THAT EVENING, Lorenzo and the others arrived simultaneously in the parking lot of Elijah's manor, each in their expensive cars. Casimiro, however, was uniquely mounted on his black Panigale V4 SP2.
"Why aren't you and your twin riding together, Penicarte the Second?" Lorenzo inquired curiously, stepping out of his car.
"He annoys me," Casimiro replied plainly, removing his helmet.
Vito and Taddeo emerged from their vehicles at the same moment. Taddeo immediately approached his twin.
"It's just a freaking rice, twinnie, why are you so mad at me, as if I burned your pet parrot?" Taddeo complained. Casimiro shot him a glare, making Taddeo duck behind Lorenzo.
"You fucking burnt the fucking rice, it's fucking the same, you stupid dimwit! Don't ever fucking step inside my house starting tomorrow!" Casimiro snarled, already striding toward the manor.
"You burned the rice, Penicarte the First?" Lorenzo commented with a smirk, earning a scoff from Taddeo.
"I forgot about it, okay. I was too engrossed in my twin's PS5. We're neighbors, yet he won't let me in anymore; that's unfair," Taddeo complained.
"If I were Miro, I would do the same. I wouldn't let you into my home if you're just going to waste rice," Vito stated, walking toward the manor with his hands in his pockets.
"Is burning rice a grave sin?" Taddeo asked Lorenzo, who simply shrugged.
"Don't ask me; I use a rice cooker at home. Don't you guys have one?" Lorenzo said, causing Taddeo to pause in thought.
"Does my twin have a rice cooker at his house?" he muttered to himself, before following Lorenzo, who was already heading for the manor.
Upon reaching the living room, they found Samara, apron-clad, conversing with one of the manor's maids.
"Long time no see, Silas—I mean, Samara," Taddeo greeted, and Samara turned to them.
"Oh, you're all here," Samara said with a smile, before dismissing the maid she had been speaking with.
"Your cooking?" Lorenzo asked, and Samara nodded.
"I always do the cooking here at home; I prefer my husband and daughter to eat my food. I ran out of ingredients, so I sent one of the maids to the grocery store. I've prepared extra, so you all can stay for dinner," Samara explained.
"Eight years have passed since you left the organization as an associate. You were one of my best operatives, but you left me for Il Capo," Taddeo dramatized, giving Samara a thumbs-up.
"But I admire you, because when it comes to you, the fierce lion of Senza Pietà becomes a docile lamb."
"Where's your husband?" Vito asked, changing the subject, and Samara turned to him.
"I'm sure he's in Veronica's room. You can go to him, as his office is right next to our daughter's room. I'll just head back to the kitchen for my cooking. It's good to see you all again," Samara said with a smile before returning to the kitchen.
"Until now, it's still a big question for me how Il Capo fell in love with Samara, and vice versa. Didn't Samara hate Il Cap—wait! Damn it, why are you leaving me here!" Taddeo quickly ascended the stairs as Lorenzo and the others had already started going up.
"You're all so rude! I was still talking, and you left me?" Taddeo complained.
"No one wants to hear your grievances about Samara and Il Capo's love life," Lorenzo retorted, making Taddeo frown.
"Salvatore is bullying me, twinnie—"
"Shut up! Just don't spit nonsense from the past," Casimiro snapped, making Vito sigh.
"I'll just remind you all of Penelton's instruction to the four of us: mind our manners. You wouldn't want to be chased by Penelton's bullets, would you?" Vito stated as they reached the second floor.
Having visited Elijah's home countless times, they knew every corner of the manor. They quickly arrived at Veronica's door, where they stood, each pondering who would knock.
"Who's going to knock?" Lorenzo asked.
"If our knocking on this door is bad timing, we'll all be punished. We should have asked Samara if it was alright to disturb Il Capo during his time with their child," Casimiro commented.
"Let's just wait in his office; I'm sure he'll know we're here an—"
"—you can't even knock? What would become of you all if I weren't here?" Taddeo interrupted, directly grasping the doorknob and opening it. Lorenzo and the others couldn't stop him.
As the door swung open, they were confronted by Elijah kneeling on the floor, with Veronica riding on his back like a cowgirl. Lorenzo and the others saw what they shouldn't have, causing them to freeze in their tracks.
"Daddy! Daddy! All my handsome uncles are here!" Veronica cheered happily. Lorenzo, Vito, and Casimiro averted their gazes, feeling Elijah's sharp stare.
"You look so cute there, Il Capo," Taddeo said, barely suppressing his laughter as he pulled out his phone and took a picture of Elijah.
For his action, Taddeo received simultaneous smacks to the back of his head from Lorenzo and the others, to whom he directed a furious glare.
"Damn it! Why did you hit me?!"
"All of you, in my office right now, and wait for me," Elijah stated coldly. The four shivered in unison at the frigid tone of Elijah's voice.
"Are you mad, Daddy?" Veronica asked innocently. Elijah smiled, turning to her.
"Of course not, Princess, why would I be mad?" Elijah replied. Taddeo promptly closed the door.
"W-We're dead, aren't we?" Taddeo said nervously, receiving a barrage of curses from Lorenzo and the others.
Minutes passed, and Vito and the others sat silently on the sofa in Elijah's office. Not one of them spoke until they heard the door open and felt Elijah's presence entering.
"Did any of you see anything inside my princess's room?" Elijah asked coldly, sending shivers down their spines.
"N-Nothing, Il Capo, my eyes are a bit blurry these days," Lorenzo quickly replied.
"I didn't see anything," Casimiro answered.
"There's nothing to see inside your daughter's room other than your pretty princess," Vito stated. Elijah's emotionless gaze shifted to Taddeo.
"Your phone, Penicarte."
"M-My phone is broken, Il Capo," Taddeo stammered, taking out his phone and violently throwing it to the floor, stomping on it until it was completely destroyed.
"See. It's completely broken, so it's useless now," Taddeo added, smiling nervously.
"The next time you barge into any room here in my fucking manor, I'll cut one finger from your hands. I told you to bring your manners when you all come here. Did I lack in my reminders?" Elijah asked emotionlessly. The four simultaneously shook their heads.
"I thought so," Elijah said, before sitting in his chair.
Vito and the others felt the chills inside Elijah's office and considered it dangerous. They wanted to blame Taddeo.
"Have you found out yet, Deo, who paid the five traitors for a small amount?" Elijah began plainly. Taddeo quickly stood up.
"Y-Yes, Il Capo! Vittorio Mancini paid the five to betray the organization. Mancini plans to learn our other transactions to get ahead of us," Taddeo reported.
"Vittorio Mancini, who is that bastard?"
"Vittorio Mancini is part of a small group that wants to get into the mafia world. We also found out that Mancini intends to disrupt Silas's coffee shop—I mean, Samara's—because he learned she's your wife. Good thing the five traitors included the one who was supposed to do that job," Lorenzo added. The others felt the atmosphere grow heavy, knowing Elijah did not like what he had just heard.
"What should I do with him, Salvatore? Any idea?" Elijah asked coldly.
"H-He's a small-fry termite who needs to—"
"—exterminate him myself? Is that right?" Elijah interrupted. When family was involved, they knew he wouldn't stay quiet.
"Calm down, Penelton. We know you don't like your wife and daughter being involved, but—"
"—calm down, you say, Benitez? I am fucking calm," Elijah interrupted, though they knew his words contradicted the chilling aura they felt from him.
"Mancini is the only brother of Cordillera's governor. If we kill him on a whim, I'm sure the governor will never—"
"—why do I care? Anyone who dares try to harm my wife and my daughter will be dead by my own hands, even if that Mancini has a fucking connection to any government officials, I won't spare his kind," Elijah coldly interrupted. Vito and the others knew there was nothing they could do to stop him.
They felt the cold anger from Elijah's presence, and they considered it dangerous. They couldn't say anything more to deter Elijah when they heard a few knocks on the door.
"Elijah, are you still talking?" Samara's voice came from outside the office. As the door opened, the cold ambiance instantly dissipated, replaced by a lighter one. Lorenzo and the others simultaneously turned to Elijah, who was smiling as Samara appeared.
"We're almost done talking, darling," Elijah replied softly. Lorenzo and the others didn't know if they could breathe a sigh of relief at that moment.
"Come down after you're done, okay? Our dinner will get cold, and it won't be good to eat when it's cold," Samara stated. Elijah rose from his seat.
"Let's end the conversation. Casimiro, I'll give you the mission to make Mancini pay for his mistakes. Let's go down first and eat," Elijah declared, walking closer to Samara and putting his arm around her.
"What did you cook for today's dinner, darling?"
"I cooked your favorite dish."
"I'll be eating a lot tonight..."
Lorenzo and the others remained in the office, each exhaling in relief once Elijah had left.
"Samara came in good timing," Vito said.
"Being love-struck like that helps in crucial times like this," Lorenzo commented, leaning back in his seat.
"I want to puke," Casimiro said, slightly pale. Taddeo stood up from his seat.
"See! How did Samara tamed that ruthless boss we have?!" Taddeo said as Vito stood up.
"Whatever Samara did to make Penelton turned like that is not our business. Let's go out and head downstairs. Penelton doesn't like to be kept waiting for dinner. Remember what he did to us months ago?" Vito reminded them. In an instant, the four of them scrambled to be the first one out of Elijah's office.