8 Chapter 8

Hendrick woke up wondering why he's on the sofa of Verdino's living room in broad daylight. He started panicking when he realized that it was already morning and fear of not seeing Serena before her flight back to England when he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Well look who just woke up," Scott smirked at him.

"Didn't know that you were scared of roller coasters," Stefano snickered. 

"Where's Serena?," asked Hendrick as he stood up quickly.

"She's at the porch, helping dad and uncle Will with their luggage in the car," Scott replied.

"Shit..," Hendrick ran out from the living room with the twins tailing behind him. 

By the time he stepped outside, the Evans were hugging the Verdino's in turn and he saw Serena in her mother's arms. Lucia was seen whispering in her daughter's ears as she nodded her head. Hendrick walked right to Serena when she pulled from the hug and she smirked at him.

"Well good morning, sunshine," she chuckled, "I can't believe the rollercoaster bored you out and instantly made you fall asleep,". 

The entire family laughed as Hendrick's face went red in embarrassment. 

"I had to ask the staff to help me carry you to your car, though," Serena continued, "And I drove you straight home,".

"Sorry for ruining our hangout," Hendrick apologized looking guilty.

"Don't worry about it, maybe you can come to England and I'll take you to Legoland, it's much more child friendly," she replied, smirking at the same time. 

"Oh shut up," said Hendrick, pulling her into a hug, "I'll see you again, Serena. Text me when you arrive,".

"Sure.. If I remember," Serena smiled evilly at him. 

"You will," He kissed the top of her head, "I'll make sure of that.

Serena laughed as she let go of him. Giving her brothers a final hug, she climbed into the car and sat herself next to Aunt Lizzie. As the car started moving, she turned her face back towards the mansion and waved until they disappeared from view. The car sped towards JFK where the Evans's private jet had been waiting. They finally arrived back in England after seven hours of flight, and Serena hugged her father, uncle, and her aunt as she waited for another flight back home to Manchester. 

Charlotte had already waited for her in Manchester airport when she touched down and they headed back to Lorcan's house where his mother had prepared dinner for all of them. Seeing that it was nearly midnight, Mrs. Philip suggested that they should sleepover in her house and go to the office straight from there in the morning. The girls end up sleeping in Lorcan's room after hearing Serena's experience in New York. They listened in horror when she told them about the attack ending up Lorcan Googling some highly trained bodyguards for them which made Serena laugh and pointed out that she can protect herself. 

"Wait.. Hold on a second, you kill a few of them?," asked Lorcan.

"Well it's a self defense, I mean they shoot us first you know," Serena replied, "And I was actually trying to stop one of the cars that attacked us, but it overturned killing those men inside,".

"Bloody hell, that is so cool," said Charlotte, "You're a badass girl,".

"Damn it, you really need to teach us more," said Lorcan as he yawned, "Anyway, how did the police allow you back here in England? I mean you're not supposed to get out of the country when there's an investigation going on,".

"Dad and uncle Murphy must have done something, uncle Murphy has a lot of connections, remember?," said Serena as she and Charlotte adjusted themselves on Lorcan's king size bed. 

Serena was about to close her eyes when she remembered something. She took out her phone and started typing: What's up, Rollercoaster. I safely arrived and am currently sleepover at a friend's house. Oh and by the way, you owe me a slave service. Good night. She put her phone under her pillow and shut her eyes when suddenly she felt a vibration. Taking out the phone, there was a reply from Hendrick: Cool nickname, maybe I should change my gang's name to Rollercoaster. I'll be your slave when I see you again, I promise. Miss you already. Love XX. She smiles to herself and lets sleep take in. 

They went to work the next morning and things started to go normal for months. Serena later found out that the attackers were indeed from a Russian mafia. Scott and Stefano wasted no time calling her as soon as he found out. The Russians were part of a gang called Volki and it was unknown if they had any connections with Lynch. Her mother had called her to be careful and always check on her nearly every day. Hendrick and his men were assigned to hunt Volki and he sometimes calls her when she's free. 

She was getting ready for another date with Lucas when her phone rang. She smiled when she saw the ID on the screen.

"Hey RC (Rollercoaster), how you doin?," she answered her phone.

"Heyyyyy SerSer..," Hendrick slurred inside the phone.

"Are you drunk calling me?," she dropped her lip gloss in her makeup container.

"Yyiissss.. I don't know.. Maybe?," he mumbled. 

"Well make up your mind, I'm in a hurry right now," said Serena looking at herself in the mirror.

"Why? Where are you goin?," asked Hendrick.

"I have a date with Lucas," Serena replied.

There was a dead silent from Hendrick's side of the phone.

"Hendrick? You still there?," Serena called him.

"Luke.. I'm your father..," he made a disturbing inhaling sound and a deep rusting voice.

"It's Lucas, and you're not Darth Vader," Serena sighed.

There was another silence.

"Hendrick, I gotta go," said Serena.

"Did you fuck him?," Hendrick asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?," Serena couldn't believe he asked that.

"Bet you did, bet you loved it when he touched you down there," Hendrick started taunting her.

"I don't have time for this, call me back when you're sober," said Serena and she disconnected the call.

As she waited for the lift to come, there was a vibration from her handbag and she took out her phone. There was a text message from Hendrick: Actually, I'm not drunk. I'm just acting like one coz I'm in the enemy's territory. Enjoy your date with Skywalker, and don't let him touch you. I don't like it when people touch what's mine. XXX. What the fuck? She enters the lift and starts texting back: I'm no one's property. You and your enemy can go to hell. With that, she throws the phone inside her handbag and puts on a smiley face to greet Lucas who's waiting for her in the lobby. 

"Wow.. You look gorgeous," Lucas beamed at her.

"Thanks, you too," she smiled at him, "Shall we?,".

"Yes, we shall," he offered his hand and she took it, leading her to his car. 

She had an enjoyable night, the memory of Hendrick's drunken call was slowly fading away from her mind. 

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Hendrick's mood went bad that night. First he was mad because Serena was going out with that man. Now, he's mad to himself because he took it out on her. He couldn't even concentrate on doing his job and went back home still thinking about it. The image of an unknown man touching Serena made him punch the wall of his house. He was just about to hit the gym when his phone rang.

"Hello," he answered it.

"Hendrick, you need to come here as fast as you can," Stefano's voice sounded excited on the phone.

"What is it?," asked Hendrick.

"Can't explain it on the phone," said Stefano, "Just come,".

He arrived at the Verdino's mansion half an hour later with Hans. Everyone was waiting for them in the meeting room with the projector on. 

"Hendrick, Hans, take a seat please," said Lucia.

"Thank you, Don Verdino," Hendrick replied politely as he and Hans took a seat in front of Scott and Stefano, "So what is this about?,".

Antonio stood up and put in a reel inside the projector.

"Scott dug up some stuff about the African Star and he found a clue," said Lucia, "These pictures were taken during the 50's,".

The entire room went quiet as Antonio started the projector showing black and white picture. An African man in a suit was seen sitting on an armchair and two men who look so much alike that Hendrick suspected that they were twins, sitting on a sofa. In front of them was a coffee table with a fancy box placed on it. 

"Who were they?," asked Hans.

"The man on the armchair is Dakarai Cayman, original leader and founder of Die Slagter from Sierra Leone," Scott replied, "And he owns the box on the table,".

"The brothers on the sofa who were also identical twins are known as Ronald and Reginald Kray," said Stefano, "One of the most powerful bosses of London gangster called The Firm, well during those times of course. Both of them were arrested in 1968 and 1969,".

"Damn..," said Hendrick.

Antonio zooms the projector, focusing on the box on the coffee table.

"Now have a guess what's in that box," said Lucia.

"African Star," Hendrick answered slowly.

"Yayyy.. Ten points to Slytherin," Scott whooped.

Antonio pressed the next button and the picture changed. The Krays and Cayman were still in the same room, and sitting in the same position, but the box on the coffee table was opened and there was a big diamond the size of a tennis ball, shaped like a sphere, gleaming as they all looked at it. 

"Holy shit..," Hans whispered.

"I know right," Stefano stared at the picture.

"Estimated costs are billions of Pound," said Lucia, "No wonder it was hunted by people,".

"Even by looking at it, you're gonna feel something like.. I don't know, maybe power?," said Scott, his eyes were gazing on the diamond. 

"So those three people have it?," asked Hans.

Antonio pressed the button again and the picture changed. This time the three men had stood up. One of the Kray brothers was seen shaking hands with Cayman, while the other brother held the box. Both Hendrick and Hans gasped, Hendrick's eyes were wide as he looked back and forth at Scott and the screen. 

"Holy fuck.. They must have made one hell of a deal," said Hans, "So Cayman handed the diamond to them? The Krays have it?". 

"That's the mystery of it," said Lucia as Antonio closed the projector.

"Why's that?," asked Hendrick.

"Because that's the last time the picture of African Star was taken," replied Lucia, "After that, neither the Kray's men and Cayman's saw the diamond again,".

"The Kray must hide them somewhere," said Hendrick. 

"Like the Horcruxes?," asked Scott.

"Oh God, Scott.. Just stop with all the Harry Potter references..," Stefano groaned.

"It's not my fault, Serena made me read the entire set," said Scott indignantly.

Lucia gave her sons a stern look, making them stop bickering.

"So the Kray have it, how come no one asked them?," asked Hans.

"The police did, but none of them tell where they hid it," Lucia replied, "They kept the secret to the grave,".

"They're dead?," Hendrick slumped himself on his seat, "Damn it.. I was about to send Hans to interrogate them,".

"Yeah.. Ronald died first in 1995, Reginald died in 2000," said Stefano, "People even came to their family to ask about the diamond, but not even the entire family have seen it,".

"It's like the diamond vanished in thin air after Cayman gave it to them," said Scott. 

"That's not all, we've got another information that the Volki are not the only one who's looking for the diamond," said Lucia, "We're looking at several gangs across the world who're hunting for the African Star, following rumors and any leads to it,". 

"And they thought Giuseppe had it?," said Hans quietly.

"Yes," Lucia replied sadly, "My father happened to be one of the Kray's closest friends,".

"But he never has it," said Antonio, "After you told us about it, Hendrick.. We look everywhere, even asked around his trusted friends,".

The meeting room went quiet for a moment before Lucia spoke again.

"I was thinking about sending Scott and you to England to look around and maybe a bit of sleuthing," said Lucia looking at Hendrick.

"You think the diamond is still in England?," asked Hendrick.

"I don't know, but we could start from there," said Lucia.

"Alright, I'll go," Hendrick replied nodding his head.

"Yes.. I can finally go to Wizarding World or that Warner Brothers Tour," Scott beamed at them while Lucia frowned at him, "When are we leaving? Tomorrow?,".

"No, I need you tomorrow.. Oh, and Adriana will be coming with you two," said Antonio, "She's good at spying around, so you guys are going on Tuesday,".

"Awesome.. I'm gonna wear glasses then, so we can be Harry, Ron, and Hermione," said Scott gleefully. 

The entire meeting room groaned in frustration.