the harsh rays of sunlight scorched them as they stood facing eachother in the wide room. the sunlight tanned their delicate skins but they still stood, glaring at eachother, unflinching and oblivious to their surroundings, only themselves.

Giovanni Sforza adjusted his poise as his glower at his nemesis, Carlo Rizzo deepened. The cheating bastard, Carlo had agreed to meet him openly here, both arriving with their soldiers and capos.

He and Carlo's Ill fated relationship went way back to the generation before them. Back then, when he was merely an heir to the Sforza mafiadom, he'd watched his father closely and found out his dad had a lot of foes.

"one thing you should learn, Giovanni" his father had always told him "is that, a man couldn't have scaled to the top without making his fair share of enemies and allies. but a man's wisdom truly counts if he's able to make an equal balance of his friends and his foes"

his dad made peace with mafia families which were worth making peace with, and he effortlessly transformed them into his allies, but some mafia gangs, he kept feuding with.

once Giovanni had asked him about the families he was at war with, his dad replied saying, "making peace with certain type of people are overrated" and Giovanni took note of that.

one of the prominent families his dad had been at war with was the Rizzo mafiadom.

even if his father had feuded with several mafia families, in the onset and medial of his business, Giovanni couldn't help but notice the Rizzo family.

Intermittent wars, bloodbath, sabotage went on and on between the both mafia families. according to what he'd noticed from his dad, his dad loathed competition and always strived to rise above his foes, but he couldn't rise above the Rizzos .In fact, they both struggled to rise above each other, either by working with mass associates, initiating more soldiers and capos, smuggling more drugs and building an enormous and thriving drug ring or through any desperate measure they could think of.

the other family, Giovanni's dad had feuded heavily with was the Romano family.

the influence and power tussle went on and on until his father passed away and he took over from where his father left off.

as usual, he had his fair share of friends and foes around his circle, the Romano and Rizzo family inclusive.

Although it wasn't a blood bath like during his father's time, he was still in competition with the Rizzos.

Garnering associates who would assist them in smuggling and embezzlement was a hell of a job

And they both strived to have more than the other.

Giovanni thought, they had lesser competition with the Romano's. the Romano's only got in their way when it came to extorting from owners of businesses around their city, but still, they always resolved it one way or another.

they always came up with a solution all the time, in a way it benefitted the both gangs.

he remembered vividly, two years back, when a political associate of his, paved a way for him to get elected and join the Consiglio dei ministri

council of ministers

and he'd gladly accepted to be part of the Italian cabinet because he knew that was going to be a direct and free access to cool cash everyday.

But as usual, Carlo was there to ruin all his plans as they began to fiercely compete until the Consiglio dei ministri offer was snatched from Giovanni and Carlo who aspired too.

Giovanni somehow managed to make peace with the Romano mafiadom, he swiftly turned them into his allies, balancing his friends and foes, as per his dad's advice. then the previous year, something he didn't expect to happen, happened. One Mancini mafia, a fast rising mafia family emerged and threatened to overshadow the pioneer mafias. Giovanni, being a fierce competitor, didn't like to be overshadowed, so he quickly marked the Mancini family, his foes.

He wasn't the only one who shared the revulsion. The Rizzos too made enemies out of the Mancini mafia.

On a bright afternoon, Carlo Rizzo came to Giovanni to offer a truce. they both agreed to start a war against the Mancini mafia and plunder them after defeat.

Giovanni and Carlo both came out victorious and benefitting of course, and they found the Sforza and Rizzo families in peace for some months until...

mafia families who'd gone through generational feud like the Sforza and Rizzo mafia families weren't bound to come to terms at all. the war and disputes dragged on for generations. Giovanni was kidding himself if he thought his generation could be different. he hated Carlo Rizzo and wasn't planning to change that. when their families went back to feuding, they just stayed out of each others way and tried as much as possible to lessen the competition, until Carlo did something to Giovanni which he could never forgive till his dying day and that was the reason they both stood under the scorching heat from the sun, scowling at each other, unflinchingly.

"are you going to speak up now?" Giovanni growled "tell me why you slept with my wife"

Carlo let out a snicker.

"I really don't want to get down to the gory details" said Carlo "but wasn't my reason obvious? she's desirable..." he trailed off, smirking to Giovanni's disgust.

"you-- you ruined my marriage" Giovanni gritted "you're always there to ruin everything. first, my opportunity to join the Consiglio dei ministri and some other unforgivable things... now "

"ha! you really are good at playing the victim, aren't you?" Carlo countered

"victim? did you say victim? you slept with my wife, you conniving bastard and here you are ---"

"it's a dirty game, Giovanni " Carlo drawled smugly " You've wronged me in so many ways too. C'est la vie, you'll just have to live that way"

Giovanni released an exasperated breath. Carlo wasn't going to own up, talk more of apologizing or paying for his mistakes. not like he expected him to, he was never going to forgive him for ruining his marriage. whether Carlo liked it or not, Giovanni was going to make him pay for his sins and they were not leaving this place until he made sure of that.

"And the Consiglio dei ministri offer was two years ago, Giovanni " Carlo ran his fingers through his hair in mock distress "why haven't you forgotten about that? it was two years ago for goodness sake, get over it"

"why did you sleep with Barbara, my wife " he huffed out 'my wife ' to lay emphasis on Carlo's infidelity.

Carlo chuckled, he was enjoying all of this. well, not for long.

"Barbara came to me." he started "where did we first meet? yes! it was at the Rocco fundraiser. we met, exchanged pleasantries, I could tell she wasn't bothered by our feud. a measly fight, that's what she called it. and we started conversing like civilised people. you see, Barbara is really intelligent. I found myself drawn to her appeal...." he trailed off, then looked at Giovanni.

"Why'd you stop?" questioned Giovanni

"you wanna hear the sordid details? it'll get nasty from here " Carlo licked his lips, in eagerness, waiting for Giovanni's permission to go on.

that action alone repulsed Giovanni. he dipped his hand in his jacket pocket, his fingers, wrapped around his dagger handle.

"go on" he said

"apart from the way she spoke, her carriage, I felt something else" Carlo said.

"you know what I felt? sexual tension. yes, I felt it so much at that moment. that rush of blood and heat around my groin. flushed cheeks, yes! that's how your wife made me feel ---"

"you had a wife!" Giovanni barked before he could stop himself.

"relax, Giovanni. you're the one who told me to explain it sordidly. I won't omit the nasty stuff " he snickered

"just so you know, I love Rita. she's the mother of my kids, after all"

Giovanni's hands tightened around the dagger handle.

"I noticed something about Barbara at the fundraiser " Carlo continued. "she desired me. she approached me with a motive in mind. I wasn't blind to these things, I saw the way she stared at me and I just couldn't let that chance pass me by. if not for the people who attended the event, I would have banged her on any of the tables around "

"that's enough, Carlo, I'll hear no more"

"oh no! but this is the climax. we exchanged numbers. I and your wife exchanged numbers and we met with each other and we made love ---"

"I said stop!" Giovanni growled as his hand tightened the more around the dagger handle, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

"okay, okay. we did that only twice" Carlo smirked. "how did you find out about our... illicit affair?" he asked, feigning curiosity.

Giovanni recalled bitterly. it was there on her phone. so openly, she placed it, like she wanted him to find out.

His wife's phone kept beeping. out of curiosity which he wished he never felt at that moment, he went over to the phone. he was about to drop the phone, after shunning the idea of going through her chats, but then he saw something. he saw the name Carlo with two heart emojis. his breath hitched. knowing her password, he quickly utilized it and opened the phone.

what he saw after opening the phone, took his breath away. he opened videos, obscene videos, Carlo's nude videos and photos. as if having sex physically, behind his back wasn't enough, they continued to have it on the phone. he saw messages where Carlo said that he couldn't wait to meet her, they'll spice it up whenever they meet again. If it was a one sided infidelity, maybe from Carlo's path, he would have understood because he loved his wife, but it wasn't. Barbara blatantly cheated on him. she sent her nudes....

As if on cue, Barbara came in and caught him going through her phone.

Giovanni almost smiled as he remembered exactly what happened at that moment Barbara saw him. they both started hyperventilating, his was due to the shock and betrayal coming from the woman he loved, while hers was perhaps due to panic.

"you know, Giovanni" Carlo began, interrupting his thoughts. " when Barbara came and offered herself to me, I second guessed sleeping with her. I had a wife, after all. but then I remembered you.... now you know the reason I slept with her and sent her those messages"

"it's because of you" Carlo continued. "it was a sweet form of revenge, where I hurt you and I gain pleasure" he laughed

"what exactly did I do?" Giovanni asked him

"you don't know? I really loathed following your shadow, Giovanni. picking up the bread crumbs you littered. I hated the fact that I was the one who had to beg for a truce while you flourished with loyal associates, who were ready to give you a seat in the Consiglio dei ministri "

Even if Giovanni felt defeated by Carlo, he couldn't help feeling smug at Carlo's confession. the fact that Carlo felt that way gave him a certain type of victory.

"so when Barbara dear came at me with a lustful stare, I couldn't turn her down. I satisfied myself with her, relishing the fact that it'll cause you pain"

well, I'm about to cause you pain, Giovanni thought. his hand tightened around the dagger handle as he calculated. he and Carlo stood, a bit of a distance away from each other. if he were to come at Carlo with his dagger, his chances of survival would be slim because he wasn't foolish enough to know that Carlo must have come with a weapon. he had to figure out a way to lure Carlo in slowly, and kill him.

"suddenly quiet? I'm sure you've come to terms with the fact that your wife has slept with me and there's nothing you can do about it" Carlo said

"absolutely not" Giovanni said, in an attempt to stall him. suddenly, an idea came to Giovanni.

"I actually called you here to tell you that I forgive you" he lied

Carlo let out a loud laughter

"that's ridiculous! do you think I want your forgiveness? there's nothing you can do---"

"I have a terminal disease " Giovanni cut him short. "my cancer cells are spreading quick and I don't have much time left " he watched Carlo as he said this, and he could tell that his words had already begun to have an effect on Carlos. of course, it should, because everyone had a heart.

"I'm not saying this for you to have pity on me" Giovanni continued. "but I just want to make peace with everyone near me, including you Carlo "

Carlo giggled nervously

"do, do you think I'm --- I'm gonna buy your lies?"

while Carlo said that, Giovanni coughed and swayed. surprisingly, Carlo ran and held him, to break his fall.

Bingo! Giovanni thought when Carlo came to him. he had Carlo exactly where he wanted him. grabbing Carlo's shoulder with his left hand, he swiftly pulled out the dagger from his pocket and thrust it into Carlo's stomach.

Carlo yelped in pain and staggered back a little.

"this is for being an opportunistic jerk" he pulled out the dagger and thrust it again into Carlo's stomach

"this is for seducing my wife and ruining my marriage" he pulled out the dagger and thrust it into Carlo's chest, this time.

Carlo dropped on the floor, breathing heavily, trying to stay alive.

"even hades is too good, a place for you " Giovanni said and turned his back at Carlo.

his soldiers and capos were far off, waiting for him to be done with Carlo.

he'll leave now. without sparing a final glance at Carlo, he started off, but as he took a step, he heard a loud sound, a gunshot sound. he then felt a sharp pain in his stomach. he held his stomach, he was bleeding. then he realised that that bastard, Carlo had shot him.

he turned to Carlo

"rot in hell" he gasped

"with you" Carlo whispered and released another bullet, it went straight through his head, and he slumped.

Carlo's hand fell on the floor, lifelessly and he too, breathed his last.