My Corrupted System

Staring at Darius, Zane said, "Who are these two?" Although a hint of doubt appeared on his face, he still said, "If you think I'll trade my casino for this cheap stunt, you're out of your mind Darius."

Darius smirked. "I knew you'd say that," he said, then gestured to his men. They stepped forward and pulled off the masks, revealing a woman and a teenage boy.

The boy, about 13 or 14, had messy dark hair and wide, frightened black eyes. He was trembling in fear.

The woman's brown hair fell over her shoulders. Despite the signs of age on her face, her soft features and curvy figure still held traces of her past beauty.

Zane's expression shifted. His breath hitched, and his eyes locked onto the woman. "Diana..." he muttered in a shaky voice.

Darius laughed, obviously pleased by the response. You do remember her, then. Your former partner. What about this boy? He knelt next to the teenager, grabbed his chin, and made him turn to face Zane.. "Look at him, Zane. See the resemblance? He is your son."

Zane's gaze moved between Diana and the boy.

Darius continued, "She left you because she was pregnant. And now, here they are."

Zane felt different types of emotions: grief, sadness and anger. But his voice is still the same, showing no sign of emotion. "Diana left me 14 years ago. Since then, I've built a new life. "Maya is the one who stood by me during my darkest times, while Diana left & that boy isn't mine."

"You really have no heart, do you?" Darius taunted, slightly pushing the boy's head back. "You can stand there like stone, even if it's your own flesh and blood? Impressive.

With a bitter tone, Zane's voice wavered. "Take them and go. I refuse to fall for your tricks.

Darius laughed sharply and mockingly, his smile growing as though he had been waiting for this. "All right, then," With a slight tilt of his head, he raised two fingers and flicked them forward. "Take her gag off." One of his men immediately obeyed, stepping forward to remove the gag from Diana's mouth.

As soon as the gag was removed, Diana cried out,"Zane! "Please, save your son at least." Her voice trembled and tears were forming in her eye's, but Zane remained icy.

Darius gave a gloomy laugh. "You see? It seems reasonable to trade your child for the casino, doesn't it? He approached Diana slowly, running his fingers over her hair in a soft motion. "But fine, if you don't want them… I'll sell her to the underground market, and as for the boy… he'll make a fine worker in my factory. Such a shame, though. A mother and son… torn apart."

Zane said coldly, "Take them and get out of my casino."

Diana's tear-filled eyes widened in disbelief. Her voice trembled as she whispered, "Zane... you're really going to just walk away?"

Zane appeared on the verge of leaving. Not even his troops anticipated that he would abandon his own child. Even though they had always admired him, this incident caused them to reconsider everything.

As Zane turned around ready to leave but as he turned around his hand made a signal his men recognized instantly.

Soon, Gunfire exploded through the casino as Zane swiftly turned around and drew his weapon. His calm expression was gone, replaced by a cold, deadly fury.. Without hesitation, he aimed at Darius and pulled the trigger. "Sorry, brother," he muttered, his voice heavy with anger and regret.

Zane's men fired in unison, their shots cutting through the air. Darius's men fell one after another, blood staining the pavement. Many didn't even have a chance to react before they were gunned down. Some of Darius's men collapsed instantly, while others staggered before falling. Within minutes, the ground was covered in bodies.

Seeing no way out, a few of them dropped to the floor, pretending to be dead to avoid the bullets. Blood spread across the ground, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

Still tied up, Diana and the boy were trapped in the chaos. Bullets tore through Darius's men nearby, spraying blood onto their faces. Diana struggled against the ropes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her muffled screams were filled with fear as she watched Darius's men fall one by one. Beside her, the boy whimpered, his wide, terrified eyes searching for help, but the gag kept him silent.

Darius staggered back as Zane's bullets struck him, his clothes quickly soaking with blood. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, staring at Zane in disbelief. He spoke out, struggling for oxygen, "You... killed me... for them?" He never imagined it would end this way; in all the previous fights they had had, he always expected a beating rather than a gunshot, but this time it was different.

Zane glanced down at him, his face silent and icy.. After a moment, he spoke, his voice low. "I didn't kill you for them. I killed you because you left me no choice. You forgot our brotherhood and your friendship with Diana."

As Darius's body fell, Zane put away his gun, his chest rising and falling heavily. Blood pooled around the fallen men, and the sharp scent of gunpowder hung in the air.

Zane walked over to Diana, who sat trembling, silent tears running down her pale face. The boy clung to her, his wide eyes filled with fear. Zane crouched down and pulled out a small knife. "Hold still," he said quietly.

Zane cut the rope that bound Diana & the boy's legs and wrists. The child scared slightly but stayed motionless underneath Zane's calm stare as he turned to face him. When Zane released him and took off the gag, the teenager gave him a tight hug and sobbed, "Daddy, I missed you so much."