The Queen: Love's Death || ✔️

Chapter 39: A War Has Begun

Estelle

I was holding Mason in my arms as I looked into a distant nothing. Poseidon was fast asleep on the hammock in the balcony under the bright stars. Jason was already in his room.

Mason had begun to worry me. The boy was too numb to be normal for a five year old. He hadn't cried a single tear since the death of his parents and I wanted to know why. Most children would cause tantrums and cry for hours on no end for their parents to return, which was exactly what Jason was doing, but Mason kept silent and clung to my hand at all times.

Mason was obviously shattered about his situation, but he never showed it or spoke about it, which wasn't right. He couldn't bottle everything in at such a young age, it would destroy him. I had to figure out a way to make him talk it out.

"Ma'am." I looked at my housekeeper, Juanita, and she spoke. "Phone call from a man. He didn't want to tell me his name but he insisted on speaking to you."

Juanita had the house phone against her chest and she looked a bit worried. I extended my arm out and she handed me the phone. Juanita tried to take Mason away but the small boy held onto my hand painfully tight and Juanita got the message and disappeared, leaving Mason still in my arms.

I placed the phone against my ear and waited. I wasn't going to say anything first. I was taught that if it was an anonymous phone call, I should wait for the other person to say something do that I could identify that person. The person on the other side of the line took a long time to say something, but I could hear his rhythmic breathing. He sounded a bit restless.

"Hello?" A smooth and obviously Italian voice spoke up and I tried to recognise it, but I couldn't.

"Who are you?" I asked coldly.

"Ah... you are there. I was starting to think that Juanita forgot all about my call." The man said light-heartedly and my guard went up.

He knew Juanita. It was either he knew her personally or he knew more about me than what I was comfortable with. Either way, I already didn't trust him.

"Answer my question." I gritted.

"Luciano Ferocci."

"I don't know any Luciano Ferocci." I stared, trying to identify this person but I just couldn't.

"Of course you don't, but I know you. I'm from another Mafia empire and I just wanted you to fill me in on Maureen Genaro." I could hear the distinctive sound of a lighter being lit, meaning that he was getting ready to smoke. A man with a voice that hoarse meant that he was a huge fan of either Cuban or Russian cigars. Which meant only one thing, he was stinking rich.

"You're the one who has been trying to get rid of Maureen?" I realised. "The guy who has been making her vulnerable and weak by the second."

"In the flesh, baby." Luciano chuckled.

"Don't call me that. You didn't give birth to me." I retorted, rolling my eyes.

"Of course, Luther King's daughter could have such a sharp tongue." I held onto Mason even tighter.

"How do you know my father?" I gripped my jaw.

"Me and him are extremely well-acquainted. You'd be surprised how similar we actually are. May his soul rest in..."

"... why did you call?" I disrupted his fake sympathy.

"Like I said, I want to know what Maureen's progresses are. What is she doing? Who is she meeting up with? Has she found a new empire? I know that she's met up with you and that you've been helping her with her advances so I'd like to know everything you know."

"And what makes you think that I'd tell you anything?"

"We both have something in common, sweetheart, we've both been wronged painfully. Maureen wronged me and Claudia wronged you. That's why I did you a favour."

"What favour?" I asked in interest.

"I killed Claudia and Charles. Just for you. So now you have to tell me everything. An eye for an eye, right?"

I realised everything now. Luciano knew nothing about what was happening. He didn't know that everything that he had planned had already fallen apart. It was either he was too obnoxious or he always had such a success rate that he didn't even bother to double-check if his plans were successful. This one wasn't even close to being successful.

"Well, ok then. You want to know what's happening?" I chuckled.

"Yes." Luciano sounded so sure.

"If you must... Maureen is most probably dead right now. And Claudia and Charles, they're more alive than anyone could've ever imagined. Your plan was a huge fail because I was called by Claudia this morning to tell me to return, which I won't do. Maureen is with Claudia right now and after everything that Maureen did to Claudia, I'm certain she won't live to see tomorrow. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"How?" Luciano asked himself more than he could ask me.

"Let me explain that to you, 'baby'. Claudia and Charles have a tendency of escaping death in the most unexpected ways. You thought they'd die in the fire you caused, but they came out of that fire unscathed. You, 'baby', obviously didn't do your homework before trying to kill those two. And also, you calling me and trying to form an alliance was also a stupid move because I will always be loyal to my brother, Charles. Meaning that you basically confessing to trying to kill my brother has officially made you an enemy in my eyes. The King family has already taken down Maureen and once I tell Claudia and Charles about what you tried to do, then you're next. Not because I'm loyal to Claudia, in fact I hate the bitch, but because I love my brother more than you can imagine. So... Mr. Ferocci... start planning your funeral. Cremation, mummification, or burial. Plan it all out now and give it to your closest companion who you are sure will implement what you want because trust me when I say that once you cross the King family, you will be destroyed."

"Do you think that I'm scared of you? I took down the entire Genaro family, who do you think you are?" Luciano chuckled, buy I could sense the uncertainty in his voice. I capitalised on it.

"I think you're scared. I think you're unsure of what to do next. Your first plan failed so what now? Who will you go to first? Who will you attack next? Me? That's hilarious..."

"... listen here..."

"... no, you listen to me. You said it yourself, I am my father's daughter. And if you know my father well enough, you'll know just how ruthless and brutal that man truly was. So don't expect sunshine and fairies when you come to me. Especially after how you've wronged me. I'm not scared of you but you should be scared of me. You've never faced someone as powerful as me, or Charles or even Claudia so please... I suggest you sit this one down or else you'll suffer some very irreparable damages. You've started a war, Mr. Ferocci, and we will finish it." 

"Then let the games begin."