Page 25 of Hacker Beloved

Liu, who had been mostly silent throughout the night, finally spoke, his voice calm yet laced with a hint of bitterness. "Twenty-five years ago, my father was at the helm of our organization, and I was actually quite close friends with your father," he revealed, his gaze fixed on Zayla. "So, your father’s betrayal to our family still stings deeply. I’m sure you don’t remember, but I’d come over to your family home often."

Zayla's brow furrowed. "You had a son, and we would play together. Why would you allow the police to rip me away from New York, get stuck on a flight to California the same day my parents died, and then shipped me off to live with strangers? What exactly did my father do for your organization?" she inquired.

Liu's lips curved into a bittersweet smile. "Your father, he was an exceptional talent when it came to numbers. He kept our books," he replied, a sense of admiration evident in his tone. "Your dad was a wizard with finances, a master manipulator of figures and transactions."

He used a lot of fancy words to describe someone who had laundered money for the Silk Dragon Syndicate.

Zayla's lips turned down. "Did he steal from your family?"

Liu shook his head, his expression grave. "No, Zayla. At the time, we didn't find that he had stolen anything. His betrayal was far more severe than theft. It nearly caused a full-blown war between the Silk Dragons and the Russo Family," he explained.

Vincenzo cleared his throat and spoke up. "Allow me to fill in some of the details," he offered, his voice tinged with a mix of nostalgia and remorse. "Mind you. I was only about eight years old when all this unfolded. Over the years, whispers of the war that almost happened still circulate within our circles. You aren’t the first to dig into this lately. Since my father passed away, I’d already had a conversation with my mother to get information."

“Wait, who else is asking questions?” Asher asked.

“Let’s get through Zayla’s past, and we will come back to this. What I’m about to tell you won’t paint the best picture of your mother.”

“It’s strange. I remember spending time at Dad’s office, but as a kid, I never remembered spending time in Little Italy,” Zayla paused. “I want to know though.”

Vincenzo nodded before he continued. "Your mother, Zayla, had been working at our family restaurant since she was fifteen. Having lost her parents at a young age, she found solace and a sense of belonging with our family," he revealed.

I reached over and gripped Zayla’s hand, and she gently squeezed my fingers.

"During her time working here, she had an on-again, off-again relationship with my uncle, Armani. Honestly, your mother is the only person I ever saw Armani with, and I understood why she didn’t marry him. Armani is the type of gangster who many of the mob movies mimicked. He enjoyed torturing people for hours just to drag out the punishment before he killed the person," Vincenzo revealed, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "When your mother met your father, she chose to end her relationship with my uncle. Before you ask, Armani died six years ago, so I couldn't get details from him."

I’d watched a lot of mob movies over the years. “Was Armani the Viper?” I asked.

“Yes.” Vincenzo's voice grew heavier as he continued, "Like any relationship, your parents went through their own trials and hardships. Even though Armani was a cold man, he wasn’t when it came to your mother. Nobody knows what caused the fight between your parents years ago, but your mom came to work in tears. Armani pulled her into his office…and later, people saw them leave together.”

Lui cut in. “Your father confided in me a little during this time. He hated your mom working at the restaurant. The Silk Dragon paid him a large salary, plus they gave him his apartment and a nanny for you. When your mom wouldn’t quit, he threatened to take you and move cross-country. I think he wanted your mom away from Armani. But when she didn’t want to leave, your dad started to think she was having an affair.”

Vincenzo nodded. “I’ve broached the subject with a few of the older members, but nobody would confirm or deny if the supposed affair had started on that day of the fight almost nine months before your sister was born.”

The revelation hung in the air, turbulent emotions intertwining with the heavy silence that followed. The truth of Zayla’s parentage and the complexities of her past began to unfold.

Liu continued the difficult tale. His voice was filled with a combination of regret and heaviness. "Your parents were overjoyed when your mother announced her pregnancy. For a while, things appeared to be going well. Your father was happy, and they didn't discuss the idea of leaving anymore. When your sister was born, he was immensely proud."

As Liu spoke, a sense of unease settled in my stomach, anticipating the revelation that was about to unfold before our ears. I braced myself, knowing the weight of the truth that would soon be brought to light.

"While your mother was pregnant with your sister, Armani went to Italy for a period of time. After Jasmin was born, your mother never brought her to the restaurant, and nor did she bring you," Vincenzo continued, his voice tinged with a touch of sadness. "Nobody thought much of it back then, as it wasn't unusual for her not to visit with you."

Liu leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. "It was around the time your sister turned six months old that your father called me, heavily intoxicated. He started rambling about how your sister didn't look like him and how the timeline for when your mother got pregnant didn't add up.”

Vincenzo cut in. “Around the same time, Armani had returned. My mother recalled hearing frequent arguments between Armani and your mother."

Zayla's fingers tapped anxiously on the table. "So, if I understand correctly, Armani killed my father…because he wanted my sister. But why kill my mother?" she questioned.

I wondered the same thing.

Liu shook his head, his expression filled with empathy. "Vincenzo and my father didn't care about the affair, Zayla. It was your father's desire for revenge against the Russo family that triggered the chain of events that led to their deaths," he explained, his tone heavy with regret. "Your father used the Syndicate's accounting system and network to target the Russo family."

Vincenzo, his voice filled with a somber tone interjected. "That's when my father and Liu's father decided to have a sit-down. My dad noticed the Silk Dragons had made moves against our family. The Chinese and Italian mafia had never had conflicts until that time," Vincenzo added. "Everything came to light during that meeting. Our fathers believed that the best solution was to eliminate your parents. Jasmin would be raised by the Russo family, and you would be placed with a caring family in California."

The weight of the truth settled over the table, the implications of the past echoing through the room. The decisions made by the crime syndicates, and her father’s revenge, had cost Zayla so much.

Zayla's eyes filled with a mix of grief and anger as she leaned forward, her voice trembling with emotion. "Where is my sister?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper yet filled with a desperate longing.

Vincenzo's expression grew solemn, and he let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Zayla. Both your sister and Armani...they passed away in a tragic car accident six years ago," he revealed, his voice filled with sorrow. "It was a treacherous icy road. Their car went off a bridge, and they didn't make it out."

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