From Bullets To Billions

Max stepped out of the bathroom, his mind still spinning from the phone call, though the words he'd spoken barely registered anymore.

Right now, he didn't care what anyone thought about him, about the choices he had made, about the truth behind who he really was. All of that was noise, background static to the one thing echoing in his head: Jay.

How can I help him? How do I let his soul rest a little easier?

But as Max returned to the reception area, he was not prepared for what waited for him.

His footsteps halted instantly. Every instinct told him to turn back, to walk the other way.

In the hallway, flanked by a guard and standing opposite Aron, was a young girl.

Calling her a little girl didn't quite capture it. She was tall for her age, maybe around 150 centimeters, but there was a softness to her round cheeks and her wide, expressive eyes. The gentle slope of her face, the light brown hair tied back into a neat ponytail, all reminded Max of someone.

Someone he could never forget.

It was Jay's sister. Mira.

Eight years old, innocent eyes and too young to carry the weight that was about to crush her world.

Since Jay had been pronounced dead, Aron had taken on the task of handling affairs from the shadows, dealing with loose ends and unresolved matters. Mira had been placed in another hospital, away from the chaos. Aron had personally taken care of her medical bills and tracked her down, preparing to inform her of what had happened.

And now, she stood here… or tried to.

Right as Max laid eyes on her, Mira's knees buckled beneath her. Her body gave out, and she fainted.

A nearby nurse reacted fast, catching her before she hit the ground and gently laying her on one of the reception seats. She stayed beside Mira, brushing her hair away from her face, watching over her as they waited for her to wake up.

Max clenched his jaw. It felt wrong, watching her in that vulnerable state. But with Mira unconscious, at least for now, he could walk over to Aron.

He approached with steady steps and a voice struggling to remain even.

"What's going on with her?" Max asked. "Everything. Tell me everything."

Aron folded his arms and exhaled slowly. "The doctor had just finished telling her about her brother. Apparently, the guards who picked her up from the hospital had already broken the news. But hearing it from the doctor, in this setting… maybe it made it real for her."

He paused, lowering his voice.

"She's only eight, Max. It's a lot to process. I haven't even told her what's going to happen next. That's something I wanted to speak to you about."

Max looked down at Mira, asleep in the chair, as if her body had shut down to protect her from the pain.

"We haven't been able to contact any of her remaining family," Aron continued. "We've searched, but there's no one left."

Each word from Aron felt like a stab to the chest.

"There's something you can do, right?" Max asked, his voice low, firm. "I don't want her to be dragged into the Stern family, not directly. I want her far away from that mess. But… if there's any way, any legal way, to bring her under our care, then we do it.

"She should never have to struggle again. Not after everything."

Aron nodded without hesitation.

"I'm not saying I'll try to make it happen. I will make it happen."

For the first time in hours, Max felt a flicker of relief.

It was good to know there was still someone he could count on. Someone who could move mountains if needed.

And if it came down to it, Max would pour every last cent he had into making sure Mira had what she needed: an apartment, a future, an education. A life far removed from the pain she was living through now.

A few minutes passed in heavy silence before Mira began to stir.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and her gaze darted around the hospital. The scent of antiseptic, the white walls, and the sterile silence, it all hit her at once.

Everything the doctors said… it was real.

Tears welled up instantly. Her breathing turned sharp and shallow, her chest heaving.

Then she looked up, and saw him.

The red-haired young man walking toward her. A man in a dark suit followed behind, Joe.

"Hi," Max said, kneeling down beside her, his voice as soft and gentle as he could manage.

"You're Mira, right? Jay's sister?"

She nodded slowly, eyes wide and trembling.

"My name is Max. I was your brother's friend. Jay Woods meant a lot to me."

"And I'm Joe," the man behind added, giving her the biggest smile he could muster. "I was his friend too."

Mira sniffled, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

"My brother… he talked about you. He said… he said thanks to you, I might get better. He said… you were a good person. A really good person."

The words barely left her lips before fresh tears spilled over. Her tiny shoulders shook.

"He said… you were a miracle. Mister Max… can you bring my brother back? Please… I'll give you anything. Anything. Please… you can save him, right? I'll do whatever you want. Just… bring him back!"

She grabbed onto Max's shirt with both hands, her grip trembling, strong but desperate. The kind of grip that meant she was hanging on to hope with all she had left.

Joe turned away, raising a hand to his face to hide his own tears. He couldn't watch.

Max looked into Mira's eyes, wishing more than anything that he could tell her yes. That he had some hidden power to undo the tragedy.

But he couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Mira," he whispered. "Even with everything I have… there's nothing I can do. Your brother… he's gone. He's really gone."

Mira collapsed into him, sobbing uncontrollably, unable to hold back the storm inside her.

Max didn't know if she could hear him anymore. But he kept speaking, maybe for her… maybe for himself.

"Mira, your brother… he was like family to me. Family I failed to protect. But he protected me. I'm alive today… because of him.

"And that means you're part of that family now too. The family Jay brought together.

"You won't be alone. I won't let you be. We'll do everything we can to help you. And most of all… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that you have to go through this."

The three of them sat there, drowning in grief, connected by pain and loss, but also by love for the same person.

Eventually, a doctor emerged from the hallway.

He walked toward them with a grave expression and paused before speaking.

"You can come in to see him now," he said. "This is your last chance… to say goodbye in person."