The Family's Plan and Celinina

Sometimes I sigh, "Time really waits for no one."

As he spoke, he waved for the family members to leave, and then walked over with a little girl that Maria recognized.

"We haven't seen each other for fifty years."

"Salvadore, on behalf of the Texas Family, sends his greetings."

"Ms. Maria ..."

Chapter 218 The Family's Plans and Celinina

Salvadore...

When the old man in front of her uttered the name, Maria remained genuinely silent for a few seconds.

She remembered the name.

But... she didn't recognize the person in front of her.

In her memory, the man called Salvadore was a young boy with a still-childish face. When attending family dances, he would wear a rather unrefined suit and bravely rush towards the trap banquet aimed at him with his few family members.

But what was in front of her now?

He was an old man with white hair.

Although his back remained straight, his eyes still burned with fire, and his soul remained unchanged, he had indeed grown old.

His body inevitably stiffened as he moved, and his eyes occasionally flashed with a hint of nostalgia when he looked around; his thoughts began to sluggish.

Salvadore, the young man favored and recognized by Madam Sicily, is now an old man in his twilight years.

Have you forgotten me?

Seeing Maria's silent demeanor, Salvadore's eyes inevitably flickered with a hint of melancholy, but he skillfully concealed his emotions and smiled.

"Indeed, it's been fifty years since I last saw you."

"... No, I haven't forgotten you... I also remember that I owe you a favor."

Maria shook her head, making her stance clear.

She still remembered that massacre. It was Salvadore gave her some information about the locations of the Siracusa Family members. She was able to wipe out the Siracusa family in just a few days. It was also because of the information he provided that Maria was spared the time and effort of searching for the target.

That's why she said she owed him a favor.

"I just..." Maria began, wanting to explain, but after a moment's hesitation, she shook her head.

You've aged a lot.

"Hahaha..." Unexpectedly, Salvadore was not angry or anything; he just laughed and shook his head.

"There's nothing we can do; everyone gets old eventually, it's just that I'm aging faster."

After a long separation, Salvadore was clearly in much better spirits upon seeing her again.

The previously silent emotions eased considerably.

After glancing at several family members around him, he waved his hand. These people nodded knowingly and then ran to the side to stand guard.

And he, too, looked at Maria.

"Although there are many things I'd like to ask you, right now, I feel there's only one important matter."

Salvadore spoke, the haze in his eyes dissipated, and a sharp light pierced through the mist of age.

He looked at Maria with a mixture of curiosity and a tentative gaze.

"Is your return at this time... a coincidence?"

Salvadore didn't believe that Maria's arrival at this time was purely coincidental.

You know, Maria was gone for fifty years last time.

A person who hadn't shown his face for fifty years suddenly appeared at this critical juncture, just as the family and the Gray Hall were about to go to war.

He didn't think it was a coincidence.

"But that is the truth."

Maria shook her head.

In the other party's eyes, her return this time seemed to be purposeful, but in reality, Maria knew that it was indeed by chance... no, it couldn't be said to be entirely by chance.

After all, who knows what standards the system used to simulate these past times?

But based on her own experience, her return here is purely coincidental.

"Is that so?"

Salvadore smiled, but his tone of voice was enigmatic.

"You know what... over the years, I've been to Victoria a few times because of business..."

"Um..."

"Where are you? I'd actually like to talk to you, but... I've checked a lot of records, and it seems your name isn't listed there."

Salvadore lowered his eyes and explained to Maria that he had already investigated.

Maria... is not a noblewoman from Victoria at all!

"So what are your plans for the next step?"

"..."

Maria did not reply, but instead gave Salvadore a deep look.

This glance was meaningless, but even this indifferent gaze sent a chill down Salvadore's spine.

After a moment, he chuckled.

"Oh dear, as people get old, their speech becomes incoherent. Sometimes it's really frustrating that I haven't been able to arrange everything for the family properly... Haha..."

Although he had some prior acquaintance with Maria, and although Maria was very easy to talk to.

All of this does not mean that Maria was the kind of person who could be questioned at will.

She disliked these interrogation-like questions and felt she couldn't overstep her bounds.

Clearly, his words had displeased Maria.

He paused for a few seconds, then shook his head.

"In fact, from my perspective, Ms. Maria, you should really take a good rest now."

"Why?"

"You are very strong... incomparably strong, a fact I have come to understand time and time again throughout my life," Salvadore said.

His words were not flattery, but a genuine expression of his feelings.

As the Texas Family grew, he struggled time and again in various traps and whirlpools, and he became increasingly aware of just how terrifying the so-called Wolf Lord truly was.

However, this understanding did not lead him to develop any irresistible feelings towards the Wolf Lord. The main reason for this was the existence of Maria.

Maria's story made him realize that the so-called Wolf Lord was not omnipotent.

They have their weaknesses, and there will always be a group of people in this world who can completely eliminate them!

The more he learned how terrifying the Wolf Lord was, the more he felt Maria's power.

With each magnificent statue of the Wolf Lord he erected in his heart, the terrifying silhouette of Maria grew two times stronger.

This is a process of continuously applying the cutting tool.

Even so, he did not recommend that Maria help Madam Sicily.

"You are ultimately just one person, and your abilities are limited. If you choose to help her, those families who still remember you will put in two hundred percent of their energy to deal with you... Of course, you are not afraid of these battles, but... can Madam Sicily do it?"

"She doesn't possess your terrifying strength; she's just an ordinary person whose life could be taken by a single explosion..."

"Just like her child..."

Salvadore lowered his head.

He knew that his words might anger Maria and that his situation might be dire, but he still spoke them anyway, and he was mentally prepared for it.

But...

Thanks for reminding me.

Maria wasn't angry, nor did her tone change; she simply stated her position calmly.

She found out.

But how to do it then is another matter entirely.

"That's strange... I thought you were going to punch me."

Salvadore somewhat surprised.

But Maria looked at him intently.

"Are you on the side of Madam Sicily?"

She was somewhat curious.

Salvadore's self-reminder was unnecessary; if he were on the side of the family, he clearly shouldn't have reminded himself at all.

But since he said it...

Does that mean he's on Madam Sicily's side?

"...No." Unexpectedly, Salvadore shook his head firmly.

"I am the head of the Texas Family, and I will only fight for the interests of the Texas Family."

"Even if it means going against Madam Sicily?" Maria looked at the other woman.

"Even if it means going against Madam Sicily!" Salvadore's attitude was very firm.

He certainly knew what concession Madam Sicily had made when she tacitly allowed them to acquire the winery, and he was also aware of the help she had given him, but... that was a different matter.

Even today, Salvadore is grateful that he didn't use force to directly settle scores with the still-developing Texas Family.

However, as the head of the Texas Family, he could not go against the interests of the Texas Family and stand against all the families because of personal feelings.

This was a choice he had to make.

He thought that Maria's mood would change slightly after he expressed his opinion.

But Maria's expression didn't change at all; she simply nodded slightly.

"... is that so?"

Salvadore's bland words thwarted his plan to test Maria's character once again.

After a long pause, he could only manage a bitter smile.

"You're still as unpredictable as ever."

Maria then looked at the person next to the other person.

"Where is the wolf?"

"Wolf?"

Salvadore paused for a moment, then realized what was happening.

Are you referring to Rob?

Wasn't he with you?

"...He left a long time ago." Salvadore shook his head.

Rob wasn't killed by Maria initially; because of their cooperation, Maria managed to save Rob's life.

But... that won't change Salvadore's opinion of it.

That guy was just using the Texas Family as a pawn.

This is something he won't allow.

So after borrowing the other party's power in the initial stage, Salvadore also used all his means to squeeze it out of the family's power sphere and try every means to restrict it.

Finally, about twenty years ago, it left the Texas Family...