**Five Years Ago**
Inside an office, Damian Tucker, a 28-year-old dark-skinned man with blue eyes and jet-black hair styled in an afro, sat at his desk. He had an eagle tattoo on his right arm and a cross symbol on his left. On his right chest, two women's names were visible. Damian was a mafia boss, respected and feared in his territory. He ruled the secret mafia world and the underground cartel in North Wind Town.
Dressed in a black suit, Damian was going through his laptop, checking his other coded businesses. His office was painted in an off-white hue, and a knock on the door interrupted him.
"Boss, Mr. Max Dawson is here to see you," his assistant, Jeff Brody, informed him. Damian sighed.
His father had just handed over the head position to him. He looked at Jeff and replied, "Let him in."
Mr. Max Dawson, a man involved in illegal business dealings, entered Damian's office. Damian made no attempt to stand up or shake hands with him.
"What do you want?" Damian asked, still seated and continuing to click on his laptop.
Mr. Max swallowed the hard lump in his throat, knowing that doing business with Damian was more difficult than it had been with Damian's father, Mr. Mark Tucker. The name alone instilled fear in other groups.
"It's business, Damian. A deal worth 10 million dollars," Mr. Max said, pleased when he saw Damian look away from his laptop and shift his gaze to him.
"Sit," Damian gestured to the middle-aged man. "Go on," he ordered, and Mr. Max began detailing the business.
Damian listened with keen interest. "So, what do you need my assistance for?" he asked.
"As the mafia lord, I don't want other groups to interfere in this business. I need your assistance to loan me the money to proceed," Mr. Max explained.
Damian was interested in the business but had ulterior motives. Deals like this, he would personally hijack instead of handing them over to his group.
"I will lend you the money, but you must promise to pay back with interest. I don't care if the business works out or not. All I care about is my money," Damian told Mr. Max, who nodded.
"You have nothing to worry about, Damian. I will pay you back, but I will need your assistance with it," Mr. Max said, sitting across from Damian.
"Don't worry, I will have Jeff assist you. First, sign the deal," Damian offered the document for Mr. Max to sign and loan him the money. Damian's mind worked in mysterious ways as he focused on the man who reached for a pen and signed the deal.
"Done," Mr. Max said with a broad smile, rising to leave Damian's office.
"I will be looking forward to the repayment date," Damian said, before Mr. Max left the vast office.
Damian kept thinking about the deal worth millions of dollars.
"I cannot allow Mr. Max to have that kind of money. It will draw the higher authorities' attention to us, so I have to take care of it," Damian thought. A smirk played on his lips as he called Jeff back into his office.
"Take care of Mr. Max's business and ensure the money gets transferred to my offshore accounts," Damian instructed.
"Okay, Boss," Jeff replied, his eyes widening in surprise. He dared not question Damian's orders. He looked up to him as an older brother, being only two years younger. Jeff went to do as told.
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Four months later, Mr. Max was heartbroken to see that the business didn't go as planned. After loaning money from the ruthless mafia lord, he had only a year to pay back 10 million dollars.
"Honey, what's the problem?" Mrs. Jennifer Dawson, a middle-aged woman of 45, entered the room and looked at her husband, who paced worriedly.
"I am finished!" he said, placing his hands on his head.
"You cannot be finished, honey. Talk to me," Mrs. Jennifer tried to plead with her husband, but he said, "I shouldn't have trusted that son of a devil. Doing business with his father hadn't been bad. Our dealings hadn't been hijacked by the government, and now I have lost everything I worked hard for."
Mr. Max was on the brink of tears. He shouldn't have trusted Damian to handle the business for him. The man was still young and new as a mafia group leader.
"Calm down, honey. Talk to me," Mrs. Jennifer tried to calm her husband, but he smacked her hand away and shouted, "Don't touch me! Where do I get 10 million dollars to pay the T-Group?"
"The T-Group? Who are they? Calm down, honey. We can raise the money. Where did you borrow such a huge amount from? Why would you borrow so much money? For gambling?" Mrs. Jennifer asked, shocked to hear the huge amount her husband owed.
"Get out of my room. I don't have time to explain anything to you. Just leave me alone. If I don't raise that money in a year, they will come for us. All of us. You need to leave with the kids. They shouldn't return here. I am finished," Mr. Max said.
Mrs. Jennifer stubbornly shook her head and told her husband, "I cannot leave you to die alone, honey. You cannot turn me into a widow at this young age. You shouldn't have borrowed the money in the first place. Calm down, we can see how to raise the money."
Mr. Max went to his office, leaving his wife alone in their bedroom. She paced around, wondering what was wrong with her husband.
It was nighttime when Mrs. Jennifer came out of her room and saw her youngest daughter, Alicia, in the living room downstairs.
"What's going on, Mom? I heard you and Dad arguing," Alicia asked. The 19-year-old girl was a nursing student who hadn't graduated yet. Her skin was fair, and she has long blonde locks, resembling her mother.
"It's your father. He borrowed 10 million dollars and now, he has lost everything," Mrs. Jennifer cried, and Alicia collasped on the couch.
"What?! Ten million dollars. Where do we start paying off such a huge amount of money? Oh no! We are doomed, Mom. If Dad cannot pay that off," Alicia joined her mother in crying in the living room. They were rich, so why would her father have borrowed such a huge amount of money?
It meant they would have to sell off most of their properties, but would that be enough to pay off such a huge debt? Alicia cried.
