From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 235

Chapter 235: The Day Before

When Max returned to school, it was a Friday, the last day before the weekend.

And that meant something else: tomorrow, his time would be up.

It was the day the Black Hounds had promised to come for him.

While the teacher droned on at the front of the room, Max sat in his seat, eyes locked on his notebook but his thoughts miles away. His mind was working overtime, trying to plan, trying to prepare.

’I’ve done what I can to get ready for the worst outcome tomorrow... but what would’ve helped the most is if I could’ve increased my strength, my power, as much as possible before the big day,’ Max thought, grinding his pen against the page in frustration.

His gaze flicked to the numbers and notes scribbled in the margins of his notebook. Calculations. Figures. Timelines. He had been racking his brain for any way to increase his money, fast.

His business was doing well. Better than well. It was growing at such a pace that he could actually feel the results in his own body. Every day, he felt stronger, his vow transforming his financial gains into physical growth.

But even with that, it wasn’t enough. Not yet. Not to take on a group like the Black Hounds.

The only shortcut he could think of, the only way to multiply his wealth in a single blow, was gambling.

But there were two problems with that.

First, even the underground gambling ring they were using had a maximum bet cap of ten million. That alone shut down most of the more "creative" strategies he could have employed.

And second... well, Max wasn’t a gambler. Not really.

Sure, he’d won before. But the thought of risking his money made him feel sick. It wasn’t about the thrill, it was about control. And Max hated the idea of losing what he’d worked for. He couldn’t shake the thought that winning once meant he was more likely to lose next time, even though he knew the odds didn’t really work that way.

He wasn’t wired for risk like that. Not unless it was a guaranteed loss, one he could flip into a trap. If he knew he was going to lose and had a plan to make that loss useful... maybe then.

Maybe.

But that wasn’t where he was today.

When the first break rolled around, Joe came over like he always did, spinning the empty chair around before plopping into it backward. This time, though, the gesture felt more intentional.

Max glanced up, and froze.

Joe was staring straight at him, a huge grin stretching across his face. It wasn’t his usual dorky smile either, it was... unsettling.

"That smile is really creeping me out," Max said, his brow furrowing. "If you’re just gonna stare and grin like that, I’d rather you do it from, like, a full meter away."

Joe blinked, snapped out of whatever headspace he’d been in, and quickly looked away. His eyes landed on Max’s notebook, on the numbers and symbols scattered across the page.

’I want to ask him,’ Joe thought, ’I want to ask him so badly... is he really Max Stern? From that Stern family?’

He was almost sure. Ninety-eight percent sure, in fact. But that last two percent? It gnawed at him.

’If I find out for sure... what do I even do next?’ Joe wondered. ’Ask for a raise? Try to cut a better deal? How do you even negotiate with a guy like that?’

And what if there was a reason Max had been keeping it secret? What if saying the wrong thing got him... erased? Silenced? Did the Stern family even do that?

Aron’s name flickered through his mind.

But then Joe shook the thought away. Max didn’t strike him as the kind of person who would just off someone for finding out the truth.

’Right... because Max is more the type to shove a pencil down your throat himself.’

Joe grinned, his curiosity spiking. This might be the moment. If he asked now, if he played it right, maybe he could finally get Max to tell him the truth. About the money. About who he really was.

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