To the readers:
This novel is tough to forget. If you think you're just passing through, that you'll read it and then forget it after a while, you're wrong. It's immortal, and it'll pull you into another world, making you wonder if the beginning and the end are enough, or if what comes after the end is a new beginning that needs to start.
-----------
Steering clear of emotions. Steering clear of love. Steering clear of admiration.
Why does curiosity grab us in the first place? Why do we wonder about someone and just have to get to know them?
Could you really fall in love with someone you know nothing about except their name? You've never seen them up close, never heard their laugh, can't clearly see their eyes up close, haven't seen how they talk, and you've never shaken their hand. You don't know what they like or dislike, who their enemy is, or even how they live... Do they even love you? Or think about you? Or care about you?
If my heart could talk, I'd ask it if there's any love gonna bloom between us.
Yeah, I'm not exaggerating. I'd rather know the answer than have the door slammed in my face before I even get in.
"Your world is different from mine."
Why? We breathe the same air, see each other every day. We're in the same place for hours. Where's your world? I see you clearly right in front of me. Don't you see me?
"You're too far away to hear me."
I hear you. I'm super close. I might misunderstand things, but I see your eyes right in front of me, empty of rejection or acceptance. So where are you? If you're in the middle, tell me.
It was a goodbye look. A final look.
In that moment, I memorized your height, your width, your face, and the dullness in your eyes. It was a silent moment between us, a decisive moment where I bravely decided it was the breaking point, and that I'd close my eyes that night and never dream of you again, not for the rest of my life.
But I found my hands stained with blood, all for you. I ended up in the Mafia, your other world.
Main Characters
Marcus Accardo (The Tiger) - 23 years old
Alesina Perry - 22 years old
Kevin Burley - 31 years old
Minako Gerson - 27 years old
Leon Hawk - 23 years old
Kieran Saitano - 22 years old
________
Like it or Not, the Past
doesn't get forgotten, it just gets put aside.
Italy, Trassil Burley Hotel
She looked around at all the boxes crammed with her stuff: clothes, makeup, bags, shoes—everything a normal girl would own, except for one box, of course, that was overflowing with bullets and weapons.
Hold on! Did I say "normal girl"? My bad. Weapons and bullets are definitely not on a normal girl's list, not at all. So she ran a hand through her hair, fed up, and then kicked one of the scattered boxes in front of her, letting out her third angry curse. "Damn it, Kevin Burley! I don't wanna live here!"
Unlike her mood, which wasn't exactly welcoming of jokes, Kevin walked by carrying a box, a bright smile on his face. "Did you call me? My bad, I can't help you. I got a lot going on over here too."
She raised her voice, hoping he'd hear her. "I said, damn you, you arrogant uncle!"
The arrogant uncle, Kevin Burley, is 31 years old. Maybe the title "arrogant uncle" fits him 'cause even though Alesina is way younger than him and his only niece, he loves to win any verbal showdown they have.
So, he put down his box, walked back to her, and crossed his arms, leaning against the door. "Am I arrogant because I want to protect you and live safely here?"
She raised an eyebrow, scoffing. "You mean protect yourself, right? You're super arrogant." Kevin burst out laughing, clapping his hands. "Wow, wow, Alesina Burley doesn't need the Boss's protection! Wow, that's the most arrogance I've ever seen in my life. Bravo!"
She strode quickly toward him, and he backed away like a cat scared of a scary dog's rage, pointing a warning finger at him. "The arrogant Boss Kevin should've kept us at the mansion instead of this hotel, that's first. And second, I don't think the arrogant Boss can't protect himself, and I definitely don't need anyone's protection."
Kevin tried to hide his nervousness about her anger with a fake smile. "Seriously, Alis, how can we live in that big mansion, just you and me? Don't you know I get tired just looking for you in there? And the kitchen is way too far from me, even in the middle of the night when I get hungry, I..."
Alis cut him off, hitting his shoulder. "Alright, alright, just shut up."
Kevin grabbed her cheeks, pouting his lips playfully. "The little one grew up, trained by me, and now she says she doesn't need anyone's protection."
Alesina rolled her eyes, unimpressed by what he was saying. He continued, "Come on, Alis, this is your dad's hotel, Trassil Burley. All of Italy wishes they were in our shoes. Look around, it's as fancy as the mansion."
She looked away at the boxes, crossing her arms. "Uncle, that's not what I mean. Whoever targeted you with that message, if they knew we moved here, they'd think we got scared."
Kevin smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "The Boss ain't scared of anything, everyone knows that. Plus, I ordered the guards to stay there, and the cars too. So anyone who sees the mansion will definitely think I'm there."
Alesina smiled, adding in a teasing tone, "Boss, the arrogant uncle, you gotta finish your full title." But he also smiled, adding, "Yeah, Boss, the arrogant uncle, your university's dean."
Her smile vanished, and he burst out laughing, running away from her angry expression. She raised her voice, "Then run it well, you arrogant jerk! This is my last year, damn it, I wanna graduate now!"
As soon as he disappeared, she whispered, "My dad was supposed to run it." Her eyes welled up with sadness, a sadness that rarely showed on her face except when her parents, who had passed away, were mentioned. Maybe if they were alive, the thirty-something arrogant uncle wouldn't be running her university.
Yeah, her university's dean is her uncle, and that really gets under her skin. Not for any particular reason, but maybe because he never misses a chance to smile and wink at her like an idiot whenever he sees her at the university.
Or maybe it's because he knows all her friends, especially the girls, sadly, not just casually. He has all their social media accounts, and short holidays aren't complete without him hanging out with them, like he's some young college kid himself! They'd better be careful. If they knew their dean was a Mafia boss in the underworld, they wouldn't breathe next to him, definitely not at all. But the truth is, none of them believe the Mafia even exists! Watch out, not just your dean, but even your friend.
She walked toward the boxes to see that the one she kicked had spilled its clothes. She bent down and grabbed the edge of a piece of clothing. It turned out to be her high school uniform.
Her hand stopped moving the uniform, just like her mind stopped thinking, and her breathing too. Her hand trembled in sync with her heartbeat, and she found herself back in her first year of high school, wearing that uniform.
Flashback
Five years ago
Alesina Burley, in her first year of high school, was a quiet girl. Some might have thought she was a straight-A student because of how quiet she was, but the truth was, her grades were in the gutter. She wasn't interested in making friends as much as she was interested in having a boyfriend!
Yeah, in her last year of middle school, all she heard from the girls was that in high school, you had to have a boyfriend! Nonsense. That was just the talk of overly excited teenagers. Where was the fun in having a boyfriend?
Fun, in Alesina Burley's opinion, was totally different. It was only about painting her nails and what color she'd put on today, the right hairstyle for the day, and lip gloss too. Those were at the top of the list of interests for a quiet, beautiful girl who only loved herself. She'd look at the girls and their boring talk about boys with boredom and disgust!
But the idea of having a boyfriend kept haunting her until she was drawn to the usual girl-talk about an older boy, a year above them, with a cold aura, and how handsome and scary he was: Marcus Accardo.
"I heard from my dad that he's a super dangerous kid, and the principal is planning to expel him to get rid of him," one of the girls said. Alesina looked back at her, and another replied, "The principal overlooked him breaking the nurse's office door, I don't think he'll expel him." Another girl shrieked, "Did he really break the door? I thought it was just a rumor!" The other replied, "He really broke it, just because the principal took him to the nurse to treat his wounds." Another whispered in horror, "What's with all those wounds every day? His whole deal scares me."
The teacher rapped on the table, interrupting the girls' chatter and starting his lesson. Meanwhile, Alesina asked the teacher to go to the bathroom. That's when she happened to see him in the hallways, with his black hair and blue eyes hidden by thick lashes, walking with his friend.
As soon as her eyes landed on him, she was struck by the numerous wounds on his face and hands.
She moved out of their way, and they passed by her as she thought about what the girls had said about him. Curiosity pulled her toward him, and she found herself watching his back as he walked away.
The idea of satisfying her curiosity lay in observing him. What she noticed was that his wounds renewed every day. His lips were always stained with blood. He never treated his wounds, clearly not even disinfecting them. He'd just leave them like that to leave their mark on him. He often sat alone, never speaking except to that close friend, who was with him most of the time, while no one else dared to talk to him.
How could his friend be so full of life, unlike him? Yes, that's what Alesina noticed as she watched him. He was cold, spoke little, and never smiled, unlike his friend, whose loud laughter was all she ever heard.
She was super careful not to let them notice her. All she did was pet the cats near them, making it seem to everyone that she was interested in those cats. The truth was, her mind and thoughts were entirely on Marcus.
Leon, Marcus's friend, looked at her from afar, then looked back at Marcus and said something that made Marcus look at her! Her heart pounded faster, as if she'd been caught red-handed committing a crime. She quickly left and heard nothing but Leon's chuckle as she whispered to herself, "He looked at me!"
She continued to observe him for six months and only knew that he didn't like tomatoes because whenever his friend brought him a sandwich, he'd take out the tomato slices before eating it. Also, he didn't care if the weather was cold; he was only wearing that thin school shirt, even though winter was coming! She also learned his friend's name, Leon Hawk. An indescribable joy filled her because of this simple information.
But this wasn't enough. She wanted to know everything about him: his family, where he lived, what he liked, what he disliked.
This was all she thought about during classes. Even after the lesson ended, she instinctively headed to the principal's office! Luckily, he wasn't there, so she quickly went to the first-year student records.
She smiled triumphantly and happily when she saw his picture in his file, but her smile vanished when she found it empty, containing nothing but his name! She frowned in confusion when she saw two letters written next to his name: TR. She took a small piece of paper and wrote down TR, the only piece of information she found about him.
Six months turned into nine months! And she was just watching him! During this period, she loved school so much. She couldn't remember ever missing school. She didn't just see him at school; she even dreamed about him a lot. Maybe that fun of observing him and satisfying her curiosity was just the beginning of something she didn't know about.
This curiosity, it might have turned into admiration! And she doesn't know what might happen between them. Will he get closer or further away? Will he care about her like she does, or will she have to move past her feelings? She doesn't know what might happen to them tomorrow or in an hour, but she knows very well that these feelings won't be fleeting!
The sparkle in her eyes and the wideness of her smile when she saw him and admired him — unique feelings that won't happen again. She constantly observes him, unable to stop her eyes from watching him. She can recognize him just from his back. Is this crazy, maybe? Or is it something normal in love? Is this love?
She doesn't know what this conflict inside her is, but a deep feeling swept over her as she watched him sitting alone in the schoolyard, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
The desire to approach him and heal his wounds became unbearable. Those lips full of blood, she wanted to wipe them herself and ask him, "Who did this to you?" Who in hell ruins this handsome face every day?
She took hesitant steps toward him, but the conversation of passing girls stopped her.
"The principal expelled Marcus Accardo. This is his last day," one of the girls said. Alesina was surprised, pulling the girl by the hand. "What are you saying? Are you sure?"
The girl replied strangely and arrogantly, "Yeah, what's wrong with you?"
Alesina left her and quickly headed toward him, stopping in front of him, breathing heavily! She was trying to catch her breath while also trying to gather her words. Yeah, she went to him when she knew it was the last time she'd see him, but what was she going to say? He didn't even know her name!
He opened his eyes when the sun disappeared from him, and he saw the girl standing in front of him, catching her breath. He shifted his body from the chair and tilted his head as if asking her for a reason for her presence.
She opened her mouth to speak, her lips trembling. "I love you."
Oh my God! Her heart had spoken instead of her tongue. Her mind was shocked, just as she was shocked by what she'd blurted out. Maybe something like this should be planned. Confessing love is like surrendering yourself to that person, and they decide whether they'll throw you from the top and turn their back on you, or if they'll hold your hand and protect you from falling.
She was astonished as she looked at his unchanging expression! How? How did his eyes not even blink? How was he not surprised by what she said when she herself was shocked by what she'd blurted out! She started to feel the cold aura everyone talked about.
He exhaled as he stood in front of her, and she stepped back, seeing his blue eyes and hearing his voice clearly for the first time. "I don't care. Get away." Her eyes widened, and she immediately replied, trying to explain, "That's not what I meant, I..." He cut her off, looking into her eyes. "Whatever, I don't care."
He looked away, intending to leave, but she spoke again, "Wait, I want to get to know you. I didn't mean what I said, so please forget abou—" Again, he cut her off. "I don't want to."
She remained silent for a few seconds, trying to process his clear rejection, then replied, "I'm really sorry about what I said. All I wanted was to get to know you."
He approached her, looking into her pupils, wanting to be clear so she'd understand. "Yes, and I don't want to." She replied directly, "Why? I want a reason, please. This is your last day, so I want to know why?" He continued to look at her in silence until her tension grew as she shifted her eyes between his pupils. Finally, he replied, "I don't see you at all, and I won't, so get out of my way." He walked past her, ignoring her presence, but she stood in front of him, spreading her hands, creating a barrier with her body to stop him from walking. "Why? Why don't you see me?"
The clear insistence and stubbornness in her eyes made him sigh and bring his face closer to hers. "Don't you understand? Your world is different from mine."
She immediately replied, her quick responses clear evidence that she was speaking without thinking. "Why? We breathe the same air, see each other every day. We're in the same place for hours. Where's your world? I see you clearly in front of me. Don't you see me?"
Again, his expression was fixed, and this only increased her determination. She wanted to see any small sign of interest in what she was saying. She strongly wanted him to leave her with something that would make her feel like he cared, just a hint. But he said the opposite of what she wanted with his fixed expression and cold eyes: "You're too far away to hear me."
She replied without understanding, just racing against time and ignoring what he meant, "I hear you. I'm super close. I might misunderstand things, but I see your eyes in front of me, empty of rejection or acceptance. So where are you? If you're in the middle, tell me."
After that, she heard nothing from him but silence and those cold stares until they heard the sound of his private car stopping in front of the school. His departure time had come. She looked at the car and then back at him, but found only his silence.
It was a goodbye look, a final look. She memorized his height, his width, his face, and the dullness in his eyes. It was a silent moment between them, a decisive moment where she bravely decided it was the breaking point, and that she'd close her eyes that night and never dream of him again for the rest of her life.
Just like that, he left, running away with the answers.
And she left, filled with questions.
The End of the Flashback
A faint, sarcastic smile appeared on her face after remembering the past. She whispered to herself, "I took the path to you instead of forgetting you. Funny!"
She threw the uniform into a box and noticed her bag and notebooks were in this same box, cursing herself.
"Stupid, you gathered everything here and didn't get rid of them."
Hesitantly, she pulled out one of the notebooks. A small piece of paper fell out. She took a deep breath as she picked it up, seeing "TR" written on it.
She smiled and whispered, "The Tiger."
(Tiger in English is Tiger, and for the nickname, the first and last letters are taken: TR)
She got nervous and quickly put everything back in the box as Kevin entered, fast and excited, jumping and sitting near her, holding a toy gun! With his bright smile, he said, "Alesina, look what I found!" Her expression clouded over, and she said, "Where did you get that from?" Kevin hugged the toy gun to his chest, closing his eyes with affection.
"Ah, I remember my beginnings teaching you. You were just a kid."
"What are you talking about? I was 16."
"I still remember your hands trembling when you fired it, and it was just a toy, hahaha."
"It's not funny."
"Hold on, I remember when you came to me with that sullen face and eyes full of tears. You were so cute. I thought you were hurt or had fallen, but then you asked me to join the Mafia! Yeah! That's when I couldn't stop laughing."
Alesina's expression changed, and she lowered her head, looking at the gun as Kevin continued.
"I was thinking, how could a girl like you, who cries just at the sight of a small cut or a spot of blood or even a lost cat, become part of the Mafia? Hahahaha."
Alesina covered her hands with her coat so he wouldn't notice their trembling as he continued.
"But the funniest part was when I asked you why you wanted that, and you replied that you wanted revenge for your parents."
Alesina raised her head and stared at him. "What's funny? Didn't you also accept the Boss's position to find out the truth about the car accident they died in? That's what you used to tell me when I asked you about your work."
Kevin's smile vanished, and he replied, "That doesn't exist. Many died in that accident. It's just an excuse I used." Alesina shook her head. "I'm not a kid anymore, save your lies. Besides, I'm a Burley; Mafia blood runs in my veins, so just accept it."
Kevin laughed, and she immediately hit his shoulder. He fell silent, looking at her for minutes without replying until he spoke with a smile, "Five years have passed. It feels like yesterday. You've grown up, Alesina Burley."
She frowned again, pointing to the boxes.
"We need to get rid of them; they hold trivial things."
"The beginnings of your path aren't trivial."
"Close the topic. I don't want to bring up subjects you don't like."
"Bring them up and tell me."
"For example, poor Alesina Trassil Burley is in the Mafia, and no one knows. Should we close the topic now?"
Kevin's smile didn't disappear, which astonished Alesina, as she knew very well how much Kevin hated this topic: the underworld knowing that a Burley member had become part of the Mafia, and not just any member, but Trassil's daughter, the former Boss, trained by the current Boss, Kevin Burley! For goodness sake, this news should be spread all over the streets of Italy! This is good news for the underworld, a priceless treasure! Anyone who keeps it to themselves is selfish; in fact, they should be listed as an enemy, even if they're the Boss!
"Everyone will know about you soon," Kevin said, and Alesina's eyes widened in shock. She tried to press her lips together, but it was no use. The shock of what he said covered her features, leaving her silent and staring at him.
Finally, she could show herself to everyone. Finally, she'd sit among everyone and hear the plans from them, not from Kevin. Finally, she'd send her orders directly to everyone, not through Kevin. Finally, she'd show her face without hiding it during her missions. Finally, she'd attend their meetings. Finally, everyone would acknowledge her. Finally, she'd meet Marcus Accardo, known as The Tiger in the Mafia world.
Kevin waved his hand in front of her. "Hey, Alis, can you hear me?" Without preamble, she lunged at him and hugged him tightly. "I love you, I love you, my arrogant uncle!" Kevin chuckled as he hugged her back. "Still arrogant?" She replied immediately, "Not at all. From now on, you're the hero uncle."
Kevin burst out laughing. "Hahahahahaha."
"But what's the reason for you finally agreeing?"
"There's no reason. The time is right."
She hummed, looking at him intently, then quickly pulled away from him, stood up, and dragged him. "Get the wine and alcohol! Let's drink to celebrate me!"
Kevin chuckled, accustomed to her celebrating even the smallest occasions with drinks. Drinking was her favorite habit, and no one could stop her once she started with the first cup until it reached twenty or even thirty!
I wasn't exaggerating, and here she was drinking the twenty-seventh cup, her face flushed as she whispered, "Soon I'll see you, Tiger."
London, Angeric Hawk Hotel
In one of the suites, two men sat alone on chairs, completely bound—their feet, hands, and even their mouths covered with tape. Sweat poured from their foreheads, their breathing labored from intense fear and panic. There's nothing worse than knowing there's a short distance between you and your death, except for your end to be at the hands of The Tiger!
The door opened, and a blond-haired young man, Leon Hawk, entered, chuckling with the one beside him. But his laughter faded, and he frowned, waving his hand in front of his nose. "What is that disgusting smell?"
"What do you think? The smell of those filthy rat men's corpses appeared before their death," Marcus said, closing the door behind him and looking at the two bound men.
His friend Leon burst out laughing until tears streamed from his eyes! "Hahahaha, seriously, I'll die before them from the smell of their sweat." Leon approached them, lowered himself to their level, and smiled sarcastically. "You two should've taken a shower! Didn't you know you were going to meet The Tiger? What a shame! And where's your gift for him? You should've brought a knife or even a needle for him to kill you with."
The two men shook their heads repeatedly, as if begging for mercy!
Leon continued, "Do you think he'd waste a bullet on your triangular heads?"
Marcus placed his hand on Leon's shoulder, making him understand what he wanted, and Leon violently ripped off what covered their mouths. "Speak quickly! Your cursed smell is ruining The Tiger's mood and my nose!" Leon said this and then moved away from them.
Marcus got closer, and the two men lifted their heads, looking at him. His cold gaze from under his lashes sent shivers down their spines. He spoke, "Your boss, the rat, sent you to watch me. I know this, so tell me what you told him."
The first man immediately blurted out, "I swear we only told him you're staying with Leon Hawk at this hotel, and..." The other man added, "Yeah, and that you're looking into files about the car accident that killed the former boss..."
The first man turned to him quickly, his eyes wide, his expression screaming Why did you tell him that?! He moved his lips to say, "That's not..."
But his expression froze when Marcus stabbed him with a knife directly in his neck, with brutal savagery. He pulled it out quickly, and blood splattered on his neck, his clothes, and the Tiger's hands. Marcus calmly said to the other man, "Continue." Just continue! How could he continue his conversation when his friend was next to him, fighting for his life, gasping his last breaths? Not only that, but Leon was in the kitchen making coffee!
"Marcus, the coffee's gonna get cold," Leon said, as if he was already used to these sights! "H-h-he t-told u-us t-t-to w-w-withdraw t-t-those a-accident f-f-files from all the c-c-courts so y-y-you w-w-wouldn't l-l-look for t-t-them," the man stammered, feeling every inch of his body shaking.
Marcus lowered his face close to the man's and said in a calm voice, "You deserve to live."
The man took a breath of relief, as if he could finally breathe, but his happiness didn't even reach his face before Marcus continued, "But unfortunately, that rat is your boss."
As soon as he finished his sentence, he plunged the same knife into the man's neck, mixing his blood with his friend's. The blood of Boss Kevin Burley's men was being spilled and bleeding onto the Tiger's hands, while Leon, his friend, sipped coffee, leaning against the door, watching him as if he were watching a documentary. Can you tell me anything worse than what they were doing now?
Leon came over to him, covering his nose with his hand. "Did you really kill him because he heard you call the boss a rat?" Marcus threw the knife from his hand as he took off his leather jacket, remaining in his shirt. "Yeah." Leon replied, "Hmm." Marcus looked at him, answering his unspoken question, because when Leon hums, it means he's not convinced and wants another answer. "Because I want him to hear what I call him from me, not from his men."
Leon burst out laughing again, while Marcus took off his shirt and went to the bathroom to shower. "Yeah, I'd like to stop you, but I've also gotten used to calling him a rat instead of the Boss with you!" Then he turned to the two bodies. "Damn, they smell like rats." He picked up the phone to tell the Tiger's men that there were bodies and they needed to clean up and dispose of them.
A little while later, Marcus came out after his shower, wearing a black T-shirt and black pants, drying his hair with a towel. He sat on the sofa opposite the TV, pulled out a cigarette from his pack, and started smoking. Next to him, Leon held his guitar. "Do you want me to play something for you?" Marcus looked at him, exhaling smoke without replying, and Leon started playing. Behind them, the Tiger's men cleaned up the pool of blood from the two men.
A new morning dawned on bustling Italy and its early crowded streets due to the end of the holiday and the start of work again. Everyone was heading to their jobs, except for Alesina, who had drunk too much and couldn't get up due to her severe headache and body aches.
Kevin kicked open her bedroom door. "Alesina, you kidding me? You're still asleep!" She buried her face in her pillow, cursing him. "Get out, you arrogant jerk! I'm not going to work." He came to her bed and said, "Are you saying you don't want to attend tonight's meeting?" She opened her eyes lazily. "Meeting what?"
"I'm saying if you don't go to work, you won't attend tonight's meeting, and I won't introduce you to everyone there, knowing that the most important Mafia clan leaders will be present," he said as he walked out of her room. But the pillow she threw at his head stopped him, and he laughed. "Haha, you're super excited."
Kevin Burley Telecommunications Company. That's what was written on the company building's facade. While everyone thought it was a global telecommunications company for the Burley family, it was actually just their secret headquarters for Mafia clan leaders' meetings. Decades had passed, and the police and the state never suspected them, which was proof of their vigilance, their commitment to secrecy, and the shrewdness of their intelligent boss, Kevin Burley.
Seriously, he's a Mafia boss, an arrogant uncle, her university dean, and now the head of a global telecommunications company. What's next?! His influence is everywhere, or rather, Trassil Burley's heir in everything.
On the dark side of this company, in a special place for drinking, dancing, and gambling, most of its lights were off. There was only the person managing this place, Minako Gerson, 27 years old, with long red hair, sitting by the bar, holding her phone to her ear after dialing a series of numbers.
In front of Trassil Burley Hotel
Outside, Kevin waited for Alesina in his luxurious car, wearing sunglasses and listening to music. His phone rang, and he smiled, lowering the music volume and answering, "You know what? A good morning only begins with your voice."
The other person replied, "Seriously, Kevin, I don't want to throw up my breakfast because of your flirting." Kevin chuckled as he saw Alesina leaving the hotel and heading toward him. "Hahaha, Minako, is it that bad?"
Alesina got into the car and closed the door. Kevin drove off, and Minako replied from the other end, writing on a paper, "I don't have time, so tell me how many chairs for the meeting and who are the clan leaders coming tonight."
Kevin replied, "Let's see, hmm, the Boss and his deputy from the Saitano clan will come, and all three Firth Bosses, and also all three Bosses from the Hawk clan, and also..."
Minako interrupted him. "Wait, wait, is everyone coming?"
Kevin replied, "Yeah." Minako said, "I wonder what's the reason for this meeting and why you don't just want to tell them in a message." Kevin looked at Alesina, who was looking at him, and said, "What I want to tell them is very valuable to me. It's very important for everyone to be present."
Alesina smiled, pushing her hair back and looking out the window, while Minako posed her question, "So, only the clans?"
Kevin frowned. "What are you hinting at, Minako?" He heard her laughter and smiled, listening to her reply, "You say everyone, but you only say clans. You know what I mean."
Kevin took off his sunglasses as he stopped the car in front of the university and said, "If you mean The Tiger, I don't care if he's neutral or from a clan, but he's coming."
Alesina's quick turn as soon as he uttered his nickname made him look at her in surprise. She got nervous and tried to control her expression, getting out of the car and heading toward the university gate, with only what Kevin said echoing in her mind.
Did he say The Tiger is coming? Coming to see her debut among them tonight? Coming to see her new place among the Mafia clans? The fact that he's coming to see that the high school girl has entered his world – what kind of reaction will he show?
End of Part
