"Yo, come here, Lucy, my boy." Amane grinned, reaching out for a hug from her son, who towered over her at almost 190 cm (6'2)
Lucien, with his long blonde hair and a face that mirrored his father's, begrudgingly hugged Amane back. "I'm not Lucy, mother."
Amane released the hug, disappointment etched on her face. "Mother? You always called me mommy, mommy, like a monkey that lost its mother,"
She furrowed her brows, suspicion seeping in. "Got a woman around? You suddenly pretending to be all mature and stuff?"
"No, there's no one here. I'm 22 now, and I'm old enough to stop calling you mommy," Lucien sighed, trying to sound more grown-up.
In the background, his big sister gave Lucien a nod, to which he responded with another nod.
Eager to avoid a scene, Lucien really wanted to pull his family out of there, but he had to be subtle. Drama with Katanas and a bunch of guns was the last thing he needed if they caught wind of his plan.
"So our Lucy is grown up now? It means I can hand you my business, right?" Cassius suddenly clamped down on Lucien's shoulder, a grip that looked more like a form of medieval torture.
"No, Father. I'm leaning towards the corporate slave life." Lucien responded casually, attempting to free himself from his father's relentless grasp, only to have Cassius tighten his hold.
"Oi, what did you just say?" Cassius shot Lucien a menacing look, his hand now making its way into his crisp white tux.
And now Lucien knew he had messed up.
"Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'll expand our business into the corporate realm..." Lucien chuckled dryly.
Cassius burst into laughter, his grip turning into a hearty pat on Lucien's shoulder. "That's my son!"
Internally, Lucien contemplated the need for a new plan to adopt a fresh identity and peacefully leave the country.
All he ever wanted was the kind of normalcy other families enjoyed, but instead, he found himself in the midst of a violent and rough one.
He remembers when his father insisted on enrolling him in a delinquent junior high. He didn't want his life to end up like that school.
The students there were straight out of a gangster movie, and the classrooms looked like they'd been hit by a graffiti tornado. The ambient soundtrack? A cacophony of someone fighting for their dear life.
Lucien struggled to recall encountering any teachers, but one student broke the chaotic rhythm, bowing at a perfect 90 degrees to his father.
"Leader! How have you been? Our group has been low without you," the student exclaimed, looking more like a 40-year-old man with a thin mustache and a bald head.
"Oh, my old friend, Baldwin! Long time no see, still here?" Cassius asked, excitement evident as he grabbed Baldwin's shoulder, causing visible discomfort.
Baldwin, with feigned confidence and pain in his eyes, nodded and said, "They said I'll graduate next year! Please let me work under you!" and bowed again.
Cassius laughed heartily, "Anything for you, my friend!" They shared a harmonious laugh.
The truth was, Baldwin was as old as Lucien's father and had never graduated from junior high, despite the impending graduation he claimed.
He couldn't imagine his life being surrounded by freaks like that. He rather die.
In Lucien's mind, 'No way I'm going to end up like this in the future!' So, he made a resolution – to graduate middle school and high school on time.
'I need to break free from this family and become rich!' It became Lucien's newfound resolution as he laughed alongside his father.
He appreciated his father for what he had done to the family, but still, he hoped they would be normal even for a little bit.
"These boys of mine, getting along well!" Amane exclaimed, enveloping her husband and son in a harmonious laugh.
"Oh yeah, I've got the biggest tuna this city has to offer prepared! Let's go and devour that damn beautiful sashimi!" Amane shouted with excitement.
Fortunately, he didn't have to deal with his family before his college friends showed up and started asking about them.
Building a solid reputation from the beginning of college, he was determined to protect it fiercely as his college days came to an end.
"Yes! Otoro! Otoro!" Cassius shouted with spirit, couldn't wait to devour the most delicious part of tuna.
With that, the Ashborne family headed to the parking area and entered their family car.
Lucien feels a bit worried. It was the first dinner they would have as a family. What kind of crazy things would happen this time?
The last time they attempted a family dinner, a rival family attacked, and they ended up in a full-blown brawl.
His father unleashed gunfire, ruthlessly eliminating the attackers, while his mother wielded a katana, cutting through everything in her path with maniacal laughter.
And his sister? She possessed a punch that could dismantle anyone's organs. Yeah, they were all utterly insane.
While Lucien was just standing there, tried to enjoy as much food as he could digest, because he was so hungry. He was a pro at dodging a bullet, a sword, a katana, a punch, you named it.
Honestly, he didn't give a shit about all the gang wars anymore. He just wants to eat.
Cassius settled in the driver's seat, inserted the car key, and attempted to start the engine, but it stubbornly refused to roar to life.
Frustration bubbling up, he smacked the steering wheel and shouted, "This crap! Why the hell won't it start!"
"Calm down, Father. You just need to start it slowly," Lucien advised.
"Shut up, son!" his father snapped, delivering another punch to the wheel and attempting to start the car again. This time, as the engine roared to life, an explosion engulfed the vehicle.
News of the Mafia family's demise spread like wildfire across the country, attributing it to a car bomb, followed by the end of the mafia war that had persisted for centuries. The Ashbourne family was declared dead, leaving no remnants, not even ashes.