The Rise Of Karion Kross: I'm Now A Billionaire

002

Chapter 002

Karion’s POV:

I blinked multiple times as the sting of the champagne in my eyes refused to fade. It burned like acid, crawling deep into my sockets, making tears pour out uncontrollably.

“Fuck…” The word left my mouth in a broken whisper.

The room felt like it was tilting, like I was standing on a moving ship instead of solid ground.

I scratched my eyes instinctively, my fingers shaking, even though it only made the pain worse.

Slowly, painfully, my vision began to return. The blur faded bit by bit, shapes forming back into place

And the first thing I saw clearly was Jubril.

“So you think you can put your hands on me and just get away with it, huh?” Jubril said coldly.

He was already half dressed, slipping into his trousers like nothing significant had just happened. One hand held his phone as his fingers moved rapidly across the screen, typing, while the other casually adjusted his belt. He didn’t even look at me when he spoke, like I was something beneath his attention.

“You’re going to learn the hard way tonight.”

The sharpness in his voice made my chest tighten.

As the sting in my eyes reduced, something else took its place—anger. Hot. Burning. Violent. It crawled up my spine, spreading through my veins.

I straightened slowly and walked closer to him, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

“You know how much I love Maddie,” I said, my voice shaking despite my effort to sound steady. “You know everything I’ve sacrificed for her. Everything.”

He finally glanced at me, unimpressed.

“And you,” I continued, my voice rising without my permission, “you were meant to be my best man. The only person I ever trusted. The only person I called my brother. And this—this is what you do to me?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” he replied calmly. “You might have seen me as your best man” he raised his fingers and air-quoted the words “but all I ever saw you as was a pawn.”

The word hit harder than the punch I’d thrown earlier.

“An object,” he continued. “A stepping stone. Something I could use to achieve greater heights.”

My chest felt hollow.

The man standing in front of me didn’t feel like the Jubril I grew up with. This wasn’t the boy who shared food with me when we were both broke. This wasn’t the man who laughed with me.

This was someone else.

“You were naïve,” he went on. “And stupid.”

Each word landed cleanly, deliberately.

“You handed me that contract—the very thing that should have changed your life. So now you’re going to face the consequences of your actions.”

Before I could respond, Maddie’s voice cut through the tension.

“Baby, I’m done dressing.”

She stepped forward fully clothed, fixing her hair as if nothing had happened. As if my heart wasn’t currently being crushed right in front of her.

“They can come in,” she added casually. “We’ve wasted enough time on this bug.”

Bug, That word made my stomach twist.

And then the door opened, Two large men walked into the room, My eyes snapped to them immediately.

I recognized them.

They were the same men I’d seen earlier standing beside Jubril’s Rolls Royce when I arrived. At the time, I’d assumed they were just security. Just part of his new lifestyle.

What were they doing here? Jubril turned toward me again

“Since you interrupted my evening with my girl,” he said, “we’re going somewhere else. But the fun isn’t over.”

He pointed lazily at the two men beside him.

“These two will take good care of you.”

My brows knitted together as dread settled deep in my chest.

Take good care of me?

Before I could process the meaning behind his words, Jubril picked up his T-shirt and spoke again.

“Deal with him,” he said calmly. “Break his leg. His spine. The next time I see him, he should be in a wheelchair.”

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

“Beat him up, or better still, kill him"

Maddie rushed forward immediately, grabbing his arm with a bright smile, like she’d just been given good news.

My mouth fell open.

“Maddie—please,” I said desperately. “Wait. Let’s talk about this.”

I stepped forward instinctively, reaching for her hand.

But one of the men blocked my path instantly.

I froze.

All I could do was stand there and watch as she turned away from me without hesitation, her fingers intertwining with Jubril’s as they walked out of the room together.

The door shut behind them.

The sound echoed.

My eyes slowly shifted back to the two men remaining.

One stood in front of me.

The other behind me, Neither of them moved toward the exit.

That’s when it sank in, Jubril wasn’t joking.

Fuck… I’m in trouble.

I barely had time to think before a sharp, brutal punch slammed into my stomach.

My eyes widened as all the air was knocked out of my lungs. I dropped instantly to my knees, choking, gasping, my body folding in on itself.

Their fists felt like bricks.

Before the pain could fade, another blow landed, then another.

They didn’t give me time to recover.

They beat me mercilessly.

I collapsed onto the floor, curling into myself, my arms raised to shield my face, but it did nothing. Every kick landed. Every punch found its mark.

“Aaah!”

A heavy boot connected with my face.

I heard it before I felt it. A crack, My nose.

Pain exploded through my skull, blinding, overwhelming. I screamed louder than I ever had in my life. My throat burned, my voice raw.

The pain was unbearable, I couldn’t take it.

One of them walked away briefly.

Through blurred vision, I saw him crouch near the shattered champagne bottle Jubril had broken earlier. Glass shards were scattered across the floor.

He picked’up a long, sharp piece, My eyes widened in terror, Before I could react, he pressed it against my face.

I screamed.

Blood poured from my mouth and eyes, warm and thick. Breathing became difficult, like my lungs were filling with fire. Pain was everywhere—inside me, outside me, consuming me completely.

Then suddenly… they stopped.

Without another word, they walked out.

The room went silent.

I lay there broken, bleeding, barely conscious.

They were done with me.

That should have been a relief.

But the damage was already done.

I tried to move, Nothing.

My body felt stiff, unresponsive. Every breath hurt. My eyes struggled to stay open, vision fading again.

Is this really how it ends for me?

The thought drifted weakly through my mind.

I felt something slipping away… like my body was slowly giving up on me.

Then—

Ding!!

A mechanical sound echoed in the darkness.

“Condition of activating system has been fully met.”