Chapter 324: Chains of Control Chad slumped into the luxurious vehicle with a disgruntled scowl, his every movement radiating frustration. For a moment his eyes flicked toward Max, meeting his gaze briefly, but the contact lasted only a heartbeat before Chad turned his head sharply away, his jaw tightening as if even looking at Max was unbearable. The silence between them carried a weight of history. Their relationship had been rewritten entirely since the last time they’d met. Secrets had been spilled, secrets that could destroy either of them if spoken aloud, and both knew they were bound to keep them locked away. Neither boy could afford betrayal. The air itself seemed to hum with unspoken tension. Since the bloody clash between the Chalkline Boys and the Rejected Corps, Chad had been living under a new reality. He was no longer free to walk the streets as he pleased, no longer the spoiled young man flashing his wealth on every corner. Instead, he had been confined to the Pit, under Wolf’s constant watch. A fee had been arranged for his stay, covering food, clothing, and shelter, but that didn’t change the fact that his existence was caged. He was bathed and fed on schedule, clothed only in what he was given, kept under vigilant eyes at all hours. Freedom was something he no longer possessed. He had no money of his own anymore. All of his accounts had been frozen, his cards seized. Even his phone had been taken, stripped from him like a child punished for reckless behavior. If Chad wanted anything, a simple meal, new clothes, even the smallest luxury, he had to beg Wolf. Every desire had to be approved, every whim scrutinized. To some, it might have seemed cruel. To those who didn’t know the full story, it might have even looked excessive. But compared to what Max had endured, compared to the scars and battles he had fought, Chad’s punishment was nothing. In Max’s eyes, it was fair. More than fair. It was justice. After all, much of the chaos with the Rejected Corps had spiraled out of control because of Chad’s weakness, because of the mess tied to his name. Now, even his cars, his most prized possessions, gleaming testaments to his wealth, were gone. The first order Max had given him was simple: sell them all. The money was redirected, absorbed into Max’s funds. Chad was left with nothing but memory and resentment. Technically, he still owed the Black Hounds. His debt remained, too heavy to simply erase, and Max had no intention of paying it off for him. Why should he? In Max’s mind, Chad had already given them far too much. Still, Max had tucked away a thought for the future. Perhaps, when the time was right, he might use that debt to strike a deal. Perhaps there was leverage to be found. But that was a decision for later. For now, Chad sat fidgeting, his face sour. The car rolled steadily along the road toward the manor, silence thick around them, until finally Chad broke. "Please, Max." His voice cracked with desperation. "This whole situation, it sucks! Can’t you at least give me a small allowance? Twenty thousand a month, that’d be enough. No, wait, fifteen. I think I could even survive with fifteen." His tone was pleading, almost pitiful. Max turned his head slowly, studying Chad with eyes that felt far too sharp for someone their age. Was Chad truly this much of a fool? Had he really been raised so high above reality that he thought fifteen thousand dollars a month counted as living humbly? For a single man with no responsibilities, no bills beyond survival? Max’s lips curled into something between disbelief and disdain. Chad had no concept of money. None at all. And Max knew that had to change. "You’ll continue living exactly as you have been," Max said, his voice calm but edged with steel. "Think about it. You haven’t caused any trouble recently, and that’s because you haven’t been allowed to do anything. Keep it that way. If you behave, if you actually prove you can listen, then maybe, just maybe, I’ll consider giving you an allowance. But it won’t be anywhere near the number you’re thinking." Chad blinked at him, his face twisting with frustration. What Chad didn’t realize, what he couldn’t know, was that Max already had a plan. He intended to give Chad an allowance eventually, but when he did, it would be less than what the Pit spent keeping him alive. Less than the food, the clothing, the roof above his head. Every penny would have to stretch painfully thin, leaving Chad struggling in ways he’d never known before. It would be worse than now, worse than the humiliation of asking permission for everything. It was deliberate. It was control. "If you do well," Max continued, "if you stop whining and start showing discipline, then your allowance will increase over time. But hear me clearly, Chad, don’t even think about talking to any of the family members about this situation. Don’t breathe a word to anyone. If you do, your life will get harder than you can imagine. You know as well as I do, no one else will help you. No one wants to. The only person willing to keep you afloat right now is me. And that will only last as long as you stay on my good side." Chad’s chest tightened. The words sank into him, heavy and cold. He wanted to argue, wanted to lash out, but his tongue caught on his teeth. He bit it hard enough to sting, swallowing the anger. Because Max was right. Chad had always been weak. When the Rejected Corps had pressed him, he hadn’t spoken up. When Dipter had pulled his strings, he had danced along. And now, Max had shown a level of power that none of them could deny. Even the strongest members of the Rejected Corps had fallen. How could Chad rebel when sitting in the same car, just one seat away, was Na, one of their deadliest fighters, watching everything? He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. So he stayed silent, hands clenching in his lap, his pride shrinking smaller and smaller with every mile they traveled. At last, the car slowed, turning onto the long drive. The looming shadow of the Stern manor rose ahead of them, its towering walls cutting into the sky, its gates opening wide like jaws. Max leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing as the building came into view. It was time. Time to walk once more into the lion’s den. Time to face the Stern family again.