From Bullets To Billions Chapter 6 6: The Family Dog

In his former life, Max was no stranger to luxury. Having paved his path from the very bottom, he had successfully risen to command one of the most powerful gangs in the city. That success brought him considerable influence and riches, placing him among the elite he once envied. Yet, standing before the sprawling Stern family estate, he felt entirely insignificant.

His jaw went slack as he took in the endless expanse of the property. The sheer scale of the estate was unlike anything he had witnessed before. This was a display of wealth so profound it surpassed his wildest imagination.

"Do not forget my instructions," Aron warned, his eyes fixed intently on Max.

"Understood," Max replied, distracted as he reached out to pull open the massive entry door.

In a flash, Aron reached out and clamped a hand over Max’s wrist, forcing him to a sudden halt.

'What the hell? That was quick, and his grip is unnaturally strong,' Max thought, masking his surprise and the stinging pain behind a forced, tight-lipped smile.

"What are you doing?" Max muttered through clenched teeth.

"I should be asking you that," Aron hissed in a low voice. "Did I not command you to remain on your best behavior at all times?"

Confusion swirled within Max as he searched for what he had done wrong. Aron looked incensed, appearing nearly ready to strike.

"You are a member of the Stern family," Aron whispered with icy intensity. "Do you honestly think a Stern opens doors for himself? If anyone observes you acting with such lack of decorum, they will seize upon it to undermine you." Aron paused, his voice softening into a bitter murmur, "Just as they did previously..."

Max heard the remark clearly, realizing there was a painful history hidden beneath the surface.

'Good grief, these rich folks are completely detached from reality. Who doesn't open their own doors? This is a bizarre world,' Max thought cynically as he stepped aside to let Aron take the lead.

Aron pushed the grand doors open with practiced ease, revealing a vast, majestic foyer. Two sweeping staircases spiraled upward toward the second floor, while the walls were decorated with paintings that likely exceeded the cost of a dozen homes. Max couldn't help but inwardly scoff at the display of excess.

'I wonder how many lives would have been lost back home just to get hold of one of these canvases. Here, they are treated like common wall decorations,' Max mused grimly.

As he stepped inside, Max noticed numerous well-dressed guards positioned throughout the hall. The security was clearly world-class, rendering the mansion nearly impenetrable—even to his old White Tiger gang. He doubted any force could easily breach such a stronghold.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, he saw luxury vehicles pulling up to the secondary entrance. Across the vast gardens in the rear, festive tables and decorations were being prepared for a grand banquet. However, Aron kept guiding him toward the front, steering him away from the arriving guests.

Finally, Aron opened another set of ornate doors, leading into an immense reception room dominated by a massive chandelier. The opulence was overwhelming, featuring velvet couches and regal furniture. Max’s focus shifted to the people inside: the Stern family heirs were all present, seemingly waiting for him.

"You actually managed to show up on time. A rare occurrence, indeed," remarked a woman who commanded the room from her seat. With her heavy pearls and meticulously styled hair—which clearly bore the marks of surgical enhancement—her mocking tone made it obvious this was Aunt Karen.

Ignoring the jab, Max moved toward his cousins, hoping to vanish into the younger crowd. A sharp, commanding voice cut through the air, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Max, just where are you heading?" It was Masha Stern, the eldest of the aunts. She peered over the rim of her glasses with a look of extreme distaste, her fingers adorned with excessive, heavy rings.

"Have you truly lost all sense of propriety? You are required to greet your elders properly. The passing of your parents does not grant you the right to behave like a savage," she sneered with venomous intent.

A sudden heat flared in Max’s chest; a flash of raw, involuntary fury gripped him so tightly he felt a sharp physical reaction.

'What is this? Is this body holding onto some primal resentment because of her words regarding his parents?' Max wondered with rising agitation.

Though they weren't truly his kin, the malice in her tone stung. Swallowing his pride, Max pivoted slowly, bowed his head to Masha, and offered a stiff, formal greeting.

"It is a privilege to be here," Max stated, his voice sounding hollow to his own ears. 'If my old comrades could see me bowing to these vultures, they would never stop laughing,' he thought.

He went through the motions, bowing to Dave, Randy, and finally Karen, who leveled him with a cold, triumphant smirk.

"Perhaps in another lifetime, once you have developed some modicum of intellect, you might comprehend the nature of our discussions. You are a disgrace to this family name," Karen scoffed.

Max kept his mouth shut, jaw locked, as he turned toward his cousins.

'Just how much did this poor kid endure at the hands of these people? His life must have been a living hell,' Max reflected with a rare touch of empathy.

As he neared the younger heirs, they offered him a fleeting, dismissive glance before returning to their own circle, effectively treating him like air. He dropped onto a sofa, relieved to be out of the immediate line of fire. Aron stood like a statue behind him, watching.

Listening to their chatter, Max grew increasingly annoyed. Their conversation was a shallow exchange of bragging regarding purchases and status, all desperate bids for attention.

Eventually, Chad—a cousin with bleached hair and sunglasses worn strictly for vanity—sighed dramatically and shook his empty glass.

"Hey, Maxxy!" Chad called out, his voice dripping with condescension. "Run to the kitchen and fetch us some more wine, would you? You’re clearly only good for menial chores, aren't you?"

Max’s eyes narrowed into slits. 'Maxxy? Who exactly does this pampered brat think he is addressing?'

He was ready to snap, but Aron’s hand was already on his shoulder, firm and restraining.

"I shall handle it," Aron intervened, his voice calm, attempting to deescalate the situation. As Aron moved to step away, another cousin intervened.

"Did you not hear Chad, Aron?" Donto, a muscular and hulking figure, locked eyes with Max with a predatory intensity.

Donto stood over six feet tall, his frame radiating physical dominance. It was no surprise he was the family’s prize athlete. "Chad gave the command to Max, not to you. Are you planning on defying a directive from the Stern family now? A dog that loses its loyalty is only fit to be cast out as a stray."

Upon hearing that, Max snapped, springing to his feet with his hands balled tightly into white-knuckled fists.