The Empire's Descent (First Draft)

Chapter 24: Lia's Lie: the Two Years (IV)

Luca landed in Japan and came through to the Cherī Lounge, where he met his good friend, Kaito.

They quickly travelled to Luca's drop-off zone and parted ways after a car ride spent in talks of business.

Luca made a beeline for his private island, under Dr. Emilio's name. There, he reunited with Marco and strategized a plan to flush out his parents' killers.

When they assembled at the mission site, they were ambushed by the Fiori Family.

Luca wondered who betrayed them, as he stared at his men being gunned down. Aoki laid down cover while Marco hauled him out of there. Just then, he saw Aoki detonate his high explosive fragmentation grenade. The blast zone was about 5 metres and they had just cleared four and a half metres in the fourth second, after the pin was pulled, when a shrapnel pierced Luca's spleen and he fell unconscious immediately. Marco had to drag his deadweight which slowed him and another fragment hit Marco's shoulder. He ran on adrenaline and flung them around the corner of a wall, Marco landed on a large steel fragment. Just before passing out, he sent out the SOS alert to their Japanese allies.

They were rescued, and were in the private hospital on the island. The allies knew the Giordano Family would need an explanation so, they recovered and scoured footage from the monitors at the facility. The footage revealed the Fiori Family had launched an attack. So, the allies gathered all the intelligence they could and when Dr. Emilio had shown up, they handed everything over to him.

Luca and Marco spent 2 weeks in intensive care, before their bodies were strong enough to be airlifted to their Home. They were secretly transported into the Home's hospital suites for further care. After handing over the intel to Enzo, Emilio tried to figure out the cause of Luca and Marco's coma.

Enzo studied the material and sent his own men to cross-reference the information, which took maybe 7 days...

So, indeed, it was Cec- Rosalia's family that attacked them... the Fioris. Enzo smashed his fist through his office table, splintering the right corner. He trusted her! How could he have not seen this?

How could his initial investigation not reveal this information?

Things weren't adding up and he was deeply perturbed.

He felt a horrendous migraine about to take his vision so, he threw himself on his couch and just barely situated himself before he passed out.

When he awoke, he had forgotten all the thoughts that threatened Lia's lie.

Enzo watched as Lia told her side of the story. He was inclined to believe her as nothing in the investigation suggested she actively betrayed them. Only withholding that she is actually a rival Family's child. He begrudgingly waved her out of his office and she rushed to hug him before scampering through the door.

Enzo frowned and stroked his head that throbbed briefly. Then, he went to visit Luca and Marco. Unknowingly, he had a little tail...

He pushed the button for the hospital suites and let out a tired sigh, until he jumped a foot in the air at the intrusion.

Ada nearly frightened the life out of Enzo when she tapped his shoulder.

He whirled around and pointed a mini revolver at her and just as quickly pocketed it. He looked at her tiredly before resigning to fate. Ada, ever-perceptive...

Ada teared up when she saw Luca and Marco on the beds before she sucked all that emotion in and wanted answers!

Enzo pondered, figured what could it hurt and then discussed the details with the little madam.

Ada grew suspicious, but she kept her thoughts to herself. After dropping brief kisses to Luca and Marco's cheeks, she left to her room to think.

None of this adds up! There is no way Enzo missed anything in his investigation. Nothing is absolute, but it is impossible for Enzo to have slipped. So, what happened?

Ada snorted at her theory, "if Enzo's not wrong, then what is, the world"?

Now that she had spoken aloud, Lia could hear her and so could the Listeners.

Lia was so drained, she lay on her stomach as the skin on her back had fallen off and was regenerating. Rewriting reality so many times in a short span of time had her ailing and literally falling to pieces. The pain was so great that she lost her temper and her heavy-handed rewriting completely changed the course of several key events to occur.

But her current problems were solved.

It was week five of Luca's absence and the family was getting worried. Enzo knew he had to tell them something, especially seeing as Luca and Marco's brain activity showed no signs of them awakening.

Breaking the news to the family was hard. Lying that the jet crash had left them with terrible head injuries and that's why they were comatose was harder. Watching them cry was hardest.

By week ten, the reality had set and Lia no longer needed to monitor things as before. The new timeline had caught up to the reality and the threat of the Listeners was over...