Everyone had been granted permission and time to go their own way.
Whether they completely believed Max’s explanation about the Vow or not, every single one of them understood one thing , if there was even a small chance to grow stronger, it was worth taking.
Still, the idea of it weighed heavily on their minds. The way Max had described a Vow made it sound deeply personal, something that came from conviction , a promise that had to matter more than anything else.
It wasn’t something they could just choose at random. It had to be something difficult, something painful to hold onto, yet impossible to give up.
Each of them needed to find what that was.
Darno had already been given permission to leave , to go and find his old teacher. Max had trusted his judgment, even if that meant letting go of one of his strongest fighters for now.
That decision wasn’t easy.
With Darno gone, and the rest of the Rangers temporarily scattered, the Bloodline Group would be significantly weaker. Aron was still around, but Na, Stephen, Wolf, and Joe , the ones Max trusted the most , were all going to be off searching for their own paths.
Even so, it had to be done.
The Black Hounds were silent for now, likely satisfied with their payout from Jett’s encounter. It was the perfect window , a brief calm before the next storm.
Max had to use this time wisely. If they didn’t grow stronger now, there would be no chance when the White Tigers came into play.
Because deep down, he knew it was inevitable , a confrontation with them was coming.
And the only people he could trust to face it were his Rangers.
At the gym, Stephen and Joe were the first to return, both in deep thought as they sat against the wall after a long round of sparring. Sweat ran down their necks, but their minds were elsewhere.
"Can I link it to my stamina?" Joe asked suddenly, still catching his breath. "Like, what if I vow to run every day? If I push myself to run more each time, maybe that’ll make me stronger."
Stephen tilted his head, thinking.
"I mean, it’s possible," he said. "But remember what Max said , it has to be something important . Something that means something to you. Besides," he added, smirking, "you can’t just run until you die."
Joe shrugged. "Didn’t he also say that the Vow only really activates when you’re in a life-or-death situation? That’s what triggers it, right?"
Stephen nodded slowly. "Yeah. Something like that. Guess that means we need to be ready when it happens."
He leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. "Still... what kind of vow would even work for me? Boxing’s all I’ve ever known. Every fight, every day, that’s been my life. Maybe it has to be something tied to that."
He trailed off, lost in thought.
Across from him, Wolf sat quietly, deep in his own head. The Vow idea had caught hold of him too. He was a man who believed in loyalty and power , the kind of person who didn’t bend easily. But now, he was realizing just how much stronger he needed to be.
And then there was Na.
Unlike the others, Na hadn’t said much at all. At first, he’d been skeptical , he didn’t believe in strange powers or mystical promises. But after everything he’d seen Max do, after the battle with Jett, after watching how reality itself seemed to bend around the man’s will, Na couldn’t deny it anymore.
If there was even a chance that this Vow thing was real, then he’d find one of his own.
He just needed to figure out what it would be.
Back in his office, Max sat slouched at his desk, rubbing his eyes with both hands. His mind was heavy with numbers and possibilities.
"Alright," he muttered finally, dragging his hands down his face. "I’ve made the decision. We’re doing it."
He straightened in his chair and looked across the desk toward Warma, who was patiently waiting with a tablet full of data.
"We’ll invest in Bobo’s biotech company," Max said firmly. "Go ahead and set everything up. Prepare the conditions and move forward with the plan. If we pull this off, we’ll take down another Stern , and get a profitable company out of it."
Warma gave a slow, approving nod.
The decision was made. But that didn’t stop the uneasy feeling crawling down Max’s spine.
One hundred million dollars.
He would have to pull it straight from his own reserves. The moment that transfer went through, his Vow-linked strength would plummet again.
The thought made him clench his jaw.
Still, this was a necessary risk.
If the plan succeeded, it would open the door to both profit and revenge. And more importantly , power.
He needed a massive financial influx soon, something that could boost him back to full strength quickly. But his options were limited.
It was a shame Chad had never accumulated much wealth. If Max could have drawn that from him, he would’ve regained a portion of his lost energy instantly.
As for the Black Hounds and the Gilt Rats , higher syndicates above them , there was potential there, but it wasn’t time yet. He needed to wait. One wrong move and everything he’d built could collapse.
He tapped the desk in frustration.
The businesses I have are stable, he thought. Profitable even. But not enough. Not fast enough.
He needed something big , a windfall, a sudden surge , to bridge the growing gap between his wealth and his strength.
As those thoughts circled in his mind, a soft knock came at the office door.
"Enter," Max called out.
One of the Fortis Group members stepped inside, holding a sealed envelope.
"Sir, this was delivered to the front gate," the man said, bowing slightly. "It was hand-delivered, and they said it was specifically for you."
Max raised an eyebrow. "No sender?"
The man shook his head. "No, sir. And... the envelope, it’s black."
That made Max sit up straighter.
He reached out and took the letter. The material was thicker than normal paper, almost like parchment. The seal was plain , no markings, no insignia , just a faint indentation that looked like a claw mark pressed into the wax.
The Fortis member bowed again and quietly left the room, leaving Max alone with the mysterious envelope.
Max turned it over in his hand, his instincts flaring.
Black paper, no sender, delivered by hand...
It wasn’t from the Sterns. It wasn’t from any of his business partners.
This , whatever it was , came from someone who already knew exactly who he was.