Page 80 of Poison Vows

“Since you already know this is an emergency, isn’t it clear to see that there are urgent matters to discuss?” Grandfather snaps.

All the varying emotions and expressions of humanity he showed me just a few minutes ago are gone.

In front of his sons, he’s like a machine with no feelings, just doling out instructions, orders, and impassiveness to the three sons that want his position.

To everyone on the outside looking in, Grandfather’s behavior toward me indicates favoritism, or at the very least, that he holds me in high regard, but that’s not true.

He can’t control me, nor is he able to predict my moves. So, he’s always on guard against me.

Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer type of nonsense.

A powerful but wary leader is extremely dangerous.

They become paranoid, suspicious, and unpredictable, and the old man is all that and more, especially now with his health scares that can’t seem to do the job effectively.

After his first stroke, that’s when he started moving against me, using Vaughn to check and balance my power… that is, until he realized how futile that was.

With his impressive streak of losses against me, the senile old man decided to exploit my one weakness.

The issue about that specific weakness is that although it’s just that one, it’s a fatal one. The old man knows that too, but I also know one other thing.

Without me, he’d be dead already.

I’m the buffer between him and his enemies. That includes his own sons.

“Can the meeting begin now?” Angelo asks almost timidly.

“Let’s wait a minute,” Grandfather says. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”

In that moment, the other set of doors swing open and Vaughn walks in.

“Vaughn! Come in, son,” Emilio says cheerfully, gesturing to his son.

Vaughn looks straight at me for a beat before he walks toward Grandfather and takes a seat to his left.

Angelo and Giovanni take their seats, looking curious while Emilio rushes to sit beside the son he’s pinned all his hopes on.

I remain standing by the doors, looking out at the greenhouse in the distance.

“Now we can start,” Grandfather starts in a low rumble. “I have a few things to discuss with you. First, Vaughn tells me he has something to report.”

Vaughn clears his throat. “Sir, I’ve located the whereabouts of the Family’s betrayer, Syrus.”

Without turning around, I can feel eyes on my back when my father is mentioned.

“Hold on,” Giovanni’s mocking voice sounds in the room. “Wasn’t this task given to Alessio?”

“That’s right,” Emilio chimes in. “Alessio insisted on finding his bastard father a few years ago with no success, and yet my son has found him already? That’s suspicious at best!”

“Could it be that Alessio wasn’t looking for Syrus at all? Was he pretending to find him but secretly letting him go?” Giovanni says, clearly instigating.

They all fall silent, as if waiting for me to get defensive so they can build an even bigger trap in front of Grandfather, but I don’t give a damn.

“Go on, Vaughn,” Grandfather says,

“Syrus is in Sicily and he might be moving against us with the help of our enemies. I await your instructions on how to handle this,” Vaughn answers respectfully.

“Instructions on what?” Grandfather questions.

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