Mafia's Heir Returns

Chapter 5

Once more the Alvarez head office hosted the Don of the Rose family. Carlos carefully watched Aaron sit crossed legged as he went through the documents handed to him, information surrounding the newest Don; Gilberto Aguilar.
Putting down the files, Aaron sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose as he processed his next course of action.
"So are you still making your move?" Carlos asked, watching the exhausted expression Aaron wore disappear like a lie.
"Yes, although I expected the Aguilars to grow," he peeked at the papers on the desk, continuing, "I didn't expect them to grow this much."
"I'll be honest," Carlos interlocked his fingers and placed them beneath his nose, continuing when Aaron's attention was on him, "A direct confrontation would spell death for the Rose family, but I'm sure you're aware of that."
Aaron remained silent for a moment, his tone completely impassive when he replied, "Yes. But there are still ways to crush Gilberto without a direct confrontation. Remember the saying; 'Pride comes before a fall'."
He noted the confusion written all over Carlos' features. Quietly moving closer to the table, Aaron tapped a document for emphasis.
"He's known to frequent this casino, yes?" Carlos' eyes widened as he assumed the bizarre plan that Aaron had come up with.
"There's no way they'll join hands with you! And if you make an enemy of them, you'll be targeted by the entire underworld!" Carlos stood suddenly, his actions doing nothing to faze Aaron.
"Noisy," Aaron muttered nonchalantly, going over the document once more. "It's simple, I'll use the Aguilar's past sins against them."
Rising from the chair without emphasizing further, Aaron put on his mask. "Have your people on standby, I'll contact you when it's time."
Crashing back on the chair with a weak laugh, Carlos placed his hand before his mouth.
The plan is so crazy, it just might work.

While Aaron's plan might have seemed complex, it only looked as such because several pieces were necessary for it to come into effect.
And one of those pieces had just fallen into place as the elderly man dressed in a three piece suit and a trench coat walked into the cafe.
Adjusting his grip on his cane, he tugged on his scarf and scanned the business place for anyone who stood out or at least looked like a person of interest.
The appearance of a staff member caught his attention, his only replies to her statements were a nod and following her.
Taking a seat at a booth in a convenient position in the cafe where neither sight nor audio could help pick up on the conversation, the elderly scrutinized the masked man before him.
The old man was none other than Otto Wagner, the head of the most prominent Casino in the entire underworld; Twilight.
It was a place where one could come to indulge in all sorts of pleasure without fear of being harmed by rival groups.
It had held a banner of neutrality for several years and at that moment Aaron Rose of the Rose mafia was about to rip it down.
"So? Just who are you? And why do you have access to Arturo's private channel with me?" The old man, no, Otto asked quietly, his tone carrying the force of an order.
While to the untrained eye, Wagner might've just passed off as a classy old man, but to those who are aware, he was dangerous.
From his appearance to his demeanor, everything about him screamed superiority and demanded respect. Many cowered before this great man.
Fortunately for Aaron, he was used to meeting people with that kind of aura and had even gone as far as developing one for himself; in terms of how effective it is, one would simply have to see how it fares.
"It's a pleasure to see you as well, Uncle Otto, or do you prefer I call Mr. Wagner like mother used to ask me to?"
Otto froze, not believing what he was hearing. While at first, the masked individual's voice had seemed somewhat familiar but he decided to put aside the assumption until stronger evidence was brought forward.
But never would he have predicted that his assumption was on the mark.
"...Juan?" Otto spoke the words carefully as if testing them.
"Juan Martinez is dead, didn't you hear?"  Aaron stated, his tone hinting at a taunt.
Understanding the hidden message in his statement, Otto refused to ask any questions related to the topic, instead inquiring about his reason for calling him out.
Otto Wagner and Don Martinez were close friends and it was during several of the former's visits to the Martinez house that he had the opportunities to interact with the growing heir and occasionally some of his siblings.
So while he knew the Don of the newly formed Rose Mafia, Otto like others was unaware of what Aaron Rose was truly capable of.
And that notion was verified after hearing the plan the masked Don had explained to him.
Though risky should he go along with it, it would mean that not only would be able to fulfill two dreams of his, the balance of power in the underworld would be tilted in his favor as well.
"I surely hope you won't back down halfway?" Otto asked Aaron, taking a sip from the teacup placed before him by a waitress a few moments before.
"Giving up isn't an option, Mr Wagner. Not if I wish to achieve my goals." Aaron replied coldly, recalling the irritating grin Lucia Hernandez had while she stood over his deceased family.
The duo went silent for a moment, the elderly man stating curtly, "Very well. There's an event taking place next week, do well to come as it would be the perfect opportunity."
Aaron nodded quietly, watching Otto take his leave a moment later. Remained rooted to the spot while he scanned the cafe once more, reaching into his trenchcoat and pulling out a small recording device.
While he was one to treasure loyalty, Aaron's experience with Lucia Hernandez had taught him to not let his guard down completely around anyone and also to have a backup plan in the case of a betrayal.
He leaned back on the chair, gazing at the Café's ceiling. It seemed a major checkpoint on his path to his goal would soon be reached and he would let nothing stop him.
It was time, it was time for the hidden Rose family to blossom and if anyone attempted to uproot them, they would soon realize that these flowers possess thorns.