The adrenaline that had kept Eric standing began to drain from his body. His legs trembled, his chest burned, and for a moment he felt he could collapse right there in the middle of the store. The tension built up inside him was overwhelming.
Strong enough to break an ordinary person.
But he was no longer ordinary.
The Midas System had changed everything.
He took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and reminded himself:
I can't fall now.
Elena, beside him, continued staring at the masked men with wide eyes. Slowly, they began removing their balaclavas, revealing faces marked by hard lives — faint scars, cold stares, expressions molded by years of military discipline and controlled violence.
Suddenly, one of them approached.
He was a man around forty, with black hair, deep blue eyes, and a posture so rigid it looked carved from stone. His presence was so intense that Elena stepped back instinctively. Eric had to force himself not to do the same.
"Mr. Santos," the man said with a difficult-to-place accent. "It seems everything went well, but your safety still requires maintenance. Where do you want my men to stay?"
Eric blinked, trying to refocus.
His tiny apartment — full of gold coins — was definitely not the place to host twenty professional mercenaries.
"Stay at a hotel," he replied. "I'll cover it. I'll only need about half of you for now."
The man nodded.
"And the payment?"
Eric pulled out a small pouch filled with gold coins and handed it to him.
"As promised. Untraceable money."
The man paused for several seconds, staring at Eric as if trying to decipher him… or intimidate him. Eric held the gaze, stone-faced.
Finally, the man pocketed the pouch.
"I believe we're done here," Eric said — now with the tone of someone giving orders.
The leader inclined his head in a gesture of respect.
"Did you prepare what I requested?" Eric asked.
"Yes, sir. Two armored cars. One for you. One for the security team."
Elena's jaw nearly hit the floor.
Armored cars? Private security?
Who exactly WAS this man?
She shot Eric a glare that demanded answers.
Eric cleared his throat.
"This is Emir Kaya," he said. "One of the leaders of the Black Falcons."
Emir extended his hand toward Elena — a large, cold, calloused hand.
She hesitated, then took it.
"I-I'm Elena Lin," she said, trying to regain composure.
Emir gestured for only two men to remain; the others began leaving in absolute silence.
"Come on," Eric said to Elena. "I'll take you home."
She walked beside him still in shock. Eric looked confident on the outside, but inside he was as lost as she was. The weight of what he had just done was only beginning to settle onto his shoulders.
"A-and that place?" Elena asked, glancing back at the market where everything had unfolded.
"I already asked Lúcia to put it up for sale," Eric said, as if discussing something trivial.
Elena frowned slightly upon hearing the lawyer's name.
That blonde woman… something about her bothered Elena deeply.
As they walked, Elena thought about her father. About how hard he had fought to save the pawnshop. About the desperation that drove him into the hands of loan sharks. She thought of her mother. Of grief.
Of everything collapsing.
And she thought of that strange man — an exhausted young guy with a black shirt and tired eyes — who had shown up in her life at one of her worst moments, when two thugs were destroying her store and she was on her knees begging.
Who would have thought that this man would save her life?
Pay her debt?
Protect her like this?
It was hard to believe, but… she was finally free.
They left the store while the mercenaries lowered the metal shutter.
Outside, two black armored cars pulled up.
Luxurious. Imposing.
Eric couldn't hide the flicker of excitement in his eyes. It felt surreal. He had never imagined living something like this.
Before getting in, Elena stopped.
"What is it?" Eric asked, concerned.
The young woman lowered her gaze.
Her lips trembled slightly.
"T-Thank you," she said.
Simple. Sincere.
And enough to make Eric smile — not the calculated smile he'd worn with the loan sharks, but a real one.
Elena's face turned bright red instantly.
Out of embarrassment and confusion, she hurried into the car before she said something foolish.
Eric smiled again and entered the vehicle beside her.
The car drove off.
Across the street, leaning in the shadow of a building, the six loan sharks who had left earlier watched everything — the cars, the men, Eric, Elena.
And their eyes carried not only hatred.
They carried vengeance.