All Chapters of BORN TO BE A MAN,FORCED TO BE A GANGSTER : Chapter 11
- Chapter 20
49 chapters
Chapter 11
SCARS DON'T LIE Griffin sat in his office, watching the door as Selena entered. She looked rough, with a split lip and torn shirt, but her eyes still sparkled with defiance. Griffin leaned back in his chair, smoking a cigarette. "You're still standing," he said, his voice neutral. Selena walked in, her limp noticeable, but she didn't back down. "Wasn't that the point of your little test?" she shot back. Griffin's gaze hardened. "That wasn't a game. That was a taste of the world you're trying to be part of. And from what I've heard, you made a mess of the Red Vultures." Selena met his stare without flinching. Griffin studied her, his eyes lingering on her bruises. "Scars don't lie," he said, his voice low. "You bleed and keep moving. That means something." Selena's jaw clenched. "Stop testing me. Either I'm in, or I'm out." Griffin crushed his cigarette and stood up, circling around her. "Surviving one fight doesn't make you one of us," he said. "Now comes the real test. Can you
CHAPTER 12
SECRET OBSERVERS Griffin stood at his office window, smoking a cigarette and looking out over the city. His three trusted men waited behind him. "You saw her last night," Griffin said. "She survived." Rocco, one of the men, shrugged. "She's tough, but toughness doesn't mean loyalty." Griffin nodded. "I need to know if she'll break under pressure." He told his men to watch Selena closely, monitoring every move she made. "If she does anything wrong, I'll know," he said. The men exchanged glances, understanding the stakes. Rocco asked, "What if she passes the test?" Griffin's jaw tightened before he answered. "Then maybe she's worth more than I thought." After dismissing his men, Griffin returned to the window, watching the city below. Selena was navigating his test, unaware of what lay ahead. Griffin's eyes narrowed, his mind fixed on one thing: Selena would either rise to the challenge or fall. As he watched the city, Griffin knew one thing for sure – he would be waiting to se
CHAPTER 13
OBEDIENCE TEST Selena walked quickly through the streets, feeling like she was being watched. She heard footsteps matching her pace and ducked into an alley, waiting for the figure to follow. But it didn't, and she realized she was being herded towards dead ends. Griffin's men were tracking her movements, waiting for the right moment to act. Selena spotted one of them in a pawn shop window and pretended not to notice, buying apples from a vendor instead. Griffin watched Selena's every move from his office, impressed that she hadn't broken yet. "Let her think she's free," he said to himself. "A cornered wolf fights harder." Selena returned to her apartment, locked the door, and set her blade on the table. She was tired but determined, whispering to herself, "If he wants a war, I'll give him one." Unbeknownst to her, Griffin had already tightened his grip, watching her every move. The game had just begun, and Selena was walking right into his trap Selena walked quickly throu
CHAPTER 14
LOYALTY'S EDGE Selena was taken by Griffin's men to an abandoned warehouse. They stood her in front of Griffin, who sat calmly with a glass of whiskey in his hand. Five other men stood behind him, their eyes cold and unreadable. Selena folded her arms and said, "You could've just sent an invitation." Griffin smiled slightly, replying, "Invitations are for people I trust." The atmosphere was tense, and Selena's stomach clenched, but she stood her ground, meeting Griffin's gaze. Griffin rose slowly, his presence filling the room like smoke. He circled her, boots heavy against the concrete floor. “You’ve been pacing at night. Watching windows. Whispering to yourself,” he said, his voice low and cutting. Selena froze. He knew. He had been closer than she thought. “You think paranoia makes you safe,” Griffin continued, stopping behind her. “But paranoia without loyalty? That’s weakness. And weakness is poison.” One of his men dragged a metal chair into the center of the floor. The
CHAPTER 15
BREAKING POINT Selena knelt in the courtyard, her body trembling with pain and exhaustion. The moon cast a faint glow, but it only seemed to deepen the shadows around her. Griffin's men had pushed her to the limit, their relentless training and brutal tactics leaving her battered and bruised. Their whispers – "She won't make it," "The boss will drop her after the test" – echoed in her mind, sowing seeds of doubt. For a moment, Selena felt like giving up. The weight of her struggles, the pain, and the fear seemed too much to bear. She wondered if she was strong enough to survive in Griffin's world, where toughness was the only currency that mattered. But when Griffin appeared at the far end of the courtyard, his presence seemed to command the air around him. His cold gaze swept over her, and his harsh words cut deep into her psyche. "If you fall here, you were never meant to stand with me," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. Selena's eyes welled up with tears, and her throat
CHAPTER 16
THE CONTRACT TEST : The next morning, Selena was summoned to the mansion's courtyard before dawn. The air was thick with tension. Griffin stood there, smoking a cigarette, his expression calm but cold. "You're ready," he said. "Today decides if you stay or disappear." Selena knew what he meant. The Contract Test. A mission to prove her loyalty or expose her weakness. No one had ever passed it clean. Griffin gave her a paper with a location and a task. "Get the shipment codes and come back alive," he said. Selena's heart was racing, but she didn't show it. She knew the risks. If she failed, she'd be gone. She snuck into the warehouse, avoiding guards and security lights. The air was thick with the smell of gun oil and sweat. She found the computer and started working on it when she heard voices. "...she won't last ten minutes," one man said. "Griffin is just cleaning house." Selena's chest tightened. This was a setup. She pushed forward, but it was too late. The men surr
CHAPTER 17
SILENT TRIGGERS Selena was investigating a mysterious message when she was called to Griffin's mansion. When she arrived,the atmosphere was tense. Men were whispering in corners, some bleeding, others silent. Griffin stood in the main hall, his eyes colder than usual. He showed her photos of dead men with his crest on the wall. "Who did this?" he asked, his voice flat. Selena's eyes widened as she realized the implications. Griffin thought she was behind it. "I didn't do it," she said, her voice firm. Griffin's gaze was intense, but she held her ground. He asked her to prove her innocence, and Selena knew she had to work fast. She go deeper into the evidence, following a trail of digital breadcrumbs. Hours later, she found a video that implicated one of Griffin's senior men, Vince. She knew she had to be careful, but she couldn't let Vince get away with it. She confronted Griffin with the evidence, and he was furious. "Show me," he growled, his eyes blazing with anger. Selen
CHAPTER 18
THE FRAME The city never stopped. It just changed who was chasing and who was running. Selena walked through the narrow streets, her hood low, a gun at her side. Griffin had told her, “Tomorrow, we hunt.” But she wasn’t sure who the hunter was anymore. Her job was simple: find the Red Vultures’ messenger, get the drop point, and come back. But she felt like someone was watching her before she reached the alley. She turned left without looking back. Three men followed quietly. She stopped by a broken vending machine. “You’ve been following me for two blocks. Kill me or talk.” A tall man with neck tattoos stepped out. “You’re tough. No wonder Griffin likes you.” “Trying to scare me?” “No, to impress you.” The others circled her. “You’re wasting your skills with that ghost. Join us. You’ll have power, money, freedom.” Selena frowned. “Freedom doesn’t come from people like you.” He smiled. “Then maybe you’d rather die for him?” One man attacked with a knife. Sel
CHAPTER 19
SHADOWS DONT SLEEP The night after the rescue, the city was quieter than usual. But for Griffin, silence was never peace it was a warning. Selena tried to rest, but her body hurt and her mind kept thinking about the moment she was saved. The man in the dark had no face she could see, but the way he moved and spoke stayed with her. She didn’t know it was Griffin, and he planned to keep it that way. Griffin stayed in his room, smoking a cigarette. He told himself he saved her because she was useful. But when he saw the blood on his sleeve her blood he didn’t believe that excuse. Outside the mansion, someone was watching. Rico, one of Griffin’s men, had followed him that night. He saw everything: how Griffin went alone, fought like crazy, and cut Selena loose himself. Rico had worked with Griffin a long time, and even he knew this was unusual. Griffin never risked his life for anyone—not for men, money, or women. In their world, that kind of feeling was dangerous. If others fo
CHAPTER 20
THE SILENCES PROTECTOR The night sky glowed red with smoke, the city bleeding flames as Griffin's men rushed in, Trying to stop the fire ,shouting ,sweating and working hard But Selena wasn’t there. She was at the edge of the docks when the explosion hit. It threw her hard against a metal box. Her ears rang, her sight was blurry. Everything smelled like fire and salt. She crawled, coughing, holding her side where shrapnel cut her coat. “Rico…” she whispered weakly. “You bastard” Her vision blurred again, and she saw men wearing masks and serpent tattoos. They had guns. Selena forced herself up and limped behind cover. She heard them laughing and looking for her. “Check the corners,” a man barked. “Griffin’s girl is here.” Selena held her breath, her heart pounding loud. She took a rusty nail from her pocket the only weapon left. When the first man passed by, she stabbed him in the thigh and grabbed his gun before he could yell. She fired two shots, downing two men.