The Contract

Chapter 168-The Unworthy

Letting out the breath of smoke, it hung around my like a veil before fading into the air. "Quamdiu ibi stabis?"  The voice of my uncle cut through the silence and I let out a breath before taking the stick from between my lips.

Turning around, he was staring back at me, while ashing his cigar on the tray. I took back my seat, "Do you want to get down to business?" He asked.

"Why are you hiding out in Milan?" I deflected, taking another drag from the stick. "We ran into a few... mishaps in Mexico, something small" a smirk then ran up his lips.

"Ego hoc ferre possum" he assured and I looked away. "And the summit is in a few days, I'm sure that's why you're here"

I let out another breath of smoke, flickering the ash on the tray beside. "Your mind has been made up" he continued, his gaze on mine, I felt it, it was unwavering.

Our gaze locked and I held it. "It's about time, isn't it?"

He slowly nodded, a satisfied smile on his lips. "But I do see the glint in your eyes. You're just like your Father" he said the last part more to himself.

"You know him too well then"

"He was my brother" he reminded and I let out a breath. "Did the Society  ever approach you?" I asked a question that have been gnawing at the back of my mind.

"You can't serve two masters at a time" he said, letting out another breath of smoke. "The Black Hand might be infamous but... not weak. Cicatrici may run the world but they have a territories they don't trespass"

They had a limit after all.

"Why didn't he join you? What stopped him?"

His gaze dropped to the floor as though the answer was hidden in the cracks beneath his feet. "Fear," he finally admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "Not of the danger, but of what it would mean if he did. To him, it wasn't just an organization—it was a choice that would shatter everything he believed in."

The room fell silent, the weight of his words settling over us like a suffocating fog, though the air was thick with smoke.

"And how did you turn out?" I asked and his gaze met mine again. "As you can see, a castaway, the bad egg to the Ferraris' name..." He pushed his chair backwards and rse up.

His tall, intimidating physique blocking the lights as he rounded the table, dipping his hand into his pocket, the other one holding the cigar between his lips.

"I was kicked out, turned against" he began. "Going down this part, Travis... means you have to be ready for anything. You have to let go of everything you believe in, everyone you know"

My eyes followed his as he glided through the room with authority. "You know no one, you trust no one. Semper solus es"

He stopped at the window and took another drag. "You will have enemies, they will come for you with all they have" he turned back to me. "Are you ready for that? There's no backing out now"

I held on a gaze with him. "Why do you never speak Italian?" I asked another question, deflecting from the earlier one and a smile went up his.

"I am not worthy, I am not worthy to speak the tongue of my fathers" he answered, letting out the smoke from his nose and then he turned back to the window.

"My father said so. He was right, Non sono degno"

____________________________________

I pulled out the file from underneath the other and read through it, the door was thrown open immediately and I cursed under my breath, already knowing who it was.

"Knocking is still an etiquette" I made it known to my mother. "It's my house" Her voice cut in sharp.

"I'll be gone at the break of day" I stated, opening the next documents. She approached the table and stopped, letting out a resigned sigh.

I was ready to stay here in the silence without giving into her mayhem this evening. "Is it true?" She began, her tone living no room for lies.

I stopped and looked up at her, her gaze was sharp, her hands crossed over her chest. "Se non sei specifico, significa che non sei pronto a ricevere risposte." I replied.

"Did you meet that man?" She questioned, her voice holding an edge to it.

She would know, she knew everything but this one thing... she would be appalled by the knowledge of it, that's why she wanted to clarify with me first.

"I'm sure you have the answers" I stated, rising up and taking the files with me. "How dare you?" She gritted from behind as I stopped at the shelf, pulling out more documents.

This was expected of her, his name was never mentioned in this house. Walking back to the desk, I sat down, still not meeting her eyes.

"He's... bad news. What do you have with him? What does he want from you?"

"It's the other way"

"Why would you go to him?! How could you defy your father's wishes? Your father sat you down and told you everything you needed to know! That man is the devil incarnate!" she hissed, stepping closer to me. "Travis, he is not to be trusted, he—"

"Rebelled, turned on the family, went rogue, led a mob, and he put everyone in danger" I then paused and looked up at her, "Does that sound familiar? And I'm not talking about Alexandro here, I'm talking about him—Trent"

"Don't you dare mention that name in this house-"

"Trent is doing precisely the same thing, and all you've ever said about it is that he needs help,"

She stopped, now silent, staring at me. I let out a small laugh, "History is repeating itself—my brother is betraying me."

"Alexandro can't be trusted" she whispered warningly and I nodded. "No Ferrari can be trusted, aren't we all the same? We are liars, we are selfish, we are greedy and we will go any length to get what we want"

"Your father wasn't like -"

"He was!" I countered and her eyes widened  at my words. "He just did a great job at keeping it at bay"

"Don't speak evil about the dead" she gritted and I smiled before turning away. "He's gone, Mother. And I am my father's son after all"

Silence followed as she stared, tears rolling down her eyes, it ached me seeing her this way but there was nothing I could do. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

This was the only way, to help them, to save them. There was nothing else to do.

I sucked in a breath and headed towards the door. "Travis..." She called out lowly and I stopped, not been able to take another step. "Non farlo, per favore. Non voglio perdervi entrambi, per favore..." She pleaded under her breath and my hands trembled by my side.

It was too late now to be... reasonable. I had to take responsibility, I couldn't show weakness. I had to end all of it.

I let out one last breath and headed out, the door shut behind me and I stopped in the dim lit hallway. The weight of everything pressing down on me, this was the only way.