"Oh my god, oh my god, my baby, what happened to you?" Monica rushed into Jimmy's room, where he was lying on the bed, his brother Mark at his side, while the family doctor attended to his injuries.
She froze as she stood next to him, her eyes widening at the full extent of his injuries. His face was horribly battered—it was a miracle they could still recognize him.
Tears welled up, but Monica blinked them back, turning to look at Mark.
"Who did this to him?"
Mark glanced at the doctor. His silence spoke volumes, signaling that he couldn't disclose anything while the doctor was still in the room. Monica took a deep breath, nodded, and wiped her eyes. She returned her gaze to Jimmy, unable to look away from her broken son.
When the doctor finished, he gave Monica a solemn look. "Your son is stable for now, but the injuries are severe. He'll need constant care and rest."
Monica nodded absently, her gaze still locked on Jimmy's battered face. A heavy weight settled in her chest. "Thank you, Doctor," she whispered, her voice trembling.
The doctor gave a curt nod before quietly exiting the room, leaving Monica and Mark alone with Jimmy. The silence that followed was suffocating. Monica reached out, brushing a lock of hair from Jimmy's forehead, her heart breaking at the sight of him—so fragile, so broken.
Finally, she spoke, her voice calm but laced with fury. "Mark, who did this to him?"
Mark stood, staring at his brother for a long moment before turning away and pacing the room.
"Who else could have done this, Mom?" he growled. "If it wasn't the Blackwoods, it's their son. Jimmy went to confront him after the casino burned down, and then he was found like this, left on the road like trash."
Monica's lips trembled as she nodded, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on Jimmy's hand. "The Blackwoods. Donald burned down my casino, and I didn't retaliate, but now he has the audacity to touch my son," she said slowly, her body trembling with suppressed rage.
"We need to do something, Mom. We've lost one of our most profitable casinos, and now some people are even too scared to go to the others," Mark said, turning to punch the wall twice.
"Donald and his stupid son must pay," he continued, his voice thick with anger. "That pampered little brat thinks he can waltz in, steal our money-maker, and act however he likes. We can't let him get away with it."
Monica stayed silent, her brow furrowed as her mind raced.
"…But Donald wouldn't go this far," she murmured, almost to herself. "He wouldn't hurt Jimmy. He'd threaten me, maybe make demands, but this—this isn't his doing."
Mark turned sharply toward her. "Can you hear yourself, Mom? Who else would do this? Most of the people we owe, we've already paid off. The others wouldn't dare. It's got to be the Blackwoods. You told us yourself that Donald threatened you. That's why you let Genesis be with his son. So it must be him."
Monica's eyes widened with realization. She jumped up from her seat. "Exactly. I haven't done anything to Genesis—except…" Her words trailed off as the truth hit her. Mark saw the shift and narrowed his eyes.
"What's going on, Ma?"
"The day I went to meet that little wench," she started, her voice growing colder, "I hit her. I should've known she'd bruise easily. It wouldn't be easy to hide."
Mark scowled. "But she could've just made something up. They wouldn't have known unless…" He trailed off, finishing her thought.
"…She told them."
Mark's face turned crimson with rage. "That little bitch! Who does she think she is? Just because she's part of their family, she's forgotten where she came from. How could she do this to us?"
Monica shook her head, frustration building. "Something doesn't add up. If Genesis told them I hit her, that's why Donald wanted to see me. He was probably going to ask why I hit her. So, if he wasn't the one behind the casino attack, or what happened to Jimmy…"
Mark's eyes widened as realization hit. "Then who did it?"
Monica was silent for a moment, piecing it together. "It must have been his son. Jimmy went to confront him at his office. He must've known or had reason to blame him for the fire, so he decided to attack Jimmy."
Mark's fists clenched. "That pampered little rich boy, huh?" he scoffed, his voice laced with disdain. "That brat thinks he can do whatever he wants because of his daddy's name. Well, he's going to learn we don't take this kind of shit lying down."
Monica exhaled slowly, her mind now clear and focused. "Kieran," she muttered under her breath. "He's the one. That spoiled kid decided to lash out." Her eyes narrowed, her voice hardening with resolve. "We can't let him get away with this. He has to pay."
Mark nodded fiercely, his gaze hardening. "We take him down. Not just for what he did to Jimmy, but for everything. He thinks he's untouchable, but we'll show him just how wrong he is."
Monica's eyes flickered to her son, her expression hardening with resolve. "No one touches my family without paying the price. Kieran will suffer for what he's done, but we have to be smart. We can't rush into this. We need to plan our every move."
Mark clenched his jaw, his face burning with rage, yet understanding the gravity of the situation. "So, what's the plan?"
Monica inhaled deeply, her eyes never leaving Jimmy's battered form. "We begin by gathering intel on Kieran—where he's been, who he's been associating with, and whether he's involved in anything we can use against him. We need leverage, something that'll bring him down."
Mark's mind started racing through the options, his fingers twitching with anticipation. "We could exploit his connections, his weaknesses—anything that'll hit him where it hurts."
"Exactly," Monica said, her voice calm but dripping with lethal intent. "Once we have him cornered, we strike.
No second chances. He'll regret ever laying a hand on my son."