Chapter 5 Elephant Gang Debt Collection

Darroch spoke slowly: "Local gangs are everywhere. You've seen the news, right? Sure, the Anti-Gang Bureau managed to take down Iron Curtain, but Iron Curtain wasn't even the biggest gang around here. And now that they've made their move, the other gangs are going to hold a serious grudge!"

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

He knew Darroch was telling the truth. Gangs and the Anti-Gang Bureau had always been sworn enemies. With one gang already wiped out, the others would naturally feel threatened.

There was only one way to change things — get rid of the person who had been watching them all along.

And that person was his sister.

The thought sparked something in Arthur's mind.

It wasn't just Iron Curtain he needed to deal with. It was everyone who posed a threat to his sister.

Darroch spoke again: "So stay with us for a few days. Once you've settled in, we can talk about everything else."

"No way!" Cody was the first to object. "After the way this guy just treated us? What gives him the right to stay here?"

The other family members nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. He doesn't respect us at all. He doesn't deserve to set foot in the Genovese household!"

"You want to stay here? Fine. Crawl around the hall on your knees three times and bark like a dog. Then maybe we'll think about it."

"Ha! You're being too nice. After what he pulled, he should crawl thirty times!"

Their arrogance and ugliness were on full display.

They did want Arthur to take the fall for them, but they also needed to make it clear who was in charge.

There was no way they were going to beg Arthur for anything.

Even Lillian felt uneasy about it. "Grandpa, is it really appropriate to have him stay here?"

Darroch's expression shifted. "What's inappropriate about it? I think it makes perfect sense. You two are already engaged, so why can't he stay here? Besides, look at him — even after just getting out, he hasn't shown a single trace of shame or weakness. He carries himself like someone who's used to being in charge. That's exactly what we need."

Lillian wanted to argue but couldn't find the words. Still, she had to admit — Arthur did carry himself differently from anyone else she'd dealt with, including that so-called young master from the Orens.

Darroch waved to a nearby servant. "Go prepare a room for him."

The servant was about to leave when Arthur raised his hand. "Don't bother. I appreciate the offer, but I can't marry Lillian, and I can't stay here." He turned to look at Lillian. "Ms. Genovese, you're beautiful, and you never once brought up calling off the engagement yourself. You deserve someone better."

"Don't push your luck!" Cody jabbed a finger at Arthur — a gesture Arthur immediately found offensive. "We've already given you more than enough face. What more do you want? Do you need us to get down on our knees and beg? Know when to quit. If you back us into a corner, you'll regret it."

Santos chimed in: "That's right. Don't forget what you are — a man who just walked out of prison. Don't get too full of yourself. Go ask around and see what kind of power the Genoveses have in this city. Getting in with us should be the greatest thing that ever happened to you."

To Arthur, those words were almost funny.

As the most powerful mafia boss in Europe, he had countless people trying to get close to him every day — people who could crush the Genoveses without a second thought.

And Cody's finger-pointing was really getting under his skin.

Arthur said coldly: "I don't like people pointing at me."

Cody laughed. "Oh? Is that a warning or a threat? Watch me — I'm pointing at you right now, and you can just—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

He'd looked up and met Arthur's eyes.

Just one look, and Cody stumbled back several steps, his hand dropping to his side without thinking.

That gaze didn't feel human. It felt like the eyes of a predator — something that fed on blood.

Arthur gave Darroch a slight nod. "Thanks for telling me all that. I'll be on my way."

Suddenly, the sound of rapid footsteps came from outside. A man rushed into the hall. He was moving so fast that he lost his footing and tumbled across the floor.

Cody was already in a bad mood, and this set him off completely. "What the hell is wrong with you? What are you panicking about?"

Santos frowned. "What happened? Why are you in such a state?"

The man swallowed hard. "Debt collectors... the debt collectors are here."

At those words, the color drained from several faces in the room.

The Genoveses looked powerful from the outside, but the family had long been hollowed out by these uncles and relatives. They had been spending recklessly and borrowing money all over town — money that ultimately fell on the Genoveses' name.

In other words, Lillian was the one who'd end up paying for all of it.

Lillian's brow tightened. "Debt collectors again? Didn't we just clear the last debt? Where did this one come from?"

The company's cash flow was already broken, but debt collectors showing up at the house meant only one thing — these people had gone out and borrowed more money behind her back.

Cody waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, relax. It's just a little debt. No big deal. We borrowed a bit, sure, but it's not much. These people are small-time. We'll just have them thrown out."

The other relatives nodded along. "Right, don't worry about this. Leave it to us."

"So who exactly are these collectors?"

They had debts all over the place and had no idea who might show up.

The man on the floor swallowed again, his throat visibly tightening. "It's... it's the Elephant Gang."

At the mention of the Elephant Gang, every face in the room went pale.

The Elephant Gang was one of the local crews — and they were considerably stronger than Iron Curtain, the gang Erin had already taken down.

On top of that, the Elephant Gang had been rooted in Long Island for years. They controlled every dock in the surrounding area. Going up against the Genoveses would be nothing to them.

Lillian's expression hardened. "The Elephant Gang? You borrowed money from them?"

The company had run into plenty of trouble over the years, and she'd found ways to handle all of it — but borrowing from the Elephant Gang had never been an option she'd even considered.

Because the Elephant Gang was like a bottomless pit. Once they had their teeth in you, they wouldn't stop until there was nothing left.