Chapter 2

The day was bright sunny with birds chirping even in the warm afternoon.

It was clearly a day where you would go to a beach enjoy it with your feet sinking in the warm sand and enjoying its warmth with a cold drink in your hands.

A jet landed in the ever same weather of New York, and men in crisp black suit stood by the stairs of the jet, while the men and women of airport staff stood at a clear distance.

It felt as if the President himself was landing but even he himself would not have created the fearful aura that seemed to surround the people standing as stiff as soldiers.

The gate opened and the young attractive man stepped out with olive tan skin behind him a man with similar complexion clearly he was his brother.

The flight attendant bowed in respect and what was an emotion hidden very slyly by her smile was fear, to the young lads of Genovese clan. Who finally stepped foot on the American ground. 

Both were fierce, if one was breathing fire then the other was tantalizing cold ice.

They soon reached the exit, that for the one present in the city might be the entrance. A Maybach parked proudly at the gate awaiting its master as patiently as it's luxury demanded for it to be.

And by the car's gate stood their family butler Pablo which was personally assigned to Alessio since childhood knowing how tempting and demanding he gets.

He stood their obeying-ly anticipating his young Capo Alessio Luchesi Genovese and his elder Rafael Tedesco Genovese. While being already catered to the youngest one back in the heart of the city with the latest clubs and casinos for Pietro Domenico Genovese.

He happens to leave the exact time as Alessio left but manages to land in New York before anyone of them.

Maybe knowing how short hot-tempered his young master is. Or knowing he is the one responsible for his young master's comfort made him work come faster.

Sitting in the expensive, luxurious car and watching the sky-high scrapers passing by, Pietro should have believed his brother was indeed watching the buildings as they pass by, but he knew his brother better.

As the buildings passed within the blink of an eye, Alessio's mind switch from one of his works to the other.

Yes, the man was that fast.

The setting sun, clouds scattered in the sky with different colours. It looked beautiful not like the canvas that had an artist creating a masterpiece on it but like that unnoticed, unimportant palette holding different colours, mixing them creating a new one.

The setting sun was able to hide even in the scattered clusters of clouds as if shy of the world to see it or was it the vulnerable state of it against the world?

Vulnerable just like the people in the sky rising building. A havoc was storming in the skyscraper and the people were as scared as a two year in the storm.

Vulnerable as the setting sun in the scattered clouds. Afraid of their company's owner to get offended by them unintentionally. Leading them jobless or probably more homeless.

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Alessio's feet were continuously tapping on the floor. An unusual, uncommon thing of him to do, his brother thought.

Situated on the lush cherry brown sumptuous and extravagant couch Rafael flipped through a number of files and mails opened on his laptop just like his younger brother. 

Except as the time slowly passed Alessio who was popularly known for his short temper was increasingly calm but he knew Alessio well, inside of him a storm was raging and his rapid tapping on the floor, more violently after every tap was a sheer indication of it.

"Send manager Karl," Alessio spoke in the intercom, very calmly in his thick Italian accent trying to be as much clear as to the native Americans.

When the manager entered and stood right in front of Alessio's table he shivered and trembled like a leaf falling in autumn.

"Where's the director?" Alessio continued to look down on the messed up files and interrogated him.

"She's on maternity leave, sir!" Karl the supposed manager exclaimed almost immediately.

Alessio pursed his lips in a tight line and gave a single nod of agreement, his tapping of feet on the floor long ended when Karl entered.

"And General Manager?"

"Mr Fincher took leave for a month for he had his wedding and then for his honeymoon."

Alessio closed his eyes and took long breath and spoke ever so patiently "So The Genovese Inc., the New York Branch was running so far without a Director or even a General Manager for as long as 3 months and only now that everything is so horrendously messed up that you, Assistant Manager dared to inform us in headquarters!"

And finally all the chains to his temper snapped and he roared like an angry lion so loud that might have all the working employees quaked in fear "Were you sleeping all this while?! Mr Karl Anderson?"

"Sorry sir, I thought we'd manage..." he left the sentence incomplete wishing to finish the sentence but the fierce aura he felt from Alessio's glare at him made him stop the unspoken words that remained in his mouth and eyes down on the floor.

In shame or fear was worth a question to be asked. But the matter at hand was more important.

Pietro snorted and Alessio shot another glare but this time in his brother's direction.

Pietro tried to ignore it while Rafael spoke "You know this branch may not be headquarters but this is the base and is more important as it is in the heart of  New York's Corporate. Making it globally approachable? Many businesses and stocks depend from this particular branch only. You know that right?"

Mr Anderson didn't met any of their eyes and kept looking down and nodded his head with a small 'yes sir'.

"And you dare show such immaturity?" And the irony here was undeniably laughable, the man who himself was so popularly known for his own immaturity even after reaching 22, was speaking of immaturity.

Pietro Genovese, the third in line of three brothers, the youngest so the most and only immature and carefree amongst three of them, spoke for the first time since being here as he cannot keep to himself anymore since he saw how his elder second, hot-tempered sibling looked about ready to blast and he was wondering what and how to control then.

"You are dismissed since I fire you," Pietro spoke further in the hope it will calm his brother in some sense.

And Mr.Anderson looked up in an instant, in utter fear of his job. Knowing well if he was fired from Genovese Inc. no other company would be willing to hire him. Nothing or no one can get him employed. Neither the in-demand 10 years of experience nor the company's rival.

"Sorry sir, please forgive me! It won't happen again, I swear on my dead father. Please" he spoke exasperatingly.

"Write a letter to General Manager and Director, they are fired too," Alessio spoke nonchalantly as if he just didn't give a poor employee his literal death sentence.

"But wasn't they both on legal leave? With a valid reason and pre-information? Wouldn't it shade us in a bad light?" Rafael spoke as a matter of fact but Alessio looked as rigid as a metamorphic rock.

Non-negotiable!

"When do people's opinions affect us? We are wise guys in our people's eyes it won't do shit to us or our reputation." Alessio spoke taking a cigar out and a vintage looking lighter from his coat pocket the having a large symbol engraved in it.

Zeus crown with an exception of two snakes crossed and stabbed by a carved knife.

Both brother's head snapped in Alessio's direction and they dared to give him a look that somewhat matched with a threatening one but it was hard to say.

But one thing was for sure that totally gave away by the look was as if both brothers were giving him a warning or something it was hard to predict.

Even in this situation of lifelong bankruptcy which him being fired from this company could foresee upon him, he managed to see this interaction.

He was a clever guy but lack in future forecasting or in taking long-term decisions.

"Please forgive me, Boss! I beg of you!! I have a family to feed and a poor old mother to look after. Where should I, where would I go, lest you fire me. Depart me or demote me to a post much lower than what this employee deserves but let it stay for it shall prove it's loyalty always to you." He bends down an arm on his heart with a tightly closed fist and another behind his back.

A clear sign of respect and loyalty all three wondered if he knew of them? Was his roots were that as of them? Was he from Italy? But his last dialect was that of an English!

Alessio was impressed he knew now no matter what he'd let him keep his job and continue while he would continue on his hunt on his background.

And if there was to be found something shady no matter as small as a peck or as large as a planet. He would erase his existence from any planet.

He floundered Alessio a bit from inside but Alessio being good at hiding emotions didn't show any.

For it wasn't an emotion of mercy or kindness, it was his loyalty and sophistication even in this state, that moved Alessio. Though any better he looked on the verge of crying.

"Quite actually we are sorry for hiring an irresponsible child-like man like you who couldn't understand his own responsibilities. So to correct our dear mistake we fire you." Pietro tried to speak in a similar manner as Mr.Anderson but failed miserably and both brothers rolled their eyes for him taking everything so lightly.

"No can do Pietro," Rafael spoke and the Assistant Manager who looked like a lost child with eyes filled with tears a bit relieved as if found his parents.

"And why may I ask Rafa?" Pietro questioned with eyes sharp like a hawk who found his prey on the ground even so high in the sky, one brow arched up in annoyance wondering 'why never his brother's can agree with him?'

"It will not only create questions in people's mind which is rather of no concern of Alessio but to me, it is so No. And...Karl right?" Rafael questioned and Karl confirmed with a nod and plead in his eyes.

His eyes sending pleading message to him to save him and he'd gave his life for the company by working day and night.

"Destra; we cann–" Rafael was cut off by Alessio very smoothly.                                                                   (Right)

"Cannot fire him since whatever happened in last 3 months in the absence of both high post managers all that information is with him, he was the one to manage all the data and all employees were subordinate to him so we cannot our hands are tied now, and firing him will only create chaos if it is not already."

Rafael agreed "Exactly."

And Pietro seemed now more and more interested in his phone and so they ignored him knowing his decisions were as bad as calculative approaches.

The company's fallen revenue in the months and lack of new interns or employees catch Alessio's eye and so he further ordered "Bring in the 3 months weekly file report of recruitment the H.R. Department seems to be at rest and the Finance Department seems to do something hideous bring in the balance chart sheets too. Sospetto!"                                                                                                                                                                             (Suspicious!)

"And yes any soul hears about all this, you having record data or no data you are fired with no negotiation at all." Alessio's voice was meek yet dangerous making the poor manager shiver again, while he spoke the last 'negotiation' part looking at Rafael.

"Right Sir, anything else?" Even his question sounded like a request.

"Actually yes, contact some good no scratch that find the best consultancy firm for we need a consultant manager to sort all this mayhem, we are here to take decisions not for finding solutions to problems," Pietro spoke and Rafael seemed to agree.

But as always Alessio didn't agree his face morphed in a scowl and before he could exterminate the lame order Karl stepped out of the cabin silently with eyes down the whole time.

Maybe that was the reason why he wasn't able to see the denial expression Alessio had.

After his discreet departure he questioned hard irritated tone "Perché abbiamo bisogno di un estraneo? Un consulente per gestire e ordinare i conti e i dipendenti della nostra azienda? Non è simpatico né siamo sicuri che il consulente manager non sarebbe corrotto! Chissà di cosa è capace?"                                                                                                                                                                                    ("Why do we need an outsider? A consultant to manage and sort our company's accounts and employees? It's not likeable nor we are sure that the consultant manager wouldn't be corrupt! Who knows what's he's capable of?")

"Oh! Cazzo dammi un uomo di rottura! Che cazzo dubbioso di un fratello che ho!" Pietro murmered under his breath.                                                                                                                                            ("Oh! ****, give me a break man! What a doubting **** of a brother I've got!")

"Esatto, chi lo sa? Se è corrotto o no, nessuno sa di cosa è capace? Forse è molto più capace di quello per cui gli stai dando credito." Il saggio l'aveva fatto dubitare e diffidare di chiunque." Rafael tried to bargain with Alessio.                                                                                                                          ("Exactly who knows? If he's corrupt or not neither anyone knows what he's capable of? Maybe he is much more capable of what you are giving him the credit for. Staying the wise guy had made you doubt and be suspicious of every and anyone.") 

"Ora chiudiamo tutto questo lavoro, assumeremo qualche maledetto consulente per questo, ecco a cosa servono. Let's go grab a snack dude." Pietro tried to mimic the American accent but failed miserably making Rafael chuckle and Alessio scowl.                                                                            ("Now close all this work we're gonna hire some bloody consultant for it, that's what they are for.")

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