None of the Sterns would ever claim they were a close-knit family. Even within Chad’s immediate circle, with his sister and mother still alive and actively fighting for a spot in the Heir succession, there was zero warmth.
So cousins, of all things, were practically strangers. Chad and Donto hardly ever spent any time together, apart from when they were forced to attend their Grandfather’s mandatory family gatherings. If there was one single pastime the younger generation actually had in common, it was collectively picking on Max. It was their favorite game at those boring family events. And while their parents had forced them into a group chat for the younger cousins to stay connected, Max was completely left out of it. It wasn’t a place for casual texting anyway; it was just a toxic space where everyone dropped photos to show off their wealth and achievements.
Although Chad hadn’t heard about the exact details of the disaster back at the university, he did remember the furious text Donto had dropped in the chat a while back. He figured Donto must have had a recent run-in with Max Stern, the new, terrifying Max, that was.
"I never thought I’d see a golden boy like you in a place like this," Chad said, pushing his chair back and standing up. He instantly realized it probably wasn’t his best strategic move. Chad was a whole head smaller than Donto, and smaller in just about every other metric that mattered. "Shouldn’t you be locked in a library focusing on your precious university studies?"
Donto stopped in his tracks, looking down at Chad with cold disgust. "You’re seriously telling me to focus on my studies? A guy who spends ninety percent of his time lounging around in degenerate, low-life venues like this?"
"What the hell, Donto?" Chad snapped, his face flushing. "Who stuck a stick up your ass today? Do I need to remind you that you’re standing in the exact same room I am right now?"
Donto didn’t even bother to answer. He turned away, scanning the VIP gallery for an empty lounge to sit down, but as his eyes swept the room, something else caught his attention. His jaw tightened in pure surprise.
"Bobo... and Aunt Karen are here too?" Donto muttered, his voice dripping with disbelief. He looked back at Chad. "Why the hell did you bring your whole family into this mess? Have you seriously dragged them down into your degenerate gambling habits now?"
The truth was, their presence on the cruise ship was entirely a coincidence. Ever since Max took over the territory, Bobo and Karen’s businesses had become deeply intertwined with the Billion Bloodline group in multiple ways. Nearly every time they needed a large injection of corporate capital for a new project proposal, they had to schedule a meeting with Warma at the Bloodline headquarters. And that was how the mother and daughter had accidentally run into each other.
The high-end catering at the Billion Bloodline building was some of the best in the world, and even wealthy elites like Bobo and Karen couldn’t resist hanging around the lounge for a free meal. When Bobo spotted her mother across the dining hall, she couldn’t just ignore her. Despite being raised by a nanny for most of her childhood, they were still blood. Chad, who practically lived at the base these days, had noticed them and wandered over to join the table.
As they sat around talking, Chad casually mentioned a massive, exclusive event he was planning to attend that night. Karen and Bobo were initially worried about him going to an underground fight, but Chad assured them that the bracket was being run by the very syndicate Max was in charge of, meaning the security detail was ironclad.
The idea of spending an evening on a luxury cruise ship with a premium open bar sounded perfect to both Bobo and Karen. For once in their lives, they decided to do something together as a family, which was exactly how they ended up in the VIP gallery.
Karen stepped up to the lounge table, placing the two expensive cocktails she was holding down on the mahogany surface. She looked up at Donto with a sharp, amused smirk.
"Well, I really didn’t realize these violent events were so popular among the Stern family bloodline," Karen said, swirling her glass. "Next thing you know, my brothers will turn up to place a bet too."
"Maybe the other fools in this family would, but my father would never be seen dead in a place like this," Donto said firmly, his posture rigid. "Is this what the three of you do with your lives now? Let me guess. The three of you somehow managed to get absolutely crushed by Max, and now you’re just sticking together, holding hands like some kind of happy little family again?"
"Donto, you’re talking an awful lot for someone who seemed to be in total crisis not too long ago," Bobo interjected, her voice icy as she stared him down. "The rumor mill says Max managed to get to you at school in one way or another. So from where I’m standing, aren’t you in the exact same losing position we are?"
Donto stared at the three of them for a long, silent second, his eyes flashing with irritation before he finally let out a harsh scoff.
"It looks like all of you have officially fallen in line and decided to just give up," Donto said, his voice dropping into a dark, intense whisper as he leaned over the sofa. "You’re actually going to let Max stay ahead of you in this stupid inheritance race... but I’m different. I haven’t given up the fight. So, I have a single suggestion to make to this table. I am officially going to war against Max and whatever pathetic little empire he thinks he’s built in this city. So you need to choose right now: are you on my side, or his? This is the only offer I am ever going to give you, and your time to choose is now."