One word that could describe the whole situation in that warehouse was… no, there was not even a word that could capture the horror that was happening, the horror as Jimmy pulled the man 's head back and cut his throat, then like before he let the blood pour out… no, it was spraying out as he cut the arteries, spraying into the ground like.

And Jimmy didn't stop as he let the dead man fall into his own blood and then stepped behind the next person in line.

Jimmy did the same thing again, grabbing this hair so hard their neck snapped back, and he dragged the blade across their throat and let the blood spray out.

It was pure horror, and the smell of blood was so strong it burned in everyone's noses; they couldn't breathe anything else but the iron and blood, and it didn't just scare them, it pushed something into their minds, something that would never go away, showing them the truth, showing them what the family really was, what the family did to people, and what happened to anyone… absolutely anyone who dared to go against them.

That horror didn't just scare them, it broke them, it broke their mind, their thoughts falling apart one by one as they watched this nightmare keep going with no sign of stopping, and this fear made some of them shake so badly they couldn't stand straight, while others just stared with empty eyes because their mind already gave up, already shut down, already left their body behind.

Some people screamed, some couldn't scream at all, some fell to the ground whispering for help that would never come, and others simply froze, their mind gone, because what they saw was too much, too heavy, too real.

And still Jimmy didn't stop and as gruesome and horrifying as it was… it had something funny in it… funny in a terrifying way.

They joined a family, some for hope, to build their future, some to finally have worth as a human, and some joined it just for the pure meaning of the mafia, to be ruthless… and they were not the last ones.

All of them joined the family as if it was some fucking charity organization, like a place where you just walk in, sit down, and suddenly all your problems disappear, and it almost made you laugh how they acted, because they stood around with calm faces, thinking that just because they had suffered before, they now somehow deserved every good thing for free, and the family, of course, gave them exactly that, money, house, food, and protection so strong they believed no one could ever touch them again, and they took all of it without stopping, without thinking, without even asking themselves why a place like this would give all that without wanting something far, far bigger in return.

And the truly funny part…. they saw mountains of drugs stacked to the ceiling, yet they didn't move, didn't panic, didn't question a single thing, because in their head everything was still fine, everything was still normal, and they didn't stop to think that these things alone were enough to ruin their entire life forever if they got caught even standing near them.

Not one of them thought, "Maybe this is dangerous," or "Maybe I should leave," or even something small like "Maybe this is too muhcl," because their mind was too busy feeling safe, too busy enjoying the free comfort, too busy laughing and relaxing and believing that this strange, powerful world they stepped into was going to treat them kindly forever, when in reality the family wasn't a charity, wasn't a warm home, wasn't some friendly helping hand, but a world built on blood, on fear, on power, and on chains that lock tighter and tighter the longer you stay.

Yet they kept telling themselves that everything was fine, that they were lucky, that they had finally found a place where people took care of them without asking anything back, and never, never for even one second did they think about the real cost, never did they ask what the family truly was, never did they look into the future, the danger waiting, the moment when all the free things, all the safety, all the comfort would turn around and show its true face.

Greed?

Maybe, because maybe that was the real truth behind all of it, that deep inside them they didn't join because they wanted family or protection or some warm place to belong, but because they wanted more, always more, more than what life ever gave them, more than what they ever worked for, more than what they ever deserved, and the moment the family opened its doors and showed them easy money they grabbed it without thinking twice, without asking a single question, because greed is telling you that you finally found a place where you will never have to struggle again, never have to worry again, never have to fight for anything again.

Though in its own way, James's plan worked in a way he never even thought about.

He wanted to become like that gangster everyone loved in his block, and he did become a kind of hope for many people… but those same people, the ones who realized that this was more than a family, that this was an organization that kills, that was the moment when he picked the right ones.

It was obvious they couldn't let just anyone in, because when people realize what the family truly is, half of them will be the ones kneeling in front of Hector, and the other half will be the trusted ones, the people who know the truth and still stay.

The news of how many people were executed for betraying the family will spread… people will flee, or the ones who truly belong to the family will understand that it protects those it builds upon, anyone who stays loyal is safe, but anyone who steps out of line pays the price.

That fear and respect will keep the rest in check without a single word needing to be spoken.

"Maria, Maria, Maria… would you like to speak the truth or no?" Hector asked and looked at her, but maybe… just maybe it was a bit too much.

Like, it's one thing that Hector is not even fazed by the blood and seeing people getting executed, but it is another thing for a concept civilian seeing it and just trying to process it.

She didn't scream, didn't vomit, didn't even move… she completely shut down, she wasn't moving, wasn't blinking, she was just staring ahead, with her eyes just weirdly open… it was simple, her mind was trying to comprehend all of it.

Trying to comprehend her friend being executed like animals, trying to comprehend how bad she fucked up when she joined the family, trying to realize that because of her, who actually gathered the people, now they were all dying in a row in the worst way possible.

Yeah, her mind was just trying to make sense, trying to process… but it wasn't capable of doing so… it just shut down.

Her mind, her body, just shut down because it was better than understanding it.