"Twenty gunmen were ready. They were all first-rate lads! They had long been dissatisfied with that cold-blooded butcher and brutal executioner, Mussolini!"
Since Luke had brought up competence, Alessandro could not wait to show what he was capable of.
"As for the passes, I have already worked it out. I bribed key personnel in the naval patrol with a hefty sum! I can get them at the latest by the day after tomorrow."
The facts proved that Alessandro was not only good at currying favor with those above him; he was also quite capable at getting things done.
Luke nodded in satisfaction. He could not stay in Sicily for too long.
Otherwise, there was a risk that his false identity as the Berlin Envoy would be exposed.
Taking advantage of the delay in information exchange between Germany and Italy,
entering Rome and getting close to Mussolini was the best method he had envisioned.
If anything went wrong, Luke could only act alone and infiltrate Venice Palace—everyone knew that the true essence of an assassin was to kill all the enemies, so no one would know he had ever been there.
Judging from that, Luke felt that he would make an excellent assassin.
"However, Mr. Corleone. I would like to say a few words in my defense regarding your earlier reprimand."
After discussing business, Alessandro's eyes shifted about as he said, still unwilling to give up, "When I sent you a woman, it was absolutely not because I saw you as someone obsessed with beauty."
"Perhaps you do not know that Marlena is a famous beauty in Sicily. Her husband, Nino, was taken away by recruiting officers on their wedding night, and news came a few days ago that he had died in battle. Recently, Marlena's father broke a leg and fell seriously ill. You could say her situation is terrible."
"I thought that a young and promising man like you, Mr. Corleone, must naturally have a kind heart. Marlena has nowhere else to turn now. If you took a liking to her, that would be for the best. That is why I took it upon myself to send her to your room."
Luke was stunned. He had not expected a dignified Mafia boss to be this shameless.
He suddenly felt that he had been wrong. Simps did not have nothing; they clearly had everything.
Although Alessandro's expression resembled that of a fawning jester,
as the target of his flattery, Luke could not summon even the slightest disgust.
This showed that simps also came in different tiers. It depended on their rank.
And Alessandro—Luke was willing to call him the strongest!
"Stay rational."
Luke warned himself.
He wiped the corner of his mouth, finished his meal, and walked into the living room.
Alessandro had completely embraced the role of a lackey, following behind him with a bowed back and scraping manner.
Who could have imagined that this heavily bearded Mafia boss, who looked so honest and dependable, was actually like this?
"Mr. Corleone, to tell you the truth, quite a few men in Sicily covet Marlena's beauty. She is alone, and she is a widow. Even the sheriff has his eyes on this juicy piece of meat... If she follows you, at least it is far better than becoming a plaything for everyone."
Alessandro perched on the edge of the sofa and looked cautiously at Luke.
"Then let her stay. Also... do not keep thinking of sending me money or women for no reason. Just handle your own affairs properly."
After thinking for a moment, Luke answered softly.
As someone in a superior position, he could not dismiss Alessandro's painstaking goodwill.
After all, despite being a Mafia boss, the man had gone to the trouble of playing pimp. His underlings would look down on him if word got out.
"Oh, right. The sheriff... let us deal with him first!"
The subject did not remain on Marlena, that ravishingly beautiful widow. She was a pitiful woman.
Luke did not want to treat her as merchandise to be traded or sold at will.
A lonely, helpless woman born in such turbulent times, coupled with that breathtakingly beautiful young face—
that was the root of Marlena's miserable life!
The women in town rejected Marlena, believing that she only knew how to seduce men;
while the men coveted Marlena's alluring body, hoping that one day she would seduce them.
"Find someone to get rid of him! Better make it look like an accident. Do not cause too much of a stir!"
Luke said flatly, his expression cold.
This also counted as a pledge of loyalty.
Once Alessandro did this, he would be tied to Luke's chariot.
If he wanted to turn against him or betray him, he would have to carefully consider the consequences.
Mussolini's government would not accept a gang leader who had assassinated a local sheriff.
Back when the Mafia was being purged, one family had risked everything to assassinate the governor of Palermo, shocking all of Sicily.
As a result, Mussolini flew into a thunderous rage and had more than a thousand thugs arrested and executed on the spot.
That precedent was right there. Once Alessandro did this, he would have no choice but to defect to the Allies.
"I understand! I will handle this personally and make sure it is done beautifully!"
Alessandro nodded decisively.
When it came to assassination, he considered himself a seasoned professional.
Which Mafia boss had not climbed up step by step from there?
To Alessandro, any trouble that could be solved by killing someone was no trouble at all!
"Then I will take my leave first. If Mr. Corleone needs anything, you may summon me again."
Before leaving, Alessandro removed his hat, gave a slight bow, and shot Luke a look that every man understood.
Marlena had always enjoyed the reputation of being the "Flower of Sicily," a dream bedmate sought by countless men.
With such a charming and stunningly beautiful woman laid out on the bed, even if he was not tempted now, he would sooner or later lose control.
Unless—
Mr. Corleone truly had no interest in women.
But in Alessandro's eyes, how could there possibly be a man in this world who was not lustful!
At most, there was only the distinction between liking women and liking men.
Wait...
What if Mr. Corleone liked men?
Alessandro began to wonder whether he should ask around for handsome men nearby.
Unfortunately, he did not know whether Mr. Corleone preferred the burly type or the slender type.
If Luke knew about Alessandro's bizarre train of thought, he would definitely punch a hole through the man's head!
By the door to the master bedroom, Marlena, wrapped in a silk nightgown, wore a complicated expression, as though she had finally let out a sigh of relief.
She sat blankly on the bed, somewhat lost and at a loss for what to do.
The moment Marlena had been sent to Luke's room, she had already prepared for the worst.
To be toyed with, violated, and then gradually slide into the abyss of life.
That was all she could imagine.
Yet things had not developed in the worst possible direction.
That Mr. Corleone had displayed a gentlemanly manner rarely seen among the men in town.
He had neither laid a hand on her nor spoken frivolously.
Thinking of this, Marlena said from the bottom of her heart, "Mr. Corleone truly is a decent man."
Accustomed to the disgusting looks from the town's men, as though they wanted to strip her clothes off with their eyes, she could not help feeling sincerely grateful for Luke's restraint.
Marlena, who had originally lost faith in men, curled back beneath the covers and wrapped herself tightly.
At last, she could sleep peacefully.
"Marlena..."
In her hazy sleep, Marlena heard someone calling her name.
In a daze, she seemed to recall her sick father and her husband who had died in battle...
The pressure that had weighed on her for so many days transformed, as she relaxed, into sorrow and bitterness over her own fate.
Large tears spilled from her eyes and soaked the pillow she was clutching.
Wait...
Sensing something was wrong, Marlena snapped her eyes open as though startled awake.
Then—
she saw Mr. Corleone sitting beside the bed, holding a tray of food.
And at some point, she had rolled over and wrapped both arms around his waist, her face pressed against his thigh.
Such intimate behavior made Marlena spring away as though she had been electrocuted!
"Well... I saw that you had slept for so long, and thought you would probably be hungry when you woke up, so I prepared a little food."
Luke wore a serious expression and kept his gaze straight ahead.
As if to say, "You were the one who made the first move just now." He truly was a decent man.
PS: Thanks to Xuming Bujieyi for the 500-point tip, and Eternity Rooter for the 100-point tip~
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