From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 63

Chapter 63: A Fight On The Inside?

Even though Max had chosen not to return to school, classes continued on without him.

The students he had injured were starting to come back, though many lingered at the entrance, hesitant to walk in. They were afraid they might run into Max, unsure how to act, what to say, or what he might do.

However, as the first bell rang and school officially began, they realized something.

He wasn’t there.

For most of them, it was a huge sigh of relief. Still, the absence sparked questions, what exactly had happened?

During class, the delinquents began texting each other under their desks, quickly catching up on the latest news. Word spread fast about the incident that had taken place not far from the school itself.

"No wonder Max hasn’t shown up."

"Yeah, looks like Dipter finally made a move, showed him who really runs this place."

"I guess that’s the end of it. If he’s too scared to come back, maybe the rest of you will stop fighting back too."

Their fear began to fade, replaced by a rising confidence. As long as Dipter had their backs, they felt untouchable within these school walls. And with Max gone, they believed nothing could stand in their way.

Still, not everyone felt the same.

The students who had actually fought Max that day, who had seen him up close couldn’t share in the newfound confidence. Even though they had come at him together, they remembered how well Max had fought, how strong and resilient he had been.

For them, it was hard to believe Max would just let things go.

If he ever came back to school, would he really stay quiet? Obedient? That didn’t sound like him at all. The smarter move might’ve been to bring him into their circle, to get him on their side before it was too late.

But those thoughts stayed buried. Because even if they feared Max, there was someone they feared more.

When break time rolled around, Dipter was hanging out in his usual spot by the cage. Inside the fenced court, a large group of students were messing around, shoving each other, laughing, and playing rough.

Many of them were talking about Max, and naturally, the conversation drifted in that direction.

"So he didn’t show up after all, huh? Not surprising," Snide chuckled. "Maybe he got beat so bad, he ended up in the hospital."

"Maybe he’s there right now."

"And that’s something to laugh about?" Jay said, his tone sharp. "What if you’d actually killed him?"

"Relax, big guy. You’re lucky I did all the work," Snide shot back. "I’ve been practicing my aim. I knew it wasn’t anything serious. Besides, it’s not like we can go to his house and drag him out, right?"

"No," Dipter replied immediately, his voice calm but firm. "We’re not going to worry about him not showing up. For now, we leave him be. We’ve got bigger things to deal with."

"What about the girl?" Jay asked.

"Just keep an eye on her," Dipter said. "Right now, we’re playing nice. We need to keep up appearances. What I want you to focus on is expanding our network."

He glanced at the two of them, making sure they were listening.

"If there’s any trouble, it needs to be dealt with immediately. And if anyone wants to talk or make a move, they come to me. Max... he’s not our problem anymore. But if he tries anything, then I’ll deal with him myself."

"That makes no sense," Cindy muttered under her breath, chewing on her thumbnail. "Who is he?"