Chapter 168 Top Dog

Chapter 168 Top Dog
"I want you," I fixed my gaze on Seth as he waited expectantly for my answer.

Seth's eyes widened to comical proportions. "You want ME?!"

"Emma, you're married!" James blurted out, looking genuinely scandalized.

I rolled my eyes. "Get your mind out of the gutter! That's not what I meant."

"Besides, I wouldn't be interested in your little vienna sausage anyway." I shot Seth a disgusted look.

"Vienna sausage?!" Seth sputtered, completely baffled.

James helpfully extended his hand, thumb and forefinger about an inch apart, making a universal measurement gesture. "Mini cocktail wiener," he explained with a solemn face.

"Emma! Are you fucking insulting me?!" Seth's face flushed crimson. He looked ready to drop his pants right there to prove me wrong.

"Relax, relax. It's no big deal," I said, patting his shoulder dismissively.

"This IS a big deal!" Seth's voice rose an octave, his face turning an even deeper shade of red.

"Say one more word about it," I snapped, narrowing my eyes. "And I'll wipe out your entire SF Family right now."

That shut him up instantly.

"Here's what I'm offering: bring your SF Family under Phoenix. You'll keep your original territory and continue to manage it yourself," I said, shifting to business mode. "I'll also give you five hundred more men and let you choose ten additional territories."

Seth furrowed his brow as he processed my words. Suddenly, his eyes widened with realization.

"Emma! You're basically absorbing my entire SF Family!" he exclaimed.

I nodded, satisfied he understood. "I'm giving you ninety seconds to decide."

"Ninety seconds?!" he protested.

"You know what? Make it ninety-five seconds," I amended, spotting an apple tree in the courtyard. "If you don't agree, we fight. Winner takes all."

I strolled toward the courtyard, leaving Seth to consider his options.

The apple tree was heavy with fruit. I climbed up effortlessly, settling myself on a branch, and plucked a ripe apple. After wiping it on my shirt, I took a satisfying bite.

"Damn, this apple is sweet," I said to no one in particular.

Seth stood on the steps, staring at me like I'd lost my mind. I grabbed another apple and tossed it his way. He caught it reflexively and took a bite.

"You're right," he nodded. "This apple is really sweet."

"Holy mother of God!" A frantic voice cut through the tension. "My Donna! Get down! Did you eat that apple?!"

The gardener came running toward us, gesturing wildly.

"Yeah, it's delicious," I replied, taking another bite. "You've got skills, man. These are perfect."

"But the apples—" the gardener started, but was interrupted by a commotion.

"Don! DON!" one of Seth's men shouted.

Everyone turned to see Seth collapsed on the steps, foaming at the mouth, his body convulsing violently.

"What the fuck are you all standing around for?! Help him!" I yelled, jumping down from the tree and rushing toward Seth. "Seth! I just wanted you to join me, not die on me!"

The medical team quickly moved Seth to a bedroom upstairs. Thanks to the equipment we had ready from when I was comatose, they were able to pump his stomach and stabilize him. The doctor confirmed it was poisoning from pesticides.

"Pesticides?" I asked, confused. "He was poisoned before he arrived?"

"No, our boss has excellent health. He didn't take any medication today," Seth's right-hand man insisted.

Alexander, who'd been quiet until now, called for the gardener. When he arrived, Alexander questioned him in Vietnamese so Seth's men couldn't understand.

"I sprayed insecticide on the trees this morning!" the gardener explained. "The apples were covered in chemicals! They would have been safe tomorrow after the chemicals evaporated, but the Donna ate them today!"

"Thank God it wasn't you who got poisoned," he added with genuine relief.

When Seth's man asked what happened, I thought quickly.

"Someone tried to poison Seth," I explained. "Luckily, the apple I gave him contained acids that neutralized the poison. It saved his life."

"Poison?!" The man's face turned white with fury. "Who would dare poison our boss? I'll have them investigated immediately!"

He turned to me with a respectful bow. "Thank you, Phoenix's Donna. I was out of line earlier in the living room."

Hours later, Seth regained consciousness. Upon learning it was my apple that supposedly saved him, he couldn't stop thanking me.

"Emma, you know how it is in our world," he said gravely. "We risk our lives for power every day. But to be poisoned by my own people? If you hadn't saved me, I'd have died without even knowing who my enemy was."

"You're absolutely right," I agreed, hiding my amusement at the misunderstanding.

Seth's man returned, reporting that they suspected someone had released poisonous gas through the ventilation system in Seth's private bathroom. The timing made sense—Seth had been feeling unwell before arriving at my villa.

As we discussed the situation, Seth made his decision.

"Emma, you've proven yourself today," he said solemnly. "I, Seth Frost, hereby pledge my loyalty to you. SF Family will join Phoenix."

"You'll be proud of the choice you made today," I told him before he left.

Later that evening, I stood on the highest mountain peak in Sicily with Alexander, Isabella, James, Antonio, and twenty squad captains. Below us, the city lights twinkled across the landscape.

"A month ago today, I promised to bring you to the top to enjoy this view," I said, gesturing to the vast panorama. "From this day forward, Phoenix rules over all black hand families. We are number one!"

Cheers erupted around us, the sound echoing down the mountainside where the rest of our people waited. Word of SF Family's allegiance to Phoenix spread throughout Italy in mere hours, cementing our position as the untouchable rulers of the underground.

I turned to Alexander, my eyes gleaming with triumph. "Look," I said, pointing to the lights below. "All this? I built it for you."

Alexander's eyes shone with pride and love as he pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against the cool mountain air.