— “We’re prepared to compensate your mother. Money, a new place to live, a pension—whatever you say. But in exchange, you drop this. Forever. No more videos, no more threats. It’s over.”
Bennett added, his voice harder:
— “Or we find another way to deal with you. It’s just a matter of time and money. But it’s better to settle this peacefully. For everyone.”
Andrew listened, then said calmly:
— “Your sons got what they earned. I didn’t touch you because you didn’t personally hurt my mother. Но if you ever try anything against me or my family, I’ll come back. And I’ll finish what I started. With you. Understood?”
The three men looked at each other. Miller nodded:
— “Understood. Then we have a deal. You stay quiet. We stay quiet. It’s over.”
Andrew stood up:
— “It’s over.”
He turned and walked out of the diner.
Andrew stepped out of the diner and got into the car with Gray. Gray immediately asked:
— “So?”
Andrew buckled his seatbelt and looked out the window:
— “We have a deal. They’ll back off if I do.”
Gray smirked:
— “You believe them?”
Andrew shook his head:
— “No. But we’ll see.”
The following days were quiet. Andrew got a job at a small auto shop on the edge of town. The owner, an old acquaintance, hired him without asking questions. The pay wasn’t great, but it was steady. Andrew fixed cars, came home tired, and had dinner with his mother. Vera was slowly recovering. Her health was returning, bit by bit. She didn’t go back to the market—Andrew wouldn’t let her, saying he’d take care of things. She didn’t ask where the money came from, didn’t ask what happened to those boys; she was too afraid of the truth.
But one evening, as they sat in the kitchen having tea, she finally asked:
— “Andy, was it you?”
Andrew looked at her:
— “Was what me?”
She looked down:
— “Those boys—Kyle, Derek, Arthur… People are saying someone hurt them, and that it was because of me.”
Andrew was silent. Vera looked up, her eyes filling with tears:
— “I didn’t want you to suffer for me again. I didn’t want you to become… that.”
Andrew took her hand:
— “Mom, I haven’t changed. I’ve always been this way. Nine years in prison just taught me to finish what I start. They humiliated you. Now they’ve paid. It’s fair.”
She cried softly:
— “What if they put you back in jail?”
Andrew squeezed her hand:
— “They won’t. There’s no proof. No witnesses. They’re keeping quiet because they’re afraid.”
Vera wiped her tears and nodded. They never spoke of it again.
Two weeks passed. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Andrew felt something was off. Gray was on edge too, calling every day:
— “Everything okay?”
Andrew would reply:
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