The industrial zone was a bleak landscape, shrouded in winter. Rusted steel beams pierced the grey skies, and the faint stench of oil mixed with the cold air.
Jack Cross stood nervously at the corner, his hands jamd deep into his coat pockets. His breath escaped in visible puffs that showed how cold it was, and how anxious he was. This place wasn't just cold, it was suffocating, a cage of tal and despair. And it was a reminder of his compulsion to obey Jason.
Jack was not supposed to be anxious in places like these. But there was sothing about Jason that was annoying. And he couldn't help but shy away from eting the man. If he could he wouldn't want to et the man no matter what he did. But he soon saw a car approaching.
Jason's sleek black car appeared at the end of the street, its headlights slicing through the gloom. Jack's shoulders tensed as the vehicle rolled to a stop. Damn it. He ca.
The man who stepped out was everything Jack feared—confident, composed, and with an aura that demanded obedience. Jason adjusted the lapels of his tailored coat, his sharp gaze locking onto Jack. Without a word, he strode past, heading deeper into the labyrinth of shadows.
Jack frowned, but he still couldn't hate the man sohow. Even while being ignored, he was still going to be obedient. Sothing told him that if he wasn't he was going to suffer. In more ways than one.
Jack followed, each step feeling heavier than the last. The silence between them was oppressive, like a predator stalking its prey. They stopped at an isolated clearing, hidden from prying eyes. Jason finally turned, his expression colder than ever.
"So, Jack," Jason's voice was low but cutting, "the Cross family has been moving funny, huh? Why don't you tell all about it? And why didn't you tell about it before?"
Jack's throat went dry. He stamred, "J-Jason, I don't know what you—"
"Shut up!" Jason's command was a whip crack in the air. "I will always assu you know everything, even if you don't. Why? Because that's your job. You are supposed to be my eyes and ears. You are supposed to know everything. And even if you don't, you'll find out. You understand, right?"
Jason glared at him until he cowered under his gaze and loosened up only a little bit. "So tell about what happened today. The police raid on Reno Ventures. What happened?"
Jack's knees nearly buckled under the weight of Jason's glare. The compulsion that bound him was unrelenting. He managed a nod, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It's not the Cross family this ti. They're... they're working on sothing bigger it seems. But they're not telling , especially not since they lost the contract. This involves... your won, Jason. And soone who wants them."
Jason's frown deepened, the implications of Jack's words gnawing at him. His won, Veronica, Samantha, and the others, were being targeted. He folded his arms, his sharp features unreadable. But there was a danger about him at that mont.
"Go on," Jason urged.
Jack swallowed hard. "It's Jas Carter. He's bitter, Jason. Furious about Samantha rejecting him and... you, stealing the spotlight. He's planning to fra you. Fake evidence, paid-off cops—he's going all in. And it'll work, especially with the Cross Family helping him behind his back. After all, anything that helps discredit you works in their favour."
Jason's smirk was ice. Jas Carter. This idiot. What kind of ga was he playing? What a fucking idiot. He even ntally said it twice just to remind himself that he was playing with a shitbag. Jason was not too worried about Jas, but he was worried because idiots like him do the most "interesting" things.
"Jas is playing a child's ga," Jason said, his voice steady but charged with restrained power. "And you're going to help break his sand castle. Actually, you're going to do a bit more than that. Overturn the entire beach."
Jack's eyes widened. If he was playing a child's ga, then did that not an it was not a ga worth playing? "What do you need to do?"
"Delay the Cross Family's plans. I know you said they are keeping mum, but if they need anything done in the underworld make them feel the need to use you, even if it ans you have to shoulder a ton of risk to get it done."
Jack narrowed his eyes. This was going to ruin him. But he stil had to obey. "But after last ti, they haven't really…" Jack was about to continue but Jason disregarded him.
"Then feed them disinformation. Make them lag in the quality of their decisions. And in the anti, collect information on everything they do and have done before. And when the ti cos, I want every shred of evidence, every sensitive detail. Don't disappoint , Jack."
Jack nodded fervently, with the sweat on his brow almost glowing in this cold weather. Jason's gaze lingered for a mont.
"Also find a mont to annul your engagent with Celine. As soon as possible. Within the next two days. I don't care what excuse you use. Tell them you want to focus on business, or you're gay, I dont care. Just get it done."
Jack's eyes went wide. This was sothing his new father had been working on for a long ti now. He was supposed to get it right no matter what just to justify his claim to be one of the elites in this city. "But Jaso—"
"What did I say? Obey everything. You understand, dont you?" Jason said with narrowed eyes. Jack imdiately faltered under his gaze, turning his head to the floor and nodding. Jason gazed hard at the man, before he finally turned on his heel and walked away, his parting words slicing through the tension.
"We're not done here. Wait for my call. And do everything I tell you, Jack." Jack gulped in response, saying nothing and only looking at the back of the terrifying man who was walking away. He had never t such a demon, not even in the underworld.
Jason walked away with a frown on his face. That idiot Jas. What was he doing, playing dirty like this? Even if Jason could get arrested, what would it be for? He could get out of any foxhole, especially with the help of Troy.
No… this felt like sothing was underfoot, sothing Jason was not seeing.
If Jas was setting all this up, making Jason out to be so scapegoat, then it was not the endga. The endga was Samantha and Veronica. Samantha was the true target. And if that was the case, Jas was stepping on his toes.
Jason would make him kneel at his feet to wipe the smudge clean.
*Vroom!!*
Jason's car sped through the city, its engine a low growl. His mind raced, the pieces of the puzzle starting to align. Jas Carter had overstepped, and in this world, if you overstep you end up losing a leg to stand on. His destination lood ahead: Carter Co..
This was a towering glass edifice in the heart of the business district, the birthplace of the Carter Family fortune.
The Carters were a family that invested in businesses and grew them to grow their stake, which they later sold off or reinvested in other things. It was impressive how far they had co and how much they had built. But it was also a sha.
They had done so much only to ruin it like this. What a sad thing.
Jason parked the car and walked out, and even the guards at the front didn't stop him from entering. He looked like he was here to take over the building. From the way he was dressed to the way he walked, it was clear that he knew who he was and he was moneyed.
They could not afford to offend soone like that. Jason stepped up to the front desk and assessed the woman sitting over there. The receptionist at the front desk was a vision of elegance, her figure accentuated by a sleek black dress. Her lips curved into a polite smile as Jason approached.
"Good evening, sir. How can I assist you?" Her voice was honeyed, her eyes lingering on Jason's chiselled features.
Jason leaned slightly forward, his tone warm yet commanding. "I'm here to see Jas Carter. I don't have an appointnt but trust , he'll want to see . Just tell him Jason Cross is looking for him."
The woman hesitated, her gaze flickering with intrigue. Jason's deliberate eye contact, the slight upward lilt of his voice, and the subtle confidence in his posture created an irresistible pull that she just could not say no to. She picked up the phone, her deanour shifting to one of compliance.
Before she could dial, a familiar voice interrupted. "Jason Cross… The man, the myth, the legend… What are you doing here?"
Jason turned, his smirk widening as he faced Tommy Carter. Those snide words could only co from a man like him who had been busy doing things behind his back the whole ti. "Ah, Tommy. Fired from your last job at Reno and crawling back to Uncle Jas. How's that working out for you?"
Tommy's face flushed with anger, but he held his tongue. Jason's words were a calculated jab, a subtle assertion of dominance. He knew that, but he too had sothing that was sure to dominate Jason.
After all, the business community was pretty tight. It was not that difficult to know what was happening at Reno Ventures. And it was obvious that Jason was here because he thought he knew sothing. Even if he knew sothing, it was going to be difficult to prove.
Tommy gave Jason a sick smirk. "Spoken like a man who will soon be jobless… Weren't you a convenience store packer before? Maybe you should go reapply for that job again…"
Jason heard those words and he smirked. Weak. He didnt even look at the man after that, gazing at the receptionist, who after receiving his gaze realised that she had been paying too much attention to the back and forth and had forgotten all about the thing she was supposed to do, to take care of his request.
"Jas isn't here," Tommy nostrils flared after getting ignored by Jason. But he figured this was just the last throes of a dying beast. He would love to see this bastard wiping his windows one day. Why not make him die inside? "Jas Carter is not here, Jason. He's… confirming his ho matrimony."
Jason's smirk faltered as he once again turned to the man. "Ho matrimony?"
Hehe… finally got your attention, huh?
Tommy's expression twisted with satisfaction. "That's right! He's with Samantha. Probably already making his move, making a ton of babies and living a life of love and joy."
Jason's jaw tightened. He turned back to the receptionist, who now seed flustered under his intense scrutiny. Jason was not really here for anything anymore. If Jas wasn't here, then there was no need for him, Jason, to be here.
But now after hearing Tommy's words, everything was making more sense.
Samantha was in her most vulnerable state right now. And it seed that Jason was stalking his prey just as Jas was stalking his too. Jason could not dally.
"Tell Jas I was here," Jason said, his voice a low rumble. Without another word, he strode out, leaving Tommy fuming in his wake. Tommy turned to the receptionist who was watching Jason leave in a daze.
"Pompous prick, huh?" Tommy said to the receptionist, shaking his head.
All he received was an emotionless, "Yes, sir."
*Vrroom!!*
Jason's car roared onto the highway, his mind focused on one thing: Samantha.
She was vulnerable right now, and Jas trying to take advantage of that. Jason could not let sothing like that happen. While driving he put his phone on and the screen lit up. He imdiately called her and the cal actually entered. SHe picked up! What a relief.
But the relief was short-lived for Jason because just as she answered, Jason was about to say sothing only to see Jas's smug face on the video call.
"Jason Cross," Jas sneered. "I'm surprised you're not grovelling yet."
Grovelling? So Jas knew he knew... That Bastard Tommy must have said sothing. WHat a snitch. Jason's eyes narrowed. "Jas. Where's Samantha?"
The cara shifted, revealing Samantha, her hands tied but her expression defiant. "Jason, don't—"
Jas cut her off. "She'll be fine. As long as she agrees to marry . Otherwise..." His grin was pure malice. "You both lose. Jason, you might not have realised it yet… There's an arrest warrant out on you as of this mont. You are a wanted man. Can you imagine?! Fraud and a few other cases. How funny. Hahaha!!"
Jason's jaw clenched, his mind racing. He tapped a button on his phone, recording every incriminating word and image he was seeing. Jas was so happy wth himself that he had forgotten this was recordable evidence. Even if he couldn't use it in court, there were tricks he could play, like leaking it online.
"Jas," Jason said, his tone deceptively calm. "You've just made the worst mistake of your life."
Before Jas could respond, Jason ended the call. He punched in Veronica's number, his voice urgent.
"Veronica, I need Samantha's address. Now."
Veronica didn't question him, sensing the gravity of the situation. She rattled off the address, and Jason was already accelerating, his car weaving through traffic like a predator on the hunt.
"Jason? What's wrong? Is everything okay?"
"Not yet. But everything will be very soon!" Jason said, weaving through the cars on the highway and turning towards the highrise penthouse apartnts.
Jas… you better lay the fuck off my girl!
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