Chapter 145 Davis Family Loss, The Rise of Bryce - Part 2
Inside the study, George sat with Bryce.
"The Davis family is into a lot of legal work across this noble country. That is where our riches come from," George said and handed a file to Bryce, and he started going through it.
"We have formed a lot of alliances across this country with different organisations for two reasons, money and power," George said. "The Davis family used to run this country like the queen of England. Many successors had taken over and maintained this power until your father became the heir by marrying into this family. A grave mistake we made. We didn't have an option; Matilda had no male child, and hence her daughter's husband needed to take over. He had a different idea, and for that reason, he messed things up. The Davis family, once feared by many, had to curl into our shells when your father died. The Moore family took over. Your father made a lot of mistakes, and that brought about the fall of the Davis family," George narrated while Bryce went through the file he had in hand.
"Lucky for Josephine Davis, she had a son, who is you. Our blood is not a total stranger. You may have been raised by a stranger and may have little knowledge of our family, but it is never too late to learn. You already have in you some characteristics and traits of the Davis family," he said.
"So I am to revive all this business alliance?" Bryce said once he reached the end of the file.
"Yes, the businesses earn us the money, but what makes us powerful is our ability to control every organisation in this country, both good and bad," George replied, and Bryce frowned.
"What do you mean by control both good and bad organisations?" Bryce questioned, feeling George was not talking about legal stuff any more.
"Aside from the legal business, we control the cartels. We are the Davis family to all, but to the cartels, we are a mafia group, and you are now our Don. In short, the Mafia boss," George informed Bryce, and he frowned.
"So you are also into protection racketeering, arbitration, illegal goods, corruption, gambling, loan sharking, tax fraud, stock manipulation, etc., with criminals?" Bryce asked.
"With some organisations within this country and outside this country, yes, but that is to get information on the grounds. We don't deal in the criminal stuff, even though we brand ourselves as the mafia. We only maintain order among them and help them settle their misunderstandings. You know the saying about keeping your friends rich, and your enemies rich, and then finding out which is which?" George said.
"So let me get this straight, you are bribing everyone with money just to be on top and call the shots?" Bryce asked.
"Basically, yes," George replied.
"That sounds wrong, and I don't want to be a part of it," Bryce said.
"Bryce, I am not asking you to join the criminals and be bad. Be yourself. Be Bryce, but don't meddle in the cartel business. Allow them to function," George said. "Jesus, known to be a God, when he walked this earth, dined with sinners, and his reason was simple, so he could win them over. He never became one of them, but he didn't cut them off either," he added.
"So you are asking me to be friends with them for information?" Bryce asked.
"Yes, that is all we are to them, friends, and we have legal businesses with them. We don't take part in their illegal business," George explained, and Bryce just stared at him, feeling something didn't seem right with what George was saying.
"Look, you are going to take full control of the family businesses, and you need to understand how we run the business. We want to claim our former glory with you. Money and power. Control and respect," George said.
"Look, the one with the power calls the shot. You can punish all those who caused you pain, killed your father, and your mother and caused Angela so much pain. Today, Angela hates you because of what Devon Moore did, and the law can't do anything to him because Eva admitted to committing the crime alone. She died, and see, no investigation into how she took her life using an officer's gun," George pointed out.
"The Davis co-exists with the illegal organisation, and we made them believe we are a part of them, but they run their illegal business, and we run our legal business without interfering with each other. I need information, so I go to them because they have it. I offer them money to fund their businesses with my legal partnership. I am not responsible for the shady deals they do under the cover of darkness," he added.
"Let me tell you something," George said. "Devon Moore is out to get you. Why do you think your mother raised you as a nanny, and ask yourself, how did your father die?" he asked, "How do you think Devon got money to fund the business project, which he used as a yardstick to murder Angela's parents?" he added.
"Angela's father tried to scam them?" Bryce said.
"Are you defending that smart-ass criminal?" George asked. "Devon made that story up and fed it to his other colleagues, and because Mr Adam was the one managing the business finances, it was easy for them to believe, and also they realised their shares now belonged to Mr Adams. Devon plotted the whole thing and forced Mr Adam to act like he was taking the business, threatening to kill his family if he didn't. The killers were supposed to kill Mr Adam only and leave Angela's mother. Who do you think instructed the criminals to wipe the entire family?" he narrated. "Devon," he said.
Bryce had heard the story of how Angela's parents died twice, from Devon and Mrs Anderson. The story sounded different, and now he was hearing the story for the third time, and again, it was different. This time, Mr Adams has been exonerated.
"Here is the evidence. I would leave you to go through them. Take your time," George said. "I will arrange for your mother's burial. Decide what you want to do and let me know once we have laid your mother to rest," he said and exited the office, leaving Bryce with a stack of files.
Bryce went through all the files one after the other, while George made arrangements for Josephine's burial. Angela remained in the house and occasionally took a stroll around the house in the company of Mrs Anderson and Zora. The doctor comes around to check up on her, but she never knew that Bryce was also living in the huge mansion.
The day of Josephine's funeral finally came, and a small memorial service was held in one of the Davis family homes for her. In attendance were Matilda, Bryce, George, the guards for security and some selected members of the mafia group.
Josephine's body was conveyed to the cemetery, and Bryce stood there watching Josephine's casket being lowered into the grave. He recalled their memories together when he thought she was her nanny. She had shown him great love and cared for him as a mother would care for his son.
"George, I am ready. Devon must pay for his crime," Bryce said to George, and he smiled.
"Bryce, can I talk to you?" a familiar voice was heard.
Bryce and George turned around to find out who had just spoken.