Chapter 1249:

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Their ruthlessness was undeniable. Mason and Orlando meant to deceive everyone—both their enemies and their supposed allies. If executed cleanly, the scheme could very well succeed.

“Ms. Morgan, they’ve all cleared out. From the looks on their faces, not a single one got what they wanted.” Just beyond the grounds of the Dark Hills, Maren and Boynton kept out of sight, blending into the shadows.

They observed as the key figures from various gangs streamed out of the mansion.

“None of them walked away satisfied, yet no one made a scene. That probably means the Dark Hills isn’t shutting them out—just stalling for time,” Maren said, watching the scene unfold.

Boynton gave a slow nod, “You’re right. Hold on—there’s someone missing. Where is the Axe Gang member?”

A sudden realization dawned on him. The Axe Gang member hadn’t left.

Everyone else cleared out—everyone except the member of the Axe Gang.

𝘉𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Maren narrowed her eyes, sensing something off.

“The Dark Hills people are greedy, aren’t they?” she muttered, piecing things together in her head.

Boynton glanced at her, puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

Maren said, “They’re aiming to absorb the Axe Gang, but they want it without sparking conflict with the other gangs.”

“That doesn’t even sound possible,” Boynton replied, clearly skeptical. Maren had walked him through every step of the earlier plan, and none of it seemed to allow for a flawless outcome like this.

“It is possible, though the risk is huge,” Maren muttered, still thinking it through. For the Dark Hills to hatch something this bold, she realized they weren’t just ruthless—they were dangerously clever.

Still, going through with this plan meant stepping into extremely dangerous territory.

They might’ve looked sharp on the surface, but they’d overlooked something that could cost them everything.

“I’m not following any of that. Just tell me—what do we do now?”

Boynton couldn’t see through Maren’s origins and hadn’t gotten any useful information, but he knew Maren must have a solution. And he wasn’t wrong—she did.

“If you’re itching to trigger a full-blown gang war by tomorrow, here’s your chance. Most of the gang leaders haven’t made it far. Hunt them down now. But don’t go overboard. You need a few survivors. Make it difficult for them to get away, and make sure they think the Dark Hills sent you. Let just enough of them escape to spread the story.”

There was no hesitation in her tone—Maren delivered each instruction with precision.

Though the strategy seemed simple enough, Boynton caught on fast. Her idea wasn’t just bold. It was brilliant.

“So that’s it. The rest of the gangs are joining forces to pressure the Dark Hills. And now the Dark Hills has every reason to take them out, just to keep the Axe Gang all to themselves. If no one makes it back alive tonight, the truth gets buried. It’ll look like the missing Axe Gang member was already taken out by the Dark Hills.”

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