PART 13

A cold and dangerous look was etched on Jason's face as he held the Glock 20 pistol against the back of Paul's head, the silencer muffling any sound the weapon would make.

"I really wish I hadn't seen this," he said in a low, menacing voice.

Paul froze, his movements ceasing immediately as the weapon pressed against his skull.

"Boss, calm down..." he managed to say, his hands slowly raising up in surrender.

Jason snatched the phone from Paul's hand and quickly scanned the text message, his anger simmering.

"The Russian mafia is a bunch of money-grabbing thugs. I killed Vladimir's younger brother, and now they're after me. What if you called them here?" he sneered.

Paul's body shook with fear, "Boss, I'm sorry, I..."

Jason cut him off with a sharp jab of the pistol.

"I don't want to hear your excuses. Tell me, how did you find out about me and Vanessa?

"Because...because of the perfume scent on your body," Paul explained nervously.

"The perfume scent?" Jason asked in surprise.

"Yes. When Kingpin and Vanessa were dating, I used to be their bodyguard. At that time, I smelled the perfume on Vanessa and thought it was very good. I thought of buying a bottle for Lisa in the future and just remembered that scent."

"Then...you smelled that scent on me," Jason realized.

"Shit! I told her to stop spraying such strong perfume, this stubborn woman just won't listen," Jason cursed angrily.

He never thought that he would be caught because of a bottle of perfume.

"Go on," Jason urged.

"Boss, there's a rumor in the underground world that you might get together with Vanessa," Paul continued.

"Then you sent someone to follow me? A boss who took care of you for six years?" Jason asked incredulously

"I'll always be grateful for the kindness you've shown me, Boss, but I have no other choice. I want money, I want power, and I want to be the boss myself. If you stay alive, I'll always be under your shadow." Paul said with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"I understand ." Jason spoke calmly, "You wanted money, power, and to be the boss. But you have to understand that betraying me will lead to severe consequences."

"I know, boss. I am willing to face any consequences."

Jason gave a cold smile, "You better be."

"Continue with your story."

Paul continued, "I hire a team of professional paparazzi to track you. Ten cars and twenty people. They hold high-definition cameras and track and shoot at a distance of 100 meters from you."

Jason nodded in understanding. He realized that his skills in anti-investigation were useless against professional paparazzi.

"You're willing to spend a lot of money on this," Jason commented sarcastically.

Paul continued, "At first, the photos were only ambiguous, so Kingpin was a little skeptical, but yesterday you and Vanessa stayed in the apartment for an afternoon, and you didn't even draw the curtains. As a result, the paparazzi took the decisive picture. And then... boss, you already know."

[Ding! Completion of the task [Don't be a fool], reward 500 villain points, current progress: 1015/3000 ]

After Paul finished his narration, Jason was left speechless and the two men sat in silence for a long time. The only sounds in the apartment were the heavy breathing of the two men.

Suddenly, the door of the master bedroom creaked open, causing Jason to quickly put away his gun. A young, bloated black woman emerged from the room.

Jason called out to her, "Hey!"

The woman, Lisa, appeared surprised but then smiled, "Jason! It's so good to see you. Paul told me something happened to you and I was worried."

Jason returned her smile and said, "I'm okay, really."

Lisa gave him a once-over and wrinkled her nose in disgust, "You may be okay, but you're too dirty. Go take a shower in the bathroom and I'll get you some clean clothes."

Upon seeing Lisa approaching, Paul's heart raced with fear. He was worried that Jason would harm her and urgently urged, "Lisa, hurry up and put the child to sleep!"

Lisa didn't sense the tension in the air nor the concern in Paul's voice. She continued to approach the closet, looking for clothes. "It's okay, the children are already asleep," she replied.

"Jason, what size do you wear? Paul bought an Armani suit two days ago, but he looks more funny than a monkey. If it fits you, you can wear it," she offered.

"Lisa! Go inside!" Paul yelled furiously, his voice rising.

Lisa was startled by Paul's sudden outburst. A few seconds later, a baby's cry could be heard coming from the room.

"Damn it! When can you learn to lower your voice!" Lisa snapped, clearly upset. She stormed back into the master bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

As soon as the door closed, Paul let out a sigh of relief, and Jason's smile disappeared from his face.

What do you think I should do to punish you, Paul?" Jason asked, his tone cold and dangerous.

Paul's expression changed and he fell to his knees, pleading, "Boss, please spare my family."

"I promise not to harm your family," Jason replied, taking out a pistol and pointing it at Paul's head.

Paul begged, "Please don't hurt me either!"

Jason was surprised, "Are you joking, Paul?"

Paul hit his head on the ground, "Boss, my two children are just one month old. I want to be by their side and watch them grow up. I'm willing to do anything for you, please, I beg you to kill me!"

"Why didn't you think about that before you hired paparazzi to follow me? Why didn't you consider your family's safety before sending those photos to Kingpin?" Jason questioned sternly.

Paul remained silent, continuing to kowtow in apology

[Ding! You have received a new quest called "Karma" with a reward of 500 wicked points.]

[Quest Description: Your once-trusted friend, Paul, has betrayed you, and he must face the consequences.]

[Ding! You have also received a new task called "Start First is Stronger" with a reward of 500 villain points.]

[Task Description: You are in a deadly feud with the Russian Mafia. Take advantage of their momentary absence and eliminate all of them before they can find you.]

Looking at the two tasks released by the system, Jason suddenly thought of a good idea.As he held the gun to Paul's head, he contemplated his next move. He knew that everyone makes mistakes, but betrayal was not something he could tolerate.

"Paul, you made a grave mistake by betraying me, and there's only one way to atone for it," Jason said, his voice cold and emotionless.

Paul sobbed uncontrollably, his face covered with tears as he pleaded, "Boss, please spare me. I don't want to die."

Jason continued, "If you want to live, you must do something for me. Help me with a task, and I will let Lisa and your children live a comfortable life without any financial worries."

Jason leaned closer to him, "I need your help to take down the Russian Mafia, my deadly enemy. If you help me with this task, I will their life.

Paul shook his head vigorously, tears streaming down his face. "I don't want to die."

Jason aimed the gun at Paul's head, his expression cold and unfeeling. "Think about it, Paul. What will happen to Lisa and your two children's lives after you die?" he asked, his voice laced with contempt.

"You won't be able to pay the mortgage, and the bank will take your house. Lisa and your children will be left homeless, with nowhere to go," Jason continued, his tone grim.

"You'll be out on the streets, struggling to survive in the bitter cold. Meanwhile, Lisa may be forced to work in a seedy custom shop, selling her body to a bunch of ugly old men just to make ends meet and provide for your children," he added, his words cutting like a knife.

"And what about your children's future? Without money, they won't be able to go to a good university or find a decent job. They'll be stuck in the same low-level existence that you've been living," Jason finished, his voice filled with disgust.

Paul's face crumpled with despair as he listened to Jason's words. He knew deep down that everything he had worked for was about to crumble before his eyes. He didn't want to die, but he couldn't bear to think of his family suffering without him.

"Enough!" Paul cried out. "I'll do it! Just please, don't hurt my family."

Jason's face relaxed into a small smile, relieved that Paul had finally agreed to his plan. He patted Paul's head gently and lowered the gun, satisfied with the outcome.