BILLIONAIRE MINOR

Chapter 10: The Reckoning

The air seemed to vibrate with Victor's presence, heavy and thick, like a choking fog. Jeremy's sight was hazy; edges were dull from the wrenching in his side. Yet, he couldn't afford to go out cold, not now, not when Victor was this close. He fought himself up onto his elbow, every part of his body screaming against the action. He did not have much time. He needed to move, needed to act.

Victor's cold gaze flickered over him; the smile on his lips wasn't even the slightest bit triumphant. It was as though he had already won.

"You think you can take me down?" Victor's voice was low and mocking, almost a whisper. "You're nothing but a pawn, Jeremy. And now you've reached the end of the game.

The words cut deep, but Jeremy refused to let them break him. He had fought for too long, clawed his way back from the depths, only to let Victor wipe it all away with a few simple manipulations? No. He wouldn't let that happen. Not again.

Maya was still clutching the gun, her hands shaking violently, but her eyes remained fixed steadily on Victor with a complicated expression of defiance and terror. Jeremy could see it in the depths of her eyes-the thought that maybe she might not be able to make herself pull the trigger. Far too much running, hiding, watching from the sidelines. Now there would be no escape.

Victor’s eyes narrowed as he watched Maya, sensing her hesitation. He tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “You really think this changes anything, Maya? You’re still in this mess. You’ve always been in this mess.”

Maya’s grip tightened around the gun, and for a brief second, Jeremy saw a flicker of resolve in her eyes.

But before anyone could make a move, Victor's voice cut through the air. "Enough of this little game. It's time to finish it."

A sudden crash sounded from behind them, followed by the unmistakable screech of tires. The doors to the building burst open, and before any of them could react, a number of men came flooding in, their guns raised.

The odds were stacked too high now. Jeremy's heart hammered in his chest; his mind raced for an escape. There were too many of them. They'd been walking into a trap all along. Victor had planned this. Every step, every move, calculated.

Maya didn't bat an eyelid. She merely leveled the gun at Victor and squeezed the trigger.

But the sound that followed wasn't the sharp crack of a bullet.

The loudest had come from somewhere to the back and far more forceful-the single bullet flying direct into the wall a number of inches away from Maya's head.

Maya recoiled with a start and her gun drooped for one second; it was wobbling in her grip. Victor's men took their chance.

You really think you could take me on, Maya?" Victor's voice was ice cold, full of anger and amusement. "You're not the same woman you used to be. You're weaker now. You've forgotten who you were before.

The seconds ticked by, lengthening into eternity as Jeremy's heart pounded in his throat. It wasn't about survival anymore; it was about fighting back, about taking back what he lost. And he needed to do it fast before he lost everything.

"Maya!" Jeremy hissed, desperation rising in his voice. He couldn't let her falter now, not when they were so close to the end of this nightmare.

But Maya's eyes-there was something in them, something deep. She wasn't just fighting Victor anymore. She was fighting herself.

"I don't know if I can do this, Jeremy," she said, her voice shaking, betraying her uncertainty. "I'm not like you. I'm not strong like you.

Jeremy's blood boiled, but he curbed it. Not now for doubt. He reached out and grasped her arm with an unexpected strength, his voice low but urgent. "You're stronger than you think. We're both stronger than we ever realized. This isn't just about Victor. This is about you, me, and everyone else he's hurt. We don't let him win.

Maya's gaze locked onto his, and in one instant, something inside her gave. Her head nodded once, where she still hadn't even lowered the gun.

Just then, as she would have acted, a strident tone cut through the silent suspense.

"Don't move.

One of Victor's henchmen burst in and pointed his piece right on Jeremy. In those seconds, the room got smaller-the walls closing tight, tight like in a vise. He couldn't win that battle with strong arms now. Not this time.

Victor burst out laughing. "You're in over your head, Jeremy. You never were cut out for this life. I gave you the tools, I taught you how to play the game, and now you're trying to turn it against me? You're just a boy in a man's world."

Jeremy's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Words wouldn't do a thing. He knew what he had to do.

The room erupted in a matter of seconds. Shots were fired, but not from Maya's gun. The shooting had come from behind the men grouped together.

Victor's men froze, their heads snapped around in confusion. It was all the opening Jeremy needed.

He launched himself at the nearest man, grasping his weapon and spinning him around. The surprise in the man's eyes was enough for Jeremy to land a telling blow, sending the gun flying from his hand.

For the first time since he entered the room, a flash of panic crossed Victor's eyes. "No," he spat, venom now prominent in his tone. "This is my game. You don't get to take it from me.

But as Victor stepped forward, ready to strike, a figure appeared from the shadows behind him. The figure was tall, cloaked in darkness. A silhouette Jeremy didn’t recognize at first.

And then, the figure spoke.

“Victor, you’ve underestimated both of them.”

The voice was deep, authoritative, unmistakable.

Jeremy’s blood ran cold as he turned to see the man standing at the threshold. His pulse quickened as his mind scrambled to place the voice.

A low chuckle escaped the man's lips, and with a step forward, he revealed his face-a man Jeremy never expected to see again.

"Adrian Black," Victor muttered, the realization hitting him like a thunderclap.

Adrian Black, the one man who had once been as powerful as Victor, a name Jeremy only knew through rumors and whispers, a former ally of Victor's, now standing in the middle of their battlefield.

"I think it's time someone else took over the game," Adrian said, his eyes glinting with cold determination.

Victor recoiled, narrowing his eyes, but it was too late. Adrian was in control. Jeremy could see it in his eyes-the power, the manipulation. He was as dangerous as Victor, maybe even more so.

The room seemed to stay frozen for a moment. Jeremy was between two of the most ruthless men he had ever known, neither showing an iota of mercy.

Adrian's eyes flickered to Jeremy. "You've been a pawn, Jeremy, but you're also the key. Let's see how long you can last in this game."

Jeremy's breath caught as he took in the enormity of what was happening. Adrian Black was now in the picture, and things were about to get even more complicated.

But for Jeremy, there was no turning back. Never had been.