For an intense situation where there had been so much back and forth, injured people groaning on the ground, and tension filling the air, the place had suddenly turned silent.
Everyone could almost hear their own heartbeats after Max spoke those words, declaring that he was the Chairman of the Billion Bloodline Group.
Of course, there were a few who already knew this, but there were also many who didn’t.
Wait... did he just say what I think he said? Darno thought, his mind struggling to process the moment. He began to replay every encounter he’d ever had with Max in his head, from the first day he arrived at the Billion Group to the way Max had taken his room without hesitation.
The memory hit him hard. How could I have missed it?
For a brief moment, Darno felt incredibly foolish. Just a representative from the Bloodline Group? What kind of person gives someone that young, that much power? he thought, shaking his head at his own ignorance.
Now, looking back, so many things started to make sense. He remembered the dinner with the Curts family, how they had mocked and called Max the "deadbeat" of the Stern family. Even Darno, who knew how powerful the Sterns were, had never connected the dots.
If no one had labeled him as a failure back then, maybe everything would’ve clicked into place much sooner. Because only someone from a family as wealthy and resourceful as the Sterns could ever create a massive venture company like the Billion Bloodline.
Then there was another thing that had always bothered him, the people surrounding Max. The powerful, capable individuals who worked under him or beside him. It had always seemed strange that someone "abandoned by his family" could command such loyalty.
Was it because of how they viewed him?
Even now, it was hard for him to believe. But seeing it with his own eyes left little room for doubt. I should’ve seen it... I should’ve realized he was the Chairman all along.
He swallowed nervously, a small bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face. Now he couldn’t help but worry about how he had acted toward Max in the past. Thankfully, his efforts to help Sheri might’ve earned him some favor, but still, he didn’t know what Max truly thought of him.
Regardless, they were all still trapped in the same dangerous situation.
"KID!" Jett shouted suddenly, breaking the silence. His voice boomed through the air like a gunshot. "Don’t play games with me! I don’t know if you’re trying to buy time or what, but someone as young as you owning that group, do you really think I’m that stupid!?"
"The opposite," Max replied calmly. His voice was steady, his eyes sharp. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have waited until now to reveal who I was. You contacted the Billion Bloodline Group before, right? Then call the same number again."
Jett’s glare didn’t waver, but there was hesitation in his eyes.
"I’ve already told them to transfer you ten million," Max continued. "Give them your details, and that’ll be your confirmation."
Anton, who was still sitting on the floor, stared up with disbelief. He thought Max was bluffing again, pulling some kind of trick to save himself. But even as that thought crossed his mind, Jett’s expression changed slightly. His suspicion battled his curiosity, until, in the end, curiosity won.
Slowly, Jett pulled out his phone.
Everyone in the area, injured, tired, but still conscious, watched as the Enforcer of the Black Hounds began to dial a number.
The silence stretched on, broken only by the faint buzz of Jett’s voice as he spoke into the phone. After a few short words, he ended the call, then glanced down at the device in his hand.
The seconds ticked by like hours.
Anton’s heart was pounding in his chest. It can’t be true,
His hands started to shake slightly.
The Curts family would’ve known. Bobo would’ve known. How could they not know what one of their own family members is doing?
Then another realization hit him, an icy one that crawled down his spine. What if it’s all true?
Didn’t Max say earlier that Anton would learn his lesson, that he would understand how everything was his fault?
Suddenly, memories began flashing through Anton’s mind. Sheri’s graduation party. The time he had tried to one-up Max, even going as far as trying to strike him. And then Max’s words echoed in his head, words from that very night.
"I’ll remember your name."
From that day forward, everything had gone wrong for him. His deals fell through, his reputation sank, and every business contact he had started to vanish.
It had made no sense back then. He thought it was just bad luck, or that people were turning on him for no reason. But now... now, if Max’s words were true, everything finally started to make sense.
A deep sweat formed across Anton’s forehead. I tried to hurt Sheri. I tried to hurt him. If he really has that kind of power... then what happens to me now?
As if to answer his spiraling thoughts, a soft ding came from Jett’s phone.
Everyone turned toward him. Jett stared at the screen for a moment, and then a wide grin began to stretch across his face.
"Well, what do you know," Jett said, holding up the phone for Max to see. "It looks like it was all real after all."
He smirked, lowering the phone. "I think we have a deal."
The tension that had been gripping the dock shifted instantly. The battered rangers on the floor looked up in disbelief. None of them had truly expected this outcome, least of all Jett himself.