Chapter 161: Frank Reduced to Tears by Peggy
Seventeen thousand dollars—
No, one hundred seventy thousand.
That amount was already far beyond what Peggy had expected.
She had originally thought that recovering even a few tens of thousands would be a miracle.
After all, the man in front of her had once been her most prized student—
And he had betrayed her.
There was no way she believed he'd just been sitting on the money all this time.
"Lucky for you, I'm in a good mood today," Peggy said coldly.
After taking the cash from Pitts, she pointed toward a van in the distance.
"See that van over there? Go knock on the door yourself."
At the same time — Lake Michigan
On a yacht floating along the lakeshore—
Nando sat in a chair, a cigar between his fingers.
Steve knelt on the deck before him, blood still fresh at the corner of his mouth.
Not far away, Estefania lay sunbathing, as if none of this concerned her.
"Do you remember what I told you before sending you back to the U.S.?" Nando asked calmly.
Steve hurried to respond:
"I remember! Lay low until Estefania gets her green card!
But this isn't my fault! That guy came to me first!
Barely anyone even knows I'm back in Chicago!"
He was lying through his teeth.
Nando gave a subtle glance to the man beside him.
The next second—
Bam!
A heavy punch slammed into Steve's stomach.
He doubled over, gasping.
"Steve," Nando said slowly, exhaling smoke,
"you don't actually think I don't know what you've been doing, do you?"
"Car theft. Meth. Marijuana. Nightclubs."
"I grew up poor, Steve," Nando continued, voice low but dangerous.
"That's why I want the best for Estefania."
"I've already arranged for her to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology."
"She will become an American."
Then his tone hardened.
"And your only job… was to watch over her and deal with immigration."
"Something that simple—and you still couldn't do it."
Nando pulled out a gun.
Bang!
A pineapple on the table exploded instantly.
Steve flinched violently.
"Listen carefully," Nando said coldly.
"From today onward, Ado will be watching your every move."
"If you steal cars again, or touch drugs—"
"If you jeopardize Estefania becoming a U.S. citizen—"
He lowered the gun slightly.
"This will be your end."
Steve swallowed hard.
"…Then how am I supposed to live?"
For a moment, Nando actually regretted his choice.
What kind of idiot did I pick?
Can Estefania even last until she gets her green card with someone like this?
"Get a job," Nando snapped.
"Like a man."
"You useless piece of trash."
Steve fell silent.
After a moment, he spoke again:
"Oh—right. William Blake asked me to pass along a message."
"He wants to talk to you."
Truthfully, Steve felt exhausted.
After being shaken by William the day before, he had used his contacts at the chop shop to investigate him.
And what he found…
Terrified him.
A man dealing military-grade weapons in the South Side—
And no one dared touch him.
That kind of background…
Was even more dangerous than Nando's.
That was why Steve didn't dare ignore William's message.
He came here personally—to pass it along.
---
Meanwhile — Back on the road
With the money secured, Peggy and Frank began their return trip to Chicago.
Throughout the drive, Frank kept sneaking glances at the small bag in Peggy's arms.
Inside it—
Was the money.
He wanted a share.
Badly.
But facing Peggy's brutality—
Frank didn't have the guts to say it out loud.
"I'm a little tired," Peggy said lazily.
"Wake me when we arrive."
"And listen—don't slam the brakes on the way, or you'll regret it."
Frank nodded weakly.
"…Okay, Mom."
And kept driving.
After a while—
Her breathing steadied.
A faint snore followed.
She had fallen asleep.
Only then did Frank slowly ease off the gas.
Letting the van gradually roll to a stop—
At the side of the road.
Something… was about to happen.
Once the van came to a complete stop, without even the slightest jolt, Frank let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He knew full well—
If Peggy caught him trying to steal the money, the consequences would be severe.
But if he didn't try…
Then he might as well assume he'd already been robbed.
Carefully—painfully carefully—Frank reached out.
Using the gentlest touch possible, he tugged at the zipper of Peggy's bag.
Slowly…
A small opening appeared.
And then—
He saw it.
Stacks of crisp, green bills.
His eyes lit up instantly.
That much money…
Was enough for him to drink, get high, and disappear into oblivion for who knows how long.
His heart pounded wildly.
Too wildly.
In his excitement, his hand slipped—just a little too much.
And then—
He froze.
Peggy's eyes were open.
Staring straight at him.
In that instant, it felt like Frank had fallen into an ice-cold abyss.
"I—I was just worried you might catch a chill," Frank forced out, flashing a shameless grin.
"You believe me, right?"
Peggy didn't say a word.
Instead—
Thud.
A sharp screwdriver plunged straight into Frank's thigh.
"AAAAAAHHHH!! WHAT THE HELL—MOM!!"
The scream tore out of his throat.
The pain was blinding.
Last time William had broken his leg, he hadn't severed the nerves—
Which meant Frank felt every ounce of this agony.
"Shut up!" Peggy snapped.
"Stop screaming like a pussy!"
She yanked the screwdriver out casually.
"That didn't even hit bone. Barely broke the skin. Why are you squealing like a little girl?!"
"Barely broke the skin?!" Frank stared at her in disbelief.
For the nth time in his life, he questioned whether he was even her biological son.
"Shut the fuck up, you worthless piece of trash."
And then—
She stabbed the screwdriver right back into the same wound.
"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHY! And THE SAME SPOT AGAIN?!"
Frank trembled violently, tears pooling in his eyes.
Peggy leaned in, her gaze cold and murderous.
"Frank."
"Next time you even think about my money…"
"I swear I'll dump your body at the bottom of Lake Michigan."
"Got it?"
Frank nodded frantically, voice cracking:
"I got it! I got it! Can you please pull it out?! It hurts like hell!"
This time—
Peggy actually pulled the screwdriver out.
Frank barely had time to feel relief—
Before she drove it straight back in again.
"FUCK!! WHY?! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
Frank was on the verge of breaking down.
Peggy's behavior was completely unpredictable.
And that—
Was exactly why Frank feared her more than anyone else.
His tricks, lies, and smooth talk might work on others.
Might even let him get away with things.
But with Peggy—
None of it worked.
It was as if every single thought in his head…
Was completely transparent to her.