Art of Darkness

chapter 1

NATALIA ELYSE DELAVIN
Milan, Italy

"You're a really good dealer, kid. You have potential." I heard the man say as he handed me seventy dollars.

I just sold him a replenished pistol gun. It's not just a regular pistol but it was upgraded with lower recoil and adjusted parts making it easier to use but deadly when used right.

I had a mask, cap, and hoodie up to cover my face. I wore a black sweatshirt and pants to make sure that they don't figure out that I'm a girl.

If you're wondering how I get those guns, every week, there will always be a gang war between small gangs in the street of Italy. Whenever a gang loses, the other gang leaves them for dead on the streets along with their weapons.

It was a good opportunity for me to take their guns and I have this natural talent for handling those firearms and adjusting their structure.

Must be an inborn talent I guess.

I started re-selling them when I was around thirteen I guess.

The streets have heard about my name which goes by 'El' and that made me start to learn how to defend myself for safety purposes.

I go to underground fight clubs and watch fights to learn about their skills. When I reached fifteen, after two years of self-training, I started to join fights.

My first, second, and third fights didn't go very well. I was almost beaten half-dead but it just gave me the courage to train myself harder.

And since then, when I was sixteen, I started to win fights, sell firearms, and assassinate 'cause why not?

I remained lowkey about everything since I was just sixteen, I cannot open a bank account nor spend too much on big luxurious things, or else people might suspect me.

I stayed in a dump apartment with things I needed. It's better than living on the streets like before. I also got to eat three times a day.

When I reached seventeen, my firearm trafficking business spread into the underground of Italy and America making me earn more money.

I have a right hand who was two years older than me that did my transactions.

While I make the guns, he's the one who delivers them and gets the money. It was quite tiring for me but I need to endure it for the sake of living.

I could have started on the legal side of the business but I guess this is where I am suited more.

Fucking family genes.

On my nineteenth birthday which was two months ago, my right-hand man, Thomas eventually betrayed me and planned to kill me to take all my assets.

Luckily the idiot didn't know that I can fight and kill so I disposed of him off quickly.

Since then, I never had a right-hand man that would work for me directly. I had a few men, yes, but they were more like delivery men and guards.

I have Thomas' head hanged in their headquarters up until now to show them that they'll suffer the same fate as him if they ever betray me.

But I think I need to remove that when it starts to smell though.

—

"Miss Rossi, the jet is ready."

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard my assistant come in holding an iPad.

Felix Romano, twenty-six years old, married with three children. Around 5'9 tall, with blonde hair, and brown eyes, and can be quite intimidating but is a very great father and husband.

He has been my right hand on the legal and some illegal side of the business for a year now. But he mostly handles the legal side because I refuse anyone to get too involved in the gun trafficking one.

He was stealing diapers and milk at a convenience store and almost got caught, thankfully I was there that time and helped him escape. I had just come from an underground fight club that night when I bumped into him.

He doesn't have money for his newborn son at that time, and his wife was working as a waitress in a restaurant yet it wasn't enough.

They were both drunk and one thing led to another then bam, they had a son, then a daughter then another son.

I lend him some money I earned which he hesitated at first but I was quite persistent so he accepted it in the end.

Then after a few days, we bumped into each other again because he got himself entangled with a small gang on the streets.

He was in shock when he saw me kill those men at first but didn't question it further and just observed me picking up their knives and guns.

I offered him a job to be a secretary of mine where I will pay him well. Thankfully he was desperate for a job so he accepted.

"But before you go, the Italian mafia requested a restock of their guns. I had been in contact with Mr. Lombardi and asked for the usual order."

"Tell him we'll have those shipped in three days," I answered. Even if I said that I won't have a right hand, Felix was very hands-on when it comes to talking with customers, even criminals.

He owed me his life and his family's life. He knows if it wasn't for me, all of them would have died of starvation giving me the advantage of making sure he'll never betray me.

Besides, I won't hesitate to kill them all in front of him if he does so. And he damn well knows that.

"The bar that you requested to renovate last year has been finished. We'll be opening again tomorrow night."

"I won't be here, but please do check that everything will be in order. make sure no one fucks up and destroys shit."

"Yes, miss Rossi."

I never intended to use my biological's last name. So instead I came up with Rossi and legally changed it when I was eighteen.

I walked out of my office and proceeded to my penthouse to pack my clothes.

I don't own any hotels, malls, or restaurants. Rather I own multiple gyms, vacant lots, bars, and clubs here in Europe, America, and Asia under El Corporations which is the source of my income since I was sixteen but I need to fake some documents because I was still a minor.

I didn't show up in meetings up until now. I would always send Felix in with a mic and earpiece as I can hear what they are talking about from my office.

I only show up in important business deals when I was eighteen as only a few people had seen me in person.

This hotel is owned by the Italian mafia, specifically Francesco Lombardi. A good business partner and friend of mine.

I've met him last year around four times and now, he has three two-year-old sons. The triplets, his younger brother who is two years older than me, and his wife.

I took a deep sigh and eyed all my belongings. I'll be staying in L.A for quite some time.

"I hope I don't cross paths with any of you there."