Chapter 49: An Incoming Storm.

After the talk with Sophia, Hans finally made his way back to James house. As he passed through the gates James’s mother greeted him with a warm smile. She had been tending to the flowers outside. "If you’re looking for James, he’s in the garden." She told him kindly before returning to her work. Hans made his way through the house, stepping out into the vast, beautiful garden. But as soon as he set foot on the soft grass, he stopped. Before him was a sight that felt almost unreal. James, Charlotte, and Bella were gathered around a massive canvas, painting together. Their laughter filled the air, carefree and genuine. James had a paintbrush in hand, smudging a streak of blue onto the canvas, while Charlotte giggled and tried to mimic him. Bella was smiling as she carefully added details to their artwork. They looked like a perfect family, something Hans had longed for but never truly had. Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A warmth spread through his chest as he silently watched them, unwilling to disturb the moment. But before he could take another step, James had already noticed him. "Hans, what a surprise! I thought you found love and ran off!" He teased, laughing as he walked toward him. "With Sophia?" Hans laughed. "She’s too much to even talk to." He shook hands with James. "So, you actually spoke with her?" He asked as he stepped inside the house. Hans let out a chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "How should I say it… I thought I blended in perfectly." James smirked as he grabbed a bottle of apple juice, pouring a glass for both of them. "So, what happened?" Hans took a long sip before sighing heavily and sitting down at the counter. "I don’t even know how to put it." He admitted, glancing at James. "But one thing’s for sure, she’s not a threat…at least, not to you." James looked at him, confused. If she wasn’t a danger to him, then who was she a danger to? "Uh… she is...." Hans continued, struggling to find the right words. He rubbed the back of his neck before finally sighing. "I’ll put it simply, she’s madly in love with you. And she’s jealous of Bella. But that’s not all… she even said she’s going to be your second girlfriend or wife." James opened his mouth in confusion and shock, staring at Hans, who had already burst into laughter. "She dressed up just to impress you." Hans said, still chuckling. "And she even snatched the report I wrote on her, just to add more details herself. So, I’ll have to go back to her later." James rubbed his head, sighing. "What’s wrong with these girls? I don’t even think I look that handsome…" "I mean, you’re a good-looking guy, but more than that, you hold power. You’re rich. And I could go on." "So… she’s a gold digger?" James laughed. Hans shook his head. "I don’t think so. I believe she’s loved you for a long time but kept it buried. Then she saw you with Bella and realized she made a huge mistake by not confessing sooner. Now, she’s desperate to get your attention, to win your love… like in some TV drama." He downed the last of his juice. "Wow, Hans, you’re turning into a relationship advisor now." James teased. Then, grinning, he asked jokingly. "Is it even legal for me to have two wives?" "I can make it legal for you with just one phone call." Hans replied, completely serious. "I was just kidding."James shook his head and poured himself another glass of juice. "Did Hector contact you?" "You mean about us leaving the market? He sent a message." "And what do you think?" Hans didn’t answer right away. He was deep in thought. After a moment, he smirked. "It’s a good strategy. I like how you plan to control them." What? Hans leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I mean, it’s obvious why you made this decision. Leaving the market, especially the capital city market, will send shockwaves through the entire country. Prices will fluctuate, and uncertainty will spread. But more than that, others will fear stepping into our territory without permission. They’ll come to us, asking for meetings, looking for guidance… and that’s when we tax them." James listened confused what Hans was talking about. "We can even dictate what they sell, control the supply so overdosing and market saturation won’t be an issue. And if anyone tries to enter without permission, we have every reason to go to war. We show them that the Bellini family isn’t just powerful…we’re untouchable." What no no, why the fuck is he overthinks it…I just want to leave the market and thats it. "Did I said something wrong?" Hans asked, confused at James’ silence. "No." He downed his juice. "And your opinion on the slums?" "Simply genius." "Genius?" Hans chuckled, shaking his head. "The slums are chaotic, yeah, but that also makes them the perfect blind spot. Everyone focuses on the big players, the major deals, but the slums? That’s where the real power brews. The whispers, the movement, the desperation… If we control that, we don’t just leave the market. We reshape it." He leaned forward, tapping the counter. "You’re not just leaving, you’re rewriting the game. Making them think they’re free when, in reality, every step they take still falls under your control." He let out a short laugh. "This isn’t pulling out. This is playing god." I don’t even know what’s happening anymore, a playing god what I just want to help them… "But," Hans said, now with serious tone. "that guy you beat the shit out of, the mayoral candidate, I’m worried about him." He looked back up. "He has connections with the Vice President and other powerful people." "Yeah, that kinda worries me too. He’s talking about bringing the military and all that shit into the city, but I couldn’t handle my emotions." James admitted. "We might need to leak something to the media if the people backing him start making moves… or go shopping in the black market." "Black market?" James raised an eyebrow. "If the military comes in, we’ll need machine guns, grenades, sniper rifles… maybe even some .50 cal weapons to make sure we can give them a proper answer." Hans said with a grin. This is spiraling way too fast. "That can only happen if he wins the election, and I doubt the government sees him as a hero." James said, leaning forward. "We have information, dirty business, corruption, tax mismanagement, and plenty more. They can’t risk it." "So you’re saying the government will have an internal conflict?" "Exactly." James said, crossing his arms. "If this mayoral candidate’s backers start making moves, the government itself will have to decide whether they want to risk exposing their own corruption just to protect him." Hans smirked. "That means they’ll hesitate. And hesitation means we control the pace." "We let them know, that if they try to bring the military into this, a lot of secrets might suddenly come to light." Hans chuckled. "Blackmail really is your preferred weapon..." "Something like that." James stood up. "Help Hector with the planning, and when it’s ready, present it to me." "We will." Hans said, standing up as well. "But before that…" He glanced at James. "What about the Circle? You’re not going to address it with them?" "Only when the plan is ready." James replied calmly. "They’re not a threat to us, so let them do their thing." "Still, you know how they are. The Circle doesn’t like being left out, and if they find out we’re making moves without them, they might start asking questions." James exhaled, setting his glass down. "Let them. They’re not a problem." Hans thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I’ll get started then. Anything else?" "No, just keep me updated." "Got it." Then, with one last look, he turned and left. And I really thought that Hans different then the others....let’s hope nothing happens.... But two days after their conversation, something began that would change James forever. The crash of glass echoed through the Justice Minister’s office as she throwed a paperweight across the room. "That fucking idiot!" She screamed, slamming her fist onto the table. "Who the fuck does he think he is?!" Takoi had done it. He had made the move she had feared the most. He couldn’t just sit still, no, he had to play hero, had to make a statement. Now, the entire country teetered on the brink of chaos because of his stupidity. The door suddenly burst open. Odin, the NSBI Director, stood there, his face pale, sweat dripping from his forehead. He clutched a sealed document in his trembling hands. "We’re going to die…" He said, his voice thick with exhaustion and something far worse...fear. She snatched the document from his hands and tore the seal open with shaking fingers. Her blood ran cold. A detailed report on the Circle. Every known associate. And at the bottom of the final page, written in bold, undeniable ink, was the order. To eliminate all of them. Signed by the Vice President.