Five Years Ago…

Damian Tucker, a 28-year-old Black man, sat inside his office on the top floor of T-Group Corporation. It was a mighty four-story building.

He had blue eyes, short black hair, and several tattoos on his body. His hair was cut in an afro, an eagle tattoo was drawn on his right arm, and a cross symbol was tattooed on his left arm. Likewise, two women's names were drawn on his right chest.

Damian was a mafia boss, respected and feared in his territory. He controlled many businesses in Northwind Town.

Inside his office, Damian wore a black suit and sat across from his desk, going through his laptop to check his other important businesses.

His office was painted in white, and a knock on his office door interrupted him, as his assistant Jeff Brody, a 25-year-old man, walked in.

"Boss, Mr. Max Dawson is here to see you," Jeff said.

Damian sighed. His father had just handed over the business to him. He looked over at Jeff and replied, "Let him in."

Mr. Max Dawson, a businessman involved in illegal business dealings, entered Damian's office. Damian made no attempt to stand up and shake hands with him.

"What do you want?" Damian asked, still seated in his office chair and continuing to click on his laptop.

Mr. Max swallowed the hard lump that had formed in his throat. He knew that doing business with Damian was more difficult than it had been with Damian's father, Mr. Mark Tucker. The Tucker name instilled fear in the other groups.

"It's business, Damian. It's a deal worth 10 million dollars," Mr. Max said, pleased when he saw Damian look away from his laptop and shift his gaze to him.

"Sit," Damian gestured to the middle-aged man. "Go on," he ordered, and Mr. Max went into details on what the business was.

Damian listened with interest, "So what do you need my assistance for?" He asked Mr. Max.

"As the mafia lord, I don't want the other groups to interfere in this business, and I will need your assistance to loan me the money to proceed with it," Mr. Max explained.

Damian was interested in this business, however, he had other motives. Deals like this, he would personally hijack it instead of handing it over to his group to take care of it.

"I will lend you the money, but you must promise to pay it back with interest. I don't care if the business works out or not. All I care about is my money," Damian told Mr. Max, and the man nodded.

"You have nothing to worry about, Damian. I will pay you back with interest, but I will need your assistance with it," Mr. Max said, sitting across from Damian, who was looking at him.

"Don't worry, I will have Jeff assist you. First, sign the deal," Damian offered the document to Mr. Max to sign, and he loaned him the money. His mind worked in mysterious ways as he focused his attention on the man who reached for a pen and signed the deal.

"Done," Mr. Max said with a broad smile on his face as he rose to leave Damian's office.

"I will be looking forward to the repayment date," Damian replied, and Mr. Max smiled and left the office.

Damian kept on thinking about the deal worth millions of dollars.

"I cannot allow Mr. Max to have that kind of money. It will invoke the higher authority's knowledge on us, so I have to take care of it." A smirk played its way up Damian's lips, and he called Jeff back into his office.

"Take care of Mr. Max's business and ensure that the money gets transferred to my offshore accounts."

"Okay, Boss." Jeff's eyes widened in surprise, but he dared not question Damian's orders. He looked up to him as his older brother, and he was only two years younger. He went to do as told.

…

Three months later, Mr. Max was heartbroken to see that the business didn't go as planned. After borrowing money from the ruthless mafia lord, he has a year to pay off the 10 million dollars that he loaned.

"Honey, what's the problem?" Mrs. Jennifer Dawson came into the room. She was a middle-aged woman, 45 years old, and she looked at her husband, who paced about worriedly.

"I am finished!" Mr. Max said, placing his hands on his head.

"You cannot be finished, honey. Talk to me," Lady Jennifer tried to beg her husband, but he said, "I shouldn't have trusted that son of a devil. Doing business with his father hadn't been bad. Our dealings haven't been hijacked by the government, and now, I have lost everything I worked hard for."

Mr. Max was on the brink of tears. He shouldn't have trusted Damian to handle the business for him. The man was still young and new as a mafia group leader.

"Calm down, honey. Talk to me," Lady Jennifer tried to talk her husband out of his misery, but he smacked her hand away and shouted at her, "Don't touch me! Where do I get 10 million dollars to pay the T-Group?"

"The T-Group. Who are those? Calm down, honey. We can raise the money. Where did you borrow such money from? Why would you even borrow such a huge amount of money? For what?" Mrs. Jennifer asked, shocked to hear the huge amount of money her husband was asking.

But he told her, "Get out of my room. I don't have time to explain anything to you. Just leave me alone. If I don't raise that money in a year's time, they will come for us. All of them, and you need to leave with our children. They shouldn't return back here. I am finished."

Mrs. Jennifer stubbornly shook her head and told her husband, "I cannot leave you to die alone, honey. You cannot turn me into a widow at this young age. You shouldn't have borrowed the money in the first place. Calm down, we can see how to raise the money."

Mr. Max went to his study, leaving his wife alone in their bedroom, and she paced around, wondering what was wrong with her husband.

It was nighttime, and Mrs. Jennifer went downstairs and saw her youngest daughter, Alicia Dawson, in the living room.

"What's going on, Mom? I heard you and Dad arguing?" Alicia, a 19-year-old girl, asked. She was a nursing student and hadn't graduated yet. She had fair skin, long blonde hair, and resembled her mother.

"Alicia, it's your father. He borrowed 10 million dollars, and now, he has lost everything." Mrs. Jennifer cried, and Alicia collapsed on the couch.

"What?! 10 million dollars. Mom, where do we start paying off such a huge amount of money from? Oh no! We are doomed if Dad cannot pay that off." Alicia joined her mother in crying in the living room. They were rich, so why would her father go to borrow such a huge amount of money?

This meant they would have to sell off some of their properties. But would it be enough to pay off such a huge debt? Alicia cried.