Mafia's Heir Returns

Chapter 7

Switching off his phone and placing it in his pocket, Aaron stepped out of the vehicle, surveying the park for his contact.
Setting the public space as their meeting space, the heads of the Castillo and Rose family wished to interact with secrecy and thus applied the saying, "Hiding in plain sight."
He directed his guards to stay at different positions where they wouldn't stand out while protecting him, lest they attract unnecessary attention.
Aaron also made an effort to fit in with his outfit and mask, which he replaced with a black face mask.
Spotting the Castillo dona on a bench, he approached her, taking a seat and crossing his legs while he pretended to scroll through his phone.
"Quite the gentleman you are, to not keep me waiting," Sofia stated, taking off her sunglasses and placing it in her hand bag on the bench beside her.
Sparing her a glance, Aaron returned his gaze to a family having a picnic while asked, "You've got my attention, what did you want to speak to me about?"
Sofia raised a brow while staring ahead, she expected him to ask about how she knew that Lucia Hernandez was a target of his, but he didn't open their discussion with it.
Assuming that he would ask at a later time, Sofia proposed, "Your actions against Gilberto Aguilar made your goals clear to me, so I wish to ally myself with you."
Aaron got a good look at her for the first time since he sat on the bench, asking her a question to confirm a theory he had in mind. "What do you have to gain from this? Last I checked in terms of power and influence, the Castillo mafia has more than the Rose."
"For now." Sofia stated, looking through a magazine she had brought out of her bag. "I don't know how well you know me, but I have always had very good instincts so I know the Rose family has promise."
"Was it your instincts that made you say that I wished to eliminate Lucia Hernandez?" Aaron asked, the question satisfying some eagerness Sofia had in discussing the topic.
"Consider it a hunch, as well as something of a wish of mine." Sofia leaned back, staring at the tree which blocked out the cloudy sky.
Aaron returned his sights to his phone. While he suspected, he felt satisfied about gaining another useful ally who shared a similar purpose.
But in his time as the heir, he could hardly recall many relations between the Martinez and the Castillo's.
While she was a young woman, Sofia was a few years older than him, so even Aaron had little contact with her aside from catching glimpses during occasions.
Aaron asked another question in order to get a proper read on the Castillo head. "Why do you wish for the death of Lucia Hernandez?"
Sofia remained silent for a brief moment, chuckling lightly. "You're not even holding back." She muttered, facing him with a smile as she continued. "I thoroughly despise snakes like her, that's it."
"You'd be willing to start a bloody war because of that?" Aaron asked, somewhat flabbergasted.
"Now now, don't underestimate the feelings of women." Sofia replied with a lighthearted smirk.
"Very well. Let's discuss further, shall we?"

Aaron sat comfortably in the car, turning to Briar who offered him a phone to answer a call.
He looked at the screen, his brows raising slightly at the familiar number on it.
"It's a pleasure, Mr Wagner." He commented.
"Indeed, I take it the pieces are falling into place? After all, it's been nearly a month since the incident at Twilight." Otto Wagner asked, his eager curiosity evident in his tone.
"Slow and steady, Mr Wagner. It's only a matter of time, and people are far more predictable than they'd like to believe. Oh in other news, I have begun discussions with the Castillo's."
Aaron could hear the admiration and brief surprise from his tone alone.
"Good work, Don Rose. I'll have to go now and I hope to hear from you soon."
Returning his greetings, Aaron disconnected the call, handing the phone back to Briar.
"Don Rose, do you believe Mr Wagner is trustworthy?" Briar asked, breaking the brief silence that ensued after the call.
Glancing at her with amusement, Aaron replied, "I'd like to believe he is, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't exercise caution."
Her eyes widened slightly. She then understood why Aaron had handed her a recording of his conversation with Otto Wagner and asked her to make copies of it and keep it safe.
If word got out that the supposed head of the neutral establishment; Twilight, was picking sides, it would ruin everything he's worked so hard for.
That was a situation Briar was sure Otto would go an extra mile to avoid.

Carlos' doors swung open, a subordinate of his guiding in the masked Don Rose.
As he took a seat, Aaron was handed a yellow file with several papers inside.
"That's everything you asked for. Names, locations, numbers, everything," Carlos remarked, the Rose don nodding as he went through them.
"Good work, Alvarez. With this, we'll be able to make our move soon, now all that's remaining is…"
A sharp knock on the office door interrupted Aaron, the guard who barged in freezing in place as he met the furious glare of Carlos.
"There better be a good reason for your actions, my friend."
The man gulped, wiping his brows before stuttering out his reply, "I-I'm s-s-sorry boss, but it's urgent."
"Let's hear him out, Alvarez." Aaron suggested cooly, crossing his legs and placing the files on the desk before him.
Glancing from the masked Rose to the guard, Carlos raised a brow, "Well?"
"We just got news sir, that a safehouse belonging to the Rose family was attacked."
Aaron turned to the guard while he remained seated, ignoring the shocked expression Carlos wore. "Was it the southern warehouse by the docks?"
It was the guard's turn to be surprised, "Y-yes."
Without batting an eye at the information, Aaron rose, buttoning his trenchcoat before he addressed Carlos, "Have your men on standby, a family will be falling soon."
Noting his nod at the statement, Aaron left behind the flabbergasted Alvarez head.

The detective that served as the Rose family informant noticed his phone ringing, the number that appeared on screen startling him.
He excused himself and headed to the toilet quickly, checking the stalls and confirming they were empty before answering the call.
"I hate to be kept waiting, detective." Aaron's cold voice rang out from the phone's speakers, scaring the informant although briefly.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't just answer it as I was surrounded by my colleagues." He replied meekly, his previous interaction with the Rose head reigning fresh in his mind.
"Very well, my sister has sent you some information, get it to your chief now."
"Information?"
Aaron sighed audibly, the detective gulping as he noted it. "The Aguilar's are wanted, yes?"
"...yes."
"I have now provided you with information in order to cripple them, and I expect it to be done soon."
"Understood-" the line disconnected, startling the detective. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he adjusted his outfit and stepped out of the office.
It seemed he was getting a promotion soon.