CHAPTER 151: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM; BOUND BY BLOOD SEALED BY LOYALTY
The moment James walked into the room, the atmosphere shifted; dark, thick, oppressive.
As he sat down, he released a suffocating aura so strong it made it hard for anyone to breathe. Terror crept over the room like a storm cloud, and the men seated there began scanning for escape routes.
Even Angelo wasn't spared.
James uttered just two words, low and lethal:
"Get out."
Angelo didn't hesitate. He quickly gestured for everyone to leave, and they scrambled out like mice escaping a trap. It was only when they were outside that they remembered how to breathe.
Left alone in the conference room, James balled his hand into a fist and slammed it into the mahogany desk in front of him. The desk split in two with a deafening crack.
The men outside froze at the sound, flinching in unison.
None dared turn back.
Except Antonio.
He turned to Angelo. "Take all the men away," he ordered, before striding into the room without a second thought.
Inside, he paused, taking in the destruction.
James stood there, breathing heavily beside the wrecked desk.
He had taken out his fury on the table and it had paid the price. Poor table, Antonio thought inwardly.
"Antonio," James called suddenly.
"Yes, Boss," Antonio responded, bowing slightly.
"I need you to make a trip to the U.S. and gather all our allies. Make sure they're still loyal. I feel a war coming."
He paused before continuing, his voice cold and precise. "Go to other countries as well. Secure all our connections. Strengthen every tie we have. You have one week to complete this task."
One week? Antonio thought, stunned. That was nearly impossible.
But before the thought could settle in, James added, "Take Chris and Jacob with you."
Antonio's breath caught. Chris and Jacob were the only two remaining super-soldiers, aside from Beatrice.
"Boss... what about you?"
"I can handle myself, Antonio. Just don't forget. Find more like us. We need to be in numbers now."
Without another word, Antonio turned and left, mission already sinking into his bones.
James walked down to his office.
Upon arriving, his secretary was already waiting with a brand-new phone.
James raised an eyebrow and looked at the device in his hand.
"Do you always have a phone on standby?"
Angelo blinked, caught off guard. Wasn't this the same man who had just split a conference table in half a few minutes ago?
But Angelo didn't hesitate.
"Yes, Boss. Antonio said to always have a backup, just in case."
James smirked and took the phone.
He unlocked it and saw that all the necessary installations were already in place, even his past data, messages, and activity from the destroyed phone had been fully restored.
Looks like they were really prepared for anything, he mused.
James quickly made a call to Jerry. Angelo stood silently as he listened in, the weight of the situation heavy in the air.
In a clipped, low tone, James summarized everything.
"I don't know who has the pictures, whether it's the same person from the hospital or someone entirely new. The more I think about it, the more exposed she's becoming to my enemies. It's driving me mad. Feels like the only option is to lock her away forever… but that's not possible."
He exhaled sharply and added, "I'm trusting you to get to the bottom of this."
"Don't worry, Boss. Leave it to me, I'll handle it."
The call ended.
Without hesitation, James called his brother Jared, the one currently overseeing the company's U.K. branch in his absence. After summarizing what had happened, he gave one strict order:
"Increase surveillance on Timothy Hutchkins. I need to know what that bastard's up to, and I need it fast. If this has anything to do with Diana, we can't afford to waste a second."
Jared, trained by James himself, didn't question it. He dropped everything and got to work immediately.
Once done, James placed one last call to Beatrice.
"This is the last time something like this will happen," he said, his voice like ice. "If it does again, I will kill you myself."
Beatrice's heart slammed in her chest. She swallowed hard, her body trembling from the deadly chill in his tone. "Yes, Boss," she whispered, before rushing back to Diana's side. She knew now there would be no forgiveness a second time.
James ended the call and turned to his secretary.
"You're in this now too, Angelo. Whether you like it or not."
There was no hesitation.
Angelo dropped to his knees instantly.
"I will serve you until my dying breath, Boss."
Truth be told, Angelo had always suspected there was more to his boss than met the eye. Sure, he had seen James break tables and dent cars with his bare hands. But these past few days? They had ripped away every doubt. This man was not normal and he was definitely not someone to ever stand against.
Besides, despite his terrifying strength and ruthlessness, James had always been fair. Loyal to the ones who served him. Angelo had no intention of losing that rare kind of protection.
James studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod. He was satisfied. It would've been a shame to kill the one man who'd served him loyally all these years.
"Well, you can get up now."
Angelo rose swiftly.
Then, James did what he rarely did, he opened up. He explained everything. The truth about who he really was. What they were truly up against. Every dark, secret detail that the world didn't know.
Angelo listened in stunned silence, his mind reeling, but his loyalty unwavering. By the end of the narration, one thing was clear—he would never, ever cross this man.
He'd already sworn loyalty, and now that oath was sealed with knowledge and fear.
"First things first," James continued, shifting back into command. "Schedule another meeting with the shareholders. And try to clear up my schedule before Friday, we leave then. Anyone I can't meet before then, push them to next week."
"Understood, Boss."
Angelo bowed and left immediately to carry out the order, heart pounding, loyalty deeper than ever.