That night, Benjamin glanced at Cipherella, who was seated at the computer, her eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. "It's late," he said gently. "You should go to sleep.” Cipherella nodded, already feeling the weight of sleep tugging at her. She stood up, stretched her arms, and began to head toward the sofa to rest. But Benjamin shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Go sleep in the bedroom. I'll take the sofa.” Cipherella paused and turned to him, shaking her head in protest. "No, Master Benjamin, you're the boss. You deserve the bed. I'll be fine on the sofa." Benjamin stood up, his voice firmer this time but still kind. "Go to sleep in the room, Cipherella. I’ll manage here." His eyes were serious, and despite her reluctance, Cipherella knew there was no use arguing with him. She sighed, her eyes softening. "Alright, master," she said, surrendering to his command. With a tired smile, she gathered herself and made her way to the bedroom, obeying Benjamin’s request. Benj
Maverick’s mother’s face paled as she paced the room, panic starting to take hold. "Do you think something has happened to our son?" she asked, her voice shaking. Rudra sighed, trying to maintain a calm demeanor. “What could possibly happen to him? He’s not a child. He might’ve gone out somewhere, you know how he is—always up to no good. He’s probably turned his phone off and is fooling around.” His tone was dismissive, though there was a hint of unease in his eyes. “So… nothing’s wrong?” she asked again, her voice quieter, still seeking reassurance. Rudra shook his head firmly. “I don’t think so. It’s late, go to sleep. He’ll be fine. I’m sure by tomorrow, he’ll have charged his phone and called, or he might even return late tonight. It’s not like it’s the first time he’s done this.” Maverick’s mom exhaled shakily, her worry not entirely eased, but she nodded. "Alright... just go and eat your food then." Rudra gave her a small nod before heading toward the kitchen, trying to brus
He couldn’t believe his eyes. Darnell was here? That was the person he wanted. Benjamin’s hand hovered over his phone, torn between waking Cipherella and acting on his own. He leaned closer to the screen, watching as Darnell and his men strode into the hotel. As Darnell entered the hotel, the staff straightened up, their posture tense with respect. They greeted him with nods, eyes lowered. One of his men quickly stepped forward, pulling out a cigarette and placing it between Darnell’s lips. Another followed closely, flicking a lighter to ignite the tip. Darnell took a long, slow drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke that drifted lazily through the lobby. His eyes swept across the room with a calculating gaze.“How is it going?” Darnell asked, his voice low but commanding.The head staff member, clearly nervous, nodded and said, "Everything is perfect, sir."Darnell didn’t respond. He simply continued walking, his men following closely behind. The tension was thick in the air as they made
Benjamin stared at the screen, still processing what he was seeing. "Oh, so there's a club in here?" he muttered, his tone a mix of disbelief and amusement.Cipherella nodded, her eyes still on the screen. "It seems he comes here to have fun," she said, watching the scene unfold.On the screen, Darnell strolled casually over to a plush sofa in the middle of the club and sat down. With a casual wave of his hand, he dismissed his men, who scattered into the crowd. Some of them headed toward the snooker tables, others gravitated toward the women, engaging in casual flirtation and laughter as they began to enjoy the night.Within moments, waiters appeared in front of Darnell, setting down bottles of expensive wine and crystal glasses. He poured himself a drink, took a long drag from his cigarette, and leaned back, completely at ease. His eyes scanned the club until they landed on a group of beautiful girls dancing nearby, their bodies swaying seductively to the music.Darnell smirked and
After two hours of relentless watching, Benjamin was starting to feel the weight of exhaustion. His eyes drooped, and he nearly dozed off several times, but he forced himself to stay alert. Suddenly, he saw movement on the screen—Darnell and his men were leaving the club and heading back to the reception area. Instantly, Benjamin snapped awake, adrenaline surging through his veins. Jumping up from his chair, he quickly opened the trunk in the room and pulled out a pistol. He glanced around cautiously before heading to the window, unlocking it and carefully tossing the gun outside into the bushes below. He knew he couldn't risk carrying it through the hotel unnoticed, so he planned to retrieve it once he was outside. Next, he grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a note: "I’m going out to follow Darnell. I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry. -B." He left it on the desk, just in case Cipherella woke up while he was gone. With everything set, Benjamin quietly slipped out of the room. At th
Benjamin’s eyes darted to the disappearing convoy. If he lost sight of Darnell, everything would fall apart. In desperation, he leaned toward the driver. “I’ll give you $5,000. Just drive, please.”The young man shook his head furiously. “No. I can’t, I don’t want to die.”“$10,000!” Benjamin raised the stakes, his tone becoming more urgent.“I said no! Darnell Peterson is too dangerous. I don’t want to die for money.”Out of options and running out of time, Benjamin sighed, frustrated. He pulled out his pistol, aiming it squarely at the trembling driver. “Then you’ll die here if you don’t move.”The driver’s eyes widened in terror, and his hands began to shake. “Please! Don’t kill me!” he begged, his voice cracking. “I’m just an orphan, I’ve been working as an errands boy to survive! I’ve got no family, no one to care for me. I’ve worked for years just to put food on my table. Please, brother, I don’t want to die!” Tears welled up in his eyes as he continued pleading. “I’ll do anythi
Abdelkarim hesitated but finally pulled out his phone and dialed his boss. The call connected, and immediately, a loud, angry voice burst through the line, “Where’s the damn car, you idiot?!” The voice threw out a string of insults, clearly frustrated.Abdelkarim winced, holding the phone away from his ear briefly before replying, “I-I have the car, boss…”Benjamin smirked and nodded toward the phone. “Tell him you want to buy the car. Ask how much he bought it for.”Abdelkarim looked at him with wide eyes, a bit nervous but obeyed. He cleared his throat and nervously spoke into the phone, “Boss... um, how much did you buy this car for? I... I want to buy it.”There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a surprised laugh. “You want to buy it? You can barely afford your own lunch! It cost me 30,000 dollars, you fool. Now quit wasting my time and bring the car back!”Abdelkarim swallowed hard, glancing at Benjamin as if to say, "See? Impossible.”“Tell him you’re going to bu
Abdelkarim hesitated but finally pulled out his phone and dialed his boss. The call connected, and immediately, a loud, angry voice burst through the line, “Where’s the damn car, you idiot?!” The voice threw out a string of insults, clearly frustrated. Abdelkarim winced, holding the phone away from his ear briefly before replying, “I-I have the car, boss…” Benjamin smirked and nodded toward the phone. “Tell him you want to buy the car. Ask how much he bought it for.” Abdelkarim looked at him with wide eyes, a bit nervous but obeyed. He cleared his throat and nervously spoke into the phone, “Boss... um, how much did you buy this car for? I... I want to buy it.” There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a surprised laugh. “You want to buy it? You can barely afford your own lunch! It cost me 30,000 dollars, you fool. Now quit wasting my time and bring the car back!” Abdelkarim swallowed hard, glancing at Benjamin as if to say, "See? Impossible.” “Tell him you’re
The rugged man clenched his fists, his pride warring with his fear. “You can’t be serious,” he hissed, his voice barely above a whisper.Abdelkarim cocked the gun audibly, tilting his head. “Do I look like I’m joking?”Reluctantly, the rugged man lowered himself to his knees, the humiliation evident on his face. His companions followed suit, each moving with visible hesitation. The restaurant’s patrons and staff watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide as they bore witness to the surreal scene.One of the men reached for Abdelkarim’s shoe, his hand shaking as he wiped at it with his sleeve. Abdelkarim smirked, glancing down at their feeble attempts. “Pathetic,” he muttered. “Put some effort into it.”As the men continued their reluctant task, Abdelkarim’s tone turned colder. “Now, let’s add some respect to the mix. Each of you will address me properly while you’re down there.”The rugged man looked up, his face twisted with fury and shame. “What do you mean?”Abdelkarim leaned in s
The room fell into an eerie silence, the earlier chatter and laughter evaporating like smoke. All eyes were on Abdelkarim, who stood tall with the gun firmly in his grasp. Even the rugged man who had slapped him seemed caught off guard, his eyes widening in a mix of disbelief and anger.Benjamin, who had been calmly observing moments earlier, straightened in his seat, his sharp gaze narrowing as he assessed the situation. He hadn't anticipated this escalation, and for a fleeting moment, his surprise flickered across his face. Cipherella, sitting beside him, froze, her lips parting slightly as her eyes darted between Abdelkarim and the scarred man.The tension was palpable. The rugged man pushed his chair back slightly, his hands clenching into fists as if ready to retaliate. His companions, who had been laughing moments ago, now looked uneasy, their confidence shaken."You think this is funny?" Abdelkarim said, his voice steady, but the undercurrent of anger was unmistakable. He point
The room went tense as Abdelkarim froze, his gaze darting nervously to the man’s threatening expression. Around them, a few other patrons glanced over.Cipherella’s delicate brows furrowed with concern as she leaned closer to Benjamin, her voice barely above a whisper. "Master, they’re trying to bully him," she said, her eyes darting between Abdelkarim and the rugged man.Benjamin didn’t respond immediately. His sharp gaze remained fixed on the scene, observing every detail—the posture of the men, Abdelkarim’s unease, and the simmering tension in the air. Finally, he nodded slowly and said, "Let’s just watch for now.”"But Master—" Cipherella started, her worry evident."Relax," Benjamin interrupted gently, his tone calm but firm. "Let’s see how he handles himself first. If things go too far, I’ll step in."Cipherella hesitated, but she trusted Benjamin’s judgment. She bit her lip and stayed quiet, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as her eyes returned to Abdelkarim.Meanwhile, Abd
As they entered, Benjamin's gaze swept over the bustling interior of the establishment. The atmosphere was thick with chatter, clinking glasses, and faint music playing in the background. At one side of the room, a group of rugged-looking men occupied a long table. They were loud, drinking and eating heartily, with wisps of smoke curling from the cigarettes and cigars they casually puffed.Their appearances were striking—some had jagged scars running across their cheeks.Others had scarves tied around their heads, their expressions hard and uninviting, with sharp eyes that scanned the room like predators on the lookout. A few wore leather jackets with frayed edges, while others had rugged shirts and boots.Benjamin took note but didn’t linger on them. Instead, he calmly made his way to an unoccupied corner on the other side of the room. He settled into a chair with an air of quiet authority, his face betraying no hint of concern. Cipherella followed closely, her gaze flickering brief
Benjamin settled back onto the couch, gesturing for Cipherella to sit. She listened intently as he recounted the night's events."Cipherella," he began, "I met Abdelkarim yesterday. His boss wasn’t exactly treating him right, and he seemed ready for a change."Abdelkarim shifted uneasily, but Benjamin continued. "We ended up being followed by three of Darnell's men. They tried to corner us, but I convinced them to switch sides and work for me. Abdelkarim here was part of that, and he’s proven he’s willing to take on something bigger.”Cipherella raised an eyebrow, intrigued but cautious. “And they just… agreed? Just like that?”Benjamin nodded, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Sometimes all it takes is to show someone what they’re worth. They’d been risking their lives for scraps. Now, they have a reason to be loyal." He glanced at Abdelkarim, who looked both grateful and a little overwhelmed.Cipherella sighed, finally relaxing a bit. “If you trust him, Master, then that’s enough
The men exchanged nervous glances, doubling down on their story despite Darnell's threat. The first man cleared his throat, attempting to sound confident. "Boss, like we said, it was just a routine check. We saw the car following and thought it could be a minor threat, so we stopped to make sure it wasn’t an issue. But they turned around as soon as we approached."The second man nodded quickly. "Exactly, boss. We didn’t think it was worth disturbing you for something so small, figured we could handle it ourselves.”Darnell's gaze remained icy, not buying the excuses. His eyes bored into each one of them, but they held firm, each nodding in agreement, sticking to their story. "We were just looking out for you, boss," the third one added, trying to muster confidence. "Didn’t want to waste your time.”Darnell narrowed his eyes at them one last time, as if weighing the truth of their story. Finally, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed the tension. “Fine,” he said sharply. “Get back in
The men climbed out of their cars and walked over to Darnell’s vehicle, where he stood waiting, his expression already dark with suspicion. As they approached, he wasted no time.“What’s wrong?” Darnell’s voice cut through the silence, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “Where’s the last car?”The men looked at each other, shifting uncomfortably, clearly at a loss. Finally, one of them spoke up. “We...we don’t know, boss. One minute, they were right behind us, and the next...they weren’t.”Darnell’s jaw tightened. “I don’t want excuses. Give me an answer.”They fumbled for words, but all they could offer was a helpless shrug. Frustrated, Darnell took a deep breath and crossed his arms. “Fine. Who was in the last car? Give me their names. Now.”The men stammered for a moment, then rattled off the names of the three who had been in the missing car, exchanging nervous glances as they waited for Darnell's reaction.Darnell narrowed his eyes, his impatience evident. “Call them. Now,” he ordere
As the men disappeared down the road, Abdelkarim turned to Benjamin, a worried crease on his brow. "Do you trust them? What if they tell their boss everything?"Benjamin's expression was unwavering. "They won’t."Abdelkarim’s eyebrows rose, disbelief flickering in his gaze. "How do you know?"Benjamin smirked, a trace of confidence in his eyes. "Because I gave them something Darnell never has: respect. They’ve been doing his dirty work for scraps. Darnell treats them as disposable. But me? I just paid them a month’s worth in minutes and offered them a way out. Right now, loyalty is cheap—but it’s the one thing Darnell can't buy.”Abdelkarim nodded slowly, his gaze steadying with newfound determination. “I’m ready to work for you, Benjamin,” he said with a slight smile. “But... tonight, I don’t have anywhere to stay. I might just end up sleeping in the car.”Benjamin’s expression softened. “Don’t worry about that. You’ll stay with me,” he replied. “As long as you’re willing to follow m
Benjamin looked at them intently. “How much do you want to be paid?” he asked, his voice calm but commanding.The men glanced at each other, hesitating for a moment. Finally, one spoke up, “Every month… pay us double what Darnell does.”The other nodded, adding quickly, “Yeah. 2000 dollars each.”Benjamin smirked, a glint of amusement in his eyes. He had expected them to ask for something outrageous—10,000, even 50,000 dollars a month. Instead, they only wanted a mere double of what Darnell paid them. To someone like him, 2000 dollars was nothing, even if he had to pay them that amount daily.“Deal,” he said without hesitation, nodding once.They stared at him, dumbfounded. “Wait… deal? Just like that?” one of them asked, disbelief evident in his voice.Benjamin shrugged. “2000 dollars a month is nothing to me if you’re loyal and good at what you do.”They exchanged glances, still stunned by his response. "You... you really mean that?" one of them asked, sounding almost hopeful.Benja