The Mafia Empire

"Who else but that bastard?" Graf roared. He had only learned about it from a neighbor wh he wt back to deliver some money. He felt like he was going crazy!

They were his only family, especially his brother, who had be by his side for years. All the money Graf had made over the years, aside from what he kept for himself, he'd st to his brother for school. He had never told anyone about his brother, because his brother was a "good kid," a top studt who was currtly studying at the capital's university.

Rectly, Graf had st him so much money that his brother wt from surprised to scared, afraid that Graf had done something illegal. His brother had secretly tak leave and returned to Ternell.

Unfortunately, Wood's m had found him, and along with Graf's mother, they had be tak.

"Do you trust me?" Julian asked, maintaining his composure in his comfortable boss chair despite Graf's emotional outburst. He played with a bronze lighter, his calm and confidt expression meeting Graf's gaze fearlessly. "Do you trust me?"

He repeated the question. Graf, like a wounded beast, had redded eyes, his chest heaving violtly as intse emotions made it hard for him to breathe. He locked eyes with Julian, and after a momt, Graf nodded vigorously. "If I don't trust you, th who the hell can I trust?"

Julian nodded in return, leaning back into the veloping chair. Despite the world's technological backwardness compared to the one Julian had dreamed of, it excelled in indulgce and luxury, especially for those born into nobility. These elites had unparalleled power, status, and wealth, and beyond seeking more power, they wasted their excessive lives on extravagant pleasures and tertainmt.

Over the past few days, Julian had Dave gather information on Wood, and by now, they had learned almost everything. Wood's move at this momt suggested that he had also dug into Julian and his group.

In this world, there was no such thing as an impetrable wall. Once they had targeted Graf as the breakthrough point, money would pave the way. Some people, like the workers at the station, would always be willing to reveal a little something for the right price.

Not everyone could resist the lure of money over fridship, and there were always some who would sell information that wasn't particularly useful to them or their families.

Just as Julian used money to pave his way, though perhaps he had less of it than Wood, and couldn't throw a large sums to get all the information he wanted, this wasn't a one sided market. For those who possessed information about Wood, Julian was the only buyer in this market. He didn't need to spd much to get what he wanted.

Graf kept his eyes fixed on Julian, unblinking, waiting to see how he would resolve this problem.

"I understand how you're feeling right now. I love my family too, but love and impulse won't solve anything. They kidnapped your family to put you—and us—in a vulnerable position. Whether we try to rescue them or compromise, we'd fall into their trap."

"So, do we just abandon my mother and brother?" Graf asked through gritted teeth. His fierce gaze showed no attempt to hide his inner turmoil, and his tone made it clear that if Julian said they wer't going to save them, Graf would leave in a fit of hatred.

Julian chuckled. "Of course we're going to save them, but there are many ways to do that. Charging in and getting yourself shot is one way. Killing ough of them to force them to sd your family back is another."

Julian wasn't afraid that this muscle bound guy would recklessly charge in and get himself killed, but such a move would put him in a vulnerable position.

To Julian, the situation was simple. Wood's large, prosperous estate couldn't withstand too much chaos. He made such a grand display, not only to intimidate Julian and his group but also to show others that Wood still had strgth. But his vast holdings were also his greatest weakness. Once Julian found a way in, the bigger the estate, the harder it would fall.

The next morning, Julian appeared in Courtroom Three at the city courthouse. This was the second trial in the "Morris Case." Julian hadn't attded the first one, and Kevin hadn't wanted him to, as the first trial mostly involved the prosecutor's witnesses and evidce, and Kevin had chos to appear weak.

This was a strategy—let the oppont throw punches, dodge them, th strike back. Wh Camille prested his evidce and lobbied the jury, it was already clear that he had lost to Kevin because he wasn't aware that Kevin had be involved in the case from the very beginning, ev planning it.

At exactly 9:5, Kevin appeared outside the courthouse, wearing a sharp suit and carrying his briefcase. Reporters immediately sured him, camera flashes going off and smoke rising from the constant flash bulbs.

Kevin wore a confidt smile. Unlike the previous trial, he didn't rush into the courthouse. Instead, he stood outside under the grand scales of justice, facing the reporters.

"Kevin, some people say that wh you go up against the prosecutor for that girl Nasha, your 'gold reputation' will be shattered. What do you think about that?"

"I'm a reporter from Starlight Daily. The whole of Canlos is watching this case. While people are angry about what happed to the girl, they're also focused on you. Do you believe you can win justice for her?"

"Some say you took on this case against Camille because of a grudge from your younger days. Is that true?"

Kevin smiled and nodded as the questions came. Wh he heard something he didn't like, he raised his hand, and the noisy reporters immediately fell silt. He cleared his throat, and an unparalleled confidce appeared on his face, as bright as the sun. His tone was slightly elevated. "First, I want to thank the public for their concern about this case. Secondly, I've never believed I would lose."

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