Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss-Chapter 24: Forever.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

His hands started sweating, his breathing went shallow,too fast.

Shit, this is bad. This is really bad.

His pulse pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else.

Every second that passed felt like a knot tightening around his neck.

Calm down. Act normal. Just don't fucking freeze up.

But his body wasn't listening.

His heart slammed against his ribs, desperate to break free. And then—

Warmth. A small touch cutting through the storm. Hands, tiny but steady, pressing against his cheeks.

Charlotte didn't understand the weight crushing him, the panic suffocating him...but maybe that's why her touch worked.

She wasn't scared, wasn't overthinking. She was just there.

Her tiny hands pressed against his cheeks.

James just stared into her eyes.

Big. Round. Innocent.

Her tiny hands held his face. "Calm down."

He sucked in a breath, but it was too fast, too sharp. His vision blurred at the edges. He felt like he was drowning in the open air.

Charlotte frowned, tilting her head. "Why are you breathing like that? You look silly."

She blinked up at him, then suddenly puffed out her cheeks like a balloon. She held it for a second, then blew the air out in a long, exaggerated whooosh.

"Like this." She said, and she did it again. Slowly. Deliberately. Her tiny hands still cupping his face, her expression nothing but pure focus.

James pulse was still hammering, his thoughts still a tangled, frantic mess. But she wasn't letting go. Wasn't looking away. Just breathing.

"Come on." She urged, tapping his cheek. "Breathe like me."

James tried.

The first inhale was too shaky.

Charlotte huffed. "No, no, like this." She did it again, exaggerating the motion. In. Out.

In. Hold. Out.

Still too fast.

Again.

Again.

Slowly, barely the tightness in his chest started to ease. Not gone. Not even close. But something in the way Charlotte kept going, completely unbothered, made it harder to stay stuck in his head.

After a moment, she grinned. "See? Not so hard!"

She smiled but the moment they had not lasted long.

A loud, ear-piercing screech tore through the street, the sound of brakes grinding hard against the road.

James barely had time to register it before two cars sped through the gates, doors flew open.

Ferucci was the first to step out, moving fast, his expression unreadable. Hector followed right behind, his sharp gaze locking onto James.

James tensed, his body still buzzing from the panic that had just barely begun to fade.

"Go inside, okay?" James said his voice was firm but not harsh as she put down Charlotte.

She looked up at him, her tiny hands curled into fists.

She wasn't stupid.

Something was happening. Something big.

Big enough to shake James—the Angel of Death.

No, no. Not that. He wasn't that. He was just James.

"Okay." She said. But before turning away, she looked at James one more time, her voice quieter but unwavering. "If I can help, I'm here."

Then she spun on her heel and ran inside.

James exhaled slowly, his shoulders tightening as he turned back to Ferucci.

The moment of calm was gone.

And whatever was coming next—it wasn't going to be good and it was worse than Jmaes thought.

"So, she's his daughter?" Hector asked.

James exhaled harshly, raking a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Fuck....what are the chances they're going to come after her?"

"She's the last Augustus, which means she owns everything." Ferucci said, lighting a cigarette. "Millions worth of houses, land, cars... and who the hell knows how much cash stashed away somewhere."

"I only saw the news, who died exactly?"

Hector sank onto the couch with a heavy sigh. "Every top dog, Vallen, Marius, Daniel. Everyone with power in the family."

James let that sink in. It wasn't just a hit. It was a purge. "This was a message, wasn't it?"

Ferucci exhaled smoke through his nose. "Yeah. And they made sure everyone saw it. Bodies on the news, no censorship. Even CCTV footage of Lucian getting stabbed." He spat onto the floor.

Stabbed in maximum security.

"We need to act," Hector said, standing up. " He ran ten percent of the drug trade. Now that is up for grabs, and the sharks would come fast.

"No." James voice was firm, unshakable.

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Hector frowned. "No?"

"If we step in, it's going to be a bloodbath."

Ferucci flicked ash from his cigarette. "So we do nothing?"

"The ISB is in the city, I met one of the agent yesterday."

Hector's eyes widened. "You what?"

"Not exactly 'met.'" James expression remained unreadable. "Traffic stop. Fake cop."

Ferucci and Hector exchanged a look.

"Where the hell was Hans?" Hector asked.

"I sent him on a mission." James kept his tone even.

No way I'm telling them Sophia joined my fanclub.

Ferucci let out a slow breath. "But why kill Lucian? He wasn't what he used to be."

"He still had government officials in his pocket."

"So there's the option, NSBI or the ISB." Hector looked at James "But the problem right now is the kid."

"The heir is in your care." Ferucci said, stomping his cigarette.

James nodded. "What the hell do I do with her? Her grandfather overseas probably doesn't even know what's happening."

Hector scoffed. "Well, Lucian's dead. Someone's gotta bury him."

James let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, right. Almost forgot."

"So... we just sit back?" Ferucci asked, his voice edged with frustration.

"Not exactly," James said. "Call everyone we have in our pocket. See if anyone knows what the hell is going on. We need clues."

Ferucci nodded, already pulling out his phone.

"In the meantime," James continued, "I'll take care of Charlotte."

"You need more security," Hector said, his tone firm. "At least another car following you. If the ISB or the NSBI had a hand in this, they didn't just want Lucian dead."

"Yeah, I agree. And double the security around the house too. Don't let Mom or Rafael go out." He said and turned around and stepped inside the house, where his mother was playing with Charlotte.

"What do you want to do, Princess?" He asked with a smile.

"Date!" Charlotte declared, staring straight at him.

James blinked. "You want me to take you on a date?"

"Yeah..." She mumbled, blushing.

A date... on the same day your father was stabbed to death? That's going to be ruthless...

But he forced a grin and ruffled her hair. "Okay, let's go." He grabbed her arm gently, ready to take her out.

"Wait, James..." His mother's voice stopped him.

He turned. "Yes, Mom?"

She glanced at Charlotte, then back at James, hesitating. "Uh... did you have a hand in... you know?"

James didn't even flinch. "No."

His mother let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging.

As they stepped outside, two black SUVs were already waiting for them. Guards stood beside the vehicles, their hands resting on automatic rifles.

James frowned. "Uh, Hector... isn't this a bit much?"

"Don't worry." Hector said, unfazed. "They're legal—licensed to carry, fully certified."

James sighed, glancing at Charlotte, who was looking up at the heavily armed men with wide, curious eyes.

"Princess, you're about to have the safest date of your life."

Charlotte beamed. "Yeah, I am." she said proudly before climbing into the car.

Outside, the guards moved with precision, securing the perimeter before the SUVs pulled away from the house.

"Fancy restaurant or something else? What do you want?" James asked.

"Fancy one." Charlotte answered without hesitation.

James smirked. "Alright. Go to Helios," he instructed the driver, who nodded and pulled onto the road.

When they arrived, it was something else entirely.

The two black SUVs pulled up in front of a high-end restaurant with a sprawling terrace.

The moment they stopped, heavily armed guards stepped out first, scanning the area before opening the door for James and Charlotte.

A long line stretched outside, filled with morning diners dressed like celebrities, their outfits screaming wealth and status.

As James and Charlotte walked past them, whispers started. Eyes lingered.

"Welcome back, James." One of the waiters greeted, stepping forward with a polished smile.

"Hello," James said casually. "Can I get a table for two?"

"Of course you can. Please follow me," The waiter said, leading them inside without hesitation.

Helios was a fancy restaurant—an expensive one.

But James didn't just dine here; he had money invested in it, or at least that's what Hector did.

Wealthy people loved to "sniff", and a high-end restaurant was the perfect place to get certain products flowing into the right hands. Influence, deals, and power were exchanged over wine glasses and gourmet meals.

And right now, James was walking in with the last heir of the Augustus empire.

As they sat down, Charlotte felt the weight of countless eyes on them. The hushed whispers drifting through the restaurant made her frown in confusion.

"Why don't they know who you are?" She asked, locking eyes with James.

He raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"You're the underworld king, and it seems like they don't know."

James chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "You know, Bella seems like she's doing nothing—like she's still sleeping, right?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yes?"

James smirked. "Bella controls the media. The writers. She makes sure my name doesn't get mentioned. If something about me does slip through, she buries it before it spreads. She usually works at night... when she's not harassing me, that is."

"But she can't stop everything..." Charlotte pointed out.

James smirked. "She doesn't waste time chasing every little rumor online—that's impossible. But the big news corporations? The ones that actually influence important people? That's where she has her grip."

Charlotte leaned back, thinking. "So, as long as she controls the major outlets, even if people talk online, it never really becomes real news?"

James nodded. "Now you're getting it, Princess."

This girl...Lucian's blood is already showing.

A waiter approached, pen and notepad ready. "What would you like to eat?"

James glanced at the menu briefly before ordering. "A medium-well steak, a potato salad, and water."

The waiter nodded, then turned to Charlotte. "And for you, miss?"

"Same." She said without hesitation.

"Since it's a date, we need to get to know each other better, don't we?" James said, resting his chin on his hand.

Charlotte nodded eagerly. "What's your favorite color?" she asked.

"Beige." James answered without much thought. "Yours?"

"Beige." She repeated instantly.

James blinked. "Beige?"

She nodded again.

He stared at her for a moment before sighing. Why is she like a parrot...?

I need to ask about her grandparents, but how should I...

Before James could figure out a way to bring it up, Charlotte spoke first.

"Where is your dad?" She asked, tilting her head.

James blinked. "My dad?"

"Yeah, I didn't see him in the house yesterday or today."

He leaned back, exhaling. "He went for milk."

Charlotte frowned. "Milk?"

"Yeah... and he hasn't come back yet."

She stared at him, processing his words. "When will he?"

James smirked, but there was no humor in it. "Probably when he finds out I'm worth a lot of money."

Charlotte froze for a moment, completely still.

"Why don't you just say that he left?" She asked quietly.

James sighed. "Because you're a child, and that's why."

"You don't need to say it like that. I know what it means..." Charlotte huffed, rolling her eyes.

"What about your grandparents?" He asked, watching her reaction carefully.

"My grandparents?" Charlotte repeated, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Yeah." He said keeping his tone casual, though his eyes stayed sharp, watching her closely.

"They're already buried." Charlotte said.

James choked on his water, coughing hard. "What... did you just say?" He stared at her, his grip tightening around the glass.

"They died." She repeated calmly.

James felt his mind racing. "Wait... when Vallen told you that your grandpa would come back, and you just said 'okay'—"

"They told me I had to say that." Charlotte admitted, her voice steady but quiet. "And if you ever asked, I was supposed to lie and say I had a grandpa."

James felt his chest tighten, his pulse hammering in his ears. His mind scrambled for any other possibility any way this wasn't what it sounded like.

No. No. No.

Lucian...no fucking way. No fucking way you did this to me.

You fucking knew.

Lucian, you bastard. No. No. No.

James thoughts spiraled, his chest tightening with every realization.

If her grandfather was already dead... that meant there was no backup. No safety net. No one left.

You chose me to raise her?

No. There's no way. It's all just a big lie...

Don't panic, James. Don't fucking panic.

His mind screamed at him to fix this, to find another way—but there wasn't one.

Lucian, you son of a bitch...

"You're doing that weird face again." Charlotte's voice cut through the chaos in his head.

James blinked, snapping back to reality. His breathing was still too fast, his hands still unsteady, but the weight of her stare anchored him.

"Yeah... sorry. Just thinking."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "Thinking too hard."

James let out a short, shaky laugh. "Maybe."

Think...think...think...think—

"I know he died or at least I assume from your reaction earlier and now..." She said with a shaky voice, looking down. "He told me he was going to die... and that he would find someone to take care of me... and it's you, James." She looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

James froze again, his mouth agape as he stared at her. She said it so easily.

"What do you mean he knew? What did he say, Charlotte? Who was after him, who—"

"I want to know what happens next!" Her voice shattered the calmness of the restaurant. "Are you going to throw me away?"

James breath slowed as he looked into her eyes, eyes that reflected everything she felt, her broken soul laid bare.

"There's an orphanage that..."

Her sniffles and quick, uneven breaths stopped him. Stopped him from saying anything else.

Don't think about it, James. You have no relation to her. She's Lucian's daughter. Don't think about it.

She was waiting. Hoping.

He could see it—the fear of being abandoned, the silent plea hidden behind her trembling lips.

His thoughts screamed at him to walk away. She's Lucian's daughter. She's not your problem. Don't do this, James.

"How about...you stay with me instead?" He said it, he said what his heart told to say.

Because this child only cared about love, love that she never felt, love that she never got.

She didn't want money, influence, or people to fear her.

Just a child, borned into one of the bloodiest families and now she was alone.

Charlotte's eyes widened, her tear-filled gaze snapping up to meet James. For a moment, she just stared at him, like she couldn't quite believe what he'd just said.

"Forever?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, raw and fragile, like she was scared the answer would change if she spoke too loudly.

James sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, princess...forever."

A shaky breath left her, and before James could react, Charlotte threw herself forward knocking over the silverware and the glasses of the table, wrapping her arms around him.

The dam holding back her emotions finally broke, and quiet sobs muffled against his shirt.

James stiffened at first, not used to this kind of thing, but after a second, his hand came up to rest on the back of her head.

"We are family now."

Charlotte nodded against him, holding on as if she was afraid he'd take it back.