From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 353

Chapter 353: Testing the Best

Although it wasn’t exactly a hidden truth inside the company, the fact that the Fortis Group was floundering financially was still a carefully guarded secret. To the public, and especially to their wealthy clients, they presented themselves as a flawless machine, a fortress of modern private security unmatched by anyone else.

Behind the curtain, however, the story was very different.

If clients knew how close the company was to collapse, they might assume corners were being cut. They’d wonder if guards were underpaid or undertrained. They’d start questioning whether "state-of-the-art" equipment was actually outdated scrap dressed up in marketing language. Even worse, they might suspect Fortis would resort to desperate measures, sending unqualified personnel, using unsafe gear, or falsifying reports just to save a little cash.

None of those assumptions would be tolerated in a business built on trust and image. That was why the cracks had been plastered over, why the staff weren’t told the full extent of the situation, and why even the takeover by the Billion Bloodline Group had been kept in strict secrecy.

Rumors were dangerous currency. If whispers spread too soon, Fortis risked losing what few clients it had left.

Which was why Darno, the self-proclaimed golden boy of Fortis, looked as though the floor had dropped out from under him when Nesa revealed the truth.

The company... no longer belongs to Tim Heart? Bought out? Controlled by the Billion Bloodline Group?

He swallowed hard, throat dry, stomach twisting. A cold sweat prickled the back of his neck.

Damn it. What have I done? I just picked a fight with someone tied to the people who now own the entire company. If I lose this job... I’m finished. Absolutely finished.

Fortis was his last chance. He had already been blacklisted from the film industry after too many "incidents" as a stuntman. No studio would hire him, no production team would take the risk. The pay at Fortis was more than cushy, it was survival. Without it, he would be nothing.

And he knew it.

Reluctantly, Darno lowered his head. His arrogant sneer was gone, replaced by a tight grimace as he forced the words out. "I’m sorry. I apologize for everything I said."

It wasn’t easy. His pride screamed against it. But his survival instincts were louder.

Still, in the back of his mind, there was one small comfort. This red-haired teenager wasn’t the boss himself. At least, that’s what Darno believed. He thought Max was just a messenger, some junior representative the real power had sent in his place. If that were true, maybe he still had a chance to wriggle free, to keep his job.

Max, for his part, didn’t even bother replying to Darno’s apology. His patience for the man had already worn thin. Instead, he simply straightened his hoodie and said, "I think I’ve spent enough time in reception. We can talk about him later. Why don’t we focus on the real reason I came here today?"

Nesa jumped on the opportunity to move things forward. "Yes, of course. First, allow me to give you a proper tour of the facility before we head upstairs to meet Tim Heart, our CEO." Her voice was all bright professionalism again, as though she could scrub away the tension with polite efficiency.

She gestured toward the elevator, leading the way with a crisp smile.

As the doors closed, Max allowed himself a grin, a grin directed straight at Darno. He didn’t need to say anything. He didn’t need to announce a punishment or bark orders. That smile was enough.

Because the worst punishment for someone like Darno wasn’t a beating, wasn’t even being fired, it was uncertainty. The not-knowing. The endless torment of waiting, wondering, questioning whether today would be his last day at Fortis. Whether every passing hour was one closer to ruin.

Max leaned back against the elevator wall, arms folded, letting that thought satisfy him more than any punch ever could.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify