The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 540

 Chapter 269 Catch a Rat in Its Hole.

Yuma’s face instantly tumed deathly pale.

For the first time in his life, he was truly afraid.

He had long since lost count of how many lives he had taken, how many people he had crussed, and how many deaths he had ordered without a second thought. Violence had always been a means to an end, and he had never once believed the same fate could come for him.

But this…

This was different.

The Takahashi Family is one of the Five Great Families. In the underworld, everyone knows the same

unwritten rule–you never provoke any of them unless you’re prepared to face the consequences.

Then the rumors had begun.

The Takahashi heir had supposedly refused to inherit the throne, fled Japan, and disappeared without a trace. With the current Oyabun growing old and no successor stepping forward, many believed the

Takahashi Family was no longer the powerhouse it once had been.

That was exactly what had given the Shibata brothers the confidence to make their move.

If they could bring down one of the Five Great Families, they wouldn’t simply eliminate a rival–they would rise in status themselves, earning the recognition and influence that came with defeating a dominant

power.

But the young woman standing before him…

Every instinct screamed that something was terribly wrong.

Her shuriken throw had been impossibly fast and frighteningly precise–even he couldn’t have pulled off a

throw like that himself.

More importantly, hardened elite operatives–men twice her size–addressed her as “Bosu–san” and carried out her every command without question.

Then her earlier words echoed in his mind.

“You poisoned my people.”

His pupils contracted.

Her people…

Those weren’t the words of someone merely carrying out orders.

Could she be…

The missing Takahashi heir?

Harper stepped closer, her expression as bright as ever. She held the syringe up for a brief moment, giving it a light tap before expelling a tiny bead of the dark purple liquid from the tip.

She looked at Yuma and smiled.

“Ready?”

The color drained from Yuma’s face.

“M–Matte!” Yuma blurted out. “Tanomu! Hanashi ae! Gojū pāsento da! So da! Ore–tachi no shūeki no gojū päsento wa Takahashi–ke ni watasu! Shibata–gumi wa Takahashi–ke ni shitagau! Dakara… dakara tasukete kure!” (W–Wait! Please! We can talk this over! Fifty percent! Yes–fifty percent of everything we earn will go to the Takahashi Family! The Shibata Family will work under the Takahashi Family! So… please let us go!)

“Don’t worry, you won’t die… yet!”

She placed a finger on her chin, tilting her head as if genuinely trying to solve a fun little puzzle.

“Mmmm… I’d say… twenty hours tops. But… it all depends on how your body can keep up. If you’re weak… maybe ten to twelve.”

Suddenly, she clapped her hands together like an excited little girl, her eyes lighting up

“I can always give you a little dose of antidote here and there to keep you alive!”

Almost immediately, the brothers felt the toxin spreading through their veins, their strength draining with

every passing second.

Harper smiled sweetly as her gaze drifted over the two brothers.

“Catching a rat in its hole is surprisingly easy.”

With that, she clasped her hands behind her back and turned to the two operatives.

“Chop, chop! We have less than twenty–four hours,” she said with her usual sunny smile. “I have guests arriving soon, and I still want to play.”

“Hai, Bosu–san.” (Yes, Boss.)

The two operatives let go, and the brothers immediately went limp–looking like complete dead weight, hanging like wet paper against their restraints.

Satisfied, Harper turned on her heel and walked toward the waiting SUV, leaving the brothers in uneasy r silence.

The two prisoners could only watch in growing fear as the van doors slowly slid shut.