Войтиoh mia 🥺💔. You're not alone, I've been there before!
First of all, Mark was suprised when he saw that Victor was the one working for Axel. After all, Victor had always seemed like a loyal guard… right? Luis suddenly removed his nose mask, as though it had anything to do with his sight. At that same moment, the little boy burst into tears again, and the sound drew Axel’s attention. Axel looked at him with clear indifference. To the frightened child, this man was just another villain who had come to take him away from his parents. His mom. His dad. The possibility that they might save him never even crossed his mind. He was not wrong. To Axel, saving the boy was not his responsibility. Neither was saving Angela of all people. But Luis was his responsibility, and that was the matter he had come to settle. Still, something about the sight of the boy, so close to being treated in the worst possible way, stirred something inside him. His hands slowly clenched within his trench coat. He was just a child. So what? Axel had b
That night, Luis kept his word. He returned to the slaughterhouse, determined to resume the only business he believed he still had control over. Strangely, he no longer seemed to care about the empire he had lost. As long as his underground trade remained intact, he convinced himself he could rebuild everything. Not entirely, though. Axel was aware of it now. That was why he needed to move quickly. The faster he reestablished his network, the sooner he could regain his wealth and influence. Losing his empire didn’t mean losing his connections. His phone still held the contacts of loyal clients. And to Luis, that was more than enough to start again. The dim slaughterhouse was far from decent. It never had been. The place carried a heavy, unpleasant odor. It smelled of spoiled meat and dried blood mixed together, which was why everyone inside wore masks, including Luke and Connor — the usual two who rarely missed a night like this. "Where are they?" Luis asked, his voice mu
The entire city seemed to be holding its breath, waiting to see whether Luis had truly been hiding something. But Luis, being Luis, would never admit to it. "What do you mean?" Brenda glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Even she didn't know how they were supposed to explain this. "We have nothing to hide," he continued evenly. "However, it's obvious someone is targeting us." His jaw tightened as his gaze lowered to the table. "It began when my goods mysteriously disappeared." Brenda's fingers dug into his arm, a not-so-gentle reminder that they were live, and he needed to choose his words carefully. "What goods?" the anchor asked, suddenly far too interested. "Some imported construction materials from one of my companies," Luis replied. He paused, then added, "An entire warehouse was robbed." "Robbed?" the anchor repeated. "And yet there was no official report filed?" For a brief second, Luis forgot how words worked. The anchor adjusted his glass
*A/N: sorry I couldn’t update recently, guys. I’ve been really stressed. Thank you for your patience, here’s the next chapter!* * * That same night, Axel stood before the mirror, his shirt lifted halfway to reveal the neatly wrapped bandages around his torso. His gaze remained fixed on the wound Andrew had carefully redressed for him earlier. His fingers brushed lightly over the exact spot where the blade had pierced him. If it hurt, he didn’t acknowledge it. Not because he couldn’t feel it... he could. It simply didn’t register as real pain... The room wasn’t entirely quiet. His phone kept chiming from the corner of the room, notification after notification, headlines stacking on top of each other. He wasn’t bothered. He already knew what was happening. Still… the sound grated on him. His head tilted toward the sound of the phone. As if summoned, the screen shifted to an incoming call. It read "Asset_01." Yes. He had literally saved someone’s name like that. Axel
Luis’s frown refused to leave his face throughout the entire drive home. He had just spent millions, every last cent in his account. And he couldn’t help thinking that Mr. Bennett had been shameless in demanding such an outrageous sum. By the time he arrived, the sky had turned a dull shade of grey. He didn’t wait for his bodyguard to open the car door. He pushed it open himself and strode outside. These days, he no longer traveled with an army of security trailing behind him. Only one or two remained. The rest had been dismissed, partly by choice, mostly because he could no longer afford to keep them. When he stepped into the living room, the sound of the television was the first thing that greeted him. Brenda and David sat stiffly on the couch, their attention fixed on the screen as the news anchor detailed the latest developments in a serious tone. Brenda held a mug between her hands, though she hadn’t taken a sip in a while. The tightness in her expression made it clear
"Sir," Luis’s PA said, "Maris has completely fallen apart. Employees are quitting, market value has dropped, and the investor has withdrawn. That makes three companies." Luis remained silent, his elbow resting on the desk as he stroked his chin. To anyone watching, he appeared lost in thought. In reality, he was absorbing every word. It hurt more than he showed. "Axel," he murmured under his breath. "Regarding Mr. Montclair, sir," she continued, "he has sold all of his shares to a new investor. That appears to be the only company performing well in the market. Would you like us to approach the new owner about selling it back?" Luis struck the table with both hands, startling her. "Where am I supposed to get that kind of money? I’m already struggling, and you expect me to buy back shares of my own company?!" "But sir… th-that’s the only way to protect your reputation." "And how does that concern you?!" The PA knew better than to step back, especially before he started







