Davin pulled Rey aside, away from anyone who might overhear. In a low voice meant only for Rey, he laid out his plan.
Rey nodded, though his eyes were full of questions.
"For Kevin," Davin continued, his eyes narrowing, "I have a way." Davin leaned in and whispered to Rey again.
Rey was in awe of the cunning plan.
"Follow all of my instructions."
Rey nodded, understanding the multi-layered plan. "Perfect, Boss."
After giving his instructions, Davin went back into the warehouse to meet Vania.
The woman was still sitting in the chair, looking shocked and frightened, but calmer now.
"Van," Davin said, his voice soft, a stark contrast to the tone he had used with Rey. "This is Rey. He's a good friend of mine. He will take you home to the Santosa Group. You'll be safe with him."
Vania looked at Rey, who nodded at her, trying to appear friendly despite his strong thuggish aura.
Then Vania looked at Davin. "You... you're not coming?"
"I have to go somewhere first, Van. Important business. But trust me, you are safe with Rey." Davin smiled reassuringly.
Although she still felt safer with Davin, Vania finally nodded. She trusted her husband. She followed Rey and got into one of the other black cars.
After the car carrying Vania had left, Davin's expression changed drastically. It became cold and cruel again. He entered the van where Kevin was being held.
The scene inside the van was grim. Kevin Santosa, the man who was usually so arrogant and haughty, was now sitting on the floor of the van. His face was bruised, his clothes torn. One of Rey's men had a foot on his back, preventing him from moving.
Davin instructed Rey's man who had been guarding Kevin to move to another car.
This left only Davin and Kevin in the back of the van, while the driver was in the front with the partition closed, unable to hear the subsequent conversation between Davin and Kevin.
The moment he saw Davin, Kevin's eyes filled with utter terror. "D-Davin! I'm sorry! Forgive me! Let me go!" he groaned, his voice hoarse. "I see... I see you have a position in The Bad Boys gang. I acknowledge your power! Please, let me go! I promise, from now on I will never bother you and Vania again! I'll even put in a good word for you in front of Grandma! I'll tell her you were the hero!"
Davin let out a cold snort. He sat on a bench in the van, looking at Kevin as if he were an insect. "You've crossed a line, Kevin. You targeted my wife. You ordered thugs to rape her. For that, there is no forgiveness. No second chances. I'm going to kill you."
Hearing the word "kill," Kevin screamed in fear. But then, a remnant of his arrogance surfaced. "You can't kill me, Davin! You'll get caught! My grandmother will look for me! My parents too! They won't stop! Eventually, the trail will lead back to you! You won't get away with this!"
Davin laughed. It was a deep, cold, mocking laugh. "Says who? In a few hours, the boss of the Leopard Gang will be presented to your grandmother. He will confess that he was the mastermind behind numerous crimes: murders, extortion, blackmailing high-ranking officials—things the Leopard Gang actually did. And under threat from Rey, he will testify that he did it all under your orders."
Kevin's face turned deathly pale. "What? You're insane, Davin! That's not true! I only got to know the Leopard Gang two days ago! How could I suddenly be their leader for all their crimes!"
"That can be arranged. I can prepare evidence of your involvement. And the Leopard Gang boss's confession will leave you defenseless. Especially since you won't be around to defend yourself. Your disappearance will be taken as proof of your guilt. By the police and by everyone!" Davin continued mercilessly.
"I'll testify. That's... That's not true. You can't frame me!"
"You tried to frame Vania, so I'm just turning the tables on what you started! This is fair to me and to Vania."
Kevin could only scream upon hearing Davin's words.
"You will be branded a fugitive. The police will hunt for you. Your family will be deeply ashamed and will likely disown you. They will think you have fled abroad, hiding from justice. And after all that evidence and testimony is released... No one will come looking for you anymore."
Davin paused, staring at Kevin with pitiless eyes. "...the Leopard Gang boss will be 'killed' after his confession by someone who will later confess on social media to being a hitman paid by you to silence him."
"Hah!"
'That way, with the Leopard Gang boss dead, no one will connect the dots back to me. You will be gone, and the world will think you are a major criminal who successfully escaped abroad."
Kevin fell silent, his brain struggling to process Davin's horrifying plan. He realized how deep the trap Davin had set was. This wasn't just murder; it was the total destruction of his reputation, leaving him no way out. It would indeed silence his existence forever.
"So... so you'll take me abroad?" asked Kevin, still clinging to a sliver of hope that Davin would let him live. "After all, I am your wife's cousin. You can't do something evil to your wife's cousin."
Davin shook his head, his cruel smile widening. "That's too good for you, Kevin. Someone who dares to cross the line, who dares to order men to rape my wife, doesn't deserve to live. I've already killed all the members of the Leopard Gang. And now..." Davin stood up, approaching the terrified Kevin. "...you will join them."
Kevin's face contorted in absolute terror. "No... no, Davin! My grandmother is very powerful. She will find a flaw in your plan—"
"Quiet!" Davin barked, his voice echoing in the confined van. "The Santosa family? They are just ants beneath my feet. I am the heir of the Tanjaya family in the capital. My family's power and wealth make the Santosa Group look like a child's toy."
This revelation stunned Kevin. "The Tanjaya family? In the capital?" It was a legendary name, a business empire that even his own grandmother held in high esteem.
Was it true? That the "pauper" son-in-law he had humiliated for 3 years was actually a prince from the most feared and respected dynasty in the country?
Davin gave him no more time. With a swift, trained motion too fast for Kevin's eyes to follow, his strong hands grabbed Kevin's neck. There was a short, horrific crack!.
Kevin Santosa died instantly, his eyes still wide with fear and disbelief.
Davin released his grip, and Kevin's body slumped limply to the van floor. There was no regret, no hesitation in Davin's eyes.
The threat to Vania had been eliminated forever.
Davin knocked on the partition window. The driver opened it.
Davin looked at Rey's man who was driving.
"Clean this up," he ordered in a flat voice. "And execute the plan as we discussed."
"Yes, boss." The driver stopped the car.
Davin got out of the van, taking a deep breath of the cold night air. His bloody mission for the night was over. But he knew this wasn't the end. He had to return to Vania, and someday, he would have to tell her who he really was.
But for now, what mattered was that Vania was safe. And for that, Davin would do anything, even if it meant becoming the monster feared by the underworld.