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Title: The Art of Deception
Part 3: The Power Play
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Chapter 1: Checkmate? Not Yet.
Guns pointed at them. The air was thick with tension.
Ramim analyzed the situation in seconds. Too many armed men. No cover. No backup. No escape.
Except… that's what Luca thought.
"Drop your weapons," Luca ordered.
Anik, always calm, stepped forward. "You don't want to do this."
Luca raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why not?"
Anik smiled. "Because you have bigger problems."
Right on cue, alarms blared across the airstrip.
Riddhayan smirked. "You really should've checked your security systems. We borrowed them."
Luca's men looked confused as the screens inside their SUVs lit up with warning messages:
"Interpol raid incoming. ETA: 90 seconds."
Panic spread. The guards exchanged nervous glances. Luca's smirk faded.
"Impossible," he muttered.
Ramim stepped forward, hands still raised. "Is it? We hacked your system, redirected an emergency call to Interpol, and made it look like one of your men snitched. You have two options: run, or get arrested."
Luca glared at him. "You little—"
Then, gunfire erupted—not from them, but from inside the Syndicate ranks.
Some of Luca's men turned on each other.
Ramim grinned. "Oh, and by the way? We made sure your men started doubting each other. Enjoy the trust issues."
Chaos exploded.
Luca, realizing he'd lost control, cursed and turned to escape. But before he could, Ramim grabbed Koustav and jumped into the SUV.
"Drive!" he yelled at Riddhayan, who was already in the driver's seat.
Anik and Saptoparno barely made it inside before bullets rained down.
They sped off as Luca screamed behind them.
For now, they had won.
But it wasn't over.
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Chapter 2: Not All Victories Are Wins
They finally had Koustav.
Bruised but alive, he sat in the backseat, shaking. "You guys are crazy. You actually did it."
Ramim exhaled. "Yeah. But we just made the worst enemy possible."
Because Luca Moretti wasn't just the Syndicate's financial mastermind.
He was the real power behind the entire organization.
The Don himself had been a ghost—someone no one had seen for years. But now?
Ramim was sure.
Luca Moretti was the real leader of the Varela Syndicate.
And they had just declared war on him.
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Chapter 3: The Offer They Couldn't Refuse
The next morning, they received a message.
Encrypted. No location. No sender.
But the words chilled them.
"You have something I want. Let's talk."
Against all logic, they agreed.
The meeting place? A high-end restaurant, closed for "renovations."
Ramim, Anik, Riddhayan, and Saptoparno walked in, ready for anything.
Luca Moretti was waiting, sipping wine. No guards. Just him.
"You impressed me," he admitted. "Not even SIS could touch us, yet you four caused more chaos in a week than they did in a decade."
Ramim didn't respond. He knew Luca wasn't here for compliments.
"You stole my money. Humiliated my men. Made my empire bleed. I should kill you." Luca leaned forward. "But instead, I have an offer."
Silence.
Anik frowned. "An offer?"
Luca smiled. "Join me."
The room went still.
"You have skills. Brains. Guts. Work for me, and I'll make you untouchable. Wealth, power, protection—everything."
Ramim studied him carefully. "And if we say no?"
Luca chuckled. "Then I'll burn your world down. And trust me, I never lose twice."
The choice was clear:
Serve the enemy… or die fighting him.
(TO BE CONTINUED…)
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