Enticing Series 2: Trouble (SPG)

Chapter 9

Andrel Raven’s Pov

“Conducting any mafia transaction in this city is clearly illegal, isn’t it?”

Walang emosyon akong bumaling sa grupong nakaharang ngayon sa pagitan ng port na siyang sadya ko at sa grupo ko.

“We all agreed that, right?” dagdag niya. “Leave Yain City out of mafia transactions and make it a haven for all of us away from the Hexorian Government.” Tumingin siya sa akin. “Have you forgotten that agreement, Henan of Havran?”

I sighed. “I never forgot the agreement that I co-authored, Jyn of Rioghail.” I am aware that he is staying in this city, trying to lay low away from the Azaria Clan because of their conflict.

But I didn’t expect that he would come after me as if he didn’t know that I am one of the mafia bosses operating in this country to agree to leave Yain City out of any mafia transactions.

“Then?” Itinuro niya ang barkong palapit ngayon dito. “What was that about? I was told refugees are boarding the ship and will enter this country undocumented.”

“Havran is not dealing with human trafficking, Rioghail,” singit ni Leon. “We simply went here to stop that ship after we learned that the people boarding it were from the Reveni Empire.”

“You are not the owner of that ship?” The man beside him showed us the screen of the tablet that he was holding.

At nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makitang ang barko na siyang palapit ngayon dito ay isa sa barko na pag-aari ko.

“Oh?” Bumaling muli kay Jyn ang tingin ko at nakita ang amusement sa kanyang mukha. “You didn’t know about that, huh?”

“Leon… Ashton…” Agad humarap sa akin ang dalawa. “Bring everyone and stop the ship before it reaches here. Don’t kill if it was not necessary and drive the ship back from the Reveni Empire.” Bumaling ako kay Rage. “Contract Adriel and tell him about the ship. Let him take care of everything from there.”

Mabilis na kumilos ang mga tauhan ko at naiwan lang sa tabi ko sina Asahina at Viex.

Damn it! I have been so busy with my group’s transactions out of the country that I neglected the Henan Shipping Company.

Someone from my company surely took advantage of that and managed to use one of my ships to make an illegal transaction for their sake.

“I am only here to confirm it straight from you, Henan,” sambit ni Jyn. “But it looks like you are not aware that someone has been using your legal business to make illegal transactions in this country.”

I shook my head. “I had no idea.”

Well, we are not really friends. Nagkataon lang na ang mga grupo namin ay parehong nag-o-operate sa bansang ito. At pareho naming pinangangalagaan ang siyudad na ito upang panatilihin itong malayo sa abot ng Hexorian Government.

Iyon lang naman ang hiling sa amin ng marquess ng Yain City.

Handa siyang tanggapin ang lahat at protektahan laban sa Azaria, siguruhin lang na hindi dadalhin dito ang kahit anong transaksyon ng grupong pinamumunuan namin.

At napagkasunduan ng lahat ng mafia na naka-base sa bansang ito na irespeto ang kondisyon niyang iyon nang sa gayon ay mayroon kaming lugar na mapupuntahan kapag nagkainitan kami sa mga Azaria.

“Sorry sa pakikialam dito, Boss Raven,” singit ni Dashyu na nasa gilid ni Jyn. Isa ito sa mga underbosses ng Rioghail na naka-base dito sa Yain City upang mantyagan ang lahat ng nangyayari dito. “Nagla-lay low kasi ang Rioghail ngayon at naisip namin na baka uminit ang mata ng mga Azaria dito kapag nalaman nila na may nagaganap na ganito dito na mayroong involvement sayo.”

Naupo ako sa gilid ng port at tinitigan ang barko na ngayon ay sinimulan nang i-raid ng grupo nila Leon.

“It is fine,” sabi ko nang hindi na nag-abala pang tumingin sa kanila. “You actually helped me this time. So, if you need something, just contact Leon.”

Alam ko naman na ginawa lang nila ito para sa sarili nilang kapakanan at para sa siyudad na ito pero pakiramdam ko ay may utang na loob ako sa kanila.

And I don’t want to owe someone. Kaya mabuti nang ibalik ang pabor na binigay nila sa akin sa lalong madaling panahon.

Naramdaman ko na lang na naupo si Jyn sa tabi ko at tumingin din sa barko. “I heard about the future partnership of our legal business.”

I nodded. “One of your employees reached out to Iona for an appointment and that is also one of the reasons why I went here to meet you.”

“Andrius Port was having a problem internally, so we had to cut ties with them for a while,” he said. “But I didn’t expect that my employees would choose your port. As much as possible, I don’t want our legal business to have contact to avoid suspicion from the other mafia in this country, as well from the Hexorian Government.”

Hindi imposible na isipin ng Hexorian Government na ang involvement ng dalawang kumpanya ay nangangahulugan din ng pagiging magkaalyado ng Havran at Rioghail.

At magdadala iyon ng pangamba para sa mga Azaria.

Praning ang mga iyon at laging iniisip na may plano kaming kunin ang pamumuno ng pamilya nila sa bansang ito. When in fact, we don’t really care about them.

We are just based on our mafia business here because the location of their country is a perfect place to get away from the radar of the international authorities.

“And I was actually planning to deny that woman’s appointment when I heard that she is working with JFCC but something got me curious.” Tumingin ako sa kanya. “When did you become involved with the youngest princess of the Hexoria Kingdom?”

Clea Mair…

I was aware of her real identity when I first saw her face at SweetHeart. She is part of the Azaria Clan, the youngest daughter of the current king of this country, and has been arranged to marry my brother in the Reveni Empire.

But the engagement was put on hold two years ago for unclear reasons.

At first, I was being cautious around her. I was thinking that maybe, just like her sister, she is conducting an off-the-record mission to get evidence that may convict us. And her first mission is Rioghail's legal business. Then, she jumped off with mine when she got the opportunity.

But as Leon investigated, we learned that everything was just coincidental.

She left her family and started living alone away from Azaria. They are supporting her by paying for the apartment where she lives and placing a couple of bodyguards around her to secure her safety, but other than that, Clea shoulders everything for her survival.

JFCC hired her without knowing her real identity at first and Rajiv let her stay at the company even though he knew her because she was only there to have a job that could support herself.

And she reached out to HSL because we are the only port that can accommodate the perfect condition for the JFCC's products.

But I am still curious as to why Jyn let the youngest princess stay in his company.

“She is great with her job,” he answered. “In two years, she got promoted to her position even though she only started as one of the office encoders. Her skills would be wasted if it was not used so I let her stay.” He glanced at Rajiv standing behind us. “And it was also a favor to him.”

“Oh.” Tumangu-tango ako. “I understand.”

“So, you are going to reject my employee’s proposal?” he asked.

I sighed. “That was my plan, but we are now in the middle of drafting the contract.”

From my peripheral vision, I saw him frown.

“You already said it yourself, Jyn,” I said. “She is great with her job. It would be a waste not to work with her.” Hindi ko na pinansin pa ang paraan ng pagtingin niya kahit ang totoo ay gusto kong ipaliwanag pero baka lumabas na masyado akong defensive kaya mas mabuti nang manahimik na lang.

Ngunit agad na kumunot ang noo ko at bumaling sa kanya nang bigla niyang tapikin ang balikat ko.

He had that sympathetic look in his eyes while looking at me and it made me feel confused. “Getting romantically involved with an Azaria is not going to be easy, Henan. I hope you are aware of what you are trying to enter.”

“What the hell?”

Tumayo na siya at pinagpagan ang kanyang pantalon. “Not that I am stopping you, but you should know that any woman in this country is hard to deal with. Especially those women that belong to the larger house of the Hexorian Government.”

“I am not trying to be romantically involved with her, Jyn.” Tumayo na din ako. “It was just a pure business between JFCC and HSL.”

Hindi na siya nagsalita pa at kumaway na lang sa akin habang naglalakad palayo.

Tumingin ako kay Rajiv na tinapik din ang balikat ko. “I have been there, Boss Henan,” aniya. “It was not easy but you will be fine.”

Just what the hell are they talking about?