Chapter 4 Cycles of Violence

Kyla stood at the head of the table, her presence commanding the room. “Here’s the final plan. There are nine of us — a strong number. The mansion has four entrances and exits. The main gate faces east, while an underground passage is located at the far southern end, outside the fence.”

She pointed at the projected map. “Those two routes are the most critical for escape. The other entrances are less viable because we can easily block them. The main gate will be heavily guarded, the side entrances lightly so, but the underground passage has no visible guards. Still, someone must watch it in case things go south.”

Bruce nodded. “Autumn would be perfect for that, Boss. The southern area is wooded. Her climbing and stealth skills will give us the edge there.”

Kyla glanced at the girl. “You heard him, Autumn. That’s your position.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Kelvin, you’ll take the unfinished tower a few meters from the building. Sniper support.”

Kelvin smirked, clearly pleased. “Sure thing, Boss.” He preferred distance and a rifle over close combat any day.

“Mica and Jade will handle the western gate. Moonlight and Wizard will take the eastern side to distract the guards. Jayden, you’ll coordinate from the van — monitor with the drone and hack their CCTV if possible.”

Jayden grinned and sent a wink toward Mica. She rolled her eyes in response.

Kyla continued, “Bruce and I will breach the main entrance.”

Jade raised her hand. “Are we taking them captive?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Kyla replied coldly. “Their cooperation will determine how this plays out. They might not even know The Mask’s location, but we have to try. We strike fast, clean, and leave no clues.”

She scanned the room. “Any more questions?”

Silence.

“Good. We move tomorrow night. You have twenty-four hours to prepare. No mistakes.” She slammed her fist on the table for emphasis and walked out.

Bruce took over. “You heard the Boss. Kelvin, get all equipment ready and have the trainees load the vans. Jayden, prep the command van — you’re running ops from there.”

“Yes, sir!” the group chorused.

As the meeting dispersed, Jayden muttered, “Those two are really weird,” nodding toward Wizard and Moonlight who had left without a word.

Autumn shrugged, her eyes drifting to Jade, who was still staring at the map, lost in deep thought.

California

9:07 AM

The loud ringing of a phone shattered the peaceful silence in the luxurious bedroom. Evans Marshal groaned, rubbing his sleepy eyes before stretching like a lazy cat.

“Damn it… who the hell calls this early?” he grumbled, deciding to ignore the call until it stopped.

He tried to sink back into the pleasant dream — a beautiful girl smiling at him from across the street — but the phone rang again, more insistently.

“What the fuck!” Evans snatched the phone without checking the caller ID. “Hello?”

“Bro, where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling for ages!” Jothan’s loud voice blasted through the speaker.

Evans pulled the phone away from his ear. “It’s nine in the morning, man. Why are you screaming?”

“Nine o’clock? Dude, check the time. Don’t tell me you’re still in bed, Evans!”

Evans’s eyes flew to the wall clock. “Shit!” He jumped out of bed. “I’m late for my flight!”

“Yeah, no kidding. I’ve been waiting like an idiot while you were busy snoring.”

“Thanks for waking me up, Jothan. I’ll call you back later. Love you, bro.”

“Save that love for your future girlfriend, idiot,” Jothan laughed before hanging up.

Evans ruffled his hair and rushed into the bathroom, still thinking about the mysterious girl from his dream.

Evan’s POV

The streets of Los Angeles were as chaotic as ever. I squeezed through the crowd at the bus station, checking my watch every few seconds.

A woman suddenly screamed, “Hey! Catch that thief! He stole my pail!”

A skinny teenager bolted past with a plastic bag, chased by a group of idle men. They caught him quickly, and the woman began scolding him while trying to retrieve her property.

The boy begged, “Please… I only wanted it for my girlfriend.”

I shook my head. A pail? Really? But I had bigger problems. My flight was leaving in thirty minutes.

Brief Introduction:

My name is Evans Marshal. Twenty-three years old. Professional artist (though still finishing school). And unfortunately, the son of a powerful Mafia Lord — George Marshal.

I say “unfortunately” because my stepmother and her daughter have never accepted me. They see me as the bastard child of the woman who “tricked” my father. Still, this is the only home I have.

The bus finally pulled up. I hurried off at the terminal and ran toward my gate.

Ohio

Adamsville

Marshal Mansion

2:30 PM

“Welcome back, Young Master,” the bodyguards greeted as I stepped out of the car.

“Is Mum inside?” I asked.

One of them nodded. I took a deep breath before entering.

“Where the hell is my lemonade?” My stepmother’s shrill voice echoed from the living room.

I hadn’t even taken two steps before she spotted me.

“Well, well… look who we have here. The prodigal son returns,” Juliet smirked, eyeing me with clear disdain.

“Good afternoon… Mum,” I said quietly.

“Who the hell is your mum?” she snapped.

From the dining area, my grandmother’s voice called out, “Juliet, who are you talking to?”

“It’s Evans,” Juliet replied, sipping her lemonade.

I sighed. “Good afternoon, Ma’am.”

“What are you doing back here?” Juliet demanded.

“This is still my father’s house,” I answered.

“You are nothing but a fucking bastard,” she spat. “I don’t know why George still claims you after that slut of a mother—”

I didn’t wait for her to finish. I turned and headed upstairs to my room.

Night Time

Dinner was tense. Four hostile eyes kept staring at me while I focused on my food and phone.

Jothan’s text came in:

Hey bro, how was the journey?

Not stressful, I replied.

Step-mom looked like she wanted to kill me on sight.

He sent a laughing emoji. I chuckled softly.

“Table manners, Evans,” Grandmother Louis said, though her tone was gentler than Juliet’s.

I put my phone down. The silence was thick until —

Gunshots exploded outside.

Everyone froze.

A guard burst into the room, panting. “Ma’am! We’re under attack! We need to leave now!”

“What? How?” Juliet cried.

“No time! The boss has been informed. This way — the underground passage!”

We rushed after the guard. Just as we reached the hidden entrance, the main door burst open. Men in black masks stormed in.

Gunfire erupted. The four guards escorting us dropped instantly. Maids screamed and scattered.

A heavy punch connected with my face. My vision blurred. I watched helplessly as two masked men dragged Juliet and Grandmother Louis back toward the living room.

“Get your hands off me, you bastard!” Juliet screamed, struggling fiercely.

Grandmother Louis was crying. I tried to stand but another punch slammed into my stomach.

“Arghh!” I groaned, collapsing.

The women’s shouts gradually faded. The only sound left was the sharp click of a woman’s heels approaching — slow, confident, and terrifying.