Chapter Fifteen: [No]

The noon hour had arrived.

Today, the sun over Winster was surprisingly bright, casting a warm glow even over the perpetually cold seawater.

Winster Harbor.

Pier Thirteen.

This was the third largest pier, after those controlled by the government and the Conti family. Since Ethan’s great-grandfather’s time, it had always belonged to the Poleta family.

In fact, it was from this very pier that Ethan’s great-grandfather rose to prominence and ultimately established the Poleta lineage.

Yet unlike the usual bustling, nonstop activity, today Pier Thirteen appeared desolate, steeped in a sense of melancholy.

This decline had actually begun after Alberto was attacked.

At first, the situation was chaotic. Tony, who oversaw this pier area, had received orders from Leonardo to contract their influence and wait for the war’s end.

But Leonardo soon died, and Joan quickly seized absolute control.

Then came Alberto’s plea for peace and the ceasefire.

When Tony learned that the truce required the Poleta family to hand everything over to the Cabrera family, his thoughts began to shift.

At that moment, he had yet to decide whether to fully side with Joan or seek another path.

It was then that the Evans family extended an olive branch.

The Evans family was powerful—arguably among the top three of Winster’s five great families.

Moreover, they had long sought a stake in the piers. Compared to the ruthless and inscrutable victor Joan, siding with the Evans family was undoubtedly the wiser choice.

That very afternoon, Tony met secretly with representatives of the Evans family.

His defection was thus almost inevitable.

Had everything proceeded according to plan, Joan, who had only recently risen to power, would have had no recourse against Tony once he allied with the Evans.

Tony could hardly be accused of betraying the Poleta family.

Yet unexpectedly, Ethan suddenly emerged, striking without warning.

In a single night, he eliminated all opposition.

The Poleta family was resurrected from the brink of death.

The situation grew extremely delicate.

Originally, Tony still had options—he had even planned to attend a company meeting that very morning.

Everything could have been as if nothing had happened.

But he didn’t go, because the conditions offered by the Evans family were too tempting.

He could take sole command of the pier, rather than merely managing it on behalf of the Poleta family and surrendering the majority of the income to them.

The Evans family granted him extensive autonomy, asking only for control over sea routes and pier docking rights.

Tony, who had little ambition, could not resist his greed.

Besides, Ethan was just a young upstart he hardly knew. Could he really defeat Joan?

The Conti family’s tactics aside, Tony reasoned that it was better not to let Joan benefit in the end.

After all, he had served the Poleta family diligently for over a decade.

Today, Tony still came to the pier. According to the Evans family’s plan, he was supposed to lie low for a few days until their talks with Ethan concluded, then resume operations.

But he couldn’t rest easy. He feared the Evans family might act covertly at the pier or that trouble might still arise.

Since Ethan’s overnight slaughter of Joan and the revelation of Fred’s fate, dissent had grown louder among the dockworkers.

Many believed that, given the circumstances, they should return to the family fold rather than become traitors.

Tony had killed several people to suppress this unrest, relying on years of management and prestige.

Yet he remained uneasy.

At that moment, he was eating with his trusted men inside a warehouse. Though eating, his mind was troubled.

“Boss, do you think today’s negotiations will go smoothly?”

“They will,” Tony replied. “Ethan is just a kid; he can’t control everyone in the family. The Evans family’s terms are the only ones he can accept.”

Though he said this with assurance, inwardly he was unsettled.

When news of Fred’s death broke, he had begun to believe Ethan truly had ability. Yet he was committed now, with no turning back.

Just then, a faint noise echoed from the depths of the warehouse.

At the same time,

Inside the Poleta family’s Belle of Beauty Hotel, Francis was drowning his sorrows in his private suite.

He was far more cautious than Tony. The suite was guarded by armed men inside and out, and he had, unusually, called for no female company.

His thoughts mirrored Tony’s, but with an added burden: the Colleone family held leverage over him, forcing his betrayal.

Otherwise, given his cautious nature, he would have attended the meeting immediately upon hearing of Joan’s death.

He had already downed five shots of strong liquor and was feeling dizzy despite his strong constitution.

Yet he still ordered his men to patrol constantly.

He was truly terrified.

Ethan’s methods were thunderous—he had wiped out Joan and Fred overnight.

These were people he had never dared to cross before.

He genuinely feared Ethan might knock on his door at any moment and blow his brains out.

“He has to preside over the funeral today. For the Fengcui people, funerals are supremely important. He won’t have time to come after me…” Francis tried to reassure himself but grew increasingly anxious.

“Why haven’t the patrols reported back yet?”

Meanwhile,

The Poleta estate garden.

The funeral banquet had begun.

Funerary banquets were exceedingly simple—just some fruit, plain bread, and vegetables.

No meat.

On funeral days, the Fengcui people rarely ate meat to maintain purity of body and soul, devotion.

This allowed for better mourning and a chance for the deceased’s spirit to respond.

Ethan was dining with representatives of the five great families.

The Merrick family did not attend due to prior unpleasant incidents; their relations were strained, and they only sent a flower wreath.

Thus, only four families were present.

Ethan said little after sitting down, while George Evans and Danny Colleone chatted amiably.

Unsurprisingly, the conversation soon turned to the two absentees from yesterday’s meeting.

“Ethan, I know this may seem opportunistic, but we accepted Tony out of respect for Alberto and to honor the long friendship between our families. Now that things have come to this, how about the Evans family cedes three prime plots in the East District in exchange for Tony’s freedom?” George Evans spoke earnestly.

Danny Colleone smiled and added, “We can offer generous terms as well, Ethan—just say the word.”

Throughout, Sandro remained silent, seeming either lost in thought or admiring the scenery.

Ethan quietly ate for a while, then wiped his mouth and smiled.

“No.”