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The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 16: In the Shoes of a King
Jake's laugh held more pain than humor. "Right. Fifty thousand dollars just lying around?" He shook his head."Things change." Mason straightened, decision crystallizing. "Let me do this. For my nephew.""Nephew?" Tommy perked up, studying Mason with curious eyes."Yeah, kid." Mason's throat tightened. "Uncle Mason's got your back.""Ha! I'm onto you, Mason—I caught what you did there. That sneaky little mood-boost of yours? It totally worked. "Let's say I could," Mason pressed. "Hypothetically."Jake studied him, something shifting in his expression. "Then I'd have to ask where the money came from. And who you really are. Because the Mason Rivers I know barely had two nickels to rub together this morning."Mason muttered under his breath, "Can't blame him for doubting."Tommy coughed again, and Jake's attention immediately returned to his son, murmuring soft reassurances."I love you, Daddy," Tommy whispered, his small voice carrying surprising strength despite his frail frame.Maso
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 17: Wolves in the Henhouse
Mason gave a slow nod, the silence saying everything.“Good. We’re still a team. More than that—we’re family here. When one bleeds, we all bleed. When one wins, we all win. Whatever storm's brewin', we weather it together, capisce?"The room went wide, some of the guys got too excited and started poppin' off rounds into the ceiling. Good thing the room was bulletproof, probably they'd had got some explaining to do to the neighborhood.Mason soaked it in, feeding off their energy. This was the juice he needed."What's the play, boss?" Viktor leaned forward, interest kindling in his eyes.Mason laid out what he'd caught wind of at the warehouse, watching his lieutenants' reactions closely. "Ethan Langford's in deeper than we thought. And Ramirez? This punk's pushin' stuff that makes our merchandise look like penny candy at the corner store."That hit them hard. A few murmurs slipped through the crowd, but Mason raised his hand, silencing them."We've got a potential rat, yeah. But here'
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 18: Rats and Traps
"Numbers don't lie, boss," Eve said, leaning closer to examine the numbers. "Something ain't adding up here," she said, tapping the screen. Ethan's company's solid. Why dump forty percent of golden shares?"Mason sprawled in Leo's chair like he owned it, which technically he did now. "See, that's why I keep you around. Sharp nose." He scratched his chin. "Think harder, doll. What went down at that warehouse last night?"Eve's eyes widened as the pieces clicked. "Their communication leak. You think—" she paused. "That could be nothing," Eve said half-heartedly.Mason snorted. "Yeah, and I could be Mother Teresa. Come on, doll, you're smarter than that."Mason tapped the screen, highlighting a series of transactions. "Bingo. Our friend Ethan's trying to get ahead of something big. Something that spooked him enough to liquidate fast.""Again, could be coincidence," Eve offered, but her tone suggested she didn't believe it.Mason barked out a laugh. "In our line of work? Coincidence is ju
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 19: Identity Games
Just as he lounged in Leo's leather chair, drumming his fingers against the desk while waiting for his coffee, his phone buzzed – Platinum Reserve Bank's number flashed across the screen.The call transported him back to his old life. A bitter memory surfaced...Three months ago, Mason Rivers had trudged six blocks to Richmond Savings Bank, his beat-up Honda sitting empty in his driveway, too low on gas to risk the drive. The security guard, a pot-bellied man with a permanent sneer, had blocked his path like a bouncer at a club."Executive entrance is for premium customers only." The guard's badge read 'Peterson.'"I just need to make a withdrawal," Mason had explained, sweat beading on his forehead from the walk."Round back," Peterson had jerked his thumb toward the general entrance. "With the rest of 'em."Inside, the teller – Nancy, according to her nameplate – hadn't bothered looking up from her phone. "Balance?""I... I need to withdraw sixty dollars."Nancy's fingers had clacke
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 20: Chicago's New God
"The Aurora Borealis Diamond." Eve's sigh carried decades of boarding school condescension. "Leo's always too busy for shopping, you know how brothers are. So when someone used his card to buy me exactly what I'd been eyeing? Well, that's just Providence, isn't it?""But Ms. King, the man who purchased it-""Did me a favor." Eve's tone hardened. "Unless you're suggesting my brother's card was used without authorization? Because that would imply a security breach at your establishment, and our lawyers do so love a good negligence suit."Mason suppressed a grin as he watched Eve work. She was a natural, playing the spoiled society princess with devastating precision."No! No, of course not, Ms. King. We simply wanted to ensure-""That my birthday present arrived safely? How considerate." Eve examined her reflection in the window. "Though I must say, all this fuss over a simple transaction... it makes one question whether the Morrison Auction House is equipped to handle clientele of our
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 21: The Real Rat
Night gripped Chicago's industrial district. Mason pulled Leo's custom Bentley into a darkened alley three blocks from Ramirez's warehouse, cutting the engine. Thunder rumbled overhead, nature's own percussion to accompany their mission.The trio sat tight, waiting on crew updates....Viktor's team struck first. Three black SUVs rolled silent through the midnight fog, headlights dark, engines purring like well-fed panthers. The docks loomed ahead, skeletal cranes cutting jagged shapes against the starless sky."In position," Viktor growled into his comm, Russian accent thick with anticipation. "North entrance clear.""Light 'em up," Mason said.Viktor's crew breached the warehouse, boots silent on wet concrete. Security cameras pivoted uselessly, looping old footage thanks to their tech guy's magic. The warehouse door yielded to shaped charges, whisper-quiet.Inside stood their prize - crates of Ramirez's weapons waited like sleeping dragons. Viktor grinned. Jackpot!"Package secured
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 22: When Clean and Quiet Burns
"Viktor and Thomas knocked it outta the park. Maria ate dirt. Carlos was our rat." Mason's words cut through to Eve and Sergei"House is quiet then," Eve said, loading another clip.Sergei grunted. "For now.""Time to cook Ramirez." Mason announced, straightening his suit jacket.Eve adjusted her tactical vest, checking her gear one final time. "You sure about this, boss? Joint's gonna be crawling after last night's mess.""Makes it sweeter." Mason gave her a stone smile. "Nobody looks twice at their own shadow. Sometimes the best place to hide is right under their nose."In the back, Sergei's meaty hands worked the explosives like a master chef. Each device promised fireworks that'd turn Ramirez's operation into Chicago's hottest barbecue."Packages ready?" Mason caught Sergei's reflection."Ready to sing." Sergei's scarred face split into a yellow grin.Rain began to fall, fat drops drumming against the Bentley's roof. Perfect cover for what they had planned."Remember," Mason's voi
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 23: Fire and Fury
"We're blown!" Eve did crackle over their earpieces. "Multiple tangos converging on the east side!"Mason swore, the comfortable weight of Leo's custom Glock settling into his palm. "Stick to the plan! Plant those packages!"Gunfire erupted, the sharp crack of 9mm rounds competing with the deeper boom of shotguns. Mason ducked behind a crate as bullets shattered the wood next to his head. Shouts and gunfire echoed throughout the warehouse, adding to its chaos.More shots, closer now. Mason returned fire, his rounds landing hit and miss with casual accuracy.Can't really fault the guy, he's never shot a gun. "Position!" Mason barked into his comm, ducking behind a shipping container as footsteps thundered above."East wing's hot," Eve's voice came tight with tension. "Two down, more incoming."Sergei's Russian accent rumbled through the static. "West side secure. Packages planted. Need five minutes."Mason moved through the warehouse like a ghost, muscle memory from countless drills gu
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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
Chapter 128: Never Go Home Again
The Lincoln Continental's tires screeched to a stop as Mason pulled up to St. Catherine's. His knuckles went white on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the weathered brick facade like a hitman studying his mark. This joint should've felt like relief, even clarity, driving toward a place tied to his childhood. Instead, his gut twisted with the kind of warning that had kept him breathing through Chicago's bloodiest turf wars.The dashboard lit up with his phone's buzz, cutting through his dark thoughts.Sophia’s name lit up the screen."Talk to me," he barked into the phone."Boss," she purred, but there was a crackling urgency beneath her usual charm. "Just making sure we're still good for tonight with the Lords. Got everything lined up neat – the donations, the cuts, the whole nine. Ethan's prepped and ready to dance."She paused, and Mason's radar pinged. "Those Drake surveillance tapes? Someone did a number on them. Real professional job – whoever cleaned house knew their tech bette
Chapter 127: Leo King Wants Me Dead
Sister Margaret stood in the doorway, older now but unmistakable in her habits, her face a museum of memories suddenly brought to life."Sweet Jesus," Sister Margaret breathed. "It really is you."Eve forced her lips into what passed for a smile these days. The orphanage knew her as Eva, but the streets gave her a name: 'Eve, daughter of disaster'."Still breathing, Sister."The nun crossed the floor like she was racing time itself, hands reaching out. Eve's muscles coiled tight as Sister Margaret grabbed her hands, but the warmth in that touch was like sunlight breaking through Chicago's endless winter."Look at you, all grown up strong," Sister Margaret's voice wavered with emotion. "I always knew you’d make something of yourself."Eve swallowed a laugh that tasted like broken glass. "You're seeing what you want to see, Sister."Sister Margaret's eyes went soft around the edges. "Whatever weight you're carrying, you don't have to shoulder it alone. Whatever brought you back here..."
Chapter 126: Eve's Return to St. Catherine's
Eve's knuckles went white on the wheel as she sped down the streets of Chicago. The morning lights bled together, much like her thoughts—chaotic, fragmented, impossible to catch. Her favorite jazz playlist played low in the background - saxophones crying out the pain she wouldn't let herself feel.She'd bolted from Leo's penthouse in a fury, needing the distance, the silence, the clarity she couldn’t find between his steady gaze and his maddening presence. She'd made her bones as a killer, carved out a reputation for cutting ties clean and permanent. Now here she was, caught up in Leo's game. And Joey - sprawled out cold on that floor while Leo played judge, jury, and executioner.Eve had seen death before, caused it more times than she could count, but Joey's end hit different. Showed a darkness she didn't want to face. Since Leo came back, he'd been different - sparked something dangerous in her chest that felt too much like hope. In their world, hope was a bullet waiting to find it
Chapter 125: Long Live the Queen
The tension in the penthouse lingered long after Sergei hauled Joey's limp body away. Mason let out a breath, fishing his phone from his pocket like a man pulling an ace from his sleeve. His thumbs danced across the screen, sending Maria the coordinates and the real story behind Joey's theatrical death scene.Mason: Joey's breathing. Heart stimulant. Looks dead for 5 hours. Be ready.He turned to face the window, but Chicago's sprawling skyline offered no escape from the thick air inside. He caught the looks his crew was throwing - fear masked by respect, just the way he had wanted it. A ghost of a smile crossed his face. Back when he was just another construction grunt, nobody gave him the time of day. His voice carried about as much weight as a paper badge.He nodded to himself, satisfaction settling in his bones. Power speaks its own language.Without wasting another breath, he set his sights on St. Catherine's, ready to move on the next play./ / /Miles out, cutting through restr
Chapter 124: Mason Leo
By 6:45 AM, Mason Rivers was already suited up and moving like a man with scores to settle. The click of his Italian leather shoes echoed through the marble hallway as some broad in a pencil skirt tried to cut him off near the elevator."Mr. King," she chirped, proper as Sunday mass, clutching her tablet like it held state secrets. "You've got the board waiting at 9 AM. Mrs. King requested updates on the transition plans."Mason sized her up without breaking stride. Everything about her screamed family business - not the legitimate kind, but the type that kept Chicago's underground spinning like a well-oiled machine. He had to hand it to Helena; the woman knew how to pick her staff. Rich folks and their armies of helpers - some things never changed in the Windy City."Cancel them," Mason ordered curtly, not sparing her a glance. "Tell Helena business demanded my attention elsewhere. And let Vincent know he's acting general manager starting now. Weekly updates only, and I want just the
Chapter 123: Two Kernel Nuts in the Same Shell
Finally, Helena replied, her tone tinged with the weight of years Mason hadn’t lived through. "When you reach my age, you'll understand." The answer wasn’t satisfying, and it wasn’t meant to be. It was the kind of deflection someone used to avoid the sharp edge of a question that cut too close to the bone. Mason felt the frustration bloom in his chest, but Helena wasn't done playing her hand."Now," she said, her voice brisk and businesslike, "Vincent. You should consider him for the general manager position at King's Industries. He's sharp, loyal as a made man, and knows the business inside and out. It's time."But Mason's mind was already running down darker alleys, circling the questions that had haunted him since Jake dropped that bomb about his identity. His thoughts kept coming back to Leo - their mirror-image faces, the fact that Helena wasn't Leo's blood. Maybe if he could track down Leo's real mother, he'd finally get some answers about the reflection that haunted his mirror
Chapter 122: The Queen's Silence
Mason went still as a statue, like someone had just pulled a heater on him at a deal gone wrong. "Come again?""Don't play dumb – it doesn't suit you," Helena said, that South Side edge creeping into her sophisticated tone. "You already put it out there at the luncheon, running your mouth to the media about taking over. Plus those South Side projects you've owned up to handling? You've made quite the name for yourself. Time to own it."Mason's whiskey glass hung suspended between table and lips like his brain had short-circuited. "Hold on now. I'd barely declared my interest—""This ain't up for debate." Helena's voice carried that special kind of authority that made even the hardest street soldiers stand at attention. "You're moving back to the family house. Eve's gonna back your play, but the crown's sitting on your head.""And where does that leave me?" Charlotte piped up, her eyes sparkling with that Lake Shore Drive mischief. "Surely I have a role in this grand plan?"Helena’s ga
