"So what is the total?" Joseph asked, knowing he dropped so much money that it was going to hurt him… like there were at least 20 bags on the counter even on the ground all of it black with golden decor like the store and with a little bow on them.

Not just that, but Lorim smiled too… he was practically glowing as he stared at the monitor in front of him. "The grand total is eighty-seven thousand, three hundred forty-two dollars and three cents." He looked up and winked. "I even added a little discount."

Eighty-seven thousand… for fucking clothes… fuck me…

"So card or cash?" Lorim asked again with a bright smile on his face.

"Card." Joseph said, sighing as he pulled out the obsidian card, but his mind was already on this whole charity thing… he genuinely wanted to know more about it. It all seemed off.. like this entire shop was just a money-laundering operation and not a single cent actually went to charity.

Even Lorim didn't seem like the person he pretended to be… his whole persona felt forced, like someone was putting on an act. Not just that, but Joseph noticed a tattoo on his neck while they were trying on the clothes. He caught it only for a moment, but what stood out was how obvious it was that Lorim had tried to cover it up with makeup.

But he could read it… "La Familia," it said, and there was a rose too… Yeah, Lorim had a past, something tied to criminal activity. Maybe the cartel, or maybe not… maybe it was just a simple family tattoo.

"Please swipe the card." He said as pointed to the terminal, and Joseph did so, swiped it and without a code without a pin, the money was gone… 87 thousand in a second.

How secure is it… what if I lose the card… He thought, shaking his head, though if someone did find his card with his name on it, the chances that anyone would actually use it were slim to none… stealing from Joseph Cassain, how brave would you have to be to even try?

"I forgot to mention, but sixty percent of the money will go toward charity." Lorim continued with exactly the part Joseph had wanted to hear about the most. "So if we do the calculation, that's… fifty-two thousand, four hundred five dollars and twenty-four cents to charity." He turned the tablet toward Joseph. "We have ten options, so please select the one that fits you."

As Joseph looked at it… it actually seemed legit. It had all kinds of information, which charity, what it supported… homelessness, children's hospitals, climate change, and seven more. All of them looked legitimate… but then again, anything can be made to look real.

Though he chose the children's hospital one, and once again, information upon information appeared. It showed how much money had been donated so far in the mount which was three million and even more details. The children there, what the hospital had bought with the donated money, and how much the funds had helped the kids get better.

To his surprise, it was truly legit… or more like to his disappointment.

"Oh, so it's not money laundering?" he asked, looking up at Lorim. "I thought it was."

"I knew you'd notice, sir." Lorim chuckled, but there was something in that laugh, something sharp, almost cutting. "It would actually sound good, but we follow many regulations and get regular inspections. So no, it's not money laundering… I left that in the past."

Joseph's head snapped up, and in that instant, it hit him. That old fucker, Lorim, wasn't just some shop owner putting on an act… he was terrifying. His eyes weren't just looking at Joseph it was like… he was pinning him down like prey.

A chill spread through Joseph's body, goosebumps rising on his skin, yeah, fucking goosebumps, from an old man.

It was absurd… since he had come out of prison, he hadn't felt this. It wasn't fear. No, it was recognition… the realization that someone far more dangerous, far more decisive than him, was standing right in front of him… how exciting..

Yeah, excitement surged through him… excitement at Lorim's eyes… the eyes of someone who had killed many.

"Cartel?" Joseph asked, keeping eye contact.

"Sicario."

Even Amine was surprised by it… she had shopped here before, but never once thought anything like that about Lorim. He always seemed like a kind-hearted person, without any ill intent… she could never have guessed that he was a sicario.

"Hmm, I don't know too much about the cartel," Joseph said. "But I know they don't just let their sicarios leave the… la familia."

"Only if you kill enough… or kill… la familia."

Yeah, this shift was on another level entirely. Lorim himself existed on a whole different level, not just his presence, but the way he could shift the entire energy. His voice deepened, raw and commanding, suddenly unmistakably manly.

He was definitely on the level of Pablo… or maybe even more dangerous… more terrifying in his field.

"I welcome people like you… Lorim or is that just a fake name too?" Joseph asked, now looking down, tapping on the children's hospital option.

"Thank you so much for the donation." Lorim said, turning the tablet back. "Miguel. But a name can cause a lot of trouble, don't you think, Cassian?"

"Indeed it can, but a name never truly fades away."

"Yeah, it doesn't… and neither does the past. But people can change, and I have. Of course, I'm just an old man now, working in the fashion industry for thirty years. But thank you for your offer."

Old man… huh, Joseph thought. He knew full well that Lorim could still wipe all three of them out if he wanted to. Yeah, it would be an easy job for him… because the past never truly fades… it burns into your soul, into your life.