The news hits me like a freight train. Instead of feeling sorrow, frustration seizes me—a bitter blend of unfulfillment and anger spreads through me like a cloud of smoke.

I wanted to confront that scum; it was supposed to be me who ended his miserable life. He couldn't get away so easily. Having this chance for vengeance snatched from me fills me with fury. I see red and retreat, needing time and distance to think and calm down.

A crucial part of my plan crumbles. Raphaël was the enemy I would have taken my time with, instilling fear and dread in him. Seeing even a glimmer of despair in his eyes would have been more than satisfying. Just as I was preparing to torture him, he triumphs once more, torturing me with his death. I can't fathom that he's now nothing more than a corpse. All my hopes for revenge are buried with him.

Suddenly, an idea comes to me. I return to Andy and Andrea for more information.

"Do you know what he died from ?"

"A heart attack, apparently," Andrea replies.

"Surprising, he was in perfect health when I last saw him."

"Two years have passed since then, a lot could have happened," he adds.

"Certainly. Do you know when the funeral is ?"

"Next Thursday, but I don't think we're invited."

I smile.

"One doesn't need an invitation to a funeral. I'm definitely not missing the chance to bid a final farewell to that bastard."

"Okay, that sly smile of yours is worrying me. What are you planning ?" Andy asks, alarmed.

"It's simple: if I can't have his life, I'll take what's left of it—his honor."

Andy and Andrea exchange worried glances, curious about what I'm scheming. I smile mischievously, knowing they aren't ready for what's to come.

"Come on, tell us now. You've made us wait long enough ! I want to know what twisted plan you've concocted this time," Andy presses impatiently.

"I want to steal Raphaël's body, throw it into the flames, and imprison his soul in hell for all eternity. I want his family to mourn over an empty grave, for him never to reincarnate. I want him to never know eternal rest, for his soul to be tortured over and over until it withers to nothingness."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't think heaven or hell really exists."

"Believe what you want, I believe in it. Even if it's just a lie, knowing his ashes will be scattered instead of resting in some refined coffin brings me slight consolation for not being able to kill him with my own hands. At least I will have contributed to his torment, trampled on his honor, and that's comforting."

Andrea clears his throat before continuing cautiously.

"And how do you plan to do that ?"

"Well, I've got a few ideas, but I'll need your help, obviously."

"We're listening."

"Okay, so I've got the general plan but not the details. I was thinking of intercepting the body as it's being transported by the hearse to the cemetery. We'll either cancel the vehicle by calling the company or, if that's not possible, replace the employees with our men by force. We'll also need to find a crematorium nearby and force the employee to destroy Raphaël's body, or do it ourselves after taking care of the guy. Once he's in the furnace, we crank up the flames, and I'll dance to the sound of the fire crackling as it consumes every miserable cell of his rotten body."

My wide, sadistic grin is met with only perplexed stares, awaiting further details that don't exist.

"Uh, is that it ?" Andy asks, disappointed.

"I told you, I've got the main ideas but not the details."

"The first flaw I see is what we'll bury in place of his coffin? Okay, I get the idea, but if you want to pull this off without anyone noticing, we need a replica of the coffin with some weight inside," Andrea counters, sowing doubt about the reliability of my plan.

"That's why I need your help. With three brains, we can craft a near-perfect plan," I explain, smiling broadly, placing all my hopes in us.

We spend the next few hours plotting, examining every idea, hypothesis, and possibility that comes our way.

"Should we involve the funeral home guys ?"

"We need to be sure we can trust them. Your credibility and notoriety as a mafiosa aren't established yet, so we have to build everything from scratch. We can't rely on the mere mention of your name to succeed. We can't risk them not following your orders."

"I'll convince them. As you said, we have to build everything, so we might as well strike hard with the first blow and instill fear."

"Or we could gather some of Ezio's men that you're still in contact with, Andrea?" Andy suggests.

"I'm not convinced. They trust me, but they don't really know May, and just because she's Ezio's widow doesn't mean she'll have their loyalty. She has to prove herself."

I stifle a sigh at his words, which inevitably remind me of my past self, who also had to prove herself to exact her revenge.

History repeats itself.

We spend a few minutes debating my legitimacy and credibility, realizing that it will be much more complicated to gather men than anticipated. We set that issue aside to focus on the rest of the plan.

"We have the same problem with the crematorium. Do we trust the employee or take care of it ourselves ?"

"At that point, you two will be driving the hearse, so having more men will surely raise suspicion. I think we'll have no choice but to impose ourselves on the employee, even if it means using force," I conclude.

"The problem is, the more witnesses we leave behind, the more we put ourselves in danger. We can't be sure that the loyalty they promise at gunpoint will be genuine once things calm down. Even if we claim to be part of the mafia, once again, you have no reputation in that field, so to them, you're a nobody, and when you're a nobody, you're much less feared—even if that doesn't mean you aren't formidable," Andrea points out.

"We have no choice. We'll have to trust some men; it's up to me to assert myself and make them understand that I'm not joking."

"What about the point Andrea raised earlier ? Do we need to find a replica of the coffin ? Is that even feasible ?"

"We need to find a solution. The funeral home is one of the most renowned in the city, handling the burials of the biggest names in the country. We might be able to find a way to get the information and then order the same one," Andrea replies.

"Isn't there a delay to make it ?" I ask.

"Not if they have it in stock."

"That's still basing our plan on a lot of 'ifs,' and honestly, I don't want to rely on luck because it's far from being my friend," I grimace.

We continue to explore different options, discarding some and keeping others, and slowly, as the conversation progresses, the plan takes shape, and the flaws vanish. After several drafts, we finally come up with a plan that holds up and is solid enough to go off without a hitch.

"Perfect, we still have a few details to work out, but our strategy is in place. Let me recap to make sure we're all on the same page, and if you have any comments, speak up, okay?"

The infernal couple nods in agreement, and I summarize our ideas.

"To avoid arousing any suspicion, I'll attend the funeral alone. I'll be present for the viewing, which will take place at the Madini manor, as the Corriere della Sera article specifies. Once there, Isabella won't want me to see Raphaël and will order the coffin to be closed immediately and permanently, which means everyone will have to leave the room. That's when you'll intervene. You'll already be on-site thanks to our Trojan horse—the catering van. That morning, the delivery company the caterer uses will unfortunately have a delay and won't be able to make the delivery to the Madinis; that's when you'll step in. With a rented truck and work uniforms, you'll blend in perfectly, and the caterer will be so relieved to have the order delivered that they won't ask any questions.

"Sorry to interrupt, but are we sure they'll use a caterer? After all, they have domestic staff," Andy questions.

"Very true, but on the day of a funeral, it's customary not to make the staff work and to give them the day off so they can pay their respects to the deceased. Isabella will follow that tradition; even though she's far from the perfect grieving widow, she won't want to make more enemies than she already has—at least not at her late husband's funeral. She'll wait until the next day."

Andy nods and lets me continue.

"So, once you have the goods, you'll deliver them as planned to the manor. Since you'll be transporting perishables, you'll have access to the back of the manor where the kitchen is. This will be perfect for avoiding the cameras, which are mostly positioned at the front; a few rare ones are at the back, but the lower part of the manor is completely in a blind spot. The viewing will take place on the ground floor. We'll need to bribe a funeral home employee to find out exactly where it will be held. In any case, it's certain that it won't take place upstairs to avoid any inconvenience for elderly or physically limited guests. Depending on where it's held, there will always be access through another room—Raphaël had the brilliant idea of connecting every room with a door. Once Isabella orders the coffin closed, we'll need to be quick. The mayor will be with the funeral home employees and you, Andy. Since Andrea's face is easily recognizable to the Madini family, it's better for you to be near the coffin at that moment. The mayor will screw down the lid and then seal the coffin with wax. At that moment, thanks to your nimble fingers, you'll steal the stamp with the city seal and the red wax, which will allow us to reseal the coffin. Once he's finished, the mayor will leave on his own, leaving you to your heavy task. Under the table where the coffin will be placed, we'll have hidden the box containing the mannequin that will replace Raphaël's body in the real coffin. With the undertakers, Andy, you'll have to swiftly and confidently unseal and unscrew the lid, then make the body swap. I don't know if I'll be able to help you; if Isabella dismisses me, I might, but if she's watching me closely, it will be impossible. It's better to assume I won't be able to assist you so that we aren't relying on a good surprise. In any case, there will be five of you—the four undertakers and you, Andy. Together, you should be able to complete the task quickly. Once it's done, you'll need to swiftly remove Raphaël's body. Andrea, you'll be ready to enter the room and help Andy move the body to the truck. Again, if I can help, I will. Once that's done, you'll need to insist on taking the catering dishes back—at least the containers—which will give you an excuse for leaving late and following the procession. Of course, you'll detour to park in a deserted spot we'll have chosen in advance, and then you'll wait for me while I attend the burial of the mannequin. I'll join you, and as planned, at nightfall, we'll break into the crematorium, reduce the cameras to ashes, and then Raphaël—and that'll be it!"

"What do you plan to do with the old man's ashes ?" Andy asks.

"I don't know yet. But when that's all we have left to worry about, it means everything went smoothly."

"Okay, this plan seems solid. All that's left is to meet with the funeral home employees, find out who the caterer's transporter is, and locate the deserted spot, and we're good to go," Andrea encourages.