SOMEBODY

CHAPTER-4 THE FUNERAL

Present Day,

George Tomino, one of the biggest Mafia bosses in all of New York City, lay dead, and nearly 10,000 people had gathered to pay their respects at his funeral. Among them were many prominent Mafia bosses, including Giovanni Moretti and Antonio, accompanied by his assistant Marco. George Tomino's son, Alex Tomino, would soon take the reins as the head of the Tomino Family. As the burial concluded, and people began to depart, the snowy weather enveloped them all, prompting everyone to don their heavy coats. Outside the graveyard, as Antonio made his way towards his car, a Bentley Flying Spur pulled up beside him. The window slid down, revealing Giovanni inside. He beckoned Antonio into his car, indicating that he had something very important to discuss. Antonio acquiesced, stepping into Giovanni's car, and they departed for Antonio's house 36 kilometers away.

"Hey, son, I'm going to tell you something very important, and now's the moment you need to know it," said Giovanni.

"What, sir? Can you be specific?" replied Antonio.

"George Tomino was the one who ordered the killing of your entire family," Giovanni stated.

"No, you're kidding me, right? That can't be," Antonio responded.

"Nobody was going to tell you. I owed a very important debt to George, but I was also a good friend of your father's. That's why it took me so many years to tell you, and now that he's dead, I owe him nothing," Giovanni explained.

"What did you owe him?" Antonio asked.

"I owed him my life. He was also going to kill me, but I traded 80% of my wealth for my life and my family," Giovanni confessed.

"My father could have done the same, so my family would be alive today," Antonio reasoned.

"But your father did the opposite. Instead of accepting George's offer, he ordered the assassination of George Tomino's dear wife. Even after receiving an ultimatum that George Tomino would kill him and his family, your father denied George's offer and killed his wife," Giovanni revealed.

"Why didn't he accept the offer or kill George Tomino?" Antonio inquired.

"Because he couldn't accept George's offer due to his ego, and he couldn't kill George due to his fucking hitman, Ethan Cross," Giovanni explained.

"I want to take fucking revenge from his family," Antonio declared.

"He's not alive for you to take revenge on his family, who didn't even know about it. If you kill them, no one will suffer. Instead, you can take revenge on your family's killer, but you shouldn't because it will be too dangerous," Giovanni warned.

"Dangerous? Who killed my family? I will kill him and get my fucking revenge. I will kill his whole family. Who is it?" Antonio demanded.

"Ethan fucking Cross. You want to kill him, huh? If you're going to take revenge, keep me out of it, son. I don't want to die, and I don't want my family to get killed. Keep me away from this. Handle that man yourself. As your father's friend, I've done my work to warn you," Giovanni urged.

"Why shouldn't I take revenge on that fucking hitman?" Antonio pressed.

"Ethan Cross. He's a fucking demon who will haunt his enemies in the afterlife. He's a man of focus. He's nobody, like they say in movies. But this ain't a movie. He's fucking real," Giovanni explained with an expression of anger as they reached Antonio's home. "Here, son, we've arrived. I think you should go inside your house and think about it. And if you've decided to take revenge, keep me out of it," Giovanni advised Antonio.

Antonio's servant arrived with an umbrella and opened the car door. Antonio stepped out, deep in thought, and went inside his house to take a shower.

As Antonio lathered up in the shower, a sudden recollection surged through his mind - the blood debt he found in his office's locked cabinet, bearing the name "E. Cross," reminiscent of Ethan Cross. Without hesitation, Antonio bolted out of the shower, foam clinging to his naked body, and grabbed his cell phone. He wasted no time in dialing Marco's number, urging him to retrieve the blood debt they discovered earlier. Marco swiftly complied with Antonio's request.

After finishing his shower, Antonio headed to the office. There, he beheld the blood debt once more and immediately dialed Giovanni's number. He needed answers about the enigmatic "E. Cross." Giovanni's revelation shook Antonio to his core - E. Cross was none other than Ethan Cross himself. Determination welled up within Antonio; he was resolute in his decision to seek revenge against Ethan Cross. Despite Ethan's notorious reputation and the fear he instilled in the entire American Mafia, Antonio remained undeterred. His singular goal was clear: to eliminate Ethan, no matter the cost. Blinded by his thirst for vengeance, Antonio's resolve remained unwavering.