From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 100

Chapter 100: Who Has The Most Money?

The Stern Manor wasn’t just large and luxurious, it was iconic. A one-of-a-kind estate with history carved into every stone wall and wooden beam.

It was the kind of manor that rarely, if ever, came up for sale. And when it did, money alone wasn’t enough to buy it.

For places like this, the price wasn’t determined by who could offer the most cash. If it were, the value would spiral into absurd territory, far beyond what the property was actually worth.

No, buying a manor like this required something else: influence. Power. A presence in the business world strong enough to pull the right strings and apply pressure in all the right places.

And when it came to influence, the Sterns were unmatched.

Currently, inside the grand meeting room of the estate, the same room where Dennis Stern would normally gather with his board of directors, there were only two people present.

Dennis, and Fred.

Dennis sat at the massive, polished table, large enough to seat thirty people comfortably. Instead of working from his personal office, he had spread out numerous documents across the table’s surface, files, printouts, charts, photographs.

"I know everything’s done digitally these days," Dennis muttered, running a hand along the edge of the table, "but I can’t process things the same way unless it’s all laid out in front of me. I need to see it."

He reached out and picked up one of the files.

Attached to the inside was a photo of Max, clipped neatly in the corner. Underneath it, several sheets of paper were stacked, each one filled with information.

"Max, Max, Max..." Dennis shook his head, staring down at the photo. "You spent so long ignoring the money... and because of that, I was curious. Genuinely curious what your first move would be."

He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing.

"But I just don’t understand them."

"Your heart softening, Max?" Dennis muttered to himself. "Did you finally give in to the woman who left you to save her business? And then this, what’s this nonsense?"

He flipped through another page.

"You’ve been buying up several commercial buildings... Fred, did you find out anything about these places?"

"I did," Fred replied, stepping forward. "All the buildings he’s purchased are within a ten-mile radius of his apartment. The land value isn’t high, so the properties themselves are relatively inexpensive."

He paused.

"There is one thing all the buildings have in common."

That caught Dennis’s attention. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"They all contain gyms," Fred said.

"A gym?" Dennis echoed, confused. "So... that’s it? Max’s grand plan is to open a chain of gyms? But none of them are in prime locations. The land isn’t worth much either."

He leaned back in his chair, expression shifting.

"Is he just trying to build something sustainable and quietly disappear? Or is he seeing something far beyond what we can understand, something years ahead?"

Dennis let out a small sigh and stretched out his hand for another file. This time, when he opened it, a photo of young Chad Stern stared back at him. Dennis’s reaction was immediate, he shook his head in disappointment.

"Out of all my heirs... the one I’m most disappointed in is him," Dennis muttered. "I didn’t even foresee something like what happened to him... maybe I should’ve kept a closer eye."

"You gave all of them the same opportunities," Fred said calmly. "There’s only so much you can do."

Dennis didn’t respond right away.

Instead, he flipped the folder shut.

"Have you managed to gather the rest of the data I asked for?" he asked, his tone returning to business.

"I have," Fred replied, straightening up. "It’s time for our monthly evaluation. And despite you always saying you prefer things on paper... you still ask me to do this."

He pressed a button on the remote in his hand, and a quiet mechanical hum filled the room. A large screen began descending from the ceiling.

Moments later, a projector beamed light across the room, casting a crisp display onto one of the manor’s walls.

Just like with the physical files, an image appeared in the corner, this time, it was Cici, Dave’s daughter.

"Cici hasn’t spent much of the money at all," Fred began. "Outside of her own personal comfort, of course. She’s bought a house, pays for gardeners, and has been looking into sustainable projects."

Fred gestured toward the screen as details highlighted Cici’s investments.

"These are low-maintenance ventures, things she can manage with little effort while continuing to live comfortably on her own. It’s fair to say she’s one of the few who’s chosen not to engage in the chaos surrounding the rest of the family."

A warm smile spread across Dennis’s face.

Among all his grandchildren, he found Cici the most pleasant to talk to, mostly because her interests weren’t centered around money or power. She had a calmness about her, something different.

Still, for a man like Dennis, who loved talking about money more than almost anything else, her attitude was also a refreshing change of pace.

"Next," Fred continued, tapping a key on his tablet, "we have Bobo, Karen’s daughter."

Her profile filled the screen.

"She’s spent a significant portion of her fortune, roughly two hundred million."

Dennis’s brows lifted slightly.

"However," Fred continued, "her spending has been smart. She’s investing in herself, building her personal brand, even paying for her own publicity. She’s also put money into several biotech companies."

Fred paused, scrolling through a few more slides.

Max Stern (???? - Figures not updated)