Chapter 7 SHOCKWAVES OF BETRAYAL

Gad's POV

After the shocking events at the church, I was left reeling from Marcus's betrayal. I couldn't fathom why he would turn against me so suddenly. I needed answers, so I sent some of my men to find Marcus and bring him to me.

Hours passed, and my men returned empty-handed. They reported that Marcus was surrounded by Victor's men and couldn't be reached. The news only deepened my frustration and confusion.

Just as I was trying to process this, two more of my men arrived, badly wounded. They brought even worse news: three of my warehouses had been robbed while I was at the church. It was clear that Victor had orchestrated the wedding ceremony to distract me while his men attacked my operations.

"Victor drew me to his wedding to buy himself time to hit my warehouses," I said, anger and realization mixing in my voice.

One of the men asked what we should do next. I knew we needed to act carefully. "We need to give Victor time to think he's won. Then we'll hit back harder when he least expects it," I replied.

The betrayal and loss stung, but I knew that patience and strategic planning were crucial. The game had changed, and I needed to be ready for whatever Victor had planned next.

Marcus's POV

The evening after the church ceremony, I felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. Seeing Gad's shock and betrayal at Marcus's supposed support for Victor was a personal victory. I had managed to turn the tables, making Gad believe that Victor was behind the attack on his warehouses. In reality, it was me who had orchestrated the attack to get back at Gad for his schemes.

I knew Gad would never suspect me. He'd think Victor had done it to keep him busy during the wedding. Though I regretted selling my stepsister, Elena, to Victor, I had no choice. The debt was too high, and it was either pay up or risk my own life.

The pleasure of watching Gad's confusion was only heightened by my newfound power. At the wedding, I enjoyed the fact that I had publicly supported Victor, which would buy me time while Gad dealt with his losses. I felt a sense of superiority, controlling Victor's men as if I owned them.

When Gad's men came to drag me to him, they were met with Victor's guards, who protected me. It was almost exhilarating to see how I could manipulate both sides.

Now, as I reflected on the stolen goods-particularly the hard drugs I had repackaged-I realized they could be a powerful asset. I planned to resell them, which would only add to my wealth and influence.

Ultimately, my goal was to become the richest person in New Jersey. To achieve that, I needed to keep Victor and Gad fighting each other, unaware of my involvement. Their conflict would be my ladder to the top.

In the grand scheme, I was the mastermind, orchestrating chaos for my gain while positioning myself as the ultimate power player.

Two days after the attack on Gad's warehouses, the news spread like wildfire across New Jersey. Everyone who knew about the ongoing feud between Gad and Victor was quick to blame Victor for the destruction. I couldn't help but smile. It was perfect. With all the focus on Victor, nobody would ever think of me.

But then a nagging thought hit me: "What if someone exposes me?" I couldn't risk that. So, I decided to act fast. I sent a hefty amount of money to the guys who did the attack, paying them much more than we had originally agreed. I made sure to remind them to stay silent. I couldn't afford any slip-ups.

Once I finished repackaging the hard drugs I stole, I took half of the stash to Victor's place. I watched with satisfaction as he handed over a billion dollars for it. Business was booming.

As I was leaving, Victor looked at me and asked, "When did you start selling drugs?"

I replied, "I started a few months ago."

As I walked away, I felt a sense of triumph. I had successfully turned the tables and was playing both sides. With Victor and Gad so focused on each other, I was free to make my moves and solidify my position as the richest and most powerful person in New Jersey.

That same evening, my trusted man told me that Gad had just accused Victor of attacking his warehouses. Victor had denied it, saying he wouldn't attack Gad's business even though Gad had once hijacked his shipment. I hoped Gad wouldn't believe Victor's denial. I needed to stir up more trouble between them.

I realized I needed to create a new issue between Victor and Gad. To do that, I had to sort things out with Gad first. Once that was settled, I could sell the other half of the hard drugs to him.

The next afternoon, I took a big risk and went to Gad's mansion. I was beaten for what I did at the church, but I managed to survive.

"I betrayed you because Victor threatened to kill Elena if I did anything wrong at the ceremony," I lied to Gad. He seemed to believe me and then asked why I was there.

"To help you get my step-sister," I said.

As I walked away from Gad's mansion, bruised but determined, I felt a surge of adrenaline. The lies I spun had worked-Gad was convinced of my loyalty. With a twisted sense of satisfaction, I knew that my next step was crucial: selling the remaining drugs to Gad and cementing our shaky alliance.

That evening, I returned to my safe house, where my men were waiting. They reported that the conflict between Victor and Gad was escalating, with accusations flying and tensions mounting. This was precisely what I wanted. If Gad believed Victor was behind the warehouse attacks, he would be even more motivated to take Victor down.

But later this evening, a thought crossed my head. An ideal that may become a reality rapidly. The ideal scenario would be for Gad to meet Elena when she naked, and then Victor to intervene. I suppose either Gad or Victor would die as a result of that process.