Ivan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he drove Lloyd through the winding roads leading to the Numa family estate. The sleek black car moved smoothly over the pavement, the weight of the silence between them making the air thick.“You sure about this, boss?” Ivan asked, sparing a glance at Lloyd, who sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.Lloyd exhaled sharply through his nose “I don’t have a choice... when you poke the dragon you will get burned”Ivan gulped slightly, he knew those words very well, and they were not good.Ivan clicked his tongue against his teeth “You always have a choice boss, but if you’re planning to walk up to Henry Numa’s front door and have a ‘friendly chat,’ I’d say that’s probably the worst one”Lloyd didn’t respond immediately, he was still reeling from his conversation with the assassin he had interrogated. Someone in Lisa’s family had betrayed him...had allowed the Numa’s to track his movements, nearly getting Lisa ki

Ralph Stilsken woke to the rare feeling of peace.For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no urgent phone call yanking him out of sleep, no late-night email demanding immediate attention. Just the steady rhythm of his wife Charlie’s breathing beside him and the soft golden light of morning filtering through the curtains.He allowed himself to soak in the quiet, staring at the ceiling as he listened to the faint sounds of their children stirring in the next room.Charlie shifted beside him, murmuring sleepily. When her eyes opened, she blinked in mild surprise “You’re still here?”Ralph chuckled “I do live here, you know”“You sure? Because it feels like I only see you in passing these days”She wasn’t wrong. His job as one of the country’s most well-respected journalists rarely allowed him time to enjoy the simple pleasures of family life. He had spent years uncovering corruption, exposing criminal enterprises, and documenting war zones. It had won him respect, and

The entire Francis family, along with Lloyd and Lisa, sat huddled together in the Francis family’s sitting room, their eyes glued to the television screen as the dramatic scene unfolded before them. The police raid on the Numa estate was playing live on nearly every major news channel. The flashing lights of police cruisers, the blaring sirens, and the sea of officers storming into the luxurious Numa mansion all created an intense spectacle.Nobody spoke at first, as the weight of what they were witnessing had stunned them into silence. It felt surreal, almost like watching a movie rather than reality. They had spent so long living under the shadow of the Numas, being so afraid of their wrath, especially in recent months, with many memebers of the family literally awaiting either inevitable destruction, or eviction from the city.So seeing them finally face justice seemed impossible.Roy was the first to break the silence. He leaned forward, eyes gleaming with satisfaction “It’s

All of the Francis family gathered in the living room of the family home, all their eyes fixed on the TV as the jury delivered the verdict in Lisa's lawsuit.It'd been more than 5 months since Lisa initially launched this legal attack against the Numa's, and after so many near death experiences, the family just wanted to to be over.Although they were very much aware of what would happen to them if they lost the case, due to this The tension in the room was palpable. if Lisa lost the case, they'd be sitting ducks, as Henry Numa wouldn't rest until they were either dead or run out of the city. John, having lived through the city’s corruption for decades, felt that deep pit of certainty in his stomach. There was no way a small-time lawyer like Lisa could win against the Numas, no matter how ironclad her evidence was. Harold knew it too...he’d already started preparing for an emergency evacuation, once the innocent veridct was read he would take the family out of Hilburg immediately.

Lloyd sat across from Mason in the dimly lit mall restaurant, the low hum of mall chatter buzzing around them. The smell of grilled meat and frying oil filled the air, but neither of them was focused on food.Their conversation had taken a serious turn, and Lloyd could feel the weight of it pressing down on them both."You said our family was Hilburg's first ever crime family?"Lloyd found his uncle's previous statements very hard to believe, as Hilburg was a city absolutely notorious for its gang activities, so much so that even the sun king had taken notice.So for his family to be the Genesis of the city's reputation was truly unbelievable."Yes, but this is only by technicality" mason replied."What do you mean?" asked Lloyd, now even more confused."You see, there were five initial crime families within Hilburg, The Brody's, the Visconti's, The Khazinski's, The Bishop's, and The Lancasters"Mason, could see Lloyd's eyebrows furrow once he said Lancaster."The Lancaster's were pa