RISE OF THE MORTE CONGLOMERATE HEIR

Chapter 9

Mrs. Cassandra Morte looked back at him once, holding the door open, her eyes sharp as ice. "Oops, a great man always keeps his promise. Always remember that." The door closed, leaving Sable alone in the silence, trembling not from fear of Zander, but from fear of the Mother of the Morte clan.

At 7 PM, the air in the vintage restaurant in Jack County, USA, was charged with volatility. Merk and River had messaged Teggo and Onyx to meet again. When Teggo arrived, he immediately sat beside River, placing a heavy, brotherly grip on his shoulder, trying to diffuse the tension from the day before.

"Hi Princess River, how was your sales this month?" Teggo asked, the sarcasm laced with genuine concern for his stressed friend.

Onyx sat beside River, silent and watchful. A few chuckles from them, but River didn't join in. They all acknowledged that the joviality was thin. River and Merk had something serious to announce.

Onyx: "What now, River? Merk?"

River: "Is Madame Morte knows? That Zander is~"

Teggo: "I don't think so. Why?"

Merk: "Madame Cassandra was in Sable's office and almost about to slap Sable. She came in with River."

Teggo: "Lucky! She's hot as my mom."

River: "Are you not listening, Teggo?"

Ellvys finally cut in, "We get that, River and Merk. The boss is being humiliated by his aunt. That's a distraction. What's the real problem?"

River: "I was thinking, if Sable is just a protégé of Madame Morte... then~"

Teggo: "You know guys, in business. Whoever is the guy who can handle the businesses, go sit on the throne and enjoy being an heir. No business or technicality explanation." Teggo waved his hand dismissively.

Merk: "No, we're thinking..."

Teggo: "What?"

River leaned forward, the exhaustion from the constant fear overriding his loyalty. "Me, Merk, Ellvys, and Onyx needs to resign to this 'Zander-saving' thing."

Teggo’s face went rigid. His eyes turned cold. "Ohhhhhh... very sassy huh... Princess River... then what?"

Merk: "We need to have protégés, each and every one~"

Teggo slammed his fist on the table, not hard enough to break it, but enough to rattle the plates. "Merk, don't you think... I'm that idiot? I got it, Merk and River but, we're better than protégés."

Ellvys: "Very right."

Onyx: "We're friends with Zander and besides, not every Morte knows we're friends with Zander."

River: "Really, Ellvys? You sure you're not on my side tonight?"

Ellvys: "Hey, man. We can help Zander, hundred percent. Now, if we assign a spy slash protégé on each and everyone of us, we will train them~"

Teggo: "And if those protégés knows what we know, Zander will be in more danger."

River: "And my commissions too."

Teggo’s control snapped. He slammed both palms on the table again, the plates and utensils shaking violently this time. He lunged across the table and gripped River's collar and tie with his right fist, pulling him forward. "You know, you always go for your commissions. Very smart, right?! Right? Right? You want me to wire transfer now the total of your commissions~"

Onyx and Merk grabbed Teggo’s fists instantly, pulling him back against the wooden booth.

River, struggling against the iron grip, screamed back. "See? Wealthy people, huh! What, you'll pay me cash and do wire transfer so I'll help Zander forever? Teggo, they are thinking that we know~"

Teggo, nose-to-nose with River, his face a mask of furious sarcasm, spat out the words. "What? 'I'll help' you say? It's 'We' man, it's 'We'... you are not the only~"

Onyx grabbed Teggo’s chest, pushing him a crucial step back from River. "Easy Teggo, people might hear us."

Teggo shouted in a fierce, barely controlled whisper, still insulting River over Onyx’s shoulder. "Well, your first four sales you had came from Zander. You idiot."

Merk and Ellvys covered their faces, wanting to stop the devastating insult but knowing it was the truth. The fact that Zander had personally secured River’s initial success made his desire to quit purely about selfish preservation. Onyx, still pushing Teggo, frowned and tilted his head. "Man, that's too personal. Man, stop it."

Teggo pushed Onyx away with a sudden, forceful shove. "You, why you a high-paid security guard, huh? Because? And you're earning more than Zander now. Because? So, are you agreeing with this PRINCESS IDEA???"

River, seizing the moment, punched Teggo hard on the jaw. Onyx immediately pushed River back. Merk and Ellvys held Teggo's arms, preventing him from retaliating.

Merk, Onyx, and Ellvys: "Shhhhh... quiet... quiet now..."

Teggo laughed, a harsh, dry sound. He thumbed the small drop of blood from his lips, his eyes blazing. "This is useless. If you don't want..." He pointed his finger fiercely at River's forehead. "...then go home. Wait for ALL OF YOUR COMMISSIONS while Zander is in danger while driving and serving the ALLEGED CRIMINAL who put him into his AMNESIA ERA!!!" Merk and Ellvys covered his mouth, but Teggo removed their hands with a massive push. "What? Princess Merk and Princess Ellvys?" He shoved them both aside.

Teggo’s last question burst out, demanding a final answer. "Are you up to that River's PROTÉGÉ PLAN?" 

Onyx, Ellvys, Merk, and River glanced at each other, the silence thick and heavy. No one gave a word. Teggo smirked, laughed once, a sound of absolute contempt for their fear, and left the restaurant.

The alliance was broken.

In Bronx County, the same night at 09:16 PM, Madame Cassandra Morte is on the small, simple balcony of River’s home, her limousine waiting discreetly three blocks away.

The view was nothing like Manhattan, but Cassandra appeared completely at ease. She gestured toward the three moderately priced cars parked below, reflecting the comfort of River's high sales but the caution of his Bronx roots.

Mrs. Cassandra Morte: "Nice three cars, huh."

Both sat down on the simple wooden balcony chairs. River, perpetually deferential to true power, answered immediately. "No Madame, it's below nice. You know, cheapest."

Mrs. Cassandra Morte: "You don't say cheapest. We're in sales!!!"

River: "Affordable. Apologies."