From Bullets To Billions Chapter 612: Seeking Answers

Sprawled across her unmade bed, Sheri struggled through a night of fitful, restless sleep. Morning light began to bleed through the blinds, casting angular shadows against the walls, yet she felt utterly drained. Her eyes kept darting toward her glowing phone in the dimness. She stared repeatedly at the empty notification panel, fruitlessly hoping her supervisor would offer some explanation for the sudden scheduling change.

She had not realized it until this annoying moment, but she had grown remarkably accustomed to the rhythmic, organized routine of commuting to the office every single day.

Typically, she would glide through those heavy glass doors, fetch a coffee, and spend a few moments chatting with Darno and Max. While these interactions were usually brief exchanges amidst the corporate rush, they served as an anchor in her otherwise chaotic life. To be abruptly ordered via text to stay home? It threw her completely off balance. Dressed in her pajamas, she sat in limbo, her curiosity mounting to an unbearable level.

Max has been acting quite reckless lately, Sheri mused, shifting onto her side to stare at the ceiling. What was that violent brawl about? Is he still running his old high school pack, merely utilizing them for corporate profit? Or were they somehow recruited wholesale by the Billion Bloodline group as official security? She sighed, frustrated, and tossed the device aside.

I am certain he is concealing something significant. I detect it whenever he sidesteps my questions. Yet, I cannot quite grasp what it all implies. With nothing to occupy her sudden day off, she retrieved her phone to scan the local headlines. An urgent, bold-red banner caught her gaze: a massive city-wide gas leak.

Authorities were aggressively diverting all traffic away from the downtown area, leading to gridlock due to the toxicity of the fumes. The epicenter? The Fortis building—the very headquarters of the Billion Bloodline group.

Wait, could that be the reason they instructed me to stay away? Sheri felt her pulse quicken as she reread the report. Did the executives foresee this infrastructure failure? If they did, why not just explain the gas leak? Why be so cryptic? She could not possibly fathom the dark reality: the Gilt Rats syndicate was actively manipulating local media to provide cover for a lethal, full-scale assault on the Billion Bloodline corporate seat.

Max had not initially known what narrative the Gilt Rats would deploy to justify the siege. Thus, he dared not offer a specific lie, fearing she would see a contradictory report on the news. He prioritized his silence over the risk of deception to protect her.

As she gripped her phone, thumb hovering over Max’s contact, the screen vibrated. A message arrived from someone she had not seen in an eternity: Do you want to meet up? It has been a long time. Feeling anxious and restless, she decided to get dressed and clear her head.

They met at a quiet, warm coffee shop situated several blocks from her apartment. Stepping inside, the aroma of ground espresso and baked goods greeted her. She quickly spotted her friend; Cindy was sitting by the rain-streaked window, clutching a steaming mug.

"It has been a while, Cindy. You look much better," Sheri remarked while sliding into a chair opposite her old friend.

"Yeah... though it is hard to say that for sure," Cindy replied with a fragile, melancholy smile. "To be honest, Sheri, I contacted you because I have been missing Abby intensely."

Cindy stared down at her dark coffee, her expression clouding with grief.

"For a long time, I foolishly tried to bury the pain and move on. But that is incredibly difficult. I have realized my way forward is not to forget, but to embrace her memory. Since we all shared so much history, I wanted us to honor her spirit together today."

Cindy spoke nostalgically about Abby’s kindness, recounting the fleeting, warm moments they had shared. Even as the conversation lulled, Cindy abruptly looked up, her gaze hardening with a pointed question that caught Sheri off guard.

"Have you spoken to Max lately?" Cindy asked, her tone shifting from nostalgic to sharp.

Startled, Sheri chose honesty. She spilled the details of her recent life: the new corporate job at the security firm, the bizarre underworld incidents that had plagued the office, and the mounting tension she felt.

"That is unbelievable... you still work there?" Cindy gasped. "Are you not terrified? Danger seems to surround Max constantly. If I were you, I would leave immediately."

Sheri wanted to mount a defense, knowing the context behind certain events—how Max had stepped in to save her from her own past—but she could not deny the cold truth: an aura of danger clung to him.

"I have an unshakable feeling Max is hiding something massive," Sheri admitted, tracing the rim of her cup. "My father told me to stay away, but this secrecy only makes me more desperate to know the truth. I am so restless, Cindy. Beyond that, I need to know why Abby died... and I think Max might hold the answer."

The unresolved mystery was clearly a weight crushing Cindy’s soul as well. The trauma linked them in that quiet cafe.

"I agree," Cindy whispered, her eyes alight with resolve. "Max is definitely hiding a monumental truth from us."

"And," Sheri added, "they told me not to come to work today. The timing of this 'gas leak' report is far too convenient."

Cindy stood abruptly, dropping cash onto the table.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Cindy declared, grabbing her coat. "If we need to know the truth, we start now. Come on, Sheri. Let us head straight to your office."