269Jason, scrambling to regain his composure, blurted out, “You’re just lucky, Darius. No one makes that kind of money without luck!”“Luck?” Darius’s smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. “Luck favors those who are prepared, Jason. You might want to remember that.”Brianna, still in shock,
270As the door to the restaurant swung shut behind Darius, a heavy silence fell over the group. The once-buzzing table, full of laughter and jeering, now felt like a graveyard of shattered pride. Jason’s face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment, his mind racing as he tried to process what
271Max frowned, uncertainty in his voice. “And if we can’t? What if he really has built an empire like he said? We could end up ruining ourselves trying to take him down.”Lon, one of Jason's friend, his best friend opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, his phone buzzed on
272Eric pushed open the door and walked into the dimly lit room, the heavy silence hitting him like a brick wall. He paused, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight before him: Jason, Max, and Greg huddled together, their faces etched with tension. The air was thick with unease, and it was clear
273Eric's eyes narrowed as he absorbed Jason's words. He took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. "You guys have lost it," he said, his tone laced with disgust. "If you even think about going after Darius like this, I'll call him myself and let him know exactly what you're planning."A s
274Eric stormed out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway as he left the others in stunned silence. The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife. Jason’s fists remained clenched, his knuckles white as he tried to process what had just happened."Unbelievable,
275Eric's gaze swept across the room, taking in the tense expressions of his former friends. His presence was like a storm cloud, dark and foreboding, and the air seemed to thicken with every second of silence. Jason, his face still flushed with anger, opened his mouth to speak, but Eric cut him of
276The tension in the room crackled like a live wire as Jason's sneer deepened. "You're such a self-righteous bastard, Eric," he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "You waltz in here, acting like you're better than us, but you're just a coward who's too scared to face reality."Eric's eyes narrow