"I did not want to torture him unless you gave the order," Ethan said as they walked deeper underground.
"You did the right thing," Axel replied calmly. "Because I need to do it with my own hand."
His voice echoed through the cold concrete hallway.
Ethan gave a quick nod, though his expression remained unreadable. He had seen Axel like this before, only a few tis, and it always ant trouble for whoever was on the receiving end.
They continued walking until they reached another set of thick steel doors facing each other.
The underground facility was built like a maze, intentionally confusing to anyone who did not belong there.
Most had been stripped down to bare essentials, leaving only cold walls, locked rooms, and heavy silence.
At the end of the hall, Ethan stepped forward and pressed his thumb to a scanner beside one of the steel doors.
A beep sounded, followed by the low grind of machinery.
Then,
The door swung open slowly, letting out a blast of cold air.
Inside, the room was dim but clean. The air slled faintly of steel and disinfectant. The only thing out of place was the figure on the floor.
Maxi lay curled in a pathetic heap, his hands tied behind him. His once-expensive clothes were wrinkled and dirtied, his hair sticking up like he had been electrocuted. Tear stains streaked down his cheeks. His face was blotchy from crying.
He looked miserable, exactly as Axel intended.
The sound of the door opening stirred him awake. Maxi’s eyes fluttered open, heavy and unfocused. When he finally managed to lift his head and recognized the silhouette in the doorway, his breath hitched.
"Brother...?" he rasped.
He struggled to sit up, failing at first before managing to push himself upright with his knees.
"Oh my God, brother Ax... Axel... Is that you?" His voice cracked painfully, his throat raw from crying. Tears gathered again in his eyes.
"You finally ca," he whispered, crawling forward slightly. "You ca to rescue , right? Brother?"
Axel did not answer. He simply stepped forward, his face unreadable, calm, almost gentle. His eyes held a softness that did not reach his mind.
Maxi did not see the quiet satisfaction in Axel’s expression; he had already shifted his gaze toward Ethan, who was leaning against the doorfra with a look of complete boredom. Suddenly, rage exploded across his face.
"This motherfucker..." Maxi snapped, glaring at Ethan with bloodshot eyes. "Brother, this man, he kidnapped . He kicked a few tis. He said he would kill !" His voice rose with fury.
A cold smile appeared on Axel’s lips.
The mont Maxi saw it, his hope vanished like ice hitting fire.
He froze, then trembled violently as realization hit him.
"B... Brother... You... You are the one who kidnapped ?"
"It seems you have not lost your mind," Axel replied calmly.
"Why?" Maxi demanded, his lips shaking, torn between outrage and fear. "Why did you do this? You know this is against the law, right?"
"Law?" Axel repeated.
He tilted his head back and laughed. Not a light laugh. A deep, amused, mocking laugh.
"Law?" he said again, more incredulous this ti. "Since when do laws apply to ?"
Maxi stared at him, horrified. For a second, he seed at a complete loss for words.
He forced his aching body into a seated position, glaring at Axel like a betrayed child.
"Brother... I will report this to my dad. And Grandpa. I will make sure they punish you."
Axel blinked once, his expression turning almost sympathetic.
But Ethan snorted loudly before stepping forward. "Boss, should I end him now?" he asked casually.
They said it like they were discussing lunch options.
Maxi let out a squeak. His face was drained of color. His entire body began trembling uncontrollably.
"E," Axel said, ignoring Maxi. "Do you think ending him now would be too rciful?"
"Probably," Ethan said with a thoughtful nod. "He has not even apologized for wasting our ti."
"Right."
"Also, he cried too much. He is dehydrated."
Maxi whimpered, his eyes huge with fear.
"Please... Please, brother, no..." He shook his head quickly. "You do not have to end . I swear I did not do anything. This is all a misunderstanding."
Axel’s cold gaze returned to him. "Max, you know why you are here. Do not pretend innocence."
"I do not understand..." Maxi insisted stubbornly.
Axel crouched down slightly, bringing his eyes level with him. He gently slapped Maxi’s face, initially soft, then with increasing firmness until his face grew slightly red.
"I told you before. Never cross the line about my family. And especially not my wife."
Maxi shut his eyes tightly, but it was too late. Axel’s tone made the truth impossible to ignore.
"And what did you do?" Axel continued. "You shared your dashcam footage."
Maxi’s eyes snapped open in panic.
"I did not share it with the dia," he said quickly. "I... I was just..."
"You shared it with soone who might co after . Or after my company. Soone who would love to stir trouble. Like the Martinez family?"
That na landed like a stone dropped from the sky.
Maxi swallowed hard. His face turned even whiter. He had the look of a man who wished he could reverse ti.
"Bro, I did not do it intentionally. I swear. I just... I an... I thought..."
Axel raised his hand slightly. The gesture was small, almost gentle.
But Maxi’s voice died instantly.
Silence filled the air again.
Ethan looked impressed. "He is very well trained. Like a dog that finally shuts up when its owner raises a finger."
"E..." Axel said.
"What? It is true." Ethan playfully smiles.
Maxi looked like he might cry again.
Axel sighed and straightened. "Maxi. The mont you sent that dashcam file to an outsider, you crossed a line you knew existed. You did it anyway."
"I swear it was a mistake..." Maxi whispered, his voice cracking. "I did not an for anything to happen. I was angry that day. I acted without thinking."
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