Loren, Stiven, and other leaders of the organization had gathered.
They were all standing in front of a hotel in downtown Trenton.
A luxury hotel.
In fact, it could be said that it was the best hotel in the entire city.
Black cars parked one after another at the entrance.
The doors opened.
Loren, Stiven, and the others stepped out of the vehicles.
They looked at each other.
The tension was obvious.
"Damn it…" one of them muttered. "Who the hell did this to us? Are they crazy?"
Another man looked at Loren.
"Loren… I'm sorry about your brother."
Loren raised his gaze.
The man speaking was tall, dark-skinned, with a goatee and dressed in an elegant suit.
His name was Mike.
Loren simply nodded.
The others also gave their condolences.
But no one insisted too much.
Right now, something more important mattered.
The boss.
They all entered the hotel.
The place was filled with warm lights, shining marble, and perfectly dressed employees.
However, no one paid attention to the luxury.
They went directly to the hotel's VIP area.
That was where the boss was waiting for them.
When they entered, they saw a large table in the center of the room.
At the head of the table sat a man.
Watching them.
Waiting.
One by one, they all took their seats.
The silence was heavy.
Finally, the man spoke.
"Well…"
His voice was calm.
But dominant.
"What happened?"
That man was the boss of the organization.
His name was Ricardo.
He had Italian ancestry, and his presence resembled that of an Italian mafia boss.
One of the men answered cautiously.
"Boss… we don't know exactly what happened."
"We only know what the news is saying."
He sighed.
"At the warehouse we lost a shipment of cocaine."
"And at the club… fireworks exploded."
Ricardo listened without saying anything.
His eyes slowly moved across each of the men present.
Finally…
His gaze stopped on Loren.
Loren shuddered.
Ricardo placed his hands on the table.
"Loren."
"Tell me something."
His voice was soft.
But dangerous.
"I heard you placed a bounty on a clown…"
"One who had castrated and killed your brother."
"Is that correct?"
Loren swallowed.
Then he nodded.
"Yes, boss… that's what happened."
Ricardo watched him for a few seconds.
"Tell me something else, Loren."
"That clown doesn't have anything to do with the warehouse incident… right?"
Loren's heart began to pound.
He didn't know how to answer.
The silence became uncomfortable.
Then Stiven spoke.
"We don't know, boss."
Everyone looked at him.
"According to one of our spies inside the police…"
"They say there are several people dressed as clowns."
Mike also spoke.
"I think it was another organization."
"Maybe they were looking for an excuse and found Loren's brother."
"They castrated him first, something that enraged Loren, and with the excuse of the bounty they killed Loren's brother."
"And now they're looking to start a fight with us."
Ricardo listened carefully.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table.
He thought for a few seconds.
New Jersey was close to New York.
That could mean many things.
Finally, he nodded.
"Fine."
He raised his gaze toward everyone.
"If those people dressed as clowns want to fight us…"
"Then we'll give them a fight."
Loren listened to Stiven and Mike.
He felt grateful.
They had practically saved him.
Because he didn't know how to answer Ricardo.
---
I was there too.
I had infiltrated the hotel.
And the VIP area as well.
I used illusion and concealment magic.
No one could see me.
I was listening to the entire conversation.
"Interesting…"
I murmured quietly.
So they all thought I was part of an organization.
I nodded slightly.
Then I shrugged.
"It doesn't matter what they think."
"Sooner or later… they will all die."
I teleported back to my room.
I fell onto the bed.
I was about to close my eyes when the phone began to ring.
I got up with a sigh.
I answered.
"Hello."
A cheerful voice replied.
"Hello, Ryan! My boy, my champion. How are you?"
I sighed.
"What do you want?"
The voice continued.
"I'm calling to tell you something."
"I wasn't watching what you did at the warehouse."
"Nor at the club."
"I was busy doing other things."
He paused for a moment.
"Do you understand, Ryan?"
I didn't answer.
Then the voice continued.
"But this time I will watch how you deal with the organization."
"So remember to do it in a fabulous way."
"And flawlessly."
"Goodbye, champion."
The call ended.
I sighed.
But something caught my attention.
This clown…
Wasn't watching me this time.
I shook my head.
There were only questions left.
And no answers.
I lay down on the bed again.
And closed my eyes.