Capítulo 23: Lucia Rosetti
The setback suffered during Enzo's last visit to the Cosmopolitan was already gone from his mind. After all, for a person of such stature, how can a single failure hold him down? He wasn't the don of one of the five families of New York for nothing.
He had long forgotten the mishap regarding the Cosmopolitan. Now, he had his eyes set on the future. For him, who had enemies waiting to devour him at every corner, it was necessary to plan things ahead of time. Thus, there were two things that he needed to do.
First, and most importantly, was preparing for his dear daughter's upcoming wedding. Although he was marrying her off to a family from Italy, in no way had she been forced into it. He loved and doted on his daughter way too much to do that.
She had naturally accepted the marriage after getting to know and develop feelings for the person she was getting married to. If she hadn't agreed to it, Enzo would never have agreed to the marriage proposal.
He was greatly fortunate that his daughter had agreed to the marriage. For in doing so, his family was now allied with another, very important and influential, family. That would help him deal with the Buccantis and in the future, his membership in the Cosmopolitan would also be assured.
The second thing he was planning was how to completely tie David to the family. The fact that even the don of the Luciani Family showed an interest in the kid spoke volumes about him. After all, Enzo knew the truth about the Luciani Family and its boss, Antonio—he was no regular man.
That was why Enzo valued David so highly. If even Don Antonio was interested in him, there surely must be something about David, something special that a regular person like Enzo couldn't notice.
As he was thinking of how to completely gain the boy's loyalty, the door to his office flung open and a figure walked in without permission. Enzo, who was sitting on the couch facing the scenery outside through the window, was very annoyed. After all, not even his son, Angelo, would dare to barge inside his office without knocking.
His eyebrows furrowed as he got up from the couch, turned around, and yelled, "Who has the audacity—" Then his words got stuck in his throat when he realized who it was.
The figure rushed into his embrace and affectionately said, "Daddy! Did you miss me?"
Enzo was pleasantly surprised and he hugged the woman back and patted her on the head. His creased eyebrows relaxed and a warm, gentle smile spread across his lips. "Lucia, my princess. Why didn't you say you were coming? I would've personally picked you up from the airport."
The father and daughter shared a warm and peaceful moment together, then Lucia looked at him and stuck out her tongue. "I wanted to surprise you."
Seeing his daughter's playful attitude, Enzo's heart warmed. Even though she was about to get married in a few months, she always behaved like a small child in front of him. Out of the two kids he had, Lucia was his favorite and the one he doted on the most.
He held her hand and brought her to the couch. After they sat down, he looked at her with a gentle smile and asked, "So, how was Italy?"
Lucia's eyes lit up. "Oh my god, daddy! Italy was so beautiful… but…." Her shoulders suddenly slouched and she showed a saddened expression.
Alarmed, Enzo immediately asked out of concern, "What is it? Did Rodrico treat you badly?"
"No, it's not that. Rodrico is a great man and he always makes me happy…." Lucia shook her head.
Enzo's eyebrows twitched. He had a feeling that what his daughter was about to say would be very ridiculous.
Feeling wronged, Lucia continued, "It's just that I ate too much cheese while I was in Italy, and now I've gained weight."
'As expected.' Enzo facepalmed. His daughter had always been somewhat dramatic, but she only acted like this in front of him. Not even in front of his mother would such hysterics be seen. Enzo continued asking about her trip abroad, and Lucia expressively narrated everything with great delight.
Finally, about ten minutes later, Enzo asked a serious question. "Have you and Rodrico thought about the wedding venue? And do you have anything specific in mind?"
"I'll be happy with whatever you decide, daddy." Lucia smiled brightly and then added, "And Rodrico will have to be content with whatever makes me happy."
Enzo let out a hearty laugh. It seemed like things were going pretty well between his daughter and future son-in-law. He curiously asked, "Speaking of, where is Rodrico?"
Lucia's face turned solemn. "He's also come here with me. They sent him over specifically to deal with the Buccantis. Currently, he's sorting out some personal business."
Enzo was greatly relieved. The fact that they had sent Rodrico over meant they were also serious about the alliance. He didn't complain that they only sent one person to deal with the Buccantis, because, just like Antonio Luciani, Rodrico was no regular man. Enzo knew that he alone would suffice.
Suddenly, he thought of something and his eyes lit up. He looked at his daughter and asked, "By the way, there's this new kid we recruited almost two years back and I'm thinking of permanently tying him up with our family. What do you think?"
"Oh?" Lucia's interest was piqued. "Who's the kid?"
...
Over the past couple of months, David had been helping Phil out with the investigation of the missing girls. But it had borne no result, and with each passing day, it was getting difficult for David to meet up with him.
After all, if someone from the family saw him regularly meeting with a cop, even if he had a valid reason to, they would only think of one thing. And that one thing would result in him getting shot in the head. Thus, every time he met Phil, he had to take the utmost precautions.
On this day, the pair met up near an abandoned factory in New Jersey. After David reported his findings—or lack thereof—to Phil, the old detective couldn't help but heave a dejected sigh. He clenched his fists and resolved himself again. If there was the slightest chance that Olivia was alive, he would give it his all.
He looked at David and nodded. "Thank you for what you've done till now. I hope we can continue cooperating."
David thought for a long time, but in the end, shook his head. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. Not in the next couple of months, at least."
Phil's eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?" He found David to be extremely efficient and he helped him quite a bit with the investigation. And not to mention, he managed to build up a good rapport with the youth.
David took a deep breath and solemnly replied, "I can't say." If he told the detective about the details of the Rosetti family's upcoming counterattack against the Buccantis, then he'd be breaking omerta.
Phil's eyes narrowed as he quickly caught onto the underlying meaning of David's words. In the end, he nodded.
"And detective," David looked at him deeply and continued, "please don't try to be a hero and get involved. I have a feeling this coming storm is gonna be a brutal one."
Phil looked David in the eye and nodded. "Don't worry, I'm not that stupid."
"Good," David replied, then turned around to leave. "Alright then, catch you later."
Phil looked at David's departing back and cautioned. "Be careful, kid. Don't die." He had grown to like the youth after working with him for the past couple of months. Even though he was a criminal, Phil didn't want anything bad to happen to him. They had a weird relationship.
David nonchalantly waved his hand and replied without looking back, "I won't." Inwardly, he couldn't help but mock, 'Why do these guys always keep thinking I'm gonna die?'
[Countdown: 59 days…]
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
PandaDumpling
PandaDumpling Ed note: As we approach the end of volume 1, I feel it’s a good time to poll our readers for some feedback. What do you like about The Dream Walker System so far? What is it that hooked you and brings you back? What would you like to see in the future? Is there anything specific you’d like to note about what works and doesn’t work for you? Let us know in the comments—those and reviews are what keep us doing what we do.
Panda and I are incredibly grateful for your continued support, so we’d like to bring you more of what you like as we move the story forward.
Cheers, beers, and french fries!
- CheshirePhoenix
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