"Hey little sis. Longest time." Jason said as he ruffled jade's hair.
She had a little frown on her face as she flicked his hand away from her hair, patting it back down.
"I'm not little anymore. Besides you are the one who didn't wanna come home." She said pouting.
"Well I'm here now, aren't I. Just admit it you missed me jelly." He said calling her by the nickname he gave her when they were younger.
"Nope, didn't miss you one bit. I'll only miss you if you bribe me." Jade told him, tilting her chin up to meet his face with a silly smile on her lips.
Adria stood at the side watching the scene play out with a smile on her face.
"Of course you would want me to bribe you." Jason said scoffing playfully.
"Well I had initially bought the latest MacBook to donate to an homeless shelter but I think I changed my mind."
Bending a bit to jade's level, he grinned mischievously and before she knew it he ruffled her hair again.
"Would you like the MacBook jelly?"
"Of course I missed you meatball." Jade said grinning as Jason frowned for at the name but smiled back.
"Fair enough." He said shrugging.
"You know Marcus, I never thought we had the power of being invisible." Jade's Mom said facing her husband, Marcus, as she spoke.
"You are right. Well what darling why don't we leave these two and disappear for a while hmm?" Marcus replied as he pecked his wife on her cheek.
Jade faked a gag as she watched her parents PDA.
"I don't think we want to know why you guys wanna disappear."
"Yeah we definitely don't." Jason backed her up.
"Hey everyone." Jade called their attention.
"I wanna introduce you to my bestie, the only one who could thaw Andre's cold demeanor and the heir to the Wilhelm's dynasty, Adria Wilhelm." She concluded as she wrapped her arms around Adria.
Their attention turned to her who had been hiding in the shadows, letting the family have their moment.
"Darling, you've grown and wonderfully well." Jade's mother, Sasha said as she wrapped Adria in a motherly embrace.
"The last time I saw you, you were still a child running around with a beautiful smile on your face. Time sure does fly quickly."
"It's good to know that Phillip's daughter is doing well." Marcus stated, as he acknowledged her in a brief hug.
"It's nice finally meeting you, Mr and Mrs Thompson. Jade has told me a lot about you."
"Okay, wait a moment guys. Can we all backtrack because I am so lost here? How did you know her when she was a child?" Jade asked confused. Even Adria too felt a bit confused.
"As you already know, our families are connected in ways you didn't expect. So I think it's normal for us to know our friends child, or is it not?" Her father explained.
"Yeah I guess." Jade said as she finally understood.
" But you never told me you knew her?" She stared at them accusingly.
"You never asked." Her mother shrugged.
"It's nice to meet the lady who's been able to tame that little rascal's heart." Jason said while he shook Adria's hand in acknowledgement.
"If I remember correctly, you have a sister right? Where is she?" Sasha asked.
"Oh, she's in a coma but she has been improving recently." Adria told them.
The couple looked shocked at the news.
"We didn't know. Hope she would wake up soon." Marcus spoke while Sasha nodded, agreeing with him.
"She would." Adria affirmed, firmly believing.
"Well if it isn't a full house." Andre's mom, Sophia said, emerging from the doorway as she and Marco walked in.
"Yeah. Well we couldn't let you guys have all the fun." Marcus said as he hugged his stepsister.
Sasha and Sophia also hugged.
"Hi aunt. It's been a while." Jason said as he let her give him a brief hug.
"Can't believe you guys planned a reunion without me." Andre said walking in with a straight face.
"Uhmm do you guys hear anything. I thought I heard complaining from a little rascal." Jason said as everyone burst out laughing.
"Hey, who are you calling little?" Andre said with a smile. They both exchanged glances and seemed to communicate telepathically.
"Don't even do what I think you both are going to...do" the last part of Sophia's word faded as Jason rushed and attacked Andre.
They both had a little showdown in which Andre had the upper hand. Standing over Jason who laid flat on the floor staring at the designs on the high ceiling with a proud smile,
"You've improved little rascal."
"Well you've been gone a while and besides I'm not little anymore." Andre replied as he held out a hand for Jason to pull himself up.
But Jason had other plans as he grabbed Andre's hand but instead of pulling himself up, he slid a feet across the floor, aiming on clearing Andre's footing. Andre anticipated something like this so instead of falling, he jumped, avoiding Jason's attempt. He smirked at him as if conveying a message that he was smarter and stronger.
Jade leaned in and whispered to Adria.
"They always do this when they meet after a long time even while we were kids. It's kinda like their way of greeting each other, and proving who's stronger."
They were the only two that stayed, watching their little combat. Their parents had left as they were already used to their fights and didn't want to watch another.
Jason stood up and straightened out his clothes that were ruffled from their showdown.
Nanny Esther came into the living room, seeing their disheveled appearances she was able to deduce what happened.
"You both better get cleaned up, dinner is almost ready." She addressed the guys. Facing jade and Adria, she asked.
"Girls could you come help me out in the kitchen."
Adria and jade went along with Esther to help her out, while Jason and Andre went to their respective rooms to get cleaned up.
********* An office in the haven *********
The officelike study was coated in grey paint and the entire floor was covered with a grey plush rug having a spiral design in black from the center.
The study was quite large containing a brown wooden desk with a chair behind and two in front, two couches opposite each other with a table in the middle. There was a mini bar at the side, displaying different brands and types of drinks on the shelf. On the other side was a mini library.
Two figures were settled down on the couches opposite each other with their glass of whiskey on the table. Their faces were stern as they discussed important matters, or in this case, matter.
"You know you didn't have to come, we could have dealt with it." Andre spoke, his voice not portraying any emotion.
"You could have but you need all the help you can get. Fiore is no simple man." Jason objected to Andre's thinking.
"Who's in charge over there?" Andre questioned, wanting to know who was in charge of their base over at foxing city.
Everyone thinks that Jason's attending school over at foxing city but only Andre knows the real reason he's there. Some years back, one of their bases in the city was had encountered some problems as the previous don in charge over there had been targeted and eliminated.
The traitors had recruited some of their members and started a rebellion against their leadership. The two of them had the suspicion that Marco Fiore had a hand in it as he wanted to start taking them down from the inside.
They devised a plan that included Jason going undercover to fish out the traitors and spies. They were successful because no one knew who he was and so they didn't suspect him when he gave them the story they made up.
After they got rid of the traitors and spies, Jason suggested that he lead them over there while Andre was in charge. Andre didn't agree with his idea as he considered a lot of things, his family included but Jason made him see reason. Since then, while everyone thinks he schooling, he's actually the don over there.
He did have a degree as a surgeon but his family hadn't been informed as they still needed his cover up until the shit with Fiore was settled.
"I left Luciano in charge and before you say anything, I trust him." Jason answered Andre's question.
"You trusting him is enough." Andre said as he agreed with Jason.
"So what's the plan in taking down this mother fucker?" Jason asked, flaring up a bit just by thinking about everything Fiore had done to their family.
And by family not just the Lopez's and Wilhelm, their family included all the members of the omertà alliance.
"For starters, I met with Klein kaiser." Andre started.
"That fucking ghost. How was it?" Jason inquired.
"He agreed to help but for his own reasons which we are not inclined to know." Andre explained.
"Do you trust him?" Jason wanted to know. He knew how Andre was as they grew up together and he knew he wouldn't make a decision without weighing everything involved. He knew that even though Andre was ruthless, he wouldn't make a decision that would endanger his own.
"For a man I met once, I trust him. Besides his predecessors have always been part of the omertà alliance, I understand if he wants a different paths." Andre said, explaining his reason.
"I trust your decision Andre. Since he agreed, what's the next step?"
"We have information that's he's in town but he hasn't made a move yet. When he does we will be ready for him. I have increased their training so they would be ready for anything." Andre informed him.
"That's not the real plan is it?" Jason asked knowing Andre very well to know that that wouldn't be his plan on taking down his enemy.
"No it isn't." Andre said lifting the glass containing whiskey to his lips that were stretched in a smirk. Jason too smirked knowing that whatever Andre planned would be foolproof and take down that bastard once and for all.
In the four walls of the study, voices spoke of a plan to take down a man. They say the wall has ears, but they never said it had a mouth to speak of the secrets it's heard.
Dinner that night was filled with laughter and joy. Happiness etched into each and every person seated at the table. Conversation's flowed naturally as they took turns in teasing each other.
As Adria's gaze moved across everyone, she realized that this was what it meant to be part of a family - to share in each other's happiness and sorrows, to support and love one another unconditionally. She felt grateful to be a part of this little community, and she knew that she would always treasure this moment, this feeling of belonging and love.
**************
Everyone had retired back to their respective rooms, calling it a night.
Adria was wrapped in Andre's warmth, her head on his chest while his arm was around her, holding her close.
There was an idea on her mind and she decided on informing Andre about it.
"Andre." She called out softly while he hummed a response.
"So jade and I were thinking and we decided that we want to be a physical part of this fight. We won't just hide in the shadows while others risk their lives to end something our predecessors started." She lifted her head and locked eyes with him.
"We want to learn how to fight and use a gun. Maybe one of your men could teach us." She suggested but his answer left her speechless.
"No I won't let my men teach you because....."