Chapter 232: Shadowed Ties Max had left Chad behind at the KTV parlour without a second thought. Once, Chad had been one of the biggest thorns in his side, an ever-present threat looming over him. But now? Now he had fallen. Hard. And while there was some satisfaction in seeing someone like Chad lose everything... Max knew better than to feel too comfortable. Dangerous people didn’t stop being dangerous just because they hit rock bottom. If anything, they became more unpredictable. And this time, Chad hadn’t just fallen alone, he’d dragged Max down with him. You could choose your friends. You could cut ties, walk away, start fresh. But family? That was a different story. You didn’t get to choose your blood. The situation was what it was. As he left the parlour and headed home, the first thing Max did was text Joe, letting him know he was safe. He didn’t want him worrying. Surprisingly, Joe messaged back almost immediately. The reply, however, felt... odd. [It’s good to hear that, boss.] [Btw, I just wanted to say... I’m sorry for everything when we first met.] [You’re a really cool guy. I see us as great friends.] Joe had never been the overly sentimental type, and while he’d said things like this before, this message felt different. It wasn’t prompted by anything, just dropped in out of nowhere. Maybe it’s everything with Jay, Max thought, staring at the screen. It’s made him more open. More honest about how he feels. Still, the message did its job. Even if just a little, it lifted the weight in Max’s chest. His mood had been soured by everything that happened, but reading Joe’s words helped. Eventually, Max arrived back at his room and collapsed onto his bed. The day had been long, and sleep tugged at him. But peace didn’t last long. His thoughts wouldn’t rest. When I woke up in this body and realized I was part of the Stern family, he thought, I saw it as a shortcut. A way to rebuild my empire faster than before. To make it stronger. Better. Using wealth I didn’t earn to navigate the world. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦 But that money, it had been just as much a curse as a blessing. It opened doors, yes. But it also drew attention. Enemies. And now it had thrown him straight into the crosshairs of a deadly gang. The Black Hounds would be back. He had two days. That much was certain. And while things were still messy with the Rejected Corps, he was technically still a member. He had a feeling that eventually, they’d come looking for him again. Two disasters. He wondered if he could use one to escape the other, play both sides, maybe. But the moment either group found out about the other, he’d lose all leverage. They’d back him into a corner and squeeze until there was nothing left. No, he had to keep them separate. As far as the Black Hounds were concerned, he was Max Stern, just a high schooler with a powerful name and access to money. Not Maximus. Not the former White Tiger boss. Not the new leader of Billion Bloodline. And he had to keep it that way. A short while later, a knock echoed at the door. It was Aron. He’d already heard everything from Joe and wasted no time coming over. When he saw Max standing there, completely fine, unharmed, his shoulders finally relaxed. "You know," Aron said, folding his arms, "if situations like this keep happening, I might need to start watching over you during the week, not just on weekends." Max smirked. "You might be right. Come in, there’s something I need to tell you." Since the situation involved the Stern family, Max didn’t hold back. He told Aron everything, about Chad’s massive debt, the involvement of gangsters, and how Dipter’s bullying had all been orchestrated by Chad himself. Finally, Aron had the full picture. All the puzzle pieces clicked into place. "The old you," Aron said slowly, "before the memory loss, you were stubborn. Strong-willed. My guess? Chad wanted to break you. Make you vulnerable. If he could control you, you’d use your money however he wanted. That was the plan." Max nodded. That theory made too much sense. And there was another reason he was sharing all of this. The deadline, the two days the Black Hounds had given him, landed on the weekend. And if he wanted Aron close by, ready in case something went wrong, he needed him to understand the full situation. "The truth is," Aron added, "Dennis won’t help you with this. Even if you told him everything, he’d likely advise you to pay the money and be done with it." "He’s dealt with this sort of thing before, competitors, threats, shady deals. It’s all part of the game. He got through it by navigating the business world his way." Max frowned. He started to question the purpose of all the private security. Was it just for show? For daytime events? To protect the family from corporate sabotage and media leaks? Because right now, Chad had gotten into a life-threatening situation, and Max was tangled up in it, yet not a single security team had shown up. "I’d recommend hiring a mercenary group," Aron said confidently, placing a hand over his chest. "I’ll take the lead if you want." Max shook his head. Chad had started with a billion. With that kind of money, he could’ve hired anyone. The best of the best. The fact that he hadn’t... that said everything. It meant the Black Hounds weren’t just some street gang. They had backing. A syndicate, something big enough to swallow all of Chad’s fortune. And still come knocking. "We need to deal with this one problem at a time," Max said. "I’m going to try and resolve it peacefully in two days. But... I need a backup plan just in case." He walked over to his wardrobe and opened it. Inside hung the signature black jacket, emblazoned with the logo of his new empire. Billion Bloodline. He pulled it out, slipped it on, and zipped it up. Even though it was late at night, there was a place he needed to go.