Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss

James woke up again, a strange feeling creeping over him—like someone was watching him. He turned to his side and found Hector sitting close, smiling at him.

"How long have you been watching me sleep?" .

Hector chuckled. "An hour, maybe... The others brought you some food, so let's eat."

He grabbed a fork and handed it to James. "Sit up," he said. "You need to eat."

James sat up, blinking away the haze of sleep. "Where are the noisy ones?" He asked, his voice rough from sleep. He reached for the container of food, peeling it open. 

Hector tilted his head slightly, eyes sharp with curiosity. "Noisy...?" he echoed, watching as James took a bite.

He chewed, savoring the taste, before sighing. "Yeah. Bella and Ferucci. They were at each other's throats the whole time they were here."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Hector's smile widened, but something about it felt... off. The plastic fork in his hand groaned, bending under the force of his fingers until it snapped in half.

James froze mid-bite.

"I will skin them alive for that great sin." He stood up, brushing nonexistent dust from his pants. "Excuse me."

James nearly choked on his food. "No, it's alright," he blurted out quickly, waving a hand. "It was kinda... refreshing, actually."

Fuck, this guy is worse than the others combined.

Hector paused, considering James's words. Then, just as suddenly as the violent thought came, it vanished. His grin returned, this time softer, more at ease.

"Oh well," he said, sitting back down. "Let's enjoy our meal."

Silence followed as they ate, a deep, almost eerie silence. The only sound was the occasional clink of their plastic forks against the plates.

 James found it strange—Hector was usually loud, always talking, always filling the room with his energy. But now, he was completely quiet.

As he chewed slowly, his curiosity grew. He stole a glance at Hector, only to do a double take.

His heart nearly stopped. Wait… what the hell?

James was so caught off guard that he accidentally swallowed wrong. He coughed violently, choking on his food.

Hector was up in an instant, concern flashing across his face. "Are you good, James?"

James waved a hand as he caught his breath. "I'm good… but—" He narrowed his eyes at Hector. "What happened to you?"

Hector blinked, clearly puzzled. "I don't fully understand your question."

James gestured at him, still trying to process the sudden transformation.

 "You— you glowed up, man. You look like a damn model. The buzz cut, the sharp jawline, those blue eyes—hell, even that deep black suit looks perfect on you."

Hector chuckled, leaning back slightly.

 "Oh? You think so?"

James shook his head, muttering under his breath.

Great. As if he wasn't dangerous enough, now he's ridiculously handsome too.

Hector leaned back, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

 "Well, I spent a long time in Arbera, and I met some people who were ridiculously handsome," he said, chuckling.

James raised an eyebrow. "So... you found a work partner? Or an assistant?"

Hector chuckled again, this time with an edge of amusement. "No, he was a cartel member. But he was so beautiful that I just had to kill him for it."

James nearly dropped his fork. "Wait—what?"

."I skinned him alive." He said casually, as if discussing the weather. "But before that, I made sure to ask him how he managed to look that good."

"And... he just told you?"

Hector burst into laughter. "Of course! He spilled everything while he was dying. Hahaha!"

 Yeah. Definitely worse than the others.

"Well... you did a great job, I suppose," James said, still eyeing Hector. He decided to shift the topic. "They told me you made billions. Is that true?"

At that, Hector's expression changed. His smirk faltered, and for the first time, he looked away, avoiding James's gaze.

"No." Hector muttered. "You made billions. I just executed the plans you gave me."

 "Tell me." 

Truth was—he couldn't remember. He only had flashes, blurry fragments of memories, but nothing clear.

What the fuck did I even tell him while I was drunk?

"Between the capital, Hangur—where we are—and the neighboring country, Dennus, there's a sea separating us," Hector began, his tone eerily casual. "Dennus's capital, Arbera, has a major port, and with the war raging on their borderlands, you saw an opportunity."

James listened intently, his stomach twisting.

"You told me to use the war." Hector continued, a small smirk playing on his lips. "So I did."

"Our government sent soldiers to help Dennus protect its borders. In just six months, nearly three thousand of them died. And, well… the bodies of the dead had to be returned home, right? Sent back to Hangur's port, so their loved ones could mourn, and they could rest in eternal peace."

James felt something cold creep down his spine. Where is this going?

Hector's smirk widened. "So I did exactly what you told me."

James's breath hitched.

"I removed their organs and packed their corpses with kilos of White Magic—smuggled hundreds of kilos right into Hangur, hidden inside the bodies of the fallen."

James felt his throat go dry. He couldn't tell if he was more horrified by what Hector had done—or by the fact that he had apparently been the one to suggest it.

"But… isn't it the military that brings the bodies back?" James asked, confused.

Hector chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, technically, yes. It was supposed to be the military."

He leaned back, his tone almost amused. 

"But thanks to our wonderfully corrupt government and a few well-placed bribes, they decided to cut costs. Instead of using official military transport, they outsourced the job to civilian shipping companies—because it was cheaper."

Hector grinned. "So, I controlled the shipments. And just like that…" He snapped his fingers. "We had the perfect cover."

"But… the bodies did make it back to their families, right?" James asked, his voice laced with unease.

Hector gave him an almost reassuring nod. "Of course," he said smoothly. "We only removed the organs—dumped them into the sea. Nothing too messy."

"When the shipments arrived at port, we retrieved the packages, stitched the bodies back up, and sent them on their way." 

James had no memory of suggesting any of this, yet somehow, he wasn't even surprised. 

What the fuck was I thinking back then?

"And that alone generated billions?" James asked, skepticism clear in his voice. "I doubt it."

Hector smirked. "Well, we also followed through with your other plan."

"Other plan?" 

"You suggested we make the operation more efficient," Hector continued, his voice steady, almost proud. "So, we modified the ships—attached powerful magnets to their hulls. Instead of stuffing everything into corpses, we secured the kilos to the underside of the ships with magnetic locks."

 "Wait… what?" It's actually a genius 

Hector simply nodded. "It was seamless. No one suspected a thing."

"But… wasn't that too risky? I mean the weight distribution and other things."

Hector waved a hand dismissively. "I had people who knew exactly how to do it right and after that it began."

"Divers secured the shipments to the ships before departure," Hector explained. "And because those ships were military-certified, sea patrols never bothered to inspect them. When we arrived at the port, the divers released the cargo, and at night, another team retrieved it."

James just stared at him, his mind racing. Holy shit… I really panned all this?

"And where exactly is the money?"

"In a bank in Helios." Hector replied casually. "And another 200 million in cash is on its way here."

James's eyes narrowed, his entire body tensing. "Helios?" That was the neighboring country to the south—a dictatorship.

"How the hell did you manage to do that?"

Hector smirked. "Since most countries refuse to trade with him, I made a deal. I helped smuggle weapons into Trania."

James's blood ran cold. "Trania?" His voice rose slightly. "The same Trania that's at war with Dennus?"

"Yes," Hector nodded."But it was you who said it would be a great idea."

James felt the room spin. No fucking way.

"So why is 200 million coming in cash?" 

Hector sighed, then grinned. "Some fucking idiot cartel decided it'd be funny to behead two of our captains and bombed two ships.

James's jaw clenched. "And?"

"And because they died, some of our captains wanted to leave. They were scared." Hector shrugged, as if it were obvious. "So, to make sure no one had to be scared anymore…" His grin widened.

"I burned that cartel to ashes."

James exhaled slowly. "And the money?"

Hector leaned back, still smiling. "Well… they just happened to have 200 million in cash lying around. So I took it."

James stared at him, a sinking feeling in his gut. This guy is completely insane.

"And how much money did you take for yourself?" James asked, his eyes drilling into Hector's.

For the first time, Hector hesitated. A flicker of fear crossed his face. "Nothing," he said quickly. "If I ever took anything… I'd kill myself."

James didn't blink. He could tell Hector was telling the truth. "How much do I pay you?"

Hector swallowed. His heartbeat pounded in his chest. "Ten thousand per month."

That fucking low.

 He couldn't believe it. The minimum wage in Lyrinthia was 2,200 per month, and Hector was managing billion-dollar operations—for pennies.

James exhaled sharply, then made his decision. "From the cash shipment… take 100 million for yourself. And give five million each to Bella, Ferucci, and Hans."

Hector's eyes widened in shock. "B-Boss—"

"You earned it."

Hector swallowed hard, his hands slightly trembling. "Understood."

James leaned back, still watching him. Now they'll know their loyalty isn't wasted.

In reality, James didn't want that much cash on hand. It was too much—too dangerous. If the NSBI caught wind of it, they could bust him easily. His mind raced, trying to figure out what to do with the excess millions before it became a liability.

But before he could come up with a plan, Hector suddenly hugged him—tightly.

James stiffened, caught completely off guard. "Hector?" he asked, surprised.

Hector didn't let go. His grip was firm, almost desperate. When he finally pulled back, his eyes were glossy, his voice quieter than usual.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "But… can I leave you for maybe an hour?"

James studied his face. Hector's usual cocky grin was gone. Instead, there was something raw in his expression—something fragile.

"Of course you can." James said, forcing a small smile.

 Yeah, go, you psychopath.

"Thanks," Hector whispered, but as Hector opened the door a girl stood in front of him.

His reflexes kicked in immediately—his gun was out and pressed against her forehead in less than a second.

"Who are you," he demanded coldly, "and how the hell did you get past security?"

The girl's eyes widened in terror. She froze, her whole body trembling. "I-I..."

"She's good, Hector. Let her in," James called from behind him.

He didn't lower his gun right away, he waited a bit then he pulled the weapon back.

"My bad," he said with a small smirk before sprinting down the hall, already in a hurry.

James turned his attention to the girl. "Are you okay, Penelope?"

She stood there, her legs shaking, barely able to keep herself upright. Her arms trembled as she clutched her chest, struggling to catch her breath.

"I… I brought you some ice cream…"