Chapter 1161:

Rylie reached out and rested her hand lightly against his shoulder, offering reassurance through touch alone. “If you can be patient,” she said gently, “if you allow her the space to grow and take things one step at a time — then this story doesn’t have to end badly.”

Sunlight spilled through the window, scattering soft, shifting shadows across his pale features.

With his eyes closed, Deandre finally began to accept this so-called loss — not with despair, but with clarity — and to consider, seriously and deliberately, how he might one day reclaim what truly mattered to him.

The weakness that had plagued him quietly dissolved. In its place stood the leader of the Costa Syndicate once more — calmer, colder, more controlled — his emotions locked away beneath layers of restraint, rendering him increasingly unreadable.

To the outside world, only fragments of information leaked: Deandre Costa had fallen gravely ill and was still recuperating. Whispers spread among the gangs that the loss of a massive illegal weapons shipment — valued at over ten billion — had caused internal unrest, weakening him both physically and mentally.

Amid this prolonged lull, Karina delivered the long-awaited news to the Mista Dunkadelic — the security code to the sealed weapons case was finally in her possession.

The atmosphere within the Mista Dunkadelic erupted with barely contained excitement. Henson pulled Karina close, one arm slung around her waist, and impatiently demanded the code.

Karina shoved him aside without hesitation and directed her attention to the elderly man seated at the head of the room. Her voice was cool and unwavering. “I expect full payment for my work.”

“You’ve done the family a great service,” the leader said smoothly, casting a meaningful look toward Henson, who immediately turned his gaze toward a woman lingering at the edge of the crowd. With visible reluctance, the woman approached and presented a key along with the family’s procurement and financial documentation.

𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮nс𝖾 a𝗇𝖽 p𝗮𝘀𝗌i𝘰n o𝗻 𝘨а𝘭ո𝗼𝗏𝖾𝗹ѕ.сo𝘮

Karina inspected the items carefully before nodding in satisfaction. Only then did she retrieve a card from her pocket and hand it to Henson. “That’s the code.”

A sharp mechanical click rang out as the case unlocked, the sound echoing through the ornate drawing room like a signal flare.

A steady green indicator lit up, glowing quietly — as though a gateway to influence, profit, and dominance had just been unsealed.

Greed flared unmistakably in Henson’s eyes. He lunged forward first, seizing a matte black handgun from the upper compartment. He tested its weight with obvious satisfaction before turning back to the assembled room, his grin stretched wide with triumph. “Perfect balance. And this craftsmanship — no question about it. VS workmanship, top of the line.”

“We’ve struck gold,” a gang member breathed, and the room erupted instantly.

The crowd surged forward, eager hands reaching in from all directions to claim the remaining weapons.

Henson casually passed the firearm to a trusted subordinate before bending down again to access the next compartment.

A subtle, almost mocking curve appeared at Karina’s lips. While everyone’s attention remained fixed on the nearly emptied case, she slipped away quietly, disappearing into the mass of bodies without drawing a single glance.

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