CHAPTER 323: SHADOWS ON THE ROAD

Inside the luxurious vehicle, Max sat in the back, the smooth hum of the engine carrying him further away from Brinehurst and closer to the Stern manor that lay on the outskirts of the city. The leather seats were soft beneath him, but no matter how comfortable the ride, his body remained stiff, his mind elsewhere.

He wasn’t exactly looking forward to this gathering. He never did. Meeting with the Stern family was always an ordeal, always a battle of veiled words and hidden intentions. Still, there was no avoiding it. Instead, he tried to focus inward, to steady his thoughts, and to think carefully about what came next. He had literally just graduated a few hours ago, yet already his mind was turning to goals and steps, to strategy and survival.

The first thing I want to do is get a new apartment, Max thought, his gaze fixed on the tinted glass window beside him. There’s no need for me to live where I am anymore. Somewhere private, somewhere quiet. But I can’t move too far. I shouldn’t leave Brinehurst, at least not yet. It’s the place where I currently have the most protection, the strongest base.

The thought lingered before shifting. Now that school no longer tied him down, now that he wasn’t just a student juggling classes and a secret empire, he had room to focus on his own personal matters. And some matters could not be put off any longer.

Though his mind stayed sharp and composed, a shadow of unease crept at the edges. He still had no idea who had been behind the attempt on the original Max’s life, the boy whose body he now lived in. It was a thread left dangling, one he had forced himself to ignore while building the Bloodline Group, but a thread he knew he would eventually need to pull.

He exhaled slowly. He had done much for the old Max already, carried burdens that weren’t originally his. But now... now it was time to look forward, to carve toward his own goals.

The White Tiger.

He needed to know more. He needed to gather information, to track down the truth about the White Tiger, about the new

White Tiger who had emerged since his death.

At Dennis’s birthday party, one of the Cubs was present. That alone makes no sense. We never had connections with the Stern family before, and yet, so soon after my death, they appear there? That can’t be coincidence.

Max’s hands curled lightly into fists on his lap. It was too dangerous, far too reckless, to take on the White Tiger gang head-on with the Bloodline Group. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe brute strength would carry them through. But perhaps there was another way. Perhaps he could approach from a different angle, use the Stern family’s reach and power to pry loose the information he sought.

His eyes flicked to the front of the car, catching sight of the rear-view mirror. Seated in the passenger seat beside the driver was Na, his posture straight, his face unreadable.

Na’s head, however, was far from still. His thoughts swirled as steadily as Max’s did.

Though Na had not been on the security team for long, he had adjusted quickly. Training and discipline came naturally to him. He had been part of the special forces, and Aron, who sat behind the wheel, was as well. The two spoke a language of command and execution that others might stumble over, but for them it was effortless. They explained, they corrected, they maneuvered, and Na learned swiftly.

Even before, Na had always been the more compliant one among the Rejected Corps. Not weak, never weak, but willing to follow orders, willing to work in a system rather than against it. And now, that trait had carried him here.

Of course, through this role, Na had discovered the truth of who Max really was. That he was a Stern. That he belonged to one of the wealthiest, most powerful families in the country.

I still can’t believe it, Na thought, eyes narrowing as they traced Max’s reflection in the mirror. Even now, looking right at him, it doesn’t feel real. Why would someone with so much wealth, someone born into such power, put themselves through everything he has?

He didn’t know the entire truth, not all of it, not like Chad might. Na still thought the Rejected Corps had first gone after Max because of his fight with Dipter, because he had proven himself strong. They had no idea there was a deeper relation, a deeper web tying him to their downfall.

And yet, even knowing what he knew now, Na could not reconcile it. There had been other ways, easier ways, ways that did not involve throwing himself into the fire. Why would a boy like Max choose to bleed alongside street fighters? Why would he risk his life again and again?

Some called it stupidity. Some excused it as youth. But facts remained facts. The Rejected Corps and the Chalkline Boys, two established gangs, hardened and feared, had been defeated by Max’s group, by a gang of high schoolers who called themselves the Bloodline.

And it hadn’t been because of Stern money.

Na’s jaw tightened. Joining the Stern family, working under Max, hadn’t really been a choice. He had seen what happened to the rest of the Rejected Corps. They had all been locked away, their past crimes dragged into the light, false information fabricated to cover the gaps. They had been erased from the game entirely.

Chrono, their leader, had been wiped from the board almost overnight. His name, his presence, his history, gone. As though he had never existed.

If the Bloodline continues to grow, Na thought grimly, what will they become? A gang with the backing of the Sterns... a gang fused with the strongest family in the country. That’s not just dangerous. That’s terrifying.

And as the thought weighed heavy, Na’s gaze drifted to Aron, the man behind the wheel.

A flicker of unease sparked. Does Max even realize? Does he know that one of the men sitting beside him, watching over him, is from the Black Hand Unit? A man whose reputation alone terrifies entire armies? That’s not something money can buy.

"What are you doing?" Aron’s voice snapped through the car, sharp and direct. His eyes didn’t leave the road. "Are you paying attention? You’re supposed to be on lookout. Watch the mirrors. Check the streets. If there’s anyone suspicious following us, you’re the one who should see it first. This is one of the most important times to stay focused, heading to the Stern family, there is no room for mistakes."

Na straightened instantly, nodding. Still, the strangeness of it hit him again. Rich people. Why was it that the wealthiest always seemed to have the most problems? Why was it that even wrapped in silk and steel, danger still trailed them like a shadow?

The car rolled smoothly through the streets until, eventually, Aron slowed. They had stopped near a train station. Max raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak. Clearly, there was one more task to complete before heading to the manor.

The side door opened on the far side, opposite where Max sat. A familiar voice filled the air.

"Alright, take him. He’s all yours!"

Sandra shoved forward, her grip tight on the collar of a struggling figure. With a rough push, she forced Chad into the open seat of the car.