I'm Divorcing with You, Mr Billionaire!

Chapter 108

Sydney's POV

There was a brief silence as Bella and I took our time to take in the information.

"That's sad…" I heard Bella murmur the same time I asked, "So what do you say we do? How do we get revenge on Dylan for what he did to us and to you?"

"First of all," she walked closer as she inhaled the smile of the cigarette. She closed her eyes as she exhaled with a smile that had me coughing slightly but I said nothing about that. If she was going to join us in this quest, then just like Bella, we have to accept her quirks with it.

After she had taken her time to release the puff of smoke she dragged, she repeated herself, "First of all, if you want to get any revenge, I mean if you want to be alive to get any revenge," she looked between Bella and I before she leaned forward, instinctively,I found myself leaning forward too then she whispered, "lower your voices."

I blinked and remained there for a second.

Was this girl joking with us?

She giggled slightly, "You were expecting me to say something else, weren't you?" She stopped giggling and shrugged, "Well, it's important." She pointed behind her, "The spit where I smoke is about a good twenty feet from here and I could still hear you," she passed Bella a chilling warning look. " You should know more. You know how Tavon can be if he heard a whiff of this."

A slight fear briefly passed across Bella's features but she said nothing.

"Okay," I quickly said, eager to hear her suggestion already, "we understand that now, we'd lower our voices. What are your suggestions and contributions to the mission?"

Scarlet smile, a sly glint in her eyes, "The thing is…" she pointed between the both of us, "you two are shooting in the wrong direction."

I frowned. "We are? We are attempting to get Dylan out of the picture without painting us as the killers. How else are we supposed to shoot?"

By now, Scarlet had moved closer and she was standing behind the chair I sat, her fingers curled around the back of the chair. She shook her head as she said in a low voice, smirking "Despite being older than me, you two know nothing about men."

She shrugged again, "Men don't really care about women's affairs. When it comes to us, all they're interested in is fucking us unless they're crazily in love which we know is somewhat rare in a mafia family," she glanced over at Bella and raised an impressed brow, "though I think Tavon is slowly falling in love with you. My god, you're all that man sometimes talks about."

There was a slight smirk on Bella's face but she attempted to hide it, keeping on a straight face.

Bella clapped her hands. "Back to the main issue. When it comes to matters like this, men are usually more interested in men's affairs. Therefore, your plan to use a paternity test to bring Dylan down is bound to fail. If you're really serious about bringing a man down then you have to get a man's interest seriously involved. And that's the way to do it," she smiled and made a mocking bow, "Thank you."

Silence descended again and I watched as the girl raised the cigarette to her lips once more. Bella and I were stunned as we briefly glanced at each other before looking at the girl who gave us no regard as she inhaled the smoke of the cigarette.

Her bluntness and fearlessness was admirable. No doubt, Scarlet and Bella can do a fair job of being friends, if Bella would allow it. Okay, this wasn't the right thought after what she just said but I just couldn't help it.

Scarlet, who looked petite and too young for whatever she was smoking. My mother instincts kicked in and I almost asked her how old she was but I was able to stop myself on time. I'm pretty sure she and Bella would only laugh in my face if I attempted such a sermon.

Scarlet looked innocent but was actually very cunning and intuitive. Despite her youthful appearance, there was a maturity and wisdom in her manner and words that belied her years. I couldn't help but wonder what life experiences had shaped her into the perceptive young woman before us.

"So what exactly are you saying?" Bella, sounding impatient, prompted her to continue.

Scarlet took one last inhale then she threw the cigarette and dropped it on the sandy floor a few feet away from the terrace. She marched the cigarette until the lighting was out, then she pushed it to the side of a shrub and buried it with sand.

That would slowly kill the flowers in the garden, I wanted to say but I didn't. As much as her blunt advice made sense, there were certain behaviors I couldn't condone, even if they seemed inconsequential. The callous way she discarded her cigarette butt bothered me more than I cared to admit.

Scarlet walked over and ventured, "First, you need to understand the power plays that exist in the Esposito family where Tavon is now, and what conflicts exist among these people in power."

Bella answered first, shrugging, "Currently, besides the absolute power of Tavon as the godfather, there is Dylan and then Axel."

My gaze was already on her and my forehead was creasing into a deep V as I wondered who Axel was. She turned to me and explained, "Axel is Tavon's biological son and only son. Axel as you might already be piecing together has always been at odds with Tavon's son, Axel. They both want to be the next godfather."

Scarlet nodded, impressed by Bella's response. "You should know that the conflict has escalated into a very serious level. Serious to the point where they want to kill each other."

I shook my head slowly, my mouth firming an O as I finally pieced together why Dylan had thought it best to put me beside Tavon. He wanted me to observe and discover who Tavon was favoring to be the next godfather. Dylan did say that he wanted to be godfather so it made more sense now. It wasn't just about money anymore, it was power. Power to have control over everything and everyone.

And now this young woman wanted to manipulate that struggle for power to bring about Dylan's downfall. The depths of cunning and ruthlessness in the mafia world both awed and unsettled me. Where was the line between justifiable revenge and unconscionable cruelty? I felt like I was wading into murky ethical waters with each passing moment.

Scarlet looked between the both of us - an action I've noticed she likes to do in just a few minutes. You would almost think she was looking out for any sign of fear or any quality that would make this mission less successful.

"Now what we have to do," she started, "is to put them at loggerheads and intensify the conflict between them. Make them even more thirsty for the power they both covet until they're thirsty for each other's blood." She raised her eyebrows, "You know what to do next, right?"

I nodded and I couldn't help but be worried. I don't if it was because I was now a mother. "Are you sure you want to get involved?' I asked, my voice tinged with concern. "What you want to get into is very dangerous and you're still young. There are many things in this world that can make you happy, girl."

“You sound weird," I heard Bella scoff and mutter behind me but I don't think Scarlet heard her.

Scarlet glanced nonchalantly at me and I was pretty sure the face she made was close to the one Bella made when she scoffed just now.

"You have a chance to leave all of these and go back home but are you willing to give up your revenge?"

When I didn't give her a response, she shook her head with a small reverent smile. "I guess so too. Listen, I have a chance to avenge Luigi's death now. If I don't, do you think I'd be happy in the future?"

I shook my head. She was right. In this regard, I'd agree that Scarlet and I are very much alike. If I don't ensure that Dylan pays for what he did to Lucas, it's no doubt that I wouldn't be able to sleep in peace for the rest of my life.

Besides... I observed the girl. Her feelings for Luigi weren't just some random crush or infatuation. My heart ached at the realization of the depth of her love for the fallen man.

I could already sense it, but I still asked out of curiosity, "You loved Luigi that much, didn't you?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes and said emphatically, "Of course. I could have loved him with my whole life if he was alive. In fact, even now after his death, I still do love him. It's a pity that he didn't appreciate or reciprocate those feelings."

I gave her a painful smile, relating to the pangs of loving someone who didn't or couldn't love you back. "If he was alive now, I'm sure he would have understood and accepted just how much you really cared for him."

She scoffed derisively. "I doubt that. I even stripped completely naked right in front of him once, but he didn't react at all to my attempts to seduce him."

It was too late - I couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up uncontrollably from my throat. The thought of young Scarlet trying so boldly and unsubtly to tempt the older, distinguished Luigi was both hilarious and oddly endearing.

"Sorry," I said, palming my mouth ineffectually in an attempt to stifle my amusement.

If I recalled correctly, Luigi always seemed to prefer more mature, curvaceous women - the opposite of Scarlet's slim, girlish physique. It was sadly predictable that he would react with indifference to her aggressive overtures.

Scarlet shot me a searing glare, gritting out through clenched teeth, "Will you two stop laughing already and focus? We have work to do!"

I turned to see Bella also doubled over with laughter beside me at Scarlet's unintentionally comical admission.

"Quickly now, before I change my mind!" Scarlet snapped, stamping off with a huffy, almost childlike tantrum.