Chapter 3 II

Two months after the disappearance of the Big Boss, the XRV cartel was a mess. Word got out that the biggest cartel was left without a leader. Our rivals and enemies started storming in on the XRV cartel. It was at that moment I knew he needed me the most. I knew the proud and arrogant Fernando would never call me, so I helped my brother from behind the scenes. I killed for him and even though we had a blood feud going on, he was still my brother. The fight among cartels finally ended making Fernando the leader of the XRV cartel.

I couldn't go back to the place that made me, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't go back to my home. So instead, I built my cartel. The Big Boss already taught us what we needed. I knew I was more than ready. Some of my trusted men at the XRV cartel joined and I recruited the rest myself. I named it R.D. cartel, my initials. Although the XRV cartel was much bigger than mine. It had more people, more merchandise, more weapons, connections, and whatnot.

The R.D. cartel was nothing compared to the XRV cartel because Fernando brought it upon himself to make sure I didn't succeed in the drug business. He blocked business associates and blocked our possible entries and movement of merchandise. He wanted to ruin me. Fernando knew of the RD cartel but didn't know where we were. We operated in the shadows. And now, we had turned 30 and Fernando was still after me. He chased me for eight good years and he was still chasing me. He declared me wanted in the underworld. He wanted my head and I knew it. ....... "Riel she's stable now" Aldo, Mia's doctor told me, of my reverie. I rubbed my face with my palms before going into the ward. "Hey baby girl" I called out to my sleepy sister immediately I entered. She lazily opened her eyes to see who was calling out to her. see my guess, I collapsed again" she said smiling through her words. "Aldo said you're fine now. We'll be home soon" I said. "Riel I'm sorry. I distracted you from your work again" she said guiltily. "Hey.. hey .. it's not your fault okay? I was coming home anyway " I consoled her. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel guilty for no reason. for to feel no idea what my 'work' is. I told her I was an agent. I sell the properties of big businessmen to other rich folks. That was the 'work' she thought I was doing. .......

The drive back home was not very long. I opened the door of our mansion and carried her in. "Oh, Riel you're here?" Our neighbor, Larissa who used to take care of Mia since our parents died said to me. I employed her to be Mia's nanny since we moved from the slums. She didn't have any family of her own. She neither married nor had any children. She looked surprised seeing me though. Same with the maids. Well, why wouldn't they? I was never around. "Prepare something for Mia to eat. I'll be back" I said almost leaving again. "Riel, won't you stay to have lunch with us?" Mia's ever-so-gentle voice rang out in my ears. I looked at her big doodly eyes before sitting down at the dining room. Larissa arranged a lot of meal before us as if it was a feast. She was probably happy I was at home and eating with them for the first time in a very long time. "You should eat more," I said to Mia, putting a lot of meat on her plate. "Riel, I can't finish it," she said laughing. "What's funny? Why are you laughing?" I asked confused. "You look funny anytime you're worried about me," she said. "Oh really?!! Whatever just eat" I said adding rice to her plate. Just then my phone rang. They needed my attention at the cartel. I looked up from my phone to Mia only to see she was looking at me. "It's work again. You can go, I understand" she said disappointed again. "I'm sorry. I'll be back soon. I promise" I said before giving her a peck on the forehead and left.

ThethirdPOV.

Mia sighed immediately Rielle ft. She understood why he was working so hard but she was still disappointed. She loved her brother very much. She loved his company; he was her only family member making her very fond of him.

..... Riel'sPOV.

"What happened?" I asked one of my men. We were at the warehouse where our merchandise was. "We were blocked, boss. It seems word got out that we were going to take that route and thus the attack on us" he explained. We had a rat among us and I knew it. If there was one thing I hated the most, it was a betrayal. I hated traitors. "We'll take another route. Gather our men, and arrange the merchandise. I'll be with you shortly. "I said to him before taking out my cell phone from my pocket. "Are you going with us?" Ryu, my right-hand man asked. "Of course " I answered. "Riel, Fernando's men will be there. Who knows, Fernando might be there as well" he said worriedly. "Ryu, it's high time we started fighting back. I didn't want to fight back, back then because we had limited men but now even though his men are still by far more than we are, we need to fight back. If we keep hiding in the shadows, we'll never be the biggest cartel we've always dreamed about. And aside from that, Fernando will always have the upper hand if we show him we are afraid" I said as a matter of fact. Although I saw Fernando as a rival I held a grudge against him. It was in man's nature to be competitive. I wanted my cartel to be the biggest in the underworld. It was nothing personal, it was simply business. And I held a grudge against him simply because he wanted to kill me. I wasn't a saint. I am going to fight back. .......