"Let's just enjoy," Josh said with a grin. "It's been a long time since we had fun. Back in high school, you didn't even have any friends—except me. You were always in your head."
"Yeah, probably," Jace replied, eyes focused on the road. "But should I have had fun? No. Was I meant to enjoy high school? No."
"Man, oh man. You've started again," Josh said, half-laughing. "Last time we went for drinks, it was your treat. This time, it's on me. Don't worry—we'll drink as much as we want."
"I'll take you up on that," Jace said with a small smile.
They drove in silence for a few seconds before Josh spoke again. "What about your nephew? Yeah—your nephew. You remember Connor?"
Jace frowned slightly. "Which Connor? I've got a lot of nephews."
"The one who went to the same high school with us," Josh clarified. "The big troublemaker. Got into a lot of fights. Remember the time he stabbed someone in class?"
"Yeah, I remember. Connor's crazy—completely nuts," Jace replied. "After that stabbing incident, my dad had to send him abroad to avoid prison time."
"But he didn't kill the guy," Josh said. "Why would he go to prison for that?"
Jace shook his head. "You forget how Connor behaves. It's not just about the stabbing. If he acted like that in front of the judge, it could have made things worse. Plus, his dad is already in jail. My father had no choice but to take care of him. Last I heard, he's in college now."
"I hope he's changed," Josh said thoughtfully. "Hope he's not as reckless as before. But he's probably enjoying college life, unlike us."
"You and I didn't even go to university," Jace said.
"I'm still planning to," Josh replied, glancing at him. "One day."
"University?" Jace scoffed. "Not for me. My life's already set. I've got plans. If I ever get tired of running my father's business, then maybe I'll think again."
Josh raised a brow. "Wait—what? Since when do you care about your dad's business? You never had any interest before."
Jace gave a short, unreadable laugh. "Things change. I've got my reasons."
"You probably shouldn't have," Josh muttered. "But just tell me the reason. It's not a big deal. I'm your best friend, right? And you're mine too. You can tell me anything."
Jace gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "It's about… that bitch. The mafia boss. Serena."
Josh's eyes narrowed. "Careful, man."
"No, listen. I think she's going to ruin my family," Jace said, voice low but bitter. "My dad isn't just a multi-millionaire—he's a multi-billionaire. I didn't want to get involved in his business. I wanted to stay focused on finding out who killed my mom. But now… I think I have to do both."
He glanced at Josh, his expression serious.
"Because ever since my father married her, she's been acting like she owns everything. She said she's going to kick me out of the house. I don't even know what she really meant, but I can tell—she's got something worse planned."
Josh let out a long breath. "So what are you thinking? Taking over the business?"
"Exactly," Jace said. "My dad always wanted me to. Not everything—just the parts he was ready to pass down. So no matter what Serena's planning, she's not taking everything from me."
Josh shook his head. "Don't call her a bitch, bro. I'm serious. You already signed your life over to her. You work under her now. She can have you killed with one word. She owns you."
"That's not true. Nothing in the contract says I'm her property."
"You think it has to be written down?" Josh snapped. "This is the mafia. You're property by default. And we're in her car. For all we know, they're listening to us right now."
Jace stared ahead in silence for a second.
"Fine," he said. "But I'm still gonna say it—she's a damn bitch. And she's annoying as hell. I'm 22, she's 21. We're basically the same age. Why does she get to boss me around?"
Josh sighed. "Because she's the mafia boss. You didn't hear what they said? She commands over 30,000 active members. They don't just obey her, Jace. They worship her. Some of those people would literally kill themselves if she told them to."
Jace's voice dropped. "Then I'm screwed."
"Exactly," Josh said. "If she wanted you dead, you'd already be in the ground."
Jace clenched his jaw. "I'm scared, Josh. Really scared. But if Serena told me to do something, I'd probably do it. Because whatever's worse than dying… I don't want to face it."
That silence again.
Then—screech.
Jace suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road.
Josh sat up. "What the hell are you doing?"
"What the fuck did I just get myself into?" Jace muttered.
"There's no escape, man," Josh said calmly. "Just drive. Keep going."
"But—"
"Just drive. Look, they're always watching. Every move you make, they'll know. Even if you're the lowest-ranked guy, they'll kill you if they think you're trying to run."
Jace started the car again. "I'm not gonna run. Not yet. I need to focus on my mother's case."
Josh nodded slowly. "Good. But remember what I told you—if you want access, if you want answers, you need a higher rank. You're not gonna get anything as a nobody."
Jace kept his eyes on the road. "Then I'll rise. I'll do whatever it takes."