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The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 104: One Bullet Away
"You think this is about justice?" Mason's words dripped with cynicism. "This city runs on power, Maria. And power? That's always been your sweet spot."Her jaw clenched, but she didn’t bite. Not yet. “Keep talking. Dig your own grave faster, Mason.”“Go ahead, Detective,” Mason taunted, his voice smooth like bourbon but tinged with steel. “Show me the guts you think I lack. Pull the trigger. What’s holding you back?”“Simple,” she shot back, unfazed. “Every shot comes at a cost. This one? It’s your life.”“Funny how the morals shift,” he replied, an amused smirk flirting with the edges of his mouth, “you can’t pull the trigger, can you?” His words forward, slow, deliberate, daring. “Because deep down, you know it’s not just my blood on your hands. It’s Leo’s. Ramirez’s. Hell, maybe even your own.”The name Ramirez hit like a slap, but Maria didn’t flinch. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.“You don’t know the first thing about me.”“I know you’re dangerous.” His tone was soft, b
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 105: Why Choose on the Razor's Edge?
"Always knew something was off with you, Maria," Mason tone carried a bit of admiration. "Green recruit to one of Leo's trusted lieutenants in three years? That's one helluva ride."Maria shrugged, the corners of her mouth lifting into a faint smile as if the comment didn’t bother her, but it also didn’t please her. "You've been itching to dig, Mason," she countered, each word carefully measured. "Wondering how Leo and I crossed paths. That curiosity's been eating you up worse than bottom-shelf whiskey on a cold Chicago night." Her eyes sparkled with a defiance that matched the strength simmering beneath her skin."Questions like that could get a guy dead faster than yesterday’s beer, Maria." His gaze hardened, a wall rising against whatever intuition urged him to soften. "Wise people bury that kind of curiosity six feet under."She leaned forward, closing the distance between them. No theatrics, just pure, focused intensity. "Is that what you think? That you’re so wise? Or maybe we’r
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 106: Sins of Survival
"You want to know how I landed here?" His voice scraped like broken glass, a raw blend of whiskey-soaked memories and bone-deep exhaustion. "This wasn't some goddamn choice. This was pure, raw survival."Maria remained silent, her posture rigid yet attentive. The church's guttering candle threw shadows across her face, transforming her from a hardened cop to something more—a listener, a potential ally.Mason's narrative began to unfurl, each word carefully selected, like a street veteran hustler revealing his most guarded secrets. "Before Olivia. Before this whole damn empire, I was just another South Side kid trying to dodge the knockout punch life kept throwing. St. Catherine's Orphanage? That wasn't just some building. That was a war zone where survival was the only currency that meant anything."He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle between them. Maria's green eyes never left his face, studying every microexpression, every slight tremor in his voice."Construction
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 107: The Temporary Game of Revenge
"Survival? In this city, it's just another breath," Mason said, shrugging off the weight of uncertainty. "Frankly, I didn’t know how much revenge fueled my journey until the lines blurred. I stood at a crossroad, one leading back to the man I used to be—a loving husband, a simple contractor—and the other leading to the dark heart of Chicago's underbelly. Olivia thought she knew power," he growled, "but power in Chicago isn't about money. It's about understanding the rhythm of the streets."His fingers drummed a restless beat against the church wood, each tap a punctuation mark to his narrative. "The day everything changed, I wasn't looking to become a kingpin. I was looking to survive."The day everything changed wasn't marked by heroics. It was survival, pure and simple. Mason's voice dropped low, gravelly as broken concrete. "I didn't set out to become Leo King. Hell, I was just trying to keep breathing when the world wanted me six feet under."Maria watched him, her green eyes shar
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 108: Protection Comes in Different Packages
“Survivor or not, Mason, you can’t expect me to ignore the law. Playing vigilante with your current life sets you up for failure, no one can escape those kinds of stakes, trust me.” Her voice firm, holding its ground.Mason's response came measured, almost too calm. "See? That's where we differ." His eyes, dark as the Chicago River at midnight, locked onto Maria. "You're sitting on a throne built of rules. I'm floating on tides of chaos. I don't crave darkness; I don't revel in blood—but it's what I've got.""Wake up!" Maria challenged, dramatically waving her fingers to his face. "This isn't just a game—those tides? They'll swallow you whole. I'm not trying to destroy you, Mason. I'm trying to save you from your mistakes."Mason studied her—really studied her. The way her green eyes flickered between accusation and something deeper. Something almost protective. He looked for a crack in her resolve, that moment of understanding that might change everything."Save me?" A bitter laugh e
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 109: A Proposal?
Maria felt the weight of his words, like a lead anchor dropping straight to her core. "Then who’s bigger than the law, Mason? No one is above the authorities—not Leo, not the crime families. You think I give a damn about some fragile peace? My job is to clean up this city's rot, starting with Leo King.""You really think Leo is just another problem to solve?" Mason challenged, his dark gaze locking on hers. "You arrest him, and this city'll crack open like a fault line. Chicago ain't some neat little case file you can close and forget. You'll spark a war that'll make our past look like a goddamn picnic, and the suits downtown—the government? They won't lift a finger to save your ass."The room vibrated. Decades of street knowledge hung between them like a heavy fog.Maria held her ground, her detective's badge feeling heavy on her chest. "I don't believe in boogeyman stories, I've heard this song and dance before. Criminals protecting criminals. You're all the same—justifying your exi
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 110: The Proposal
The shadows from the stained glass windows stretched across the floor, casting fractured light on the tension-filled conversation. Mason leaned against the rotting pew, arms crossed, a playful glimmer in his dark eyes masking his underlying desperation. Maria glared back, unwavering, her stance only growing more rigid.“Let’s cut the crap, Mason,” Maria challenged, arms crossed defiantly. “What exactly is this grand proposal of yours?”Mason pushed himself off the pew, a smile creeping onto his face. “Alright, here’s the deal.” He paused, savoring the moment. “How about we show these crime lords something worth more than their petty cash?” The confidence in his tone mingled with a hint of mischief as he eyed her reaction.Maria raised an eyebrow. “You meaning what? Art classes or therapy sessions?” she shot back, sarcasm dripping from her voice, a habit she’d honed from years outsmarting the knuckleheads in her precinct. “I mean, you gotta be kidding me.”“See, what if we give them so
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 111: Negotiating Darkness
But Mason was ready. He leaned forward, eyes blazing with a conviction that went beyond simple ambition. “Ironically, they're the ones already investing. We're not taking them down—we're offering them a seat at a table they've never seen before. A legitimate future. Who wouldn’t want a seat at the table when it comes to playing god over fate? We give them a glimpse into a better, brighter Chicago—a city that thrives on respect instead of fear.”“Care?” Maria's voice rose, cutting through the church's musty silence. “These crime lords barely care about the breathing bodies on these streets. You think they'll care about the positive side of your fancy tech?”“That's where you're wrong.” Mason's tone softened, but the edge remained. He moved closer, close enough that Maria could see the determination etched into every line of his face. “I've shown them something new. Something that makes money. I'm giving them a distraction from the business-as-usual crime that plagues this city. They're
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Chapter 137: Burning Rubber, Burning Hearts
The air in the room shifted. Mason's eyes locked onto Eve while Sister Agnes's prayers buzzed in the background like white noise. The space felt cramped as a jail cell and big as Lake Michigan all at once, like the universe had condensed to focus on this single, volatile moment."Gotta lay this out straight," Mason said, voice rough as Chicago asphalt. "This ain't some walk in the park for me. These feelings for you... wanting you... still been burning me up inside for years. But I can't let you fall for some counterfeit Leo version of me. Not like this."Eve cocked her head, eyes sharp as a street hustler's. "You think you got exclusive rights to damaged goods, sugar?" Her words cut deep as a switchblade. "Maybe if you'd put in more effort finding me. Wasn't like I vanished into thin air."Mason's jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth, her words stinging worse than he'd expected. "I busted my ass looking," he growled, frustration bleeding through. "Hit up every damn foster joint,
Chapter 136: A Thirty-Three-Year Secret
Agnes’ trembling hands gripped the edge of the garden bench like it was her last lifeline, her eyes playing ping-pong between Mason's burning stare and the dirt she looked ready to sink into."Aha, it's you, ain't it?" Mason's voice sliced through the silence, raw and unyielding. "You're the one behind all this shit. The reason I got dumped there… abandoned. Split from my own brother, from a mother who—damn her struggles—at least wanted to step up! But you—" His voice broke, but not his anger. "You still got no kids of your own, right? Now I see why."Agnes took the hit like someone catching a bullet, her oversized outfit couldn't hide how bad she was shaking. Even Eve felt that one land. She moved in quick, laying a steadying hand on Mason's arm. "Easy, Mace. Look at her... she's breaking apart here."Just then, Agnes crumpled to the garden soil, folding in on herself like a house of cards. Her lips moved without sound, hands pressing against her ears like she could block out Mason's
Chapter 135: The Road to Reckoning
"Jesus H. Christ," Eve breathed, the words hitting the air like bullets. "Your life's one hell of a mess, ain't it kid?" Her eyes stayed fixed on Agnes, watching for any sign of deception.Mason's face hardened into concrete, jaw working overtime as his teeth ground together. "The fuck you trying to tell me?"Agnes met his gaze. "I'm saying you're the product of a night Ramirez will never admit to, a drunken encounter with Camila. She worked as domestic staff in his residence." A pause to make sure that part sinked. "Camila possessed both beauty and an uncommon kindness. She remained beneath his notice until that particular evening when alcohol clouded his judgment. He..." Her voice wavered slightly. "He took advantage of her. The following morning, in what I can only describe as a fit of shame-induced rage, he had her forcibly removed from the premises. He claimed she... disgusted him, that she had provided him with what he termed 'the poorest sexual experience of his life.'"Mason's
Chapter 134: Between Two Worlds
Sister Agnes sat there looking like death warmed over, her face drawn tight as Mason and Eve leaned in close enough to catch a whisper. The old garden bench creaked under the weight of more than thirty years' worth of secrets.Agnes's fingers wove together like she was about to start praying, maybe for strength to get through this. "I wasn't meant to make it this far. Helena King, she made sure to clean up after herself - and we were the mess she needed gone." Her voice stayed level, but Mason caught that telltale shine in her eyes, the kind of tears tough old broads learn never to let fall.Eve stood rigid, immune to the waterworks routine. She'd seen enough crying games in her time to last several lifetimes. "If you're done with the drama show, maybe get to the part about how you're standing here breathing if you ain't meant to stay breathing this far."A sound escaped Agnes that might've been a laugh in another life. Her head shook slow, like she was trying to clear old cobwebs. "D
Chapter 133: The Truth in Tears
Mason nodded slow, hands still reaching for mercy. "I'm telling it straight. I'm Mason Rivers. Not Leo King. Never was."Eve's eyes narrowed to slits, her mind churning like the dirty waters of the Chicago River. Old memories leaked through the cracks in her armor - glimpses of a skinny kid with fire in his eyes who refused to let the orphanage break him down."Prove it," she spat, her voice a brittle edge. "Tell me something only the real Mace would know."Mason seized the lifeline like a drowning man. "Found you hiding in Sister Agnes's garden after you smashed that fancy china plate. Instead of selling you out, I split my chocolate bar with you." His lips twitched, remembering the exact words he used. "Told you sisters couldn't yell if your mouth was full of candy.""Fuck you!" The gun barked, sending dirt flying at Mason's knees. "I handed you that story myself at the damn luncheon, you two-faced bastard!""Wait... please... I'm not lying." Mason's whole body trembled, sweat mixin
Chapter 132: The Trigger and the Cross
Mason stood frozen, hands raised toward the sky. His mind raced through a lifetime of close calls, but this time felt different. This time, death wore Eve's face. His lips moved in a silent prayer - the kind reserved for men staring down the barrel of certainty.Eve's finger danced on the trigger, her eyes locked on Mason's every breath. Her chest heaved with each sharp intake of air, matching the hurricane of thoughts tearing through her head. Leo. Her teacher. The man who'd shown her how to survive when the streets wanted her dead. The same Leo who'd left bodies cooling in Chicago's darkest corners. Her head snapped side to side, trying to shake the memories loose. If she didn't end him here, now, she'd be next on his list. No way he'd let her walk after this.But before her finger could finish its deadly arc, Sister Agnes darted forward, her arms spreading wide like wings, standing guard against the violence crackling in the air."What are you doing?" Eve's words cut sharp. "Move i
Chapter 131: Checkmate in the Garden
She edged closer to the glass, assessing her surroundings. The garden was dense, its shadows deep and concealing. Perfect for an ambush if she played it right. Her eyes tracked possible escape routes as her mind tallied the odds. Agnes was terrified, which meant this could be a setup. Experience screamed that she needed to secure the perimeter before making her move. One wrong step now would get them both killed.Mason, unaware of Eve’s presence, leaned forward, closing in on Agnes like a shark that's caught the scent of blood, his gaze locking onto Agnes. "Why'd you do it?" he pressed. "Why'd you do it?" His voice scraped low, rough as broken glass. "Who's this woman you're talking about? The one you switched the babies for?"Agnes stuttered, her breath catching. "I... I was young." Her voice came soft, cultured - a reminder of her life before all this. "I didn't know better then. Could've gone to the authorities, yes, but..." She gave a bitter laugh. "They owned this city. What coul
Chapter 130: Between Lines and Choices
Agnes stumbled, her foot catching on an upturned root as she fled through the back garden. Mason stalked behind her, his breath coming in slow, measured exhales. He had no intention of harming her. His presence alone was a suffocating weight pressing down on her shoulders. When her knees finally gave out, she collapsed onto the damp earth, trembling hands clutching the hem of her worn skirt. Her tear-streaked face turned skyward as if seeking divine absolution. The garden's mint and lavender - normally so soothing - mixed with the metallic tang of fear coating her tongue."Please..." Agnes sobbed, her voice thin and cracking. "Don't kill me! I'll confess. I'll tell you everything. Yes... I switched... him. I switched him!" The words spilled from her like a prayer, desperate and raw.Mason crouched before her, his expression unreadable. Inside, his mind raced through possibilities he'd never allowed himself to consider. The words tumbling from her mouth were erratic, but the fragments
Chapter 129: More Pieces Missing Than Whole
Mason tore through the orphanage's corridors like a man running from his own shadow. He found Sister Margaret in the courtyard, her hands deep in the dirt, tending roses that had seen better days – just like everything else in this joint."Sister Margaret." The words came out with urgency."Mace?" She turned, concern etching lines in her face. "Didn't expect to see you back so quick."His throat worked like he was choking down bad booze. "Eva – she say anything about me? Anything strange?" The desperation in his voice would've gotten him killed in his other life, the one where Leo King ruled the Underworld with an iron fist.Margaret wiped earth from hands that had dried more tears than he could count. "You're shaking like a junkie in withdrawal, boy. Eva dropped by, played Santa Claus to the kids, took a walk in the garden. Nothing worth getting your shorts in a twist over." Her eyes cut through him sharper than a switchblade. "Though she seemed... thoughtful but harmless.""The gard
