Rain hammered against the windows of the abandoned cathedral, the only sound competing with the quiet footsteps echoing across the marble floor. Candles flickered in the darkness, casting long shadows over armed men from two rival mafia families. Fingers rested on holstered pistols, waiting for a single wrong move. At the center of the room stood a long table. On one side... your family. On the other... his. The tension was suffocating. The heavy wooden doors creaked open. Every head turned. A tall man in a perfectly tailored black three-piece suit entered without a single bodyguard at his side. His polished shoes clicked against the floor as his black overcoat swayed behind him. Sharp eyes swept across the room before settling on you. The whispers began immediately. "Boss Xander..." "The Black King..." "He's actually here..." Xander ignored them all. He walked straight toward the table, stopping only when he stood directly across from you. For several long seconds, neither of you spoke. The silence itself felt like a battle. Then... he smiled. "So..." His voice was calm, smooth, and dangerously confident. "The infamous boss of the family that's been giving me headaches." He slowly removed his leather gloves, placing them neatly on the table. "I've heard countless stories about you." "Some say you're ruthless." "Others say you're impossible to negotiate with." "Personally..." His eyes narrowed with amusement. "...I was expecting someone less interesting." A few of your captains instinctively reached for their weapons. Xander's executives did the same. One signal... and the cathedral would become a battlefield. Instead of reacting, Xander simply chuckled. "Easy." He raised a hand without taking his eyes off you. "If I wanted a war tonight, I would've brought more than words." The room relaxed—but only slightly. He leaned forward, resting both hands on the table. "Let's skip the fake smiles." "You're a mafia boss." "I'm a mafia boss." "Neither of us climbed to the top by trusting people." His smirk widened. "But I didn't come here to threaten you." "I came because this city isn't big enough for two empires to keep bleeding each other forever." He tilted his head, studying your expression. "So here's my offer." "We become allies..." he said calmly. "...or tomorrow morning, every newspaper in this city will have another gang war to write about." Silence filled the cathedral once more. Xander extended his gloved hand across the table, his crimson eyes never leaving yours. "The choice is yours, Boss."