The Double or more Life of the Fake Heiress (Mirabella)

The Shepherd family had their hands in many businesses, but their real game was arms dealing.

The group that showed up tonight didn't flash any guns, which meant they weren't here to fight but to provoke, to send a message.

Curtis smirked, feeling sorry for them. They picked the wrong people to mess with. If the Shepherd family were that easy to scare off, they'd have been wiped out of

Riverdale ages ago.

James, who'd been quiet for a while, finally spoke up, "Tomorrow, deliver that batch of weapons to Sam."

Curtis's eyes widened in shock, "Is that really a good idea?"

Sure, shifting the heat somewhere else could save them a headache.

But it would definitely put Sam in a tight spot.

James leaned back on the sofa, his voice lazy, "Aren't we citizens of this country, entitled to protection?"noveldrama

Curtis's lips twitched, "But he's your uncle."

James shot Curtis a look that said he was stating the obvious.

Curtis touched his nose, realizing just how ruthless James had become, not even sparing his own uncle.

"Alright then, I'll handle it tomorrow," Curtis conceded.

"Good," James replied curtly.

Then Curtis remembered something, "Oh, James, that portable pistol you put together the other day, the designer's a genius. It's way more powerful than the K9."

He'd seen its power firsthand when he delivered it to James, and the memory still blew his mind.

James's handsome face showed no surprise; he knew what the weapon was capable of even as he assembled it. No one understood weapon manufacturing better than him.

"If we could mass-produce it..." Curtis began but was cut off.

"Don't even think about it. It's not happening," James said flatly.

Curtis paused, "Why not?"

James's eyes were elsewhere, not on him. After a moment, he explained, "The cost is too high, and some components are made from special materials. You think that kind of power comes cheap?"

Curtis didn't know much about the materials used in guns, but seeing James's serious expression, he understood the difficulty. Plus, without a proper design, replication wasn't easy.

Curtis sighed, "That's a shame."

"A weapon like that goes against nature. Mass production would throw the world into chaos," James added.

Curtis thought it over, finding deep meaning in his words. Powerful weapons could easily upset the balance and potentially bring disaster.

James said no more, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, clearly exhausted.

Sensing it was time to go, Curtis left without another word.

**

Elsewhere.

Austin had just walked into his mansion, leisurely changing into his slippers. With the housekeeper off for the day and his wife abroad with their son for his studies, he had the whole place to himself.

In his forties, Austin still looked youthful, a trait that ran strong in the Cunningham family. He shared some resemblance with Delilah, both having chiseled features.

He headed to the bar, grabbed a bottle of champagne from the shelf, and poured himself half a glass.