Chapter 26
The next morning, Julie stood in front of the cracked mirror, brushing her hair and adjusting her modest coat. Jaden emerged from the tiny room they shared, his sharp eyes scanning her.
“You ready?” he asked.
Julie nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go see Aunty.”
They walked into the living room where Marvin sat on a worn–out sofa, sipping tea.
“Dad, we’re heading out to visit Aunty,” Julie said.
Marvin smiled warmly. “That’s good. Greet her well for me. And you both take care of yourselves, alright?”
“We will,” Julie replied.
Jaden simply gave a slight nod.
Moments later, the two left the house, the wooden door creaking shut behind them.
An hour passed.
Suddenly, the front door exploded open with a loud crash, wood splinters flying across the floor. Marvin jolted to his feet, his teacup shattering on the ground.
A group of men marched in without a word, dressed in black jackets with a golden emblem: the mark of the Nova Company.
Marvin’s face paled the moment he saw the man leading them.
“Stone…” he muttered.
Stone, tall and broad with a snake tattoo curling around his neck, walked in with the confidence of a man who believed he owned the world. He strolled right up to Marvin, grabbed the front of his shirt, and yanked him close.
“Hey old man,” he hissed through gritted teeth. “Where’s the seven million dollars you owe the Nova Company? Hmm?”
Marvin’s breath caught in his throat. “Seven million?” he asked, confused and rattled. “That’s not right. That’s not the agreement-”
“You think I care about what the ‘agreement‘ was?” Stone growled. “The amount’s changed. And I want the full payment. Now!”
Marvin struggled to keep calm. “Stone, this wasn’t part of the deal. I only borrowed half a million. And I’ve been paying back every year-”
“Shut your mouth!” Stone snapped, slapping Marvin across the face so hard the old man crashed to the floor.
Blood trickled from Marvin’s lip as he looked up. “You… you can’t do this. I need to speak to your general manager. Where’s Mr. Norman?”
Stone laughed darkly, pulling out his phone. “You wanna speak to Mr. Norman? Good. Let’s see what he thinks of this old dog wasting his time.”
He dialed. “Yo, Mr. Norman? I’m at Marvin Hale’s place. Yeah, he’s trying to weasel out again. You coming? Great.”
Stone hung up and glared down at Marvin. “He’ll be here soon. You wanted to talk? You’ll talk. Right before I beat your wrinkled face in.”
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