn't miss Amaya's reactions. She looked so out of place that it was almost endearing.
• "You like her," Massimo said in a low tone, and I shook my head. "You do like her, but you know she's a princess who has no idea of her value, her potential… and that kind of innocence reminds you of Gemma."
• This time I paused to look at him with narrowed eyes because he wasn't an idiot.
• "Thank you for attending this soirée today," Hiroshi said loudly, and we approached the seats assigned to us on the other side of the table.
• Me at the head and my Consigliere on my right, which was a clear sign of respect, as he to some extent considered me an equal. He had thought things through very well, a real cunning bastard, as he was declaring someone to be taken into account.
• "Today, we have gathered for two special reasons that I want to share with you, my friends and allies," he emphasized each of his words. "The first reason is that from now on, the Yakuza is a friend of the Camorra. Our clans will be partners, brothers, and soon-to-be family."
• "The old man doesn't beat around the bush," Massimo muttered under his breath.
• It was a clear statement that shocked the rest of the table.
• "That's why I want you to warmly welcome my new partner, Alessio Milano, the Camorra boss," he announced, pointing at me. To my discomfort, people applauded while still gazing at the mask covering the burned skin on one side of my face. "He's not just my new business ally, but he will marry one of my beautiful daughters."
• Instead of applause, the people began murmuring without any restraint, something that went against Japanese etiquette. The older daughters wore tight smiles, while Amaya's expression was a mix of anger and absolute astonishment. Most likely, Hiroshi hadn't told her about his deepest secret.
• "And on that note, given the new circumstances and the recent events that have put us on alert," he mentioned the threats from the Russians and the Chechens, "I've decided to introduce my youngest daughter to you."
• Hiro stood up like a gentleman and extended his arm. She looked clearly out of place, but she went along with it and accepted. They then walked to the head of the table, and this time her father took her arm with a sort of bow that not only conveyed affection but also indicated her importance and the respect they were showing the girl in front of the rest of the world.
• His other daughters didn't take it well. The daggers they were shooting through their glares would have been lethal if they were real. Definitely, a very happy family.
• Italian phrases:
• "I'm very sorry for what I said, miss."