Chapter 7 #2
"That's the thing," she simpered, "only a few bottles are produced, and they don't harvest yearly since the temperature has to hit a certain point because the wine is made from naturally frozen grapes.
When they do harvest, they do so at a naming ceremony, and the wine created from that harvest is the only one that'll ever hold that name. "
"How do you buy it then?" I asked.
"The family only sells it on their estate, and it's kind of an if you know, you know situation. They do gift bottles to those who don't live close to Stonecrest but that's about it."
"Then why ask me if I tried it if it's so exclusive?" I smacked, rolling my eyes.
"Conversation, duh." She laughed.
"How do you know about it?"
"I own a couple bottles of it. My services were required, and as a thank you, they invited me to their harvesting weekend one year."
"It must cost a pretty penny if you got paid in wine."
"Oh no, I was paid in thousands, but I did such a great job they brought me into their inner circle. That's what this business is, Choyce… networking, making connections, and showing people your worth when you're called to the podium."
"So, I'm learning."
"And I'm here to teach." She smiled, lifting her glass.
"Is that what this is? Teacher and student?"
"Something like that." Her eyes softened. "We're also friends, or at least I hope we are."
"Friends," I confirmed, leaning my glass toward hers.
We clinked glasses, then sipped. Honey blossom and white peach flooded my senses as the golden amber liquid slid down my throat.
"It tastes so good," I hummed.
"And does. I love a brand that doesn't just look the part but actually exceeds my expectations in taste."
"Right," I agreed, setting my glass down. "I'm not trying to rush or anything, but I'd like to know the plan."
Emersyn's brows furrowed. "Plan?"
"The plan for Lynx's parents. Honor said—"
"Wrong," she snapped, letting her laxed smile vanish. "Honor didn't say a good damn thing. He presented a job, and I took it."
"What's the difference?"
"The difference is when you do what a man says, you give him the power to control your next move.
You let your mind convince you that you have to follow his steps instead of creating your own.
Consider this your first lesson. Never let anyone believe that what they want satisfies your needs. Do you understand?"
My head dipped, and as it started to come up, Emersyn shook her head.
"I don't converse in body language. Grab that bottle of wine and let's go into the living room. It's clear I have a lot to teach you in a short amount of time."
Emersyn strutted out of the kitchen like her words were commandments she knew I'd follow, and I did.
"This is your second lesson," she began as we sank into the couch, its soft, billowy cushions swallowing us both. "Oh, you might never get rid of me after this. It's so damn comfortable it feels like a cloud."
"I know, right? Cherish loves it."
"I bet because I love it too."
Emersyn shifted, settling in, then grabbed her glass from the marble coffee table.
"Back to the lesson. When we met, your attitude introduced you, which is a weakness. You had to strum up anger or annoyance just to feel confident in a room you thought you didn't belong in. What I'm going to teach you is how to naturally be that bitch without having to put it on and take it off."
"Okay." I could've argued, but it was pointless. Emersyn's assessment was right.
"So I'll reiterate: never let anyone believe what they want satisfies your needs," she coolly instructed.
"The second I told you to grab the wine and come into the living room, and you did it, you gave me power over you, especially since this is your house.
No one should tell you a good damn thing in your house without being checked. "
I stayed quiet, taking in everything she said.
"And when we speak, we do so with words. Nodding or shaking your head reads as timid or as if you're too eager to learn. Knowledge is power, so of course I want you to learn, but do so in a way that's discreet and elusive."
"I understand."
"Good. That's all the teaching I'm doing for tonight. I wanted this to be more of a relaxed vibe than a business one."
"But the job still has to get done."
"And it will." Emersyn snickered. "A friend of mine is a chemist. She was developing a drug to slow down brain function in people with ADD and ADHD.
They tested it on a mouse, and the brain didn't just slow down.
The entire system did, killing the mouse.
Obviously, the drug was scrapped, but I found another use for it.
This morning, Lynx's parents received a water delivery. " She sipped, then looked at me.
"The drug is in the water, isn't it?"
"Mmhmm. It's called Morphenyl. It's odorless and tasteless, which makes sense since most people with ADD and ADHD don't like taking pills."
"How long will it take until they're dead?"
"They already are. My friend confirmed it. Tomorrow morning, she'll tip off the police, and the first step of Honor's plan will be complete."
"What if it's detected in their system?"
Emersyn waved her hand, brushing off the question.
"It won't be. Once it enters the body, it breaks down into naturally occurring compounds that already exist. And the odds of anyone testing the water are slim to none."
"What if they do?"
"Nothing happens because a friend of mine will be the detective on the case." She winked.
"Connections and networking," I murmured, impressed.
"Exactly. I figured we'd keep this one simple. We have another situation to deal with anyway."
"And that is?" I asked, lifting a brow.
"Chosyn's on her way over."
"Why?"
"I asked her to come since you were dragging your feet about this whole thing."
"I wasn't dragging my feet," I shot back.
She shrugged. "The faster we handle this, the faster we can get your head where it needs to be."
"And where's that since you know so much?"
"In the game," she plainly answered. "What you pulled with Chosyn and Chance was smooth but immature.
You love Chosyn, yet you sacrificed rebuilding a relationship with her, knowing it would bother you.
That's not how the head of the Mancinelli Mafia is supposed to operate, and it damn sure isn't how the voice of the Mancinelli family earns a seat in the Sovereign Circle. "
"Why do you even care?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Because they claim the firstborn regardless of gender leads, but I have yet to see a firstborn daughter sit at the table. You'll be the first woman, and you're not blood or even a firstborn. History will be made, and I want to be a part of it."
History.
The word lingered long after Emersyn went back to sipping her wine.
I never put much thought into what I was doing, into my legacy, or into the history I was leaving behind.
In a weird way, I was brought into this world where many didn't look like me and didn't hold the power that would soon be mine.
Lucian all but said it the last time we spoke.
Honor was meant to be his successor, but he didn't want it, and Talon wasn't man enough for the position.
Then there was me, a woman tired of being underestimated, undervalued, and forgotten about.
I started this journey as a way to make my presence known.
Not once did I think my role as head of the Mancinelli Mafia would lead me to be a part of something I always thought was a myth.
I'd heard whispers about the Sovereign Circle while living with Lucian, but nothing seemed concrete.
From what I understood, there were three families: the Mancinelli family and the Teixeira family.
The third family I wasn't familiar with.
All I knew was that they lived in Crimson Falls, and that was a place I never wanted to go.
These families weren't just influential.
Nothing moved in what the state considered The Lost Boroughs unless they allowed it.
Contracts, bloodshed, disappearances, and every shift in power happened because they agreed it should.
What I was fighting for went beyond the Mancinelli Mafia.
I was now in the running for a seat I hadn't thought twice about sitting in.