December 24th, Christmas Eve.
While the FBI and the courts were busy fighting their legal battles, the SSR Club hosted a special holiday party, inviting guests from all walks of life.
Aside from Denham and David—who were still tied up with their cases—almost all of Luca's friends who were available showed up.
Even Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero, along with his crew, flew back from Miami to New York just for the celebration.
—Lefty , Dominic "Sonny Black" Napolitano, and Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone had recently been running a bar in Miami. They even added a small casino operation on the side and made a fortune over the past few months.
The group walked in laughing and chatting.
When Luca spotted Donnie among them, he couldn't help but smile.
The FBI had no shortage of undercover agents and informants.
Scarpa had been the first Mafia member turned informant.
And Donnie…
He was the first FBI agent to successfully infiltrate the Mafia from the inside.
This time, the Colombo family had taken the fall.
Next time, it would be the Bonanno family.
And after that…
"Hey, Dove!"
Two sports cars screeched to a stop outside the club.
One was Brian's green Mitsubishi Lancer.
The other was a bright red Ferrari—Jordan's latest purchase.
The two had grown unusually close lately.
Brian was now working under Jimmy in the truck drivers' union, while Jordan's shell company had gotten involved in the gas tax business.
Whenever Jimmy needed to reach Jordan, Brian was usually the one driving him around.
That's how the two got familiar.
After witnessing the internal culture of Jordan's so-called "wolf company," Brian had been completely stunned.
On Wall Street—where every inch of land was worth a fortune—there existed a place that felt like absolute chaos disguised as success.
Jordan loved throwing punches with his own employees.
In the office.
On yachts.
Even on planes.
Since getting closer to Luca, he had gradually lost interest in drugs and instead developed a fascination with what he called "human art."
Then he met Brian…
And immediately got hooked on racing.
His overstimulated brain needed stronger thrills, and racing delivered exactly that.
The two walked up and hugged Luca.
Jordan grinned.
"Dove, I heard you've got a modified GT-R. How about we take it out and see if it can keep up with my Ferrari?"
Luca replied calmly.
"Beat Brian first. Then you can challenge me."
Jordan froze.
"You're faster than Brian?"
Brian scratched his head.
"…Yeah. He is."
Luca corrected him flatly.
"He drives faster than you."
Jordan immediately dragged Brian inside, half-excited, half-skeptical.
He was already planning to squeeze every bit of racing knowledge out of Brian—then dump a ridiculous amount of money into upgrades before coming back for a rematch.
Not long after, O-Ren Ishii, Zero, and Elle Driver arrived.
Zero moved like a ghost, as always.
One moment he was greeting O-Ren Ishii, and the next, he was already standing behind Luca.
"Dove," Zero said eagerly, "I heard Mr. Wick will be here tonight?"
Luca didn't even bother hiding his reaction.
"What's the first thing you're planning to do when you see him?" he asked. "Give me a heads-up. If you're thinking about a sword fight, I'll need to clear the dance floor first."
Zero actually looked a little embarrassed.
"I won't fight on Christmas Eve," he said, rubbing his bald head. "I just want to share a drink with Mr. Wick."
Luca gave him a long look.
Hopefully that's all you want.
He checked his watch.
"Go inside. He'll be here soon."
---
Before long, John Wick and Helen arrived together.
Compared to a few months ago, when Helen had just begun treatment, her condition had improved dramatically.
She looked healthy.
Radiant.
Almost indistinguishable from a normal person.
She no longer needed to stay in the hospital full-time.
Regular treatment was enough now—which meant she could finally spend more time with John.
The downside?
Luca couldn't call on John whenever he wanted anymore.
And recently, with everything going on, who knew where the couple had been traveling.
They greeted Luca warmly.
Helen was cheerful as always.
Even John, who rarely showed emotion, had a faint smile on his face.
They showed Luca photos from their recent trip to San Francisco.
Before they could talk further, Zero suddenly rushed in and started bombarding John with rapid-fire Japanese and English, practically vibrating with excitement.
While John was busy dealing with that situation, Luca quietly pulled Helen aside.
"You still haven't told him?"
Helen smiled softly.
"I'm doing much better… but I want to wait until everything's completely stable."
"He gets busy. I don't want to distract him."
"I want to give him good news."
"When I'm fully recovered…"
"We'll have the wedding."
Luca nodded.
"He's lucky."
Helen hugged him gently.
"No, Luca… we are."
---
Then Uncle Bill arrived with his soon wife.
"Luca! The wedding date's set—Lunar New Year, February 7th!"
He looked around the club in amazement.
"This place is incredible. Hosting the wedding here? That's going to look amazing."
Luca smiled.
You two really took your time.
Your nephew still hasn't even made it to New York yet.
"Keung will be here next month," Uncle Bill added. "End of the year's busy. He wants to make a few extra runs and earn more money."
Finally.
Luca spoke casually.
"He want to driving a truck to New York? I'm the president of the Jersey City Truck Drivers' Union."
"I can offer him a higher salary than anything he's making in Hong Kong."
Uncle Bill: "???"
Mrs. Bill stared at Luca in shock.
"You're a union president now? That's incredible!"
Then she hugged him.
Hard.
Very hard.
She was even bigger than Harry.
Luca almost stopped breathing.
Uncle Bill… how are you still alive?
After settling them in, Mariggio arrived with his family.
"Luca, it's lively tonight. Out of all the clubs I've been to, yours is the only one that actually feels peaceful."
Then he pulled Luca aside.
"I've got a deal. Risky, though."
"What kind of deal?"
"Remember the jewelry business we took from White Tiger? It hasn't been doing great."
"A Harlem crew contacted us. They want to pull a big job during Christmas promotions."
Luca didn't hesitate.
"Then we do it. They take the risk—we handle the goods."
Mariggio frowned.
"The Colombo case is heating up. Police and FBI are everywhere."
"Exactly," Luca said. "All the attention is elsewhere."
"Which store?"
"Not sure yet. They'll contact us after they get the diamonds."
"…Diamonds?"
"Yeah. Even a small one's worth a fortune."
Luca went quiet.
Seriously?
Now?
Of all times?
Somehow… the timeline had circled right back.
Luca pressed his temple.
Fine.
Worst case, I'll just keep an eye on Keung.
"That should be enough," he muttered.
Then he looked up.
"I'll handle this deal myself."
Mariggio laughed.
"I knew you would!"
The party lasted until midnight.
But tonight's main character wasn't Luca.
It was Mathilda.
Because tomorrow was her birthday.
(TN: Mathilda's birthday is never specifically mentioned in the original film; the author likely took some creative liberty here)
Wearing a black gothic princess dress, she instantly became the center of attention.
Everyone knew her.
"Lucky Mathilda."
"Little Gambler."
"Queen of Spence School."
"The Mastermind Behind the Bike Gang."
Luca had no idea when she collected all those titles.
Or when she made so many friends.
Or how she built such a rare "card collection" inside the club.
She was progressing faster than him.
Even Elle Driver gave her a custom dagger as a gift.
Brian, Jimmy, Mike, the two gambling addicts, O-Ren Ishii—everyone brought something.
(TN: Pretty sure the two gambling addicts being referred to are Mike and Worm)
Then Luca wheeled out the birthday cake.
And revealed his gift.
A silver revolver.
A Smith & Wesson 929
Compact, Clean, and Deadly.
Perfectly suited as a 9mm handgun.
The room fell silent.
A knife was one thing.
A gun?
People started wondering what kind of monster he was raising.
Mathilda's eyes lit up.
Luca knelt down, placed the gun in her hand, and smiled.
"Life is the most dangerous fairy tale."
"I want you to become its brightest character."
"Hold steady. Aim true."
"But don't lose your kindness."
"You can be sharp… without losing your heart."
"Now… make a wish."
Mathilda threw herself into his arms.
"Thank you, Luca."
"I'll protect your peace."
That Midnight.
Mathilda turned thirteen.
---
The next day—Christmas.
The crackdown on the Colombo family intensified.
Arrests piled up.
Trials followed one after another.
Under Richie's influence, not only Persico—but dozens of members confessed.
They were all sentenced to prison.
For over a month, New York's courts were overwhelmed.
Case after case.
Sentence after sentence.
The Colombo family followed Persico's lead—standing still and taking the hit.
Meanwhile, the other families stayed silent.
Watching.
Waiting.
The infiltration had done more damage than any war.
The Colombo family fell.
Reduced to a second-rate faction.
Barely surviving under the Commission.
Persico was sentenced to forty years.
And that was considered light.
If every charge had stuck, even five hundred years wouldn't have been enough.
As for Scarpa?
He disappeared completely.
Placed under FBI protection.
Gone without a trace.
__________________________________________________________________________
[Ding!][Mission Summary:]
You have successfully resolved the conflict between Persico and the Commission.
You obtained full confessions from Carmine Persico and over 100 Colombo family members.
You assisted the FBI and the NYPD in the total dismantling of a Mafia crime family.
You have successfully upheld the peace of New York City.
[Rewards Processed:]
Skill Points Gained: x300
Skill Fragments Gained: 150
Theoretical Lifespan: +1 Year
Current Skill Fragment Balance: 206
New Unlock: Advanced Title Skill
[Title Unlocked: Peace Ambassador]
[Tier 1: Peacemaker]
Active Effect (Peacemaker): When engaging in nonviolent negotiation, the target's hostility level decreases by 10%, making them significantly more receptive to your mediation suggestions.
Passive Effect: While actively defending the peace, your combat power temporarily increases by 10%.
Aura Effect: Eases the tense atmosphere within a localized area, forcibly reducing the probability of conflict by 10% (Maximum Diameter: 1 Kilometer). (TN: about 0,621371 Mile)
Evolution Pathway
[Tier 2: Watcher]
Upgrade Requirements:
300 Skill Fragments.
Successfully mediate 3 medium-to-large-scale conflict events.
(TN: You like this style or prefer the previous style? let me know)
__________________________________________________________________________
Luca stared at the new skill.
A unique title.
Upgradeable.
This wasn't just a nickname.
This was system-level recognition.
Taking down an entire Mafia family… really paid off.
If conflict probability could be reduced…
Wouldn't crime rates drop wherever he went?
This skill was absurdly powerful.
"A peacemaker, huh…"
Luca smiled.
"One kilometer already… I wonder how far it goes at max level."
For a moment, he imagined a world covered in silver flowers.
---
December 1st, 1997.
A ship departed from New York Harbor.
Destination: Seattle.
Scarpa boarded under a new identity.
Witness protection.
A new life.
Before dawn, Denham came to see him off.
"You kept your promise. Now we'll keep ours."
"Seattle's far away. No one will know who you used to be."
Scarpa stared at the rusted hull.
"Rust can be cleaned… but eventually, the ship rots, doesn't it?"
"Everything does," Denham replied.
"Unless you replace parts."
"…Then it's not the same ship anymore."
"No. But it keeps sailing."
Silence.
"Will I ever see my family again?"
Denham shook his head.
"Only if they choose to see you."
Scarpa understood.
Probably never.
The ship slowly disappeared into the distance.
"Safe travels," Denham murmured.
---
That night, Harry Trask returned to the SSR Club.
One last drink.
One last conversation.
"With you, Dove… when did you figure out I was FBI?"
Luca smiled.
"Still fishing for answers?"
Harry laughed.
"So you knew all along."
Luca tilted his head.
"Tell me—what matters more to you?"
"Catching Scarpa…Or preserving peace?"
Harry took a drink.
Thought about his wife.
His double life.
"Do people know who you really are?" he asked.
Luca shrugged.
"They know enough."
"Some fear me. Some admire me."
"Some call me a butcher."
"Others call me the Dove."
"But the ones who truly understand me…"
"They stay."
Harry smiled.
"I think we'll meet again."
"And maybe… I'll still be your peace envoy."
Luca raised his glass.
"I'll hold you to that."
They clinked glasses.
[Bond: Friends]
__________________________________________________________________________
[New Skill Unlocked - (Tango in Passion, Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow, Mr. Universe)]
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